Keeping you safe

Covid-19 update: I'm sure you've all been watching the news over the past few weeks and waiting for the time when it is safe to lift some restrictions.  Following the Government announcement on 25th May and on checking carefully how our type of business fits in with that announcement, we will be opening (if the phases go to plan) on: SATURDAY 4TH JULY.

Your bridal appointment:

Some of our team will be back in the boutique a few of days before making sure all is ready and we have been able to put into place the things we need to meet the health and safety guidelines to keep both our staff and customers safe in minimising risk of covid-19 infection. Our team have also completed an on-line Preventing Covid-19 Health and Safety course.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you in our gorgeous boutique and to make sure we can open and keep everyone safe, these are the measures we need to put in place:

We are very lucky that the boutique is spacious and we've always operated with private appointment areas, there are four separate rooms and you will be given your private room and one of our fabulous stylists will work with you to help you find your dress.  Although you won't be able to freely browse through the dresses as usual, your stylist will be making sure she listens to your ideas and selects the dresses from the rails to match, as well as a few suggestions of her own!

 We will also be staggering our appointment schedule, again to restrict the number of people in the boutique at any one time.

We don't normally restrict the number of guests at appointments but for the time being, we do need to do this and we can only allow you to bring one guest to come to your bridal appointment.  We know this is a time when some of you want to bring family and friends, we do understand but hopefully, once your dress arrives with us months later and when you first try it on, the restrictions may not be in place and you will be able to bring others to see your dress then.

We have hand gel sanitiser units in place in all appointment areas for both staff and customers to use at the start and end of their appointments as well as our customer toilet for hand washing if you prefer, and we have replaced our usual fluffy towels with disposable ones.

We like to think that we have a lovely clean boutique but cleaning will become even more important now so we have lessened the number of appointments we will be having to give us enough time in between appointments for each stylist to clean her appointment room before her next bride comes along.  We are using the recommended cleaning products to minimise risk.  Our dresses will be sprayed with antiviral spray after each customer has tried them on.

Masks: There has been much debate about the wearing of masks - should we?/shouldn't we? The latest Government guidelines are to wear a mask at times when you may come into contact with someone for more than 15 minutes at distance less than one metre - so we will wear a mask and will ask you to do so if you are trying on dresses, for those times when we need to give you some help in and out of the dresses.

We would normally provide you with a pair of shoes to wear during your appointment, for the time being we will stop doing this and ask, if you'd like, to bring a pair of your own shoes to wear. They don't have to be 'wedding shoes' just something of a height you are comfortable wearing.

We also like to serve refreshments during your bridal appointment, we want to continue to do so but after consideration on the best way forward we will be serving our Prosecco (or water) in disposable 'glasses' and without our usual sweet treats for now....I'm sure you'll forgive us!

So, lots of little changes for us to move forward safely, but what isn't changing is the number of amazing dresses and accessories we have in the boutique; our passion and enthusiasm and knowledge our team have when helping you find your wedding dress and despite all of the craziness at the moment, this is still going to be a special and memorable time for you and we look forward to it!

The Bridal Collection Team x

Temporary operation of other appointments:

Seamstress fittngs:  We can only allow the bride and one other guest to come to the appointment

Collection appointments: You will need to bring the person who is going to dress you on your wedding day so we can show them how to do this and we have to restrict this appointment to just the bride and that person.

Occasionwear/Mother of Bride/Groom appointments:  We can only allow one other person to come along when trying to find your outfit

Accessory appointments:  For the time being we won't be able to offer a separate accessory appointment where you would try your dress on and choose accessories (again to minimise the number of times you are in the shop).  We will make sure you get the opportunity to try on accessories at your bridal appointment and you can order them at that time, alternatively, it's a good time to do it once your dress arrives in the boutique and you come in to try it on for the first time.

Unfortunately we won't be able to allow children into the boutique as guests until further notice.

There are some exceptions when a child is being measured for a flower girl/bridesmaid dress.

I'm sure you will all understand, this isn't how we normally run our boutique but we are putting in these measures either because we legally have to or because we are following Government guidelines and best practice which is all aimed at us being able to return to work and trade but at the same time doing our part to minimise the risk of the Covid-19 virus getting a stronghold again and restricting all of our lives once more and sadly, some losing theirs.