While card publishers have been busy making wedding cards for the happy couple (see the story on PG Buzz), retailers too have been getting into the spirit, decking out their windows to celebrate Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle.
Gifted in Thaxted, Essex went for a Jellycat-themed window complete with a bespoke wedding card. Kathy Starr, owner said: “I think the window is making people smile. We’ve had people who have seen it on social media make a point of coming down to see it for real. It has prompted discussions in store about how people are planning to watch the wedding – it seems for quite a few are planning to pop a few corks in celebration!”
Up in Doncaster, Forget Me Knot has gone all out with a display that includes a wedding dress, as well as framed photos of Harry and Meghan and other members of the Royal Family. Co-owner of the shop Tracey Cooper said: “We’ve had lots of nice comments about the window for example a customer said yesterday ‘your windows always look nice but this one looks extra special’. I got a text message saying ‘the wedding window looks great, both inside and out’. We tried to play down the Royal Wedding theme in terms of bunting, but used photos of the Royal family to highlight the different titles of wedding day cards we sell and to showcase gifts, in particular photo frames.”
Paperchase stores are full of Union Jack- themed party bits and bobs – such as plates, cups, napkins, bunting – in fact everything you need for a Royal street party. The Windsor store is also selling Harry and Meghan memorabilia and is giving away free confetti and 15% off on Royal Wedding Day.
Suppliers haven’t missed a trick either with Mask-arade offering free next day delivery on a range of Royal face masks, including Meghan and Harry, the Queen and Prince Philip, Camilla and Charles and Kate and William.
Love is in the air
To celebrate its new wedding and anniversary card range (and with a nod to the Royal Wedding), card publisher Cherry Orchard is running a wedding window display competition for indies to show off their displays and win a prize hamper worth £50.
“We’ve been bowled over by the response, with entries coming from far and wide, from as far north as Scotland, right down to Kent, and the standard of displays has just been amazing,” says Helen Pallen, business development and marketing manager. “So much hard work goes into these beautiful windows, with lots of dazzling displays featuring a whole range of gorgeous products to the most stunning window which focused entirely on our envelopes, made into an elegant wedding dress.”
There’s still a chance to enter the competition (entries close 31 May), so email pictures to helen@cherryorchardpublishing.co.uk or visit Cherry Orchard page on Facebook and send your photos through that way.
