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the silver sixpence experience
your bridal journey starts here
the RESEARCH (YOU ARE HERE!)
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You're engaged! Congratulations!​​
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The first step to finding your dream wedding dress is to do some research. Look into bridal boutiques, designers, dress styles, silhouettes and vibes.
Whether you're already spending your night in Pinterest black holes, scrolling bridal Instagram and TikTok endlessly and cutting out images in bridal magazines for your scrapbook... or you're just burying your head in the sand hoping someone else will organise this bit for you - the research phase is so important for giving you an idea what actually exists out here in the bridal realm. Having an idea of fabrics, silhouettes, necklines, sleeve styles and more can give you a huge head start when you actually start looking at dresses!
Things to consider...
âš¡ The overall vibe of your wedding. Are you getting married in a rustic barn or a grand manor house? What style of dress do you imagine in your venue?
✨ Do you have an image in your mind of what you'll look like as a bride? Maybe growing up you always imagined yourself wearing a big detailed ballgown, or perhaps you heard the words "bridal cape" at some point and now you can't imagine getting married without one.
🩷 Do you have a 'something borrowed' to incorporate into your bridal look? If you're lucky enough to have a gifted veil, tiara or piece of jewellery from a beloved woman in your life, that can be a nice place to start thinking about your wider bridal look.
🔥 What do you like to wear day-to-day? Are you understated and chic? Always glitzed and glam? Do you live in your comfies (not judging - we like a pair of leggings as much as the next gal!)? What does your usual style tell you about how you might dress as a bride?
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Don't worry if you don't know exactly what you want! Some brides arrive to us with a really clear vision, and some have absolutely no idea where to start. Keeping an open mind during the whole process is really the key in dress shopping anyway, so whether you have a 300-pin Pinterest board or you're starting from scratch - we've got you!
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HOT TIP: FOCUS ON FINDING BOUTIQUES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL SEEN, UNDERSTOOD AND WELCOME; AND BROWSING DRESS STYLES ON BODIES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE YOURS.
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WELCOME TO THE BOUTIQUE!
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When you arrive at The Silver Sixpence, we'll help you settle in with a cuppa and have a chat all about your wedding experience.
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Be ready to tell us all about:
✨ Your wedding plans
✨ Your venue
✨ Your vibe (wedding and everyday!)
✨ Dresses you've seen and loved
✨ Dresses you've seen and hated
✨ Any worries or anxieties​
It's also the perfect opportunity for you to ask us anything about ourselves, our collection, or anything you've been wondering about the realm of curvy bridal.​
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Once we've got to know each other, we'll give you some time to browse the dresses on our rail. No pressure! We don't need you picking out specific dresses to try on or creating a running order for the appointment. It's just an opportunity to touch some of the fabrics and get a feel of what exists - and all we need is for you to let us know if there's anything you love, anything you hate, or anything that's made you intrigued. Let us take care of the rest!
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HOT TIP: THIS IS NOT A TEST! WE ARE NOT EXPECTING YOU TO COME PREPARED WITH CORRECT BRIDAL TERMINOLOGY OR AN IN DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE OFFER. WE'RE HERE TO GUIDE YOU.
the FUN PART
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It's try on time!
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This is where you get to really enjoy the boutique experience - after all, you came to a boutique for a reason, right?
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We'll pull you dresses based on:
​🩷 your ideas about silhouettes, vibe and style
🩷 your body shape, and how you tell us you feel about it
🩷 your personality
🩷 the feedback your giving us as you're trying on different dresses
🩷 our expertise
Many brides arrive with well-meaning mams, sisters and friends who want to help find the dress, but trust us - it's going to run a lot smoother if everyone lets us do our thing. We've spent years handpicking and curating our collection, learning which gowns work beautifully on curves and pulling out dresses that brides would never have looked at on the rails... only to find out it was the dress after all!
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HOT TIP: RELAX, TRUST US, AND MAKE THE MOST OF THE BOUTIQUE EXPERIENCE.
FINDING 'THE ONE'
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Once you've tried on a few different gowns, patterns start to emerge and all of a sudden your learning things about yourself.​
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Maybe you love sparkle, but hate sleeves. You actually love a fitted dress. The beloved ballgown that you came in sure you'd walk away with isn't for you after all. Satin is your soulmate, and why would a wedding dress even exist if it doesn't have pockets anyway?!
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This is where we start refining.
We'll use all the things you're telling us to pull dresses that feel more and more you (with a few wildcards thrown in) until things start to really click for you. Maybe that one dress really stands out, maybe you have a selection of dresses for us to try back on again. This is where we start to really narrow down what it is you want, what is making your heart happy, and the practicalities of each dress.
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HOT TIP: FINDING YOUR DRESS DOESN'T USUALLY INVOLVE ONE BIG LIGHTNING BOLT MOMENT - IT'S A PROCESS OF DISCOVERING WHAT FEELS THE MOST YOU.
the FINISHING TOUCHES
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You've done the dresses.
You've narrowed down your options.
It's time to put the look together.
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Think... veils, jewellery, hair accessories, tiaras, belts, sleeves, capes.
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We have accessories to suit every style and vibe - from bright bold florals to modern pearls and ceramic botanicals to statement sparkles.​
​​​HOT TIP: ADDING ACCESSORIES IS WHAT REALLY TAKES YOU FROM "BRIDAL DRESS" TO "BRIDAL LOOK", SO DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS STAGE. BUT DON'T STRESS EITHER - IF YOUR ALL DECISIONED OUT, ACCESSORIES CAN ALWAYS BE ADDED ON LATER IN AN ACCESSORY APPOINTMENT OR DURING YOUR COLLECTION. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TYPES OF APPOINTMENTS IN OUR FAQ'S.
YES TO THE DRESS!
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This is the moment it all clicks... and it looks totally different for every single bride!​
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Sometime's it's tears.
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Sometimes there's silence.
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Sometimes it's a huge smile.
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Sometimes it's as simple as "I really don't want to take this dress off!"
There is no right way to know when you've found your dress, and that can be tricky when you're expecting it to look a certain way. That's true of your guests too! I can't begin to tell you how often brides have a crisis because their mam or sister or best friend hasn't cried at their favourite dress - when they were never going to cry anyway.
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Focus on how you feel in the moment, accept it for what it is, and trust it. When you've found your dress, you will know.
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HOT TIP: WEAR CUTE CLOTHES READY FOR YOUR "I SAID YES TO THE DRESS" PHOTO! AND TELL YOUR GUESTS TO AS WELL! WE ARE HUGE BELIEVERS IN THE FACT THAT WE DON'T ALL GET ENOUGH PHOTO'S TOGETHER, SO YOUR GUESTS WILL BE ENCOURAGED (BULLIED) INTO YOUR PHOTO WITH YOU.
YOUR DRESS ARRIVES
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It's starting to get real! Usually around four months after you say yes to the dress, it arrives in the boutique with us, although this can vary so we will keep you right about your dress specifically.
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We'll let you know as soon as she's here, and then it's time to book your collection appointment. If you've ordered accessories then these will be ready for you at this time, and if you haven't then you can upgrade your collection appointment to allow you to look at accessories with your very own dress.
Every wedding dress will need some alterations to achieve the perfect fit. We're happy to talk you through the alterations we'd expect you to need, although we aren't seamstresses ourselves. You're more than welcome to use your own seamstress, but we highly encourage you to get recommendations from friends or family who have had alterations before you commit to a seamstress.
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We can also put you in touch with the seamstress we use if you don't have one yourself. Remember, you're not on your own once your dress has arrived - we're still here to support you every step of the way!
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HOT TIP: IF YOUR WEDDING DATE IS QUITE CLOSE TO YOUR DRESS ARRIVING, LET US KNOW AND WE CAN ARRANGE FOR OUR SEAMSTRESS TO MEET YOU IN THE BOUTIQUE FOR YOUR COLLECTION APPOINTMENT - THAT WAY YOU CAN GET STRAIGHT INTO THE PROCESS OF FITTINGS. WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY FOR YOU TO BRING YOUR OWN SEAMSTRESS ALONG AS WELL.
the big day!
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Only one thing left to do then!​
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The early morning excitement.
The butterflies.
The first look.
The walk down the aisle.
The dancefloor.
The quiet moments away from all the buzz of the day.
The memories.
This is why we do what we do.
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And we hope that long after the cake has been eaten and the flowers have faded, you'll look back on your wedding day and remember just how amazing you felt - and looked!
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HOT TIP: WE OFFER A DRESSING SERVICE, IF THE THOUGHT OF GETTING READY ON YOUR BIG DAY IS GIVING YOU (OR YOUR BRIDESMAIDS) ANXIETY, WE'RE ALWAYS HERE TO LEND A HAND. CHECK OUT OUR PACKAGES HERE.
