CATWALK QUEEN 

Her cutting-edge design initiative was first apparent earlier this year at The Northern Wedding Show. It’s the first catwalk of the weekend, and amongst the hazy smoke and low lights, there’s an air of anticipation. The first beat of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ kicks in and from behind the curtain emerges a sparkle-clad model donning a super glitz mini dress with tassel trim and draping bow train. She strides down the runway and owns it, powerful, confident. The crowd love it. Mass clapping ensues. A lady whispers “who’s that designer?”, and another “that dress!”, and another “OMG, I love it.” And, therein lies the moment– a new player has entered the modern bridal design game.

 FOR THE LOVE OF BRIDAL 

The designer was Heather Harker, a lifelong bridal evangelist and proud owner of Alice Elizabeth Bridal (AE) in Coxhoe, Durham. At the age of 15 Heather fell hook line and sinker for the world of bridal after seeing Princess Diana’s wedding dress at an exhibition in Clarence House, London – the ivory silk-taffeta, eighties era-defining puff sleeves and mere 10,000 mother of pearl sequins sparked an obsession with dressmaking that that endured throughout her career, making her first wedding dress at 20 and balancing her 9-5 with altering dresses for friends and family. An acceleration into seamstressing followed, before she finally plucked up the courage to open Alice Elizabeth Bridal in 2019, named after her daughter. But it wasn’t until the loss of her dad last year that Heather decided it was finally time to make herself the main character.