Anna Rae Bridal Wear
'A PASSION PROJECT BORN OUT OF LOCKDOWN. NOW I'M IN BUSINESS WITH MY GRANNY!'
I teamed up with my Granny during lockdown as she really wanted a project to work on & keep her busy over the winter months. I'm a Nottingham based wedding photographer, so sadly my work has been severely impacted by the pandemic. Therefore I was looking at other ways I can be creative while simultaneously diversifying my business in these ongoing challenging times.
As a wedding photographer, I'm always very conscious of the amount of waste produced at weddings and how many new things are purchased for just one day of air time. Personally I've always loved thrifting clothes and I used to work in a local charity shop as a student (many moons ago) and always found some absolute gems! I've always been super inspired by the retro & rock n roll styles of the 60's & 70's.
My Granny is a 'war baby' and was brought up having to reuse and repair everything as it was the only way when materials & food were so scarce. It's great how she is able to make use of all the little bits of fabric and makes them go a long way. My Granny loves to sew and is super talented, so we decided to combine our skillset over lockdown to create a unique & upcycled bridal wear collection, all sustainably sourced and made with love in Nottingham. We are currently adding the finishing touches to our collection which we're going to launch in Spring 2021. We are currently setting up an online Etsy shop where you will be able to browse the reworked bridal wear garments & handcrafted accessories. Alongside the sustainable wedding dresses I will also be selling some preloved bridal accessories that I've collected over the years for styled shoots.Â
ALL THE PIECES BELOW HAVE BEEN HANDCRAFTED IN NOTTINGHAM AND MADE WITH LOVE!
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SUSTAINABILITY
All the items you see in my shop are SUSTAINABLE. PRELOVED. UPCYCLED. UNIQUE. The garments have been ethically sourced by Anna in local charity shops and upcycled by Granny Rae here in Nottingham. We have used any off cuts of fabric for our bridal face coverings & headbands to make sure we’re not wasting any materials. All the pieces in our capsule bridal wear collection are one of a kind and once they’re gone, they’re gone!
At ‘Anna Rae Bridal Wear’ we are all about the ‘make do and mend’ attitude and we try not to waste any fabrics or materials. My Granny was a ‘war baby’ as well as a professional dress maker, so she was brought being extremely waste conscious.
GARMENTS
All the wedding dresses and accessories you see are authentic - they are preloved but nonetheless beautiful, clean and completely wearable. Perfect for a modern bride looking to get hitched in something a bit special and less traditional. So if you’re planning your micro wedding then why not wear something a bit different this season.
I do not accept returns on upcycled & preloved wedding garments or bridal accessories. I appreciate that buying such an important item online can be a little daunting, but I'm here to help! So please do ask to see more photos and ask as many questions as you feel necessary to help you make your purchase.
Sizing details
Measurements are always taken from the model who has been fitted to the garment in the photos. The model’s exact measurements and height will be listed with the item so you can check it against your own measurements. Obviously, each person has their own unique body shape so some items may need tailoring/altering by a professional seamstress to get the exact fit you desire. We do not offer an alterations service, so this is something you would need to find yourself.
PHOTOS
I do my best to photograph and describe items to clearly and I welcome any queries you may have. I always send more photos if required so please do not hesitate to contact me.
Lastly, you won't find items like mine on the high street as they are all unique and upcylced so you can be sure that no one else will be wearing the same dress or accessory as you!
Gift wrapping and packaging
At 'Anna Rae Bridal Wear' we are all about using what we've got and reducing waste. We will ensure your item is packaged to a high standard and wrapped with care to avoid any damage in transit.
Care instructions
Most of the dresses you see will either need a cool hand wash or a professional clean at the dry cleaners. So please take care and do not machine wash any of the garments you see in the collection
