Bridal Boutique at Frox of Falkirk will open this March stocking a variety of gowns from brands including Cabotine, Modeca, Pronovias, Christina Wu and Cara Mia Woman. The store will also be stocking bespoke headpieces from Miranda Templeton, flower girl dresses that can be customised to the bride’s specification from SophistiKatie, and veils from Elizabeth Dickens and Richard Designs.

We spoke to owner Fiona Wilson to hear a little more about how she went about setting up shop.

Why did you decide to open this new store?

Over the past five years Frox of Falkirk, which specialises in mother of the bride/groom outfits, has been thriving and growing faster than we expected. We absolutely love what we do, helping mothers-of-the-bride/groom find their outfits. Last year we opened a sister shop, Dress to Impress, for everyday wear, wedding guest wear and separates and we are constantly asked by mums if we stock bridal gowns or if we are thinking about opening a bridal shop.

My idea had always been to expand into bridal, but Frox was still so new and growing that there was really no right time to open Bridal Boutique at Frox of Falkirk, until now. Frox is moving to larger premises in March so it makes sense to open Bridal Boutique at Frox of Falkirk in Frox’s existing shop.

Last year I brought my niece, Nicola, and my daughter, Tina, into the shop. My son has also just recently proposed to his girlfriend, Dani, who we are shipping over from America – so my family is growing and the business is growing and becoming very much a family business.

With everything falling into place, I just thought now is the perfect time for us to open a bridal shop and bring our love and experience of the industry to the bridal sector.

How did you first go about setting up the shop?

Honestly, we are still in the process of setting up shop. The first thing we did was research, research, research. I’ve spent countless hours watching ‘Say Yes To The Dress’ to get ideas about how the shop should look, and see what brides are looking for, both in terms of service and stock. I made sure to speak to my existing suppliers and other bridal shop owners and took all the advice I could get.

As I love colour and bright outfits - and bridal gowns are mostly shades of whites and ivory - I decided to take a back seat and let my daughter and soon-to-be daughter-in-law choose most of our bridal stock themselves. They are young and I’m sure most brides will be closer to their age. Now, we are just waiting for the shop to open in March.

What were the most challenging aspects of the whole process?

The most challenging aspects of the whole process were all the things I didn’t have control of. Originally, the shop was supposed to open in January, but due to unforeseen circumstances with conservation work being carried out on the building, our opening date got pushed back. Nonetheless, we just have to keep pushing through and preparing for the opening.

What are you most looking forward to about opening?

I am most looking forward to all the new challenges we will face. Bridal is slightly new territory for me, I’ve always worked with the mums. Dealing with the brides themselves, as they will mostly be younger women, will be a new experience, which I’m sure will be amazing during such a happy time in their lives.

With the opening of any new business, you never know how it will kick off. Getting our name out there and building our reputation in the bridal sector will definitely pose a new and exciting challenge. Frox still has a lot of growing to do itself, so I’m excited to building up both businesses together.