Retailer Spotlight: The Little Pearl Bridal Boutique

At The Little Pearl Bridal Boutique, they pride themselves in offering a one to one, by-appointment-only service to all of their brides, in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. They have carefully selected their gowns and accessory designers to bring their customers the very best in bridal wear, whilst suiting a wide variety of styles.  They have lots of exciting plans for the boutique, including exclusive events, but their main ethos is for brides and their families to experience something a little different.

Enzoani recently caught up with owner Diana McMann:

How did you get into the bridal industry and what was the motivation and inspiration to open a bridal store?  

I have had a passion for all things bridal for as long as I can remember.  After working with my husband in the wedding industry and then searching for my own gown, I knew that opening a bridal boutique was my destiny.  I wanted to give brides-to-be the experience that I feel you should have when planning such an important purchase.

What would you recommend a bride to do before searching for the perfect gown?

I always say that searching for the perfect gown should be such an enjoyable experience.  It can be an emotional experience too so there are a few things I would recommend thinking about.  The first one being to have an open mind.  There is so much choice out there and lots of places to get inspiration from.  Get an idea of what you like, but don’t be afraid to try something different when you go for an appointment.  If you have a budget, then let the boutiques know.  It helps to give you focus rather than trying on gowns that may be out of your price range.  Start looking at least 8 months before the wedding. Find a boutique that cares and works with you, and if you are wanting something more bespoke or little added extras, then it gives you plenty of time to plan these and allow for alterations.

What is your favourite Enzoani gown and why?

That is a tough one, there are so many stunning gowns!  A firm favourite in the boutique though is Jordan from the 2015 Enzoani collection.  It just oozes elegance and style.  It has certainly been all about the backs this year and this gown has fabulous back appeal!! Jordan works fantastically with some back necklaces we have in the boutique too to give the bride a slightly different look for the evening reception.

Why did you choose to stock Enzoani?

It certainly took us a while to decide on the opening designers for the boutique.  As soon as we met with Enzoani, we got to understand more about the gowns and as a business, we knew we HAD to have them in the boutique.  Their collections combine traditional and innovative styles, with fabrics to die for.  I also love sparkle and beading, of which they are aplenty, so it made the decision a little easier!!  There is so much buzz around for Enzoani and we are thrilled to be their exclusive stockists in the area.

How has your first couple of months gone?

It has been everything we had hoped for and more. We had a little launch party a few days before we opened and it was so great to see so many family, friends, and industry friends come along and support our launch.  We even took a booking from a bride-to-be on the night which was just lovely.  It was the perfect evening, lots of fizz, thank yous and being able to show everyone around.  We had the fabulous Hayley Baxter come along and take some gorgeous shots of the boutique.

We opened for the first time on Valentine’s Day which was great too! Such an appropriate day of the year.  Despite being a little nervous ahead of the appointments we had booked in, I loved every minute of it.  Everyone had such nice things to say when they walked in and saw the boutique and what we stock.  It certainly is a proud moment and is comforting to know the decisions I’ve made along the way on design, style, what to stock, have been the right ones!

How did you come up with the name 'The Little Pearl Bridal Boutique?

From the moment I knew I was going to open my own boutique, I knew I wanted to incorporate my Grandmother’s name into it somehow – Pearl!  She was a very fashionable lady so it seemed quite apt too.  Don’t get me wrong, it took us quite a while to come up with the full name, of which I can’t take all the credit for!  My husband seems to have knack with this kind of thing!

Who makes up the staff at The Little Pearl Bridal Boutique?

There is just me, Diana, in the boutique!  Although you may bump into my mum from time to time when we are busy!  All of our brides-to-be have their gown or accessory appointment with me. We find this works really well. I love having that one to one contact with all of our brides.  It makes it so personalised and our brides seem to be loving it too.

The Little Pearl Bridal boutique's gorgeous photoshoot featuring Enzoani style Harmony

''We decided on The Talbot Hotel in Malton as a shoot location due to its classic British design, period features, but also its modern take on traditional comforts.  The landscaped gardens and historic setting also provided some great backdrops for the photographers to work their magic!  We had the most talented people in Yorkshire involved on the day, all their different styles to the day.  It was fantastic!''

''The inspiration behind the launch shoot for The Little Pearl Bridal Boutique was creating our own style of Hollywood glamour.  Our vision for the boutique is elegant yet stylish with a warm, relaxed and welcoming feel.  It was key for the shoot to portray each element of this through every little detail.''

''The shoot itself went so well! Obviously it was my first time organising and running something like this, and everyone involved was so supportive and helpful throughout the day.  I loved finally seeing the dresses on, watching their movement and experimenting with different accessories to complete the look.  They all looked stunning!''

Credits

Photography - Georgina Harrison Photography, Sam Ward Fine Art Photography and Hayley Baxter Photography

Hair & Make up - Catherine Elizabeth

Flowers - Leafy Couture

Venue - The Talbot Hotel Malton

THE LITTLE PEARL BRIDAL BOUTIQUE | 19 Eastgate, Pickering, North Yorkshire, YO18 7DU | 01751.798080 | 

[email protected] | www.thelittlepearlbridalboutique.co.uk/