Wedding Wonder of the Week: Claire Ogden Designs!

It's my birthday so I wanted a really special blog feature, so I saved this one just for today!

Today's Wedding Wonder of the Week is the very lovely Claire from Claire Ogden Designs. I first came across Claire's work in my friends shop Mootiful Gifts. Her jewellery is stunning, fun and really pretty - it's right up my street! As well as the most beautiful jewellery Claire also makes fantastic wedding pieces......

• Tell us a bit about yourself and your company.

I am Claire Ogden, I am 31 years old a mum of two young boys under 10 and wife to my lovely hubbie! I work full time as a secretary in an Architects Practice as well as having an established Handmade Bridal Accessories business of two years.

I began with making jewellery for myself which was so well received I began to sell it, I now create wedding pieces and have a handful of permanent set ranges. It is not yet my full time business but I feel like it is! I work so damn hard, unfortunately you have to do everything from accounts, PR, marketing, touching base, designing, sourcing materials and making, busy times!

 I am self taught, and have to admit I keep working at something until it is perfect too, I have very high standards!

I work in my study at home, which I have transformed into a studio, we are going to redecorate prior to my Exclusive Jewellery Showcase which has been booked in for November.

• Are you married?
• If yes: will you share some of your details?

We are happily married and have been for 8 years now, how time flies. We were married in the most amazing folkloric museum in Cyprus, photographs in the gardens and reception by the harbour, really idyllic indeed.

We wanted to escape everything, getting married in a country we loved with people that mattered and not blow a whole heap of money we really didn’t have. Our day was perfect in every way possible. We booked with First Choice who coordinated the whole event faultlessly and I still wore the traditional dress and had most of the trimmings, the pictures and video really capture the whole day beautifully.

At the time we had one beautiful baby of 20 month old and fell pregnant with our second on the honeymoon! Our gorgeous little honeymoon baby came along nine months later!

My Dad gave me away, he passed away in tragic circumstances nine months later, he missed my first year anniversary and only saw our new baby a couple of times, he was 52. I was very proud he was there to give me away to such a wonderful person, my best friend and husband Stephen.

• What attracted you to working in the wedding industry?

I love the fact that I can be so elaborate with my designs and be so very creative in my work, I have just been commissioned to create my most stunning piece of work yet that contains 303 Swarovski Crystals. I get to meet very lovely and excitable people and help create the perfect accessories for such a special day.

Hope

Breathless

Evolve

• What is your favourite part of working with bride & grooms (to-be)?

Working closely with them and working through ideas to create something completely unique to them and their theme.

Remember

Rosa

• What is your most favourite wedding theme at the moment?

 ‘old word meets new’ bird cages, vintage themes, florals, champagne with ivory colour tones that kind of thing.

• Top wedding tip?

Be open minded when it comes to planning your theme, style, look, this applies especially with wedding dresses, I had a set one in mind had it ordered in especially to try on because I adored the picture, I bought something completely different! Listen to others but make the final decision yourselves and be firm about that decision.

• What do you think the next big wedding trends might be?

I have seen there may be a trend for Victorian style gowns in 2012, which would be lovely because the ‘vintage’ accessories will clearly still work. I want to create ‘timeless’ pieces but I fancy creating something completely outrageous too! I recently provided the tiaras for the Kosibah20th event, the gowns are to die for and if anyone can set a new trend I would have to say it would be Yemi Osunkoya!

http://www.fophotography.co.uk/

• Where can we find your fabulous company?

I have my own website; www.claireogdendesigns.com

Blogspot; www.claireogdendesigns-theblogspot.blogspot.com

I do sell my pieces online at various retailers and I am luckily enough to sell at Mootiful Gifts, Macclesfield and the designs are exclusive to them.

• What are your plans for the future?

Eventually work full time with my jewellery but I am in no rush, I want to continue to build it up and develop my designs and let my creative juices flow!

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Claire for taking the time to share all of this with us and I hope you've fallen in love with Claire's work as much as I have!

I'm now off to enjoy my birthday!
Love Kate x