The Bride’s Market first caught my eye through its pretty cornflower blue banner on Instagram. Anything new in the bridal industry deserves a little online stalking so stalk away I did. I found out that Jen from Jennifer Gifford Designs was behind the new industry hub in Brisbane for couples and vendors, and so I decided to pay a little visit to her new space.

Not only was I impressed with the concept for The Bride’s Market, but the quality of the vendors on exhibit. It really is a one-stop shop with everything from gorgeous gowns to playful photographers to stylish stationery. You’ll find the likes of Wolley, Cotton Blossom, Peachy Flamingo, Hansel and Gretel Cakes, Jess Jackson, and of course Jennifer Gifford Designs – just to name a few – on display.

I sat down with Jen over a cold latte and caramel peanut-butter tart (to die for!) and chatted about her new wedding hub:

How did you come up with the concept for The Bride’s Market?

I am not entirely sure exactly how the idea came about… let’s just say I am a big day dreamer and love creating community networks.  When I decided that the Bridal industry was the place for me I started to think about how I could bring all the vendors together in one permanent space.  The real idea was to make shopping for your wedding easy and really fun while supporting the local industry.  It should be an experience to remember, not a stressful time that haunts you for the rest of your married life.

What opportunities does The Bride’s Market offer couples planning their big day?

We offer a beautiful and central retail location for couples to find every type of vendor that may need for their big day.  At the moment we have over 60 members from the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Byron Bay and Ipswich. And a variety of vendor types from celebrants, photographers, cake decorators, wedding planners and so many more.  AND, if we don’t have what you are looking for we will try point you in the right direction, we have access to a laptop and we aren’t afraid to Google!

o

Tell us about the vendors you work with as part of the industry hub?

A large percentage of our local wedding industry work from home.  Many of them also still have a “day job” and are working in the industry in their time off, so to speak.  So when they have to arrange meetings with couples they really have only a couple of options: tidy the house and hope the kids/dog/husband behave themselves while you huddle around the dining room table, or meet in a local cafe and again hope that someone else’s kids/dog/husband behave themselves!

Our hub is a solution to this and allows our members to meet in a beautiful and professional space with access to wifi, Apple TV and some of the best coffee and cakes in Brisbane brought to your table by the amazing staff at The Bakers Arms (right next door).  Each member receives 6 hours a month of meeting time as part of their membership.

What can we expect from Jennifer Gifford Designs in the coming year?

Wow great question!  You will see a new collection early this year with a move back to more traditional shapes and colours.  Lots of lace and a few sparkles.  Apart from that I will be in store working with brides and helping them choose the perfect gown for their perfect day.  Alas, I won’t be taking on made-to-measure clients this year as I really don’t have the time, but this may change as we get into a rhythm at TBM which allows me to spend more time in the studio.

So, if you feel like finding a whole bunch of loveliness in one space, not to mention an array of friendly professionals, I encourage you to pop down to The Bride’s Market and see what the fuss is all about!

Images supplied by The Bride’s Market