Wedding Valley is a new ten-part series which follows brides and grooms and the people making their Big Days go without a hitch in Lancashire's wedding hotspot, the picturesque Ribble Valley.
Filmed over the course of last year’s busy wedding season, the heart-warming series on W and UKTV features brides and grooms-to be and the array of businesses supporting them including cake-makers, florists, make-up artists and stylists all working around the clock.
Here we tell you all you need to know and speak to bridal shop owners Kelly Dixon and Jo Driver who are featured in the series and who tell us what to look out for...
Wedding Valley release date
The 10-part series starts on Wednesday, April 12 on W and UKTV and will also be available as a box set.
Wedding Valley — who are some of the people featured in the series?
Among the people featured in the series are cake-making mother and daughter team Lindsey and Emily, who run an award-winning business, É Bella Creations in Whalley.
‘We have over 40 different flavours of wedding cake,’ says daughter Emily. ‘Because there’s so much choice some couples struggle to make a decision. We’ve even got to the point where they’re almost having fisticuffs because they can’t decide!’
Will we get to see lots of wedding dresses in Wedding Valley?
Most definitely! The series features different bridal shop owners in the region including best friends Jo Driver and Kelly Dixon who are the proud owners of bridal shop, Amelia’s in Clitheroe, where hundreds of brides-to-be come each year to choose their perfect dress.
Wedding Valley — bridal shop owners Jo Driver and Kelly Dixon tell us about their involvement in the series
Kelly says: "The first episode features a new mum called Sarah. Her budget was £1500 and the dress she loved was actually £800."
Jo: "That was a fabulous story because she got married when there were COVID restrictions so she only had 15 people at the ceremony. She decided when restrictions were lifted she was going to have a massive party for everyone so she thought she might as well have another wedding dress too!"
When did you decide to start your bridal shop, Amelia’s?
Jo: "I was working as a midwife and when I started shopping for my own wedding dress there just didn’t seem to be anywhere to have a special experience. We’d been to some wedding fairs and the two of us thought, ‘We could do this!’ My view was, if it didn’t work out I could always go back to midwifery."
Kelly: "The shop was named after my daughter Amelia who was the first grandchild in the family. Sixteen years down the line, we’ve expanded and are doing brilliantly."
What do you both love about your jobs?
Kelly: "It’s so heartwarming when you get that emotional connection with a bride. You’re helping them make their dream wedding come true. We stay in touch with people, they come back in to show us their babies, or bring in their friends who are getting married."
Jo: "We’re helping people find the most important dress they’re ever going to wear. It’s a beautiful job but it can be stressful too, don’t get me wrong!"
We can imagine! What are some of the stressful aspects?
Kelly: "Timing! Things have to be absolutely perfect so if a bride leaves it late to choose a dress and it doesn’t fit, you’ve got to sort that out."
Jo: "Yes, some of the dresses take seven months to order so it can be a long process. And Covid had a knock-on effect. So many weddings were postponed, by the time they were rescheduled some brides had changed their minds on styles."
Talking of styles, are there any trends you’ve noticed this year?
Kelly: "We’ve just been to London to choose our new collection which will arrive at the end of summer. We’re seeing a lot of high leg splits and interesting arms like Bishop sleeve designs, quite puffy and flowing arms."
What would your top tips be when it comes to choosing a dress?
Kelly: "Stay open-minded. I’d say most people who come in try on between 10 and 20 before they find ‘The One'"
Jo: "My top tip would be, come to us! But Kelly’s right, being open-minded is key. People often have an image of something they’ve seen on Pinterest but then once they try it on, they completely change their minds."
Your store is a real family affair isn’t it?
Kelly: "Yes, it’s a labour of love, we all pitch in. Our husbands do any renovations like rewiring and plastering and our mums run the mother-of-the-bride and groom department.
Jo: "My dad does all the steaming of the dresses. Every dress that comes in gets steamed and every dress that goes out before a wedding gets steamed. He’s also here at 6 o’clock every morning to clean the shop. He does all the stuff that Kelly and I don’t want to do!"
Wedding Valley — who are some of the couples featured in the series?
The opening episode sees University sweethearts, Sarisha and Matthew, whose Big Day is looming, visit É Bella creations where they chat to cake makers Lindsey and Emily about options.
It also features couple Jack and Alice who first met when they working together on a cruise ship. They are planning a festival-themed wedding at Mrs Dowson's Farm, a dairy farm that has diversified to become a wedding venue.
Who else features in Wedding Valley?
As well as florists, venue owners and stylists, Wedding Valley follows hair and make-up business partners Natalie and Laura, owners of Nala and Knot as they make the brides look beautiful for their Big Day.
Wedding Valley the 10-part series starts on Wednesday, April 12 on W and UKTV and will be available as a box set.
