Eva Victoria Bridal
Victoria and Eva Woodberry took on an established bridal boutique after a chance encounter. We find out how the mother-daughter duo has made the place their own.
Victoria and Eva Woodberry’s journey to becoming bridal retailers could be described as kismet. During a visit to a lovely bridal boutique in Stafford to find a dress for her vow renewal, Victoria discovered the business was for sale. “I walked in to buy a dress and left with a dress, and a business!” she says.
The mother-daughter duo jumped in feet first, learning from the previous owner, connecting with designers, and redesigning the boutique. The space is now fresh, feminine and youthful, with pink pops and a warm and welcoming feel. Renamed Eva Victoria Bridal, they opened in October 2023 with a launch party attended by over 200 guests. Less than two years later, they’ve truly established themselves in the bridal retail community.
Customer Care
Victoria and Eva Woodberry aim to provide a calm, welcoming and pressure-free experience. Victoria says. “We are unique in that we don’t come from the wedding industry, or have bridal backgrounds, but what we do have is compassion and understanding. We treat our customers how we would like to be treated.”
They carry out all appointments together, making them relaxed, fun and authentic. “We are big chatters and love hearing about our customers’ bridal journeys. We just want our brides to feel relaxed and at home within the boutique, making their decision as easy as possible.” says Victoria.
They understand how overwhelming dress shopping can be and would hate to put pressure on an already big decision. “We are always waiting with a glass of celebratory fizz,” she adds. Our main priority is making sure everyone has a lovely experience, without the sales pitch. Our aim is simple; however the bride feels when she arrives, we endeavour to ensure she leaves with a smile on her face.”
A Brides Journey
From the moment a bride enters, she is treated with the utmost importance. “We escort our bride and their entourage into our dressing room,” Victoria says. “This is a private space where we talk to the bride about her wishes for her dream gown and hear about her journey so far. Then we go shopping!”
The main shop floor is split into two areas to display gowns fully. Brides choose six dresses during their two-hour slot. “We help them pick dresses that fit their budget, time scale and aesthetic goals, but we are extremely bride−led, so always follow the path our bride chooses.” Victoria says.
The boutique has a separate changing room within the dressing room area, where the bride is taken, along with her choice of dresses, to get changed. “This space provides the bride with peace and quiet and gives her the chance to view the dresses before presenting herself to her entourage,” Victoria says. Finally, to show her tribe her chosen gowns, the bride is taken into the dressing room and placed on a podium in front of mirrors. “This is where she makes that all− important decision!”
Once she’s found the one, “we give our brides a list of local seamstresses, this allows them to organise fittings that work around their schedule”.
The Gowns
Eva Victoria Bridal stocks three iconic designers, that have all proved extremely popular with Stafford brides: Eddy K, Dando London and Romantica of Devon. “We inherited Eddy K from the previous owner, but we loved their dresses and UK-based team so much that we had to continue stocking them,” Victoria says. “We stock Eddy K Italia, Dreams, Sky and Milano Couture,” some of which we were lucky enough to select ourselves in their Milan showroom. We also had the delight of meeting Eddy K and his lovely team."
Dando London approached Victoria and Eva directly when they first launched their boutique. “We viewed their collections in Harrogate that same month and wow, what a collection that was! True Love blew us away and we knew immediately we were going to stock Dando. We have since added their Legends and Heritage collections.” Victoria says.
Finally, Eva discovered Romantica of Devon not long after Eva Victoria Bridal was born. “We struck up an amazing relationship and were invited to their showroom in Tiverton,” Victoria says. “We had the opportunity to take home several dresses that day. Which helped us build our opening stock”. Eva Victoria Bridal also offer off-the-peg dresses for immediate purchase. “Whether brides are running out of time or just want to take something home immediately, we have the most stunning gowns readily available,” Victoria says.
This doesn’t compromise on the bridal experience. All appointments are carried out exactly the same, allowing enough time for brides to enjoy a special moment.”
Eva Victoria Bridal stocks a range of custom−made accessories, to help brides complete their look. “We also have bridesmaid, prom and evening wear, so all members of the bridal party can find something for the big day.”
Read the full interview here, Issue 2, pages 74–77.
You may also like
Ask the Expert: Diana McMann
Through Their Eyes: Bridal Week on Film