Online service aims to help stressed-out brides

A NORTH Yorkshire businesswoman aims to help banish the image of the stressed-out bride after setting up a website with all the services needed for the big day.

Margherita Blair, a former property lawyer with Ford and Warren in Leeds, set up Calm Bride in March. It is an online directory of wedding services, ranging from dresses, cakes and flowers to stationery and marquees. Mrs Blair said she was inspired by her own experiences.

"I planned every aspect of my wedding day and I relished every minute, but what would have made a hectic time a little calmer would have been an online directory of businesses offering wedding services that I could have referred to.

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"There were some websites that I looked at for contacts, but they had very few business on them, probably due to inflated advertising fees and I found the websites were not clear and of no help at all."

Mrs Blair, who lives just outside Thirsk, said the website will cover North Yorkshire initially. In the long-term, however, she envisages a service which covers every part of the country with drop-down menus giving brides the chance to select retailers for their region.

The mother-of-two, who is from Cambridgeshire originally, said there had been some positive impact from the recession as brides went online to cut costs. The average cost of getting married in Britain in 2010 has been estimated at 20,000.

"I have had really good feedback so far. We are getting more people trying to save money."

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Mrs Blair's income comes from charging suppliers to list on her site but the first six months are free. "I want my prices to be extremely competitive in order to create a fully comprehensive directory. I did not want there to be just one firm to choose from."

The website also has a planner, helping women to prepare from up to a year in advance and an advice section covering the minutiae of the event.

Go to www.calmbride.co.uk