2017… WHAT?!?
It is 2017… How did that happen? I can’t believe we’ve been open for four years and what a four years it has been! I am so, SO excited for the year ahead.
So, 2017 is a little different for me, I now have two kids, two and a half years and under and it’s crazy. I love my balance at the moment though, and to be totally honest – it’s probably taken me until now to get the right balance. When Daisy was born I felt guilty that I wasn’t working and was back to work so soon. However, I’m so glad Jack came along as whenever I had him – I realised how important those early days are and I was able to take MUCH longer off plus I had the added bonus of a one year old to entertain me, and boy does she entertain me. She is such a girl, she loves clothes, shoes and doing my make up… I love them with all.my.heart.
So I have had to get my life in order, and be organised and I have a few hints and tips for you all, as I am sure you are all ranging from a little stressed to mega stressed depending on what stage of your wedding planning you’re at. So here’s what I have done.
Online Shopping
Okay, so I know this is nothing new, but we’re so bad at buying food and then not eating it before it goes out of date and it’s such a waste – so we have started cooking meals out of Lean in 15, and we literally buy all the ingredients we need for that week, plus the essentials. Then I don’t have to think about what we’re cooking that night as we’ve already decided; of course I have a few chicken nuggets in the freezer just incase and the odd night where I’ve no clue what we’re making. Beans on toast anyone?
My Make up Organiser
I love this organiser I bought it off eBay… it holds all my make up that I need in the morning, and as long as Daisy hasn’t got her hands on it, it stays lovely and organized. Plus it only cost £10 on eBay. Here’s a link to one: http://bit.ly/2iMuDKC
Go Digital
It took me long enough, but I have moved my diary online… and I love Google Calendar, I can see how busy we are for the coming weeks. I can plan Designer Weekends, Sample Sales so easily and if a bride rings my mobile, I can let them know my availability easily. I highly recommend it. Oh and we are expanding Ivory & Pearl, so we now have the availability to offer extra appointments in the boutique, which are still private. boom.
Exercising
Okay, so I don’t exercise, I really should. Does standing up all day long count? Yes, I think so. However, Chris has just joined Pure Gym and rang me yesterday to tell me the best news.. I said unless he’s telling me that’s he’s coming to take the kids and has booked me in for a massage, it’s not exciting. And, no, it wasn’t that.. however, Pure Gym is coming to Lisburn.. right on our door step!
Well here’s to a Great 2017.. We have new designers coming in this month, lots and lots of trunk shows.. which will be the next blog so keep an eye out!
Love Kate
xxx
Filled Under : Blog , Inspiration
A re-introduction
Ivory & Pearl has been open for such a long time now, I feel like I need to re-introduce myself! We’re in our forth year with literally hundreds of Ivory & Pearl brides, it’s still a little surreal – and we still love it!
So, who am I? My name is Kate Speers (formerly Clingen) I married my lovely husband Chris Speers, if you’re from Comber you may possibly know him, five years ago this summer and we have two children Daisy and Jack (thought I’d add a photo, sure why not, here we are at the zoo last week below).
After doing Business Studies at University, and working in the corporate world for seven years, I decided it was time to set out on my own, so I did! My vision for Ivory & Pearl was a Bridal Boutique that had wedding dresses that weren’t stocked anywhere else in Northern Ireland or Ireland. Dresses for the modern bride, who wants a dress that’s a little fashion forward, that is unique and represents them! And that is now what we stock, with designers such as, Claire Pettibone, Naomi Neoh, Anna Campbell, Catherine Deane, Claire Pettibone Romantique, Flora and Karen Willis Holmes.
I personally LOVE our dresses, when I look along the rails now, I would HAPPILY wear each and every one of them!
We are always on the look out for new designers and have done a lot of designer weekends this year for visiting designers and it’s been a great way to see new and different gowns!
We are based in the lovely Georgian House in Comber, it really is lovely! Wooden floors, chandeliers, and fires which are always lit in the Autumn/Winter months! I went out one day to find a premises and on my first day, found the Georgian House – it even has a tea house / restaurant downstairs – it was meant to be!
As well as myself in the boutique (although I’m off for a little while on maternity at the moment). There is Kathryn, who is fantastic, you will most likely have met her if you’ve been in Ivory & Pearl or Willow & Thread recently as she works full time and has been with us for nearly a year, Sharon who also owns Innocent Chaos and Sara who is Chris’ cousin and studying to do midwifery (so if you’re nervous about bringing pregnant family/friends… we have you covered!)
In September, we also opened a fashion boutique Willow & Thread, which is right next door. So if you have a bridal appointment with us be sure to pop in! (I also then had our second baby and moved house all within the space of three months, not one to do anything in halves)!
To book an appointment, give us a call on 028 9187 1135 or email hello@ivoryandpearl.com
Don’t forget we can also bring in most dresses from any of our designers even if we don’t stock that particular dress! So if you spy a gown online – drop us an email. And if you’d like to speak to me directly – just email kate@ivoryandpearl.com
You can also follow us on:
Facebook
Instagram @ivoryandpearl
Snapchat @ivoryandpearl
AND follow us on Willow & Thread
Facebook
Instagram @willowandthread
Snapchat @willowandthread
Love Kate
xxx
Filled Under : Blog , Inspiration
Aiste’s Wedding in a Beautiful Anna Campbell Gown
Aiste recently got married in the Summer, in this stunning Anna Campbell gown. Aiste brought along her fiancé and her son to give their opinion, we are getting lots more men in the boutique recently and we love it!! Always nice to see their reaction, but to be honest, anything Aiste put on, she looked absolutely amazing in.
Sit back, and enjoy these photos!
Love Kate
xxx
Filled Under : Blog , Real Brides
Our First Baby… and Our First Employee!!!
I can’t believe we’ve been open for nearly a year and a half now, it has been the most exciting, yet challenging, exhausting, yet rewarding 18 months I’ve ever had. Running a business by yourself (well, of course along with my chief sign cutter / delivery man and cardboard disposal expert – my husband, and my extremely talented fashionista who helps choose all my gowns – my mum!) is hard work, I don’t think I’ve worked as many hours in my life, yet the thing is I absolutely love it! It’s often not like work, more like a hobby, choosing lots of pretty dresses and meeting some fab brides, from all around the world! At the moment it’s great, as lots of our brides are collecting their dresses for the summer and there is nothing better than seeing a bride’s dress in her size, all new, fresh and pristine! I can’t wait to share more blogs with you over the coming months of our real brides!!
HOWEVER…. things are going to change slightly, as in 2 weeks time we’re expecting our first baby! I am very, very excited – it has been a very long 9 months waiting for this little arrival, and to think that in 4 weeks we’ll meet him/her is a little surreal! You never know, I might open a baby shop next, jokes, I’m a very unprepared mother to be, I think I’ll stick with bridal! Of course, I’ll still be available to chat to via e-mail/phone, and all being well will be at all the fittings with our amazing dress maker, Andrea, when brides are collecting their wedding dresses. This does also mean that we have a new member of staff… who you will all absolutely love… Sara! Sara has been working Saturdays already, so some of you may have already met her, but she will be here full time to show you all the wedding gowns and provide her fashion expertise! Here she is at her formal on Saturday night, looking lovely! Please make her feel loved when you’re in!!
I hope you’re all out enjoying the sunshine! We’ve lots of brides in, and five brides trying their own dress on for the first time this evening.. That’s one of the best bits 🙂
Lots of love,
Kate xxx
Filled Under : Blog
Rachel’s Wedding
Autumn 2013
We are in full swing Summer Season, that means choosing new dresses for 2015 collections, and lots and lots of wedding dresses arriving for our Summer 2014 weddings, our storage space is getting tighter and tighter… and tighter! We also absolutely love receiving photos from our previous brides, what I love about our wedding gowns is that we have exclusivity of a number of our designers, in either Northern Ireland, Ireland or Europe.. so when brides choose dresses they can rest easy that they’ll have a wedding dress that is unique to them!
Here are a few pics of Rachel from her wedding last year, the fab photos are taken by Carly Rodgers Photography! Rachel came in last year with only a matter of weeks before her wedding (yes it can be done!), she was so relaxed and just seemed to really enjoy the wedding prep, without stressing.. that’s the best way! It was a pleasure having Rachel and her family in the boutique! And now her sister is due to get married, so they’re back on the wedding dress hunt 🙂
PS- How pretty does her red front door look with all the leaves falling down!
Love Kate
xxx
Filled Under : Blog , Real Brides
1st Floor, The Georgian House, 14 The Square, Comber, Co. Down, BT23 5DT, N. Ireland