How would you describe your bridal shop?

My shop is small but perfectly formed! Every bride who visits comments on how luxurious the shop feels. It’s fitted out with luxe finishes - timeless, high-end, floor to ceiling mirrors down one side of the shop which create a feeling of space, and the dark floors and silk-effect Japanese print wallpaper provide an incredible backdrop for the dresses. My shop stands out for a number of reasons: my designers are all British, you can see and feel the quality difference in the dresses, I have edited my range so my brides don’t feel overwhelmed when they visit the shop, and I am hands-on, meaning each and every bride has a very personalised service because their bridal consultant is the business owner! Finally, I have a clear position on sustainability which aligns with each of my designers in different ways. Andrea Hawkes care about brides being able to re-purpose their dresses after their wedding, Stephanie Allin works with an incredible fabric which feels uber-luxurious, but has been made from recycled bottles, and I have also selected a handful of dresses which could easily be re-worked post-wedding.

What made you get into the bridal industry?

I have always been in retail and spent a chunk of my career in fashion buying roles, specifically womenswear and even more specifically, occasionwear. I loved creating ranges for people’s special events: weddings, proms, black-tie dinners, a day at the races. This was when I was captivated by the idea of bridal, the single biggest milestone event in most people’s lives. I wanted to make a difference for brides, so I created a business plan and 10 years later followed my dream. I left my corporate career in the middle of the pandemic and started creating The Bridal Gallery the very next day!

Who would you say is your ideal bride?

Much of my corporate retail career had been spent in branding, so I was really clear when I created my brand look and felt that I needed it to speak to my target customer. I also recognised the importance of defining who my target customer was, creating a clear customer persona and being single-minded in targeting her. I definitely have a bride type who visits The Bridal Gallery and she is pretty much always ‘on-brand’. My typical brides are always lovely, lovely people. I’ve not had any bride-zillas yet - I think they are the stuff of fiction!  

How do you celebrate a bride finding her dress in your boutique?

We open champagne, of course. Not prosecco, not cava, the real deal! It’s genuinely a special moment, and to be able to raise a glass of fizz in recognition of this is the only way to mark such a special moment. I actually don’t do anything on social, I kind of feel it’s not my news to share, it would feel like a personal encroachment into someone else’s life. I seek permission to share photos of their wedding day, for sure, but not for the dress, that’s the bride’s news to share in whatever way she sees fit.