A star has been born with a beautiful baby and toddler wear shop in the Edwardian Arcade – with TV celebrities joining a VIP event.
Star of Emmerdale Verity Rushworth and leading lady in the West End Show Officer and a Gentleman Emma Williams cut the ribbon and cake on the cake.
Hattie & Co, off the High Street, Bedford is a small but perfectly formed boutique stocking five fabulous designers ranging from daywear to gorgeous special occasion outfits.
Each piece in the collection has been curated by owner Nicola Harris, mother of Hattie. Nicola is well-known as the award-winning owner of George James Bridal in Bromham Road which attracts customers to the town from far and wide. She is keeping up with that designer demand with additional venture named after her new daughter Hattie.
Supporting the event were Greycourt Florists and Events with Happiness Factor Cakes and Creative Decorations and Dom from DomPlays Sax as well as Ami Louisa Photography.
“I feel passionate about choosing products for children that are high-quality with a planet-friendly ethos. We aim to provide exceptional customer service with gorgeous garments to suit all price points,” said Nicola,
“There is a gift-wrapping service for those wishing to purchase items for baby showers and other special occasions. We also provide an online service for those who do prefer to browse from the comfort of their own homes.”
“George James Bridal was inspired by my beautiful nephew who we tragically lost to cancer five years ago when he was only ten years old. This devastating loss put things into perspective for me and it was then that GJ Bridal was born. Over the last four years I have been delighted that the boutique has become multi-award-winning and more importantly we have loved sharing the special wedding journey with over 700 brides.
“I got married in 2016 and in January of this year was delighted to welcome into the world our beautiful daughter Hattie Harris. At George James we have welcomed so many lovely ladies who already have families and many of our beautiful brides have gone on to have children.
“It was following the birth of my own child and having shared precious moments at the shop with all the lovely families that inspiration hit once again and the idea of Hattie & Co was born.
“I am a huge supporter of shopping with local indies and think the Bedford community is thriving with wonderful businesses and I feel there is a gap for a quality baby wear boutique. The bond with a child is so personal that I feel that it is a lovely thing to be able to buy in-store rather than online.”