WEDDING BLISS: LADY MARMALAIDE TASTES SWEET SUCCESS
Lady Marmalaide judged best in SA for wedding boutique dresses
LADY Marmalaide East London recently won the Top Vendor Wedding award for best bridal boutique in the country.
Owned by Mandy Seymour and competing alongside some of the top bridal boutiques from all over South Africa, Lady Marmalaide claimed the trophy for a second consecutive year.
The category includes the entire boutique experience and winners are judged through public voting platform in order to make it to the top three, before Top Vendor Wedding Awards judges choose the winner.
Seymour has been a bride herself, and, after experiencing what a bride goes through – the exciting and sometimes gruelling process of planning a wedding and most importantly, getting the perfect dress – she realised that there was a need for a bridal boutique offering a wonderful experience for East London brides.
“Brides are always willing to travel as far afield as Johannesburg or Cape Town to find beautiful dresses for their special day. Why shouldn't they be able to have the same experience here in East London?” a determined and passionate Seymour said.
“We've grown from strength to strength, especially in the last year or so. Word of mouth has really been my greatest advertisement and I'm so grateful to all my clients who have believed in me.”
Lady Marmalaide offers a comfortable and personal experience in an elegant setting. The boutique’s clean décor adds to its elegance while Seymour's helpful and cheerful personality, lends to its homely and happy atmosphere.
The shop boasts an array of Demetrios and Cosmobella designs as well as designs from the 2018 collections of Nicole Sposa and Modeca.
“I'm very relaxed here and my main goal is to make sure brides leave Lady Marmalaide feeling content and confident.” They are often very anxious when they arrive, so I aim to make the experience as enjoyable and stress-free as possible,” Seymour said. She prides herself in making sure her brides are well taken care of.
“I once had a bride who phoned me on her wedding day. “She was bawling her eyes out [crying] on the phone, I couldn't even make out what she was saying except that she needed a dress. I squeezed her in between appointments and in 45 minutes she found something she loved.”
The boutique's successes are very much a direct result of the wonderful experience and atmosphere Seymour prides herself on, as well as her attitude in the face of adversity.
“I owe a lot to my late dad, he built this place up from scratch for me. His passing was very hard on me, but I've taken full advantage of every opportunity and pulled through. I'd like to think that he'd be really proud of this place, he is a big part of the boutique and its successes,” she said.