Your West Midlands Wedding- June/July 2020 (Issue 68)

BRIDAL BOUTIQUES 75 Melanie Storer, “From the moment you step into our boutique you are immersed in all things bridal with beauty and loveliness around every corner. We offer one-to-one wedding dress styling, in light and airy surroundings in our beautifully refurbished boutique spread over two floors and with three individual bridal areas. We also have a dedicated bridesmaid and accessories suite so we can help complete your bridal look and provide dresses for your bridal party.” Designers in stock: Essense of Australia, Maggie Sottero, Martina Liana, Rebecca Ingram and Sottero & Midlgey. Budget: £1,200 to £2,800, (under £1,000 for off the peg) Top tip : “Try not to book too many appointments in one go. We recommend booking one appointment to start with, so visit your favourite wedding dress shop first. Then if you don’t find the perfect dress there, book more appointments with different wedding boutiques as and when you need to.” Favourite dress : “It’s so difficult to choose just one dress but the beautiful Kempsey by Essense of Australia is a firm favourite with our brides and our stylists and I'm sure you can see why!” Check out: www.weddingbellesbridal.co.uk | weddingbellesoffouroaks@gmail.com Wedding Belles of Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield Caroline Clark , “At Caroline Clark Bridal Boutique all of our brides are VIPs. Our exclusive upper-floor boutique allows you to choose your wedding dress in a private, luxurious and relaxing setting. Our aim is to make sure you enjoy every minute of your wedding dress journey.” Designers in stock : Stella York, Aurora, Romantica and Ivory and Co. Budget: From £899, (from £500 for off the peg). Top tip : “I would always suggest a bride comes with an open mind when first trying on wedding dresses. The dresses come to life when they are tried on. At first it can seem a little overwhelming to try on a style that you had not imagined. Yet sometimes it is the style that you did not think of that is the perfect dress for you.” Favourite dress : “I have two favourites at the moment, both by Aurora by Nicole. I love the simplicity of Aurora 20881, however, Aurora 20241 is such an unusual style I would honestly find it hard to choose.” Check out https://carolineclarkbridalboutique.co.uk | info@carolineclarkbridalboutique.co.uk Caroline Clark Bridal Boutique, Droitwich Heavenly Brides, Shrewsbury Suzanne, “We pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional level of customer service combined with beautiful and relaxed surroundings with an excellent choice of stock. We believe that finding your dream wedding gown should be an unforgettable experience. As a small, independent, family run business, we are not a big chain store, we just have one beautiful store only and it’s based in the lovely town centre of Shrewsbury.” Designers in stock : Gallery Collection, Victoria Kay, Mary’s Bridal, and Nieve Couture. Budget: £700 to £1,400, (£250 to £750 for sale/ex-display). Top tip : “Choose a recommended boutique with good reviews, check their price range and sizes in-store when booking an appointment and always go with an open mind as dresses can look so different when they’re actually on.” Favourite dress : “Ah it changes all the time we have so many pretty ones to be honest but I’d say MB2096 by Mary’s Bridal is my favourite at the moment.” Check out www.heavenlybrides.co.uk info@heavenlybrides.co.uk Bridal Reloved Coventry Jo Taylor, “Bridal Reloved Coventry is part of the world’s only chain of award-winning bridal boutiques specialising in sample and pre-owned, high-end designer wedding dresses. I’m conveniently located outside of the city centre, just a few minutes from the M6.” Designers in stock : Justin Alexander, Sophia Tolli, Alan Hannah, Watters, Enzoani, Mori Lee, Kenneth Winston, Elie Saab to name a few! Budget : £200 to £2,000 Top tip : “My top tip for brides when shopping is to come with an open mind! Wedding dress shopping is a unique experience which you will, hopefully only do once. Although you may have an idea of what you’d like and have a Pinterest board full of pictures be prepared to try on different styles and fabrics to find the one that suits you the best. Let me help and guide you and I can guarantee we will find your dream wedding dress! You’ll have a two-hour private appointment which gives us plenty of time to get to know you and hear all of your wedding plans. I also have the services of an excellent seamstress who can do your alterations, and maybe even personalise your dress by adding straps/ sleeves or even a corset back.” Favourite dress : It’s very difficult for me to choose just one dress as my favourite, but one that I love is a Kenneth Winston gown of champagne lace, with a sweetheart neckline, full A line skirt and pockets! Check out https://bridalreloved.co.uk/shops/coventry coventry@bridalreloved.co.uk