Question 1

How far in advance do I need to order my dress?

Accepted Answer

We recommend looking for your dress around a year before your wedding.

Your dress timeline will look a little like this...
⚡ You say yes to your perfect dress!
⚡ You put down your deposit and we can place your order with the designer.
⚡ Your dress will be made for you. They usually take 3-5 months to arrive with us in the boutique - though this can vary. Don't panic though, we'll let you know when to expect your dress and keep you updated while you wait.
⚡ Come and collect your dress!
⚡ Alterations - every dress will need alterations, and how long they take will depend on what needs doing and which seamstress you are using. TOP TIP: speak to your chosen seamstress ahead of time to let them know when you're expecting your dress and they'll let you know when they need to see you.

It is possible to get a dress in less time, so don't stress if you're cutting it close. But if anything goes wrong in the process (which is rare but can happen!), we like to have as much wriggle room possible to solve it - so don't leave it too late if you can help it!

Question 2

Will I need alterations?

Accepted Answer

"I'm ordering a dress from my measurements, will I even need alterations?"

Erm, yeah!

Every single bride who has ever walked through our doors has needed some alteration to get that perfect fit. We can't say for SURE that you'll need some, but we'd be very surprised if you didn't.

Our dresses are ordered according to your measurements but are still a standard size and length. Even our bespoke split sizes use standard sizes as a starting point and will need some tweaking.

Typical alterations for our brides include shortening the hem and taking some material out of the shoulders (both of which are because the dresses are made for VERY tall women), resizing the bust (usually made for VERY busty women), adding a bustle (so you can dance the night away), and some little tucks and pulls to get you fitted to perfection.

Question 3

Do you do the alterations?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, we don't currently have our own inhouse seamstress, but we do have some local seamstresses who we work with.

Once the dress arrives, it is yours to do what you want with. If you know a seamstress already then you're more than welcome to use them for your alterations - we'd advise making sure they're comfortable with bridal alterations first though. Wedding dresses are a different skill set to everyday clothes.

If you don't know a seamstress already, we're happy to put you in touch with the seamstresses that we know, and even to host your fittings in the boutique if needed!

Alternatively, if you're travelling quite a way to us, there are usually plenty of seamstresses in most areas, so ask around and see who friends or family recommend - and if you struggle, give us a shout and we can always ask around for you!

Question 4

When do I need to order my accessories?

Accepted Answer

Accessories vary - some arrive within a week or two, and other may take longer.

Some brides like to order their whole bridal look at once because then they have the full picture of what they're going to look like and how much it's all going to cost in total!

Other brides are so exhausted after having to choose the right dress that by the time they've made that decision, they're all decisioned out! Don't panic if this is you - we have a longer collection appointment option that gives time to relook at all the accessories once you're in YOUR dress - which will give you a little bit of extra time to save up for the finishing touches too.

Otherwise, you can always make a separate accessories appointment at a later date.

Question 5

I want to lose weight, should I order a size down?

Accepted Answer

NO!

We know exactly how tempting this can be, but it's a terrible idea!

You've got two options:
Order the size you are now. Then when your wedding rolls around, have the dress taken in to fit you if you lose weight. As standard, wedding dresses are designed to be taken in by up to 2 dress sizes, although they aren't necessarily going to look exactly how they did originally! When we talk about "a dress size" in bridal, it is specifically referencing straight sizes - in curvy sizes the difference between each size is bigger and as such taking in the full two dress sizes might not be plausible. We can chat about this more during your appointment when we are deciding what to do.
Place your deposit to secure your order and then wait to be measured. We'll discuss exactly when we need you to come back and finalise those measurements - some designers let us place a "rush order" which allows us to wait even longer but does come with an additional cost.

Ultimately, it's SO much easier to take a dress down sizes if you lose weight than it is to make a dress bigger if you stay the same size.

If you're having/have had weight loss surgery, you're using weight loss injections, you're pregnant or there's something else going on that is definitely going to change your size before your wedding, let us know! We'll try to help you make the best decision for you.

HELP!
I'VE GOT QUESTIONS!

DON'T WORRY, WE'VE GOT ANSWERS!

FAQ'S

How far in advance do I need to order my dress?

Will I need alterations?

Do you do the alterations?

When do I need to order my accessories?

I want to lose weight, should I order a size down?

HELP! I'VE GOT QUESTIONS!

DON'T WORRY, WE'VE GOT ANSWERS!

FAQ'S

How far in advance do I need to order my dress?

Will I need alterations?

Do you do the alterations?

When do I need to order my accessories?

I want to lose weight, should I order a size down?

HELP!
I'VE GOT QUESTIONS!