Bridal Industry Suppliers Association
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Members
The Bridal Industry Suppliers association (BIS) is the an organisation representing everyone who is involved in manufacturing, wholesaling, importing and exporting bridal goods and services in the UK.
BIS aims to:
  • Support the development of the British bridal industry
  • Provide a channel of communication between suppliers and retailers
  • Act as the interface between the sector and the government
Who are members of BIS?

Members of BIS are British companies, or overseas companies who have a base in the UK, involved with bridalwear and accessories, in sales, manufacturing, wholesaling, design, or as distributors or agents.

Companies involved with men’s formalwear, children’s wear, jewellery, headdresses, veils and other accessories, as well as bridal magazines and other suppliers to the sector are also members.

Why?

As well supporting the aims of BIS listed above, members receive a range of benefits, such as discounts off exhibition space, cheaper transportation costs, a free website consultation, cheaper credit card transaction costs and related equipment, discounted design and production work, discounted photography and rebates and discounts from business insurance.

Who is behind BIS?

BIS has three directors and a central committee made up of BIS members.

Between them, the Directors of BIS have many years of experience in the industry.

Amanda Wyatt has been running her eponymous bridal wear and accessories company for more than 16 years. Following in the footsteps of her father, Alan, an elder statesman of the industry, Amanda worked for a number of bridalwear companies before setting up her own firm. Her daughter, Charlotte Balbier, has also joined the company with her own label to become the third generation of the Wyatt family to enter in the bridal sector.

Karl Metcalfe, whose accessory company Liza Designs was established in 1988, is another family run business. Karl's sister Liza is the designer behind the name, and she works with her daughter Kelly. With over 300 customers in the UK, Liza Designs headdresses and veils are designed and made in the UK.

Nick Day operates Sincerity Bridal in the UK. Sincerity offers four stunning collections, Sincerity, Justin Alexander, Sarah Danielle and Sweetheart, in more than 250 shops across the UK. The group also operates in Europe. In the recent BIS Survey of retailers, Sincerity was voted the best selling label by retailers.

BIS also has an Association Manager, Andy Jackson, who has spent many years working in the bridal sector. If you have any queries, please contact the association by clicking here or by calling 01992 621912.

BIS Committee

As well as its Directors, BIS has a committee which meets three times a year.

The Chair of the Committee is Jane Watson of Bridal Consultancy Services Ltd. Jane has been involved in the bridal industry for more than 30 years, most recently with labels Eva Jordan and Samantha Jane. She is now a consultant to bridal retailers and suppliers.

The other members of the committee are:

David Morton - Mon Cheri Bridal and Sophia Tolli
Jane Watson - Samantha Jane, Eva Jordan and Starting a Bridal Business
Vivien Felstein - Veromia and D'Zage
Mark Wilde - Treasurer
Philippa Onslow - confetti.co.uk
Mark Monk - Mark Lesley

How to join BIS

Advice to brides if your retailer has closed

Rarely, bridal shops can close down and in even rarer cases, some will leave brides without delivering on the dresses ordered.

This is tragic when this happens as it can damage the bridal industry as a whole.

If this has happened to you, BIS, an association of suppliers to bridal retail shops, has the following advice:
  • If you have paid by credit card, contact the credit card provider to start the process of reclaiming any money paid on the card. You are protected and as long as you have all receipts, should get a full refund. If you have wedding insurance, your policy should also protect you against any losses.

  • If you paid by cash then you will have to make a claim through the shop's administrator, details of which may be found through HM Revenue and Customs, local courts, Companies House and possibly even your local Trading Standards office. The shop may also display a sign of which company is dealing with the closure of the shop.

  • If you have time before your wedding, find another bridal shop that stocks that label. Even if they don't stock that style, they may be able to order your dress because of your special circumstances. Look at the supplier's website to find out other stockists and bear in mind that local stockists may be inundated with similar requests so why not look at stockists further afield, within a 30 minute to two hour train or car journey?

  • Our members, the suppliers to bridal retail shops, will also try and offer help, especially if your wedding date is very close. Call the supplier and see what they can do. They will try and help in whatever way possible but please note that some dresses are made in the Far East and are normally made to order - the dresses in bridal shops are samples. So please don't take out any frustration on suppliers if they are unable to help in a short time frame.

  • If this is the case, our advice is to call shops to see if they are prepared to sell you a sample off their rail. Most shops can get the dress cleaned and altered. Again, shops don't want to let any bride down and will do their level best to help out.
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The Bridal Industry Suppliers Association  |  Reg. No.: 05312414  |  12 Kingfisher Place, South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5TG (Christie & Co)