Being a Judge at the Bridal Awards

Last year, I was asked by Bridal Buyer Magazine to be a Judge at their Bridal Buyer Awards. Dubbed the Oscars of the bridal industry, I was absolutely delighted. Whilst I write articles for them regularly, this was something so different and so exciting. I remember well entering (and both winning and loosing) these awards and so it was such a honour to be a judge.

I was tasked with judging a dozen categories in areas I love, such as best sustainability, customer service, retailers and inclusion and diversity. The thing I loved most about the Bridal Buyer Awards is that winners are not chosen with the number of votes but through a panel of judges. Each of us thoroughly assessed every part of each bridal business before ranking each application. This means that smaller, less established brands get the same chances as the big guys. I deep dived each application and double checked each claim. I went through each Instagram account, website, did a Google search and looked at customer reviews. It was such a pleasure for me to get my bridal geek on.

Judging deadline was New Year so I marked completion with a class of champagne.

The Awards gala was in Harrogate during Bridal Week which meant a trip to the UK. I got to walk around the buying event chatting with people and seeing what was hot for 2024. I loved catching up with people I knew and meeting some fantastic new brands. The event had a lovely atmosphere and it was nice to see so many buyers writing orders on the stands as I walked past. I also got to talk with a few designers about a very big project I am doing in Europe over the summer which was such fun.

I wanted to champion a bridal business in my outfit choice for the gala so I asked Phiney from Poppy Perspective if I could wear one of her stunning vintage dresses. She very kindly lent me the dress pictured above and it was a dream! The embroidery and the tassels made a statement and I felt very special in it. Thank you Phiney.

The gala was absolutely brilliant! Such fun and not at all stuffy. Over 350 people from our industry in one room, makes for a great evening. It was such a warm and friendly event and the winners were all so happy that it made feel really grateful to be part of it all. Wine and conversation flowed and I got to meet so many people I have chatted on social media.

If you have ever considered entering the Bridal Buyer Awards, then I would really recommend it. It really is a fair competition with the panel judging on merit not size. It is free too, so why not give it a go?! Thank you to Bridal Buyer Magazine for having me as a judge!