Tadcaster headwear boutique Simply Devine has been named Specialist Wedding Supplier of the Year and Wedding Boutique and Accessories Supplier of the Year in the English Wedding Awards 2022.
Owner Liz Devine-Wright, who is also celebrating her business’s 18-year anniversary, collected the trophies at a ceremony held last month in Manchester.
“It’s double celebrations for us after what has been a very difficult two years for all of us servicing the wedding industry,” she says. “Government regulations forcing us to close plus heavy restrictions on wedding guest numbers and race meeting closures has severely impacted our business. Fortunately, we have come through this and are celebrating our win and milestone of completing 18 years in business.”
During the lockdowns, Simply Devine pivoted its business to online. To minimise returns Devine-Wright devised a special security tag that prevents customers from wearing its products and then asking for a refund.
“If customers aren’t sure about the colour, we ask them to send us a bobbin of cotton and we will find the best match,” she says. “We can even dye raw materials to match if we have the time. It is this level of customer service which I believe has helped us to win awards and stay in business during these very difficult times.”
Following its ceremony in February, a spokesman for the English Wedding Awards said: “The winners represent the industry’s gold standard that work tirelessly to meet the demands of the couples and their guests.
“The awards showcase some of the best wedding specialists that operate in the industry, whose excellence and commitment brought them at the forefront of the industry.”