My name is Anneka Dogruyol, and I am the owner of Another Age. I have owned and run MainStation fancy-dress shop in St John's Street, Colchester for nearly a decade.

Over the years, I have dressed many people going to themed weddings. Guests have returned saying it was the best, most memorable wedding they’ve been to, and have loved the photos of themselves in their costumes! I provide a personal service, finding someone a costume that really suits their character and appearance.

I love seeing someone’s face light up when they see themselves for the first time in their full costume with all the finishing touches. In fact, it was this enjoyment that finally persuaded me to develop Another Age, to specialise in costumes for medieval weddings and other medieval events.

When I started investigating the market, I found that although medieval costumes were available in the UK, there were few options for the bride and groom, and costumes for guests were often lacking in imagination. I wanted to provide not just off-the-peg costumes, but also custom-designed, one-off bridal gowns and groom’s attire - just as you might have at a more traditional wedding. I also wanted to provide a huge range of different costumes so that all the guests at a wedding or medieval fayre could dress as individual characters.

I particularly wanted to focus on providing high-quality costumes – that would look lush and beautiful, as well as authentic.

Medieval weddings can be harder to plan than a traditional wedding, as it can be difficult to find suitable costumes, props, accessories and services. In the Another Age website, we specifically want to feature a range of suppliers - and we will be expanding the site over the next few months, to provide a complete resource for anyone who’s planning a medieval wedding, banquet or similar themed event.

Although initially we are focusing on the medieval period, we will soon be expanding to cover other ages, including Egyptian and Roman – and of course we always have a wide range of costumes from all ages in our MainStation fancy-dress shop.