0
Category

Style Advice

Ordering a bespoke piece

Sewing a bespoke wedding headpiece

Ordering a bespoke headpiece or piece of jewellery is quite an easy process.  The best way to do it is to book a consultation with us at our studio but we can also design pieces by email or messenger.

Most bespoke orders are discussed with Gail who is the owner and designer at Rock For Frocks.  We sit down together and look at your dress, your hair style, your wedding style and venue.

Sometimes it can be as simple as a colour or size change on an existing piece or it can be a whole new design.

We usually start by trying pieces that we have in the shop to see which piece suits you best and which elements of the pieces that you prefer.  In most cases we can lay out the design with stones and crystals so you can see what it will look like.

Once the design is agreed, we will send you stage photos of it or you are very welcome to call in to see how it is going.  You can at these stages make changes to the design.

All of our bespoke orders will be given guide price at the consultation and to order a 50% deposit is needed.  The balance will be due when it is finished.

A bespoke piece from consultation to fitting

Its not unusual for a bride to bring her dress to a consultation, we can try pieces and colours against it and work together to get the perfect fit.  This bride was having a wedding in Ibiza and wanted a boho look to compliment her beautiful beaded dress.  We created a hand beaded full Cheryl style headpiece and a matching belt appliqué. This look did require a full fitting to get the headpiece to fit perfectly and we sewed on the appliqué to the belt.

Bespoke headpiece and jewellery from the brides family pearls

Our bride came into her consultation with broken family pearls and pearls that she had sourced in a vintage shop.  We worked together to create a double sided hand beaded headpiece and bracelets for herself and the bridesmaids using new pieces from our design combined with the old pearls.

Hand beaded dress straps

Our bride wanted some statement straps to add to her dress for the evening and really loved our Cheryl 10 headpiece so wanted the design based on it.  The straps were made to measure and the beading kept to the same design.  The seamstress who was doing her alterations on the dress fitted them for her.

How to choose your headpiece

Choosing your headpiece can sometimes be as stressful as choosing your dress  I have brides who come into the shop really worrying about it, is it too much? is it going to work with the dress? Can I wear a veil?

When you come in, we will make the process painless, easy and most of all fun.

I don't know how I'm having my hair

One of the biggest questions is, I don’t know what to do with my hair.  I work with a lot of wedding hairdressers and they all say the same thing to me, get your headpiece first and then take it to the trial.

Your headpiece is on every photograph, on your video, everyone sees it.  I think your headpiece, hair and make up is a major part of your wedding.  Most of all you, just love the piece you pick and everything else will fall into place.

At our studio, we can look at your dress, what type of hair you have and ask about your wedding and what type of headpiece that you had thought of.  A lot of brides say they have no idea to this question, which is great, we can start with a blank canvas and just work through the options.  We will show you different types of headpieces and show you how to wear them properly.  Most of our pieces have the same design in different options, so it could be a large side headpiece, small side piece, a tiara or a hairvine.  One you start trying them on and we show you how to put them in the hair correctly, you will see how easy it is to start to think of how your hair would go with it.

Of course some brides come in with a definite hairstyle in mind and we can advise what would work with it, make sure that it would stay insecurely and look great from all angles.

How to wear your headpiece

Our hairbands are shaped to fit your head and wrapped in your hair colour so that you don’t see the band.  We show you how to place the headpiece in, usually at a slight angle, this makes the headpiece sit better in your hair and also makes it much more comfortable to wear.  Your wedding day is a long day and you don’t want to be worrying about your headpiece, just have it put in properly and go and enjoy your day.  Hairvines are pinned into place or held with a ribbon and are really easy and comfortable to wear.  Tiaras generally sit in the same place every time, just in front of wherever the volume starts in your hair.

Same hairstyle - different headpieces

Now the tricky question - The Veil

The Veil! Brides do get in a stress about veils.  Headpieces and veils are a match made in bridal heaven.  So many girls think you can only have one or the other, absolutely not!  A veil in general sits somewhere on the back of your head, depending on your hairstyle and veil type.  If you want a low bun and your veil to sit under just make sure you pick a lightweight veil that will go with your dress.  A cathedral veil really has to sit on the crown of your head or just to the back, to allow for the weight and so that it doesn’t pull on your hair.

Your headpiece will usually sit more to the front so the two never meet.  You can also have a headpiece at the back of your head and have the veil go either over it completely so it is just seen through the veil, which is a lovely look, especially as you go up the aisle.  If you want something to go over the veil comb, the rule of thumb is, it has to be wider than the veil.

Real Bride Sarah

 

Photos from our real bride Sarah’s wedding and a lovely email received from her. Hair by The wonderful Hair by Carol Ellis Thompson.

” Hi Gail,
Just wanted to send you a few of the professional pictures that Andrew Keher (local photographer) took. I also wanted to say a massive thank you for what you made for me and my bridesmaids, they were all lovely and everyone commented on them too!
Hope you will enjoy seeing these photos, I am sending some to Carol Ellis-Thompson too as she did a great job on my hair, thanks for recommending that I stuck with her!
I will recommend your services to all my friends getting married and hope that your business continues to grow, you have something special!
Best Wishes,
Sarah ”

IMG_1888 IMG_1886 IMG_1885 IMG_1887 IMG_1884 IMG_1883 IMG_1882

Enchanted Forest

 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-002 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-006 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-016 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-017 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-021 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-024 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-030 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-033 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-036 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-038 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-041 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-047 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-048 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-049 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-052 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-054 head-pieces-rocks-for-frocks-056

 

We recently shot our new 2016 collection Enchanted Forest in Formby woods. The collection features hair vines, drapes, pins, side headpieces and tiaras which have a more relaxed, bohemian vibe than usual – think festival chic with emphasis on the luxe. Each piece can take your wedding day look to the next level, but could be adapted for a style that’s classic, luxurious, bohemian or vintage.  Vines can be twisted into plaits, wrapped around soft updos, Hand beaded pieces can be placed differently to change your look from day to evening.

 

The set was dressed by Sweet Pea and Ivy, whilst images were taken by Herve wedding photography. The pieces were incorporated into the look by Hair by Carol Ellis Thompson, whilst makeup up was provided by Made up by Cathryn. The wedding dress was from Asos, and shoot styling and headpieces by Rocks For Frocks. Our barefoot beauty was model Breanna.

 

All pieces are hand wired or hand sewn in our Liverpool studio. For this collection we really wanted to capture the relaxed feel of a modern wedding. The pieces are delicate and complement natural beauty without distracting, in softer colours of blush, pale champagne, opal and pinks. However, the pieces retain their luxurious feel and all include Swarovski crystals, Swarovski pearls and freshwater pearls.

 

We’re thrilled with the ethereal quality of these images which show how the collection can be dressed up or down

 

Danielle’s Bridal Party

I was really happy when approached by RFF Bride Danielle to customise her plain bridesmaids dresses.  She had plain pale grey jersey dresses and wanted to add some embellishment and match hair combs for the bridesmaids.

I made beaded and sequin leafy pieces for the shoulders, waistbands and matching hair combs all in a gunmetal silver.  A little flower girls tiara was made to match in and Danielle completed her look with our pardon earrings.

Love these photos, such stylish bridesmaids to compliment a beautiful bride.
IMG_1488 IMG_1489 IMG_1490 IMG_1491 IMG_1492 IMG_1493 IMG_1494 IMG_1495 IMG_1496 IMG_1497 IMG_1498 IMG_1499

Beautiful Bride Emma

I first met Emma when she was planning her wedding and wanted to have a bespoke headpiece that could be viewed from all sides and then have a belt piece made to co-ordinate with the headpiece and be fitted to her beautiful Rita Westenius dress.

I will leave it to Emma to describe the process which she does so well

“Once I had chosen my dress for the big day, the hunt for my head-dress began. I knew that I didn’t want a veil on the day but because of the beautiful simplicty of my dress (Hepburn by Ritva Westenius) I also knew that I could add plenty of sparkle to my outfit on the day with a fabulous headpiece. I was fortunate enough to have been given Gail’s contact details at Rocks for Frocks from my cousin @Lizziemakeup after they had worked together on a shoot.
Contact was made, and an appointment was set up to visit the Rocks for Frocks shop to start looking at options available to me for the big day. On entering her shop at the Wedding House, I was met with a barrage of all things sparkly and beautful…………….where to begin on choosing the one. Gail’s advice from the offset was to try, try, try. So I did, headpiece after headpiece and all so beautiful in their own right.
After showing Gail a picture of my dress she began to pick head pieces for me that she believed would suit the dress style. Me, being me – I liked bits from one head dress and bits from another. Gail’s repsonse to me liking bits from seperate head pieces………..no problem, we can select the bits you like and begin designing something bespoke. Amazing! That was just the kind of response I had been hoping for. Whilst Gail began writing up the invoice for my head piece my gaze wandered around all the goodies on display in her shop……………….and settled on the beautiful belts close to the entrance. How had I missed these when I came in?? Discussions began again and Gail’s inpsired design ideas meant that I was also able to have a beautiful bespoke belt to accompany my head piece.
As work progressed on the head piece and belt I was fortunate enough to have a couple of visits to the shop to view and try on Gail’s handy work. Every visit was the same, Gail’s nerves apparent as we entered, swiftly to be replaced by relief when I fell in love time and time again with what she had produced. Nothing was too much trouble and her only concern was that I was happy with everything she had done.
Happy doesn’t come close to how I felt when I picked up the finished goods – I was absolutely ecstatic and couldn’t wait for the big day to arrive so that I could show off the gorgeous head piece and belt. On the big day Gail’s creations shone brightly and really made me feel like a princess. For anybody wanting something a little bit extra special for their big day, a visit to see Gail’s fantastic shop is a must. There is everything a bride-to-be could want and combine that with the lovely Gail offering up fantastic customer service ensures a never to be forgotten experience. I will forever be grateful for you making such beautiful things to add extra sparkle on the big day xx”

emma emma2 emma3 emma4 emma5 emma6 emmadress

Mother of the bride accessories

We have been making so many Mother of the Bride accessories at Rocks For Frocks.  If you would like to bring your outfit or a photo in, we can advise of styles and colours to suit.  We have samples colours for swarovski crystal, pearls and beading to find the perfect match.  If you have old or broken pearls, we can restring and bring them back to life.

IMG_2598 IMG_1975 IMG_2646 IMG_2647 IMG_1968

Grandma’s pearls

I often get brides bringing Grandma’s pearls in,  they were wanting to wear them on the day, then realise that old pearls go very yellow with age and they won’t match their headpiece or newer jewellery.

Our solution is to take the old pearls which will never see the light of day again and rework them into new pieces, so you can have all your pieces the same using old pearls and new diamante to brighten them.

These pearls were brought in by a bride to be re-worked, we took them apart and cleaned them up and made them into a new two row bracelet, re-using one of the old clasps and a Mary headband.IMG_0862 IMG_0863 IMG_0864 IMG_0865 IMG_0866 IMG_0867

Consultations

Rocks For Frocks offer consultations at our Liverpool Boutique.  We offer this service on an appointment basis, we encourage you to bring in photos of your dress or even the dress itself.

Your appointment is your chance to play dress up, to try on as many looks and styles as you like and we can advise you on which style would suit your theme or look.

We have even had appointments where family members who cant get to the shop can watch on skype or facetime.

Most of all we want you to have fun in our shop and leave us with a smile.  We never pressure you into choosing, if you want to just get some inspiration for choosing your look before you have the dress then that’s fine with us!

So either call on 07962392557 or email us at gail@rocksforfrocks.co.uk and we look forward to meeting you.

Gail xx new shop photos (10) shops pics 18 oct (55) shops pics 18 oct (58)

Spring colour trends

This years colour trends are beautiful sorbet spring colours, which look great in a mix together .  One of the colours I use most is Swarovski vintage pink and powder almond Swarovski pearls, which together give a fabulous vintage neutral brown pink feel.

I ordered a gorgeous combination of colours from Swarovski this week to make flower pins for the shop and one bride who is having them in her own hair.  The colours used in these pins are vintage pink, Provence lavender,  pink opal, azure blue and frosted opal.  Group them together to create your look, they are available in singles, singles with springs and triples.

image image image image

Take 10% off

Minimum order of £75

Get 10% off now!