Duffield’s Mimi Toko Bridal Boutique, a leading wedding shop that has provided great wedding dresses to brides to be, has been shortlisted for a National Award.
The wedding boutique has been nominated at the 2010 Bridal Buyer Awards under the best online retailer category.

Store manager Amy Greenhalgh said that they were overwhelmed with the nomination. She revealed that major social networking sites such as Facebook and their regularly updated blog site have helped secure the nomination.

She said that brides to be these days are using the internet to do research on wedding dresses and their site has provided the much needed information and tips.

The store, which opened 15 years ago, has made a name in the community for the past few years. Mimi Toko has dressed Alexandra Burke and Stacey Solomon of X Factor.

The store has also resorted to providing reasonably priced wedding dresses to adjust with the global financial crisis.

A one-stop shop for bridal accessories and gowns will soon be launched at a gold and jewelry complex in Bahcelievler district called Kuyumcukent.

According to reports, the Wedding Mall is set for a grand launch in February.

Customers will no longer travel from one store to another just to find wedding-themed items ranging from bridal accessories, to gowns and to home decors which are usually bought after the wedding.

The first floor of the Wedding Mall will feature textile items, the second floor will have assorted retailers selling affordable draperies and many more.

Kuyumcukent Chairman Kemal Merim said that the aim of the shopping mall is to meet all the wedding needs of the couple. He added that a number of luxury stores will also open to target the VIP market.

Merim revealed that despite the global financial crisis, the shopping mall has been filled with retailers, an indication that the market is stronger than ever.

About 14 bridal gowns were stolen from a designer’s shop in Armadale last night, according to media reports.
The authorities were called to Manuell & Moore about 11 pm. The front window has been smashed with the designer dresses, costing up to $80,000 missing. The designer is famous for the exquisite bridal gowns and matching bridal lingerie.

The police officials immediately scoured the areas for the offenders and they found about eleven of the stolen items at the back of an apartment block nearby. The three unaccounted bridal gowns are valued between $10,000 and $20,000.

The store shot to fame for the past few years after Manuell & Moore provided the dress for Amy Pollard, known to be the beau of Luke Ball of Saint-turned-Magpie, during the 2005 Brownlow Medal.

In last year’s event, the store gained more popularity for providing the dresses for popular personalities such as Olivia Anderson, Lauren Kirkman and Sonja Roberts.

The sixty-eight year old public official, wearing a traditional Zulu dress married 37-year old Thobeka Stacey Mabhija during a colorful and lavish ceremony that was attended by more than three thousand guests at his hometown of eNkandla, located at a remote village in KwaZulu-Natal province. The bride also wore a traditional wedding dress.

Zuma’s brother Mike said that the affair was a traditional one filled with celebrating and dancing. He added that it was a happy day for the newlyweds and for the Zuma family.

The couple already has three children together and were married in accordance to the country’s laws.

Mabhija accepted Zuma as her husband during the ceremony by performing a solo dance which included brandishing a spear and a shield in the middle of the field.