Jenny Packham ‘Damask’ Fetcham Park, Tigerlily, Eddie Judd, Ellie and me

There is less than a week to go now when Fetcham Park stops being a rumour and starts being a wedding venue. I feel invested in the place  – not only did Laura chuck out the coolest  “Mi casa es su casa” invitation since Pulp Fiction. It is also the place of Miss Bush’s first shoot. First pictures to go on Love My Dress, first meeting with ‘the’ Penny from Tigerlily, the first project for the Fetcham Foxes, first meeting with Emma Woodhouse – The Wedding Reporter, watching Eddie Judd and efcPhotography at work for the first time- the list does, indeed,  go on and on.

Another first for the day, and for the new kid of social media, is the rapidity of shoot to publication. The following dress, Damask, by Jenny Packham has yet to be seen ANYWHERE! Anywhere apart from Jenny Packham’s own rather unlovely sepia tint images. I haven’t even got the dress in the shop yet.

The most fantastic opportunities lay before us to bring new  ideas in front of our potential customers. There is scope to showcase new talent, get round the ‘old boy’s network’ and treat the glass ceiling as if it were mere clingfilm. The only cautionary tale I would add to this is that I see a lot of rubbish too. Shoots with poor fitting dresses, substandard design and the unmistakable sound of a bandwagon rolling into town. So whilst it is possible to work collaboratively standards have to be met. I love the bonhomie and the friends I’m making. I love that a shoot that only had a collective will  and a skimpy budget brings in images like the following photos.

I thank my lucky stars I fell on my feet.  I also thank my genetically blessed friend Liz and her husband John for delivering me two superstars. Ellie, the model in these photos who was scouted by Storm on the shoot, and Gina, my fab Saturday girl, are their daughters.

Ellie will be gracing the catwalk on the 30th at Fetcham’s launch and Gina will be on hand too in wardrobe as a rising star now on her degree course in Costume Design at Wimbledon.