First Blog Post!

Hi! Welcome to our brand-new blog – it’s been a long time coming and we’re proud to finally be showcasing a platform in which we can share all the tips, tricks and advice we have accumulated over the last 29 years… yes, you read that right, Bride to Be have been providing our beautiful brides with wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, accessories and fun (in the form of our staff members!) for almost 30 years!!

Currently owned by the wonderful Stephanie, Bride to Be is a little bit of a family affair! The journey started when Lesley, Stephanie’s mum, decided that she wanted to provide beautiful brides with stunning, designer gowns, just under 30 years ago. Stephanie took over the family business in 2009 and has moved the business onto the next level, ready for today’s modern brides. Stephanie works alongside her talented and extremely knowledgeable team, who are made up of experienced, long standing employees that love anything ‘wedding’.

The Bride to Be girls are all highly trained and have a flair for style and fit. The on-site fitting team and seamstresses are all massively experienced and degree qualified in their field. You don’t quite realise just what that means until you get a chance to be in the room with them, listening to their suggestions and their advice. The way they know the difference between Silk chiffon and English Tulle. Or how they calm the nerves of a bride that doesn’t like the tops of her arms but loves the strapless style dress.

It helps though, that the girls have got an array of incredible dresses by a range of fantastic, award winning, designers including Mori Lee, Sincerity, Stella York and Essense of Australia to work with. Currently, Bride to Be are the one of the biggest retailers for the Essense & Stella York labels and count amongst the top stores in the country!

We have a vast selection (nearly 200!) of fab dresses in store, so, when it comes to choosing a dress, we have something for everyone. When you walk into the boutique, you’re presented with a sea of whites, creams, blushes, ivories… some with delicate beaded detail, some with beautiful embroideries, some short and some with trains that go on forever. There is something in Bride to Be for every bride’s taste!

We also understand that women come in all shapes and sizes and are now pleased to announce that we have plus size dresses too – something that a lot of bridal boutiques don’t cater for. What is extra special about our plus size wedding dresses, is that they’re not you’re stereotypical “plus-size” dress. They’re fashion forward, beautifully made and not at all ‘clunky’ or ‘shapeless’. Meaning that the women blessed with some extra curves can feel beautiful and confident too.

We feel this is why we have the privilege of seeing 1000’s of brides a year, who choose us as their ‘go to’ wedding dress shop. Amongst those 1000’s of brides there are so many different engagement stories and families, that we ensure that their experience with us is totally awesome and unforgettable!

We not only offer a bespoke experience for every single one of our brides, but we have our very own in-house team of excellent seamstresses, who work tirelessly to make sure your dress is unique to you and also fits perfectly. With the help of the Bride to Be team, our brides are able to have a dress that not only fits, but after adding their own touches, is “the one”.

With almost 30 years’ experience in the bridal field, we know that peace of mind is so important! So, to put our brides mind at rest, we are members of the Retail Bridalwear Association (RBA). They’re the only trade association for wedding retailers in the UK that has stringent entry requirements. If purchasing from an RBA dedicated store – like us! – your dress is underwritten, and you can be secure in the knowledge that you are buying it from a reputable, honest, trustworthy and professional store – who importantly are credit worthy and not going to disappear overnight! You can find out more about the RBA here.

So, if you fancy popping in to see us, we’re situated in the heart of Reading town centre and we will look after you in our gorgeous (if we do say so ourselves!) boutique with plenty of space for you and your family and friends. Just make sure you book an appointment!

We look forward to sharing our decades of wedding knowledge through this blog and wish you all the very best in finding you perfect dress!

Love,
Bride To Be xx