Tell us a little bit about you and your background in the wedding industry?
I’m Hannah and I am 25 years old. I live in Lincoln with my partner Chris and we have been together for just over two years.
In 2017 I went to university not really knowing what I wanted to do as a career so I chose to study Drama as my first degree as this was the only thing that I knew I would stick at for the full 3 years! During my final year at uni, covid hit and I had to finish my degree by recording a video of myself singing ‘As long as he needs me’ from Oliver in my flat for my last module. Finishing my degree during covid was scary as there were no jobs going and I still didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do! So while on furlough still from my job at Prezzo as a duty manager I decided that I would stay in education and study Events Management.
Once the lockdowns lifted and we were able to return to work I decided that after 4 years in the hospitality industry it was time for a change. This is how I ended up working as a sales executive at Audi. I have to admit I didn’t last very long in the heavily male dominated industry! However, I will always be grateful for those 8 months as it meant I met the person I will one day call my husband. Chris was the grumpy technician that would never smile or say hello when you walked past and to be honest until I got to know him I was a bit intimidated by him!
Once I realised that car sales was not for me and that people coming to buy really didn’t think that a 22 year old female knew anything about cars I decided it was time to actually put my masters degree to some use and I started working as a Wedding Co-ordinator for a hotel. This job was so rewarding and even though I loved being able to be a part of the couples big day, something was still missing! This is when I met Amy at my partners brothers wedding. By chance her husband was the best man and me and Amy ended up sitting together at the church and for the meal. We got chatting about the fact that we had switched job positions with my first job being a bridal stylist and one of her previous jobs being a wedding co-ordinator for the same chain as I worked for at the time! At this point I mentioned to Amy that is she ever wanted any help at the shop on a Saturday that I would love to get back into that side of the industry. I explained to Amy that I had previously been a bridal stylist for 4 years until my second year of university and that I had never wanted to leave that job however sadly, studying full time and working 2 jobs wasn’t ideal and something had to give. It was not an easy decision to leave the bridal industry however, the boutique was not in the centre of Lincoln and without a car I was relying on the bus to get me to work every Saturday. During my time at this boutique, I met so many amazing brides and I loved helping them find their dream dress and make them feel amazing.
Amy took me up on my offer and I was able to start joining her in the shop on the occasional weekend! It wasn’t until I started to really think about what I wanted for my future that I considered coming back to work in bridal fashion full time, however the more and more I was at the shop helping brides, the more I knew this was the job for me.
I mentioned to Amy that if she ever wanted a full time staff member I would really like to be considered and well the rest is history…..
What advice would you give a bride searching for her dream dress?
Trust your gut!
When we are spending a large amount of money we like to try and make sure that we are making a rational decision and that everyone agrees with us and thinks it’s the right thing. However, bridal is slightly different and you need to trust in the feeling you have in the dress, even if it is completely different to the style that you went in for! No one else knows how you feel in a dress and only you can make that decision, you should wear what you want to wear on your big day!
Once you have found it, STOP!
When you met your partner did you tell them ‘I really like you, but I am going to go out with a few other people first just to make sure’? Probably not, you probably celebrated that you had met someone amazing who you loved!
Therefore, when you have found the dress celebrate it! There is such a thing as trying too many dresses and it can confuse you and take away from the bridal moment you had in your dress the first time!
What are you most excited about working at Bellamme?
I am excited to get to meet so many excited brides and chat with them about their plans! I love hearing everyone’s individual visions and being able to help where I can to make them come to life!
Helping brides to find their dress is so surreal and each person’s journey is so individual its amazing to be a part of it!
What’s one accessory a bride should never go without?
Accessories can be really personal, and each bride uses them differently to create their own look, that’s the fun of accessories!
Some brides have accessories with sentimental value or some brides use them to create something totally unique.
One thing I personally love is a veil, I think they create that totally bridal look for the ceremony!
What’s your favourite dress in the shop and why?
My current favourite dress in the shop has to be either is Lourdes by Jeune bridal or Sasha by Madi Lane. I absolutely love both of these dresses for their shape and detail! They both have detachable sleeves which I absolutely love as it gives two looks in one dress!
But let’s be honest, all the dresses in the shop are stunning and I don’t know how I would choose if I was getting married! I’d have to have at least 10 dresses!
What do you think the perfect hen weekend would be?
My perfect hen weekend would be either a weekend in a log cabin (with a hot tub) with all my friends, lots of bottles of pornstar martini and a speaker blaring all of Taylor Swift’s greatest hits!
Or…
A long weekend on a Greek island lounging around the pool with lots of cocktails, sun and good food!
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