All brands will now sit under the new brand name ‘The LJ Group’, which will host a line-up of leading industry brands all under one roof; including, Amanda Wyatt, Charlotte Balbier, Linzi Jay and Arianna that will all remain as their original brand names.

Neil Flatley says: “To acquire not one, but two prestigious and fabulous brands can only be described as fantastic for us. Both businesses are financially very strong and a combined group will be even better. The product design and development that Amanda and Charlotte have worked so hard on over the years will be continued and extended. In addition, customers will continue to receive the excellent service, the attention to detail, the marketing support and the products that have given all three brands such good names in the industry.”

• The operations for all three brands will be under one roof at Linzi Jay HQ in Blackburn
• All deliveries and orders will continue to be processed as normal with no affect to any orders or lead times
• Neil Flatley, Amanda Wyatt and Charlotte Balbier will work together for the portfolio of bridal brands to move forward in a new and exciting direction
• Neil Flatley is appointed as CEO
• Amanda Wyatt is appointed as the Founder of Amanda Wyatt
• Charlotte Balbier is appointed as Creative Director and Founder of Charlotte Balbier
• The team from Balbier Wyatt will still continue to be Lucy Williams as Sales Director for Charlotte Balbier nationwide and Amanda Wyatt South. Gary Brown will remain as Amanda Wyatt Sales Manager for the North and Ireland. Tabatha Muggeridge will still remain as a key point of contact for Amanda Wyatt and Charlotte Balbier stockist and customer service
• The Linzi Jay accounts, warehouse, sales, marketing and customer service team stay the same and will work alongside the Balbier Wyatt team that are joining the LJ group at the Blackburn HQ

“I’ve personally known Neil for 30 years and we previously worked together at Cupid PLC,” says Amanda Wyatt. “The Amanda Wyatt and Linzi Jay business models match up perfectly and this is a logical merger to bring these brands together to form a strong bridal portfolio that has scope to grow. I’m looking forward to taking some time out to spend with my family and my first grandchild that will be arriving soon, as well as keeping an interest on how the brands will move forward with all the exciting plans that are in place.”

Linzi Jay, Charlotte Balbier and Amanda Wyatt have all individually been established for over two decades in the bridal industry. With over 55 years of heritage between them, and years of knowledge and experience, the merging of these bridal entrepreneurs results in a formidable team. The ethos behind each company has always been to offer customer service, quality, and high craftsmanship backed with excellent marketing and strong branding.

“I’ve always held strong, ambitious plans for the Charlotte Balbier brand,” says designer Charlotte. “Over the past 15 years I’ve loved watching the brand become a leading name and adored by so many brides-to-be. I have even bigger dreams for the brand and this merger provides the foundations and guidance to turn the bigger dreams I have into a reality. There are exciting times to come with new collections and bigger marketing plans - so watch this space…”

You read it here first at bridalbuyer.com - always first with the news!