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Cath Adam @ The Bride Shop in Hazelwick Road, Three Bridges, was crowned best bridal shop in this year’s Muddy Stilettos Awards.

The small business lifestyle awards have been running ‘the Muddies’ since 2013, searching out the unique, creative, quirky and most exciting businesses across the country, and introducing them to their 500,000 readers and followers.

And Cath Adam was delighted to receive the award. “We are absolutely elated to be the winners of the best bridal shop in Sussex. The Muddy Stilettos Awards are huge and to even get down to the top five is amazing and to win it is just something else.”

Cath has owned the shop since July 2019 from being a silversmith for 12 years and missing the customer contact, she decided to buy the boutique. “The Bride Shop, which it was called, was closing down so I took the brave move of buying it,” she said. “My mum helps in the shop, she loves it, she can’t stay away. We love what we do and it just doesn’t seem like work.”

The last 17 months have been tough on all small businesses but Cath tried to use it to her advantage.

She said: “During lockdown I took the opportunity to get on with the behind the scenes stuff, the stuff you put on the list that never gets done - setting up new working systems, updating websites, buying in more dresses for the shop. I went a bit mad and ended up with bulging rails.

“This ended up in my favour as a lot of girls didn't have the time to order a dress when we reopened on the April 12, they had to buy off the peg, which I obviously had plenty.

“At the beginning of lockdown I made sure I called all my brides with updates on information on their dresses and assured them I was at the end of the phone for the smallest of questions.

“I was lucky that I’m also a Silversmith so I was able to get on with making my jewellery orders. I had customer’s wedding rings and bridesmaid gifts to finish.

“When shops started to reopen and people started to see normal activity happening again they were excited.

“People hadn’t been out for months or seen loved ones either, so for them to come for an appointment to try wedding dresses on was not only exciting in itself but seemed like a day out with the family. It was lovely to see and be part of such an even more special moment than usual. The town seems to have it’s bustle back and it’s great to see.”

You can contact Cath Adam @The Bride Shop on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheBrideShop/

Crawley bridal shop wins prestigious Muddy Stilettos award