Bridal Buying Dates for the Diary 2024
With 2023 coming to a close, the new year will soon be here with all the excitement of a new buying season and a glimpse at the gorgeous new collections from our favourite designers and manufacturers. We take a look at some of the key bridal buying dates for 2024.
MARCH 24-26th BRIDAL WEEK OFFICIAL - HARROGATE
As the first European event in the bridal calendar, is a three-day event in Harrogate, Bridal Week Offical will open it's doors between 24-26th March this year, offering the latest collections from the biggest and brightest talent in the industry. The awards are back! This year, the Awards will be held alongside Bridal Week Harrogate, this event not only offers the opportunity to celebrate the brilliance and innovation shown by the industry, but provides an unrivalled networking opportunity, as well as being a fun-filled evening with dinner, drinks and dancing. Tickets will be available for purchase in mid-January. Show registration is now officially open! Click here to register
APRIL 13-15th EUROPEAN BRIDAL WEEK - GERMANY
With 10 years of European Bridal Week, it has evolved into the biggest international trade show in northern Europe, bringing together buyers and exceptional brands from around the world. Celebrate difference in bridal with drinks, dancing, and a passion for fashion! From 13 - 15 April 2024 at Messe Essen, Germany. Click here to find out more.
17-21st APRIL BARCELONA BRIDAL WEEK - BARCELONA
A 5 day event, gringing together creativity, business, passion, fashion parades, buyers, ateliers, media, professionals and iconic brands. Atracting all the gazes of bridal fashion to one spot located right in the heart of Barcelona. Click here for more
MAY 7-9th SHINE BRIDE WEEK - LONDON
Shine Bride Fashion Week launches in London to unveil the most exclusive bridal, evening and cocktail fashion trends. A B2B event where magic, business and entertainment converge over 3 days, including fashion shows, showroom and parties at Stationers’ Hall, a historic venue with enchanting hidden gardens, in the heart of London, next to St. Paul´s Cathedral. Click here to find our more
MAY 8-9th WHITE GALLERY - LONDON
White Gallery brings together the bold and the beautiful and epitomises the future of bridal fashion. 2024 sees White Gallery relocate to The Truman Brewery in the capital's trendy Shoreditch, where the hottest new designers will join industry icons in presenting their new collections to the world's coolest bridal boutiques. Tickets will be available to bridal boutiques at the end of 2023.
Vist White Gallery
HAVE YOUR SAY!
We ask some of our Boutique Hub experts, what they are planning for 2024 and what they think of the current situation of events in UK and Europe.
Ellie Sanderson / Ellie Sanderson Bridal "Buying has become so disjointed in the last 5 years or more. Visiting designers in many locations is ridiculously expensive and also time consuming. We attend only 3 shows a year. The market is becoming more and more flooded with dresses and buying once a year would be ideal, fashions dont change so much that we need constant new collections. The driver with these shows and flooding the market is cause by the supply chain. It really is a great example of the tail wagging the dog. Saturating the market is a short term set of behaviours, more and more outlets are opening as a result of this saturation which is competition at every level. Less shows, less increased minimums and more focus on repeat orders is needed now before we permanently damage industry beyond repair."
Jane Palmer / Celebrating Curves Bridal "I actually really love attending these, I see it as a perk of the job if I'm honest. I'm glad that the March one has been moved from London, not for the location but for the venue, it really didn't work. I do think it would be fairer to have the March event somewhere other than Harrogate (don't get me wrong it's great for me) but if I lived on the South Coast I wouldn't be happy! Prior to the buying season I think it's really important to do your research, crunch the numbers and see exactly how you are doing for each supplier, coming from a travel background where we were constantly updated on how many holidays we were selling for each tour operator it really surprises me that the suppliers don't make this information readily available, give targets, support in this area at all. Maybe it's just the ones I deal with, but I do think this would be a good idea. I've had one supplier do this with me over the years and I'm now 2nd in the country for sales, it works!! When attending, go with a specific budget (overall) in mind and be strict with yourself, it's so easy to get carried away, don't do it!! Plan your time and make the most of it. I much prefer buying this way I don't particularly like store visits, I like to see the dresses on models and compare what each supplier has."
Rebecca Baddeley / TDR Bridal Birmingham "Purchasing activities are currently fragmented and take up a significant portion of my available time. I intend to attend both the March and September events in Harrogate and I have to participate in at least four other Designer events throughout the year. This situation can be frustrating as it complicates the buying process, making it challenging to compare and evaluate options effectively. The abundance of shows in the industry is excessive, and I believe there is no necessity for more. I would prefer if all Designers returned to Harrogate, consolidating opportunities for me to conduct all my purchasing in one location. This includes the Designers affiliated with White Gallery. While Barcelona is an appealing show, attending it detracts time from my business, prompting my decision to cease participation."
Rob & Andrew Pearce / Creatiques Couture "The number of shows make it very challenging for a small business, with the increaing cost of travel, accommodation and paying for cover in the boutique. We plan to visit both Harrogate shows"
Where will you be buying next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below...
