Next in our stories from the kitchen table blog series we are talking to the Wonder Woman behind Rebecca Anne Designs,
Rebecca creates beautiful, handmade veils from her hometown in Somerset, England. Her work is a perfect blend of tradition and a contemporary bridal feel, with her beautiful collections and also personalised embroidery which makes her pieces SO unique!
Having come from a background working in bridal wear, and a degree in Fashion Design, there couldn’t be a more capable pair of hands to trust with your veil visions…and with everything from song lyric embroidery to incorporating your own heirloom fabrics…there really is nothing Rebecca can’t do!
We worked on some images during our lockdown shoots for Rebecca and caught up after to talk about keeping creative and whats next for her.
Read a little from our chat here…
Emily - Hi Rebecca how are you?
Rebecca - Hey guys, I'm ok thank you. What a crazy time we are having at the moment though! I hope you are doing ok.
E - What was the inspiration behind starting to create your beautiful veil collections?
R - I managed high end bridal boutiques for a number of years and adored working with brides in helping them find their dress. There was always something about the finishing touch of a veil though - particularly those appointments where brides had found 'the dress' and tried on a veil just to rule it out... only to find it was what made them feel like a bride. The sentiment of a veil has never changed. But the choice has. A lot of brides shy away because they think they are going to be old fashioned, scratchy and 'pouffy', and I actually found that the quality and the finish was not what I would expect with the price tags! And so the business began in 2015 with a small collection of handmade veils using the finest tulles and laces. They made me (and a lot of brides!) happy over the years but I felt like there was no creativity involved and since moving on from managing boutiques I really missed working WITH brides. So at the end of 2019 I purchased an embroidery machine and taught myself how to embroider on delicate tulle. I love every minute spent on that machine (I should probably name it?!) so a lot of love will be put into each veil it helps me design and create.
E - If you had to pick one, which would be your favourite veil from your collection?
R - I adore the script veils from my Love Letters collection which will be available very soon. It began with The Hermione, named after my lovely friend and fellow bridal accessories designer Hermione Harbutt, who shared the beautiful quote with me from The Chaos of Stars. The Audrey followed which was the winning quote from my competition for brides-to-be earlier this year. There will be a small number of veils in the collection but if my brides decide they would like their own quote then there is always the option of working together on a bespoke veil. Perhaps they would like to have their vows embroidered or a line from 'their song'. The opportunities are endless and I love helping brides put their own mark on their bridal accessory, it's very special.
E - What is your favourite part of working with brides to be?
R - I love the feeling of working as a team - particularly when adding personalisation to a design or creating a bespoke veil with a bride. We have the same end goal - to create something personal and special for their big day. I love building up a relationship with my brides and finding out all about them so that I can design something that truly reflects them, their personality and everything they want from their wedding styling. I would consider a number of my past brides friends now, which is a reflection on the communication and trust built between us.
E - It’s all a bit odd at the moment in lockdown…how important do you think it is to stay creative?
R - It's helped me most days to have a creative focus - particularly in the first few weeks where we were all settling in to this 'new normal'. I have found that I have had the head space (and time!) to create designs that I may not have before which is really exciting - I've got into baking too! But there have been days where I have beaten myself up over not using my time effectively. I now think it's important to find a balance and remember that these strange times are not usual and that it's ok actually to have a pyjama day, catch up on your latest Netflix series and look after your wellbeing!
E - What are the three things that you are most grateful for in this wild time?
R - 1. The internet allowing me to network with other wedding suppliers that I may not have connected with in normal circumstances - such as you two lovelies! Everyone is being so open and giving. I feel like through the uncertainty we are building a stronger support network within the wedding industry which is really exciting for present and future collaborations.
2. Having this wierd 'gift of time' has allowed me to really focus on my rebrand. I was due to be looking at it properly in the summer but actually now has been the perfect time. I have a fresh logo and branding colours which are being applied to a new website design at the moment - I can't wait to share it with you!
3. Being able to enjoy the summer weather with my lovely boyfriend! We've spent time improving our garden and allowing ourselves a G&T in the sun as a reward (there's definitely been more cheeky afternoon drinks - bonus!)
E - What three things are you most excited to do when we are all out and about again?
R - 1. Mostly excited to be reunited with friends and family. My parents are two of my best friends and have always been so supportive of everything I do... communicating via video calls just isn't feeling enough anymore.
2. Visiting National Trust properties and gardens. We used to go most weekends - the houses are lovely to explore, the gardens are inspiring and the coffee and cake is ALWAYS good. Missing a good flat white!
3. Organising my first 'proper' styled photoshoot. I am so ready to release my embroidered designs to the world of brides but I know it is important to show them through the perfect imagery on my new website. It will be an exciting project once lockdown ends and social distancing settles.
E - Is there anything coming up/new in your business you want to share?
R - My business has finally found its focus and I cannot wait to share the rebrand soon. I have been creating veils since 2015 but never felt like it was enough... I'm really excited to explore the possibilities of embroidery with my future brides. There will be a collection of veils available to buy or personalise, as well as the opportunity to book free initial design consultations over the phone, video or meeting in person (when possible!) to look at creating unique veils with my brides.
Check out Rebecca's website here to see more of her beautiful collections and go give her a follow on Instagram @rebeccaannedesigns to keep up with her work!