Ashley Wild Bridal | Guest Q&A
#1 Tell us a little bit about yourself…
“I’m Ashley- owner, designer, and maker at Ashley Wild Bridal. I started my bridal accessories brand having worked in couture millinery for around 10 years. I wanted to specialise in bridal headpieces and veils offering modern, fashion forward designs- something I thought was lacking in the marketplace. I also have a degree in Textile Design, so creating swathes of unique fabrics to turn into veils is a real passion. I love my job!
I live on the South Coast with my partner and our little French Bulldog Hector. I have been known to dress him up in offcuts of tulle from time to time!”
#2 What does your brand/boutique offer brides?
“AW Bridal offers brides veils, headpieces, jewellery and bags. Everything you need for your bridal look, except the dress.”
#3 Hit us with your USP:
“’I didn’t know I wanted a veil, until I found Ashley Wild Bridal’. A lot of brides imagine bridal veils and headpieces as too traditional, but have they seen a leopard print veil before?! Didn’t think so. I give brides who want a unique, modern look the options they’re looking for.”
#4 What’s a normal business day include? Is it 9-5? Or more like 6am to pull your hair out/early hours?
“I work a classic Dolly Parton 9-5. Although I always keep an eye on my emails outside of normal hours in case I have a bride that has an urgent request! I walk Hector first thing to start the day with some fresh air and then you’ll find me under a mountain of tulle for the rest of the day.”
#5 Three top tips for brides with regards to your expertise…GO!
- “Wear whatever makes you feel amazing on your wedding day- whatever it might be.
- Use accessories to create different looks for the different parts of the day. For example maybe a long veil to walk down the aisle, then a quick change to a headpiece for the evening, and then a clutch or some statement earrings for brunch the day after your celebrations.
- Wear what you like ‘now’ rather than trying to look timeless and regretting not having a bit more fun with your wedding day style.”
#6 If you could collaborate with another vendor or brand, who would it be and why?
“Ooh that’s a good question, there are so many amazing bridal brands! I love collaborating with other brands for styled photoshoots- my pieces work so well paired with Charlotte Mills shoes who I’ve collaborated with various times for photoshoots and showrooms and always love working with them. I think my style of veil works really well with simple, minimal dress designs so to collaborate with a brand like Charlie Brear would be amazing.”
#7 What’s new at your brand? Got anything exciting in the pipeline?
“I released the L O V E collection earlier in the year which is a collection of romantic designs focusing on a feeling of celebration with the return of weddings after the past year or so. I have begun sketching for and planning the next collection which will come out next year but that is top secret for now!”
#8 Where should brides be looking for heart-stopping wedding inspo?
“I love instagram as a way of following brands you’re interested in as well as finding new ones you’ve never even heard of! Pinterest is great for inspiration and ideas and organising all those ideas - I think its a great tool for wedding planning as you can see everything together and decide what works and what doesn’t. Mood boarding is great for this also. I do both when planning my collections. Blogs and directories are great, especially The Wedding Collective, Love My Dress, and Rock My Wedding.”
#9 Finish one of these sentences:
“When I get married I will….find it so hard to decide what to wear!”
If I could get married again (wedding 2.0) I would…
#10 A box-set/series you highly recommend is…
“Halston on Netflix was both really interesting and had amazing costume and set design.”
#11 Who (and it can be anyone) would sing at your wedding?
“I would love to pick someone like Jenny Lewis or Elton John (in his heyday obviously!) but I have already given up music choice rights to my partner who would most likely choose Bruce Springsteen!”
#12 If you had to delete an app on your phone - what would it be and why?
“I actually have so few apps on my phone!”
#13 A celebrity wedding you loved…GO!
“Hailey Bieber is probably my most recent favourite. She looked absolutely stunning (obviously!) but classic and contemporary at the same time. I loved her veil, of course.”
#14 Finish one of these sentences:
“For my hen party/stag I’d like to…hire an amazing house in the countryside and fill it with friends, food, drink and music.”
If I could press replay on the hen do/stag I would…
#15 Browse the Team Hen site, what would you buy?
“So I’m actually planning a hen party for my very good friend next year and I have a few top picks that I’ll be purchasing!
-Definitely some games like ‘Horrible Hens’, and the Beer/Prosecco Pong Party Game set
-I’ll be putting some gift bags together for the other hens so things like the Bride Squad Luxury Candle, Lip Balms, and Heart Shaped Sunglasses would be perfect.
-Then as a little gift for the Bride the Keepsake Hen Party Guestbook.”
#16 You’ve been dropped at the airport, passport in-hand. You can go anywhere. Where do you go?
“This is such a difficult question! There are so many places I would love to visit…but right now just a lovely little Greek Island to soak up the sun and swim in the sea would be aaaaaamazing!”
#17 Cocktail of choice:
“I am partial to a passionfruit martini!”
#18 Instagram guilty pleasure?
“I don’t know if I have an insta guilty pleasure, not that I follow anyway! I can very easily get sucked down a dark hole of cute dog/cat videos if I’m not careful though!”
