I've done Wedding Fairs before and, to be honest, they are a long game. Brides are looking at least one or two years ahead, collecting ideas and inspiration and you can't really expect to sell very much, if anything. Promotion is the name of the game. Plenty of business cards, generic examples of your work, swarowski crystal and pearl colour charts etc. And a really pretty display, with one or two stunning designs to catch the eye.
I'm lucky in that I am custodian of my daughter's wedding gown; I had it cleaned after her wedding eight years ago and I have leave to roll it out when needed. So on to Vi my trusty mannequin it goes and hey presto - my display is transformed into wedding - land.
As well as simple crystal and pearl pieces (always popular) I had a small display of beach wedding jewellery. More and more couples are tying the knot abroad these days and I find alternative wedding jewellery sells really well for me - and not just for brides. Both the pairs shown feature beautiful polymer clay shells hand made and painted by my good friend and oft time collaborator Helen Backhouse of Helen's Bat Cave using moulds made from shells collected on travels abroad.
It went something like this - 'Helen, help! Make me something weddingy but not too weddingy'!
She, of course, as always came up trumps (apologies there to my US friends). To the top pair I added fine silver findings, tiny swarowski crystals, and rustic and keishi pearls, both from Smitten Beads
I had a lovely day, made all the better by being next to a young singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist called Skyler Mae who was hoping to get bookings for singing at weddings - if I had one planned, I'd have booked her like a shot!
So. Wedding jewellery. Do you make it? Do you buy it? Classic or with a twist?
See you soon
Lindsay
Really love those silver-y earrings, especially the second pair!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Claire! That pair went pretty quickly...
ReplyDeleteGorgeous Earrings!!!I have made Baseball themed earrings and bracelets for the bride and her bride's maids. Her then soon to be husband is my cousin's son and he is in LOVE with the Boston Red Soxes. People loved them as they could wear them to their son's baseball games!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful earrings Lindsay. Especially the second pair. I am not surprised it went quickly.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! My favourite is the bright abalone pair. The shape of the shell is really original, I love it. But I also like the first earrings pair because of their elegance. If I had been a "beach wedding" bride I would have chosen these pair instead of the classical pearls.
ReplyDeleteThankyou so much - that's the best compliment x
DeleteI love the shell beads and they make the earrings look so elegant. Where I come from wedding jewelry is bold, in gold and hardly ever sold in fairs (Pardon the bad rhyme) but I do make colorful floral jewelry for prewedding events and have a lot of fun with it
ReplyDeleteSounds lovely Divya.
DeleteWhat a fun post, Lindsay! I made some wedding jewelry for a friend's very small, informal wedding years ago, and it was a fun experience, but yours are much more beautiful! I especially love the abalone earrings; they're just exquisite. Helen is a genius, and you always make magic with her art.
ReplyDeleteI once made a tiara Meridy - not an experience I'd wish to repeat!
DeleteThe detailed abalone shells in white and silver are just gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThankyou Kathy - some of Helen's loveliest work I think.
DeleteSo pretty! Perfect for a bride! - but I would wear them too!
ReplyDeleteI think that's the beauty Cindy - you don't just wear them once.
DeleteUnbelievable beauty lindsay! And oh how I love violet. 😊
ReplyDeleteShe's a doll :)
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