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Last-minute dress drama

September 21, 2020

Although we normally advise allowing 6-8 weeks for fittings, we also pride ourselves on always being able to help a bride in need! When the lovely Leanne came to us, she had just three weeks until her big day.  And she was desperate to find a dress… Leanne had already visited other bridal stores with no joy, and when she arrived at our Castleford boutique she assumed she’d be turned away.  “It was very busy, and to be honest I thought we would have to come back,” says Leanne.  “But as soon as I told them the wedding date, they said, ‘You are not leaving without a dress!'” Leanne had very good reason for leaving her dress hunt to the last possible minute.  Two years ago she lost a whopping 6st, but since then she and her family have faced some incredibly difficult years and Leanne put maintaining her weight loss on a backburner. “I was so proud of myself for losing the weight – it was a massive achievement,” Leanne says.  “But since then my daughter has been diagnosed with scoliosis and is possibly facing surgery, and I myself had a cancer scare around 18 months ago.  With this and other things, the weight slowly crept back. “This was probably the biggest reason I’d not even started looking for a dress – because my weight has been so up and down.” Although Leanne has recently been on a weight loss kick again, she felt very self-conscious when she finally began dress shopping. “I felt like a larger bride so I was very nervous about trying on dresses, but your staff were so reassuring.  I had more than enough choice in lots of different styles.  I went from dreading my wedding day to being so excited!” After stressing about dress hunting for months, it took less than an hour for Leanne to find her dream dress in our Castleford boutique – and she looked incredible! Luckily Leanne didn’t need many alterations, and her dress fit like a glove.  She made a truly beautiful Elite Bride – and finally stopped focusing on her weight! “On my wedding day, I put on my gown and felt amazing.  It made my paranoia about my size go out the window. “A wedding shouldn’t be about what size you are,” Leanne says.  “It should be all about the love between you and your partner. “One day I’ll get that 6st back off, and once again I’ll be proud, but you never know what anyone is going through behind closed doors.  Life is a rollercoaster – you just have to ride it!” With her look sorted – and a new outlook – Leanne soared into her big day (wearing the dress of her dreams) and found herself focusing on what really mattered… having the time of her life marrying the man she loves! And Leanne is living proof that when you find your dress with Elite Bridal, it’s just the beginning.  We know that although it’s an amazing feeling when you find your dream dress, bringing your own personality to it is what really makes it yours…  Check out how she’s accessorised the gown’s beautiful embellished back with some amazing body paint! Are you having fun accessorising your Elite gown?  Or perhaps you left your dress hunt to the last minute and would like to share your story?  We love hearing from Elite Brides and seeing pictures from your big day, so please share them with us! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and make sure you tag us in pics – or get in touch with social@elite.gb.net to share your very own Elite Bridal Experience.

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A wedding worth the wait…

September 21, 2020

Sometimes life just takes over!  For Kimberley, it took four years between finding her dream Elite gown and wearing it down the aisle… Kimberley’s now-husband Carl proposed to her back in 2014.  The couple had already been together for nine years, but life was just about to get a bit more complicated! “I was eight months pregnant with our first baby when Carl proposed,” says Kimberley.  “After William was born, I couldn’t wait to find my perfect dress – with the vision that we’d book our wedding for the following year…” Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Kimberley had found her way to one of our Elite boutiques, and was trying on everything she could get her hands on. “The dresses at Elite were beautiful, and the ladies so helpful,” Kimberley says.  “They helped me try on the dresses I’d always envisioned for myself, and then threw in some curveballs too…  It was one of the curveballs I fell in love with!  It was the complete opposite of what I thought I would buy. “I bought the dress without a second thought…  But after that the wedding plans went on hold and life took over!” Four years and another gorgeous son later, Kimberley and Carl finally ‘got down to business’ with their wedding planning. With a few alterations from Elite’s seamstresses, we made sure that years later Kimberley’s dream curveball dress still fit her like a glove. “The fittings were simple, quick and straightforward, and the dress was amazing when finished!” says Kimberley.  “Thank you for the perfect dress for our perfect day.” Do you have an exciting engagement story?  Was your wedding dramatically delayed?  Every Elite Bride has a different story to tell, and we love hearing them! Email social@elite.gb.net to share yours.

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Elite Bride celebrates dream Jamaican wedding

September 21, 2020

We love helping Elite Brides shop for destination weddings, and Brogan’s Jamaican celebration was no exception! Brogan visited Elite Bridal on impulse after a bad experience at another store, and her hopes of finding The Dress that day weren’t high. “I’d been to another shop the same day and had a terrible experience.  On our way home we rang Elite Bridal to see if they could squeeze us in,” says Brogan.  “I was only planning to try on some different styles and had no intention of buying that day.” Brogan didn’t want getting married in Jamaica, right in the heart of the hot Caribbean, to mean she missed out on wearing the dress of her dreams. “I wanted something that was light and really comfortable, but that still looked like a traditional wedding dress,” she says.  “And I didn’t want to pay over the odds for a dress I was only going to wear twice – once in Jamaica, once for a party here in England. “After trying on a few dresses, the lady serving me brought in a gown that I would never have chosen myself.  She was sure I’d like it when it was on, and she was right.” “I immediately didn’t want to take it off,” says Brogan.  “It was perfect!” Brogan loved the way the gown fitted her figure, and it was light and floaty enough for her Jamaican wedding.  She felt ready to get jacked up! “I tried on a jewelled belt, which felt like just the finishing touch the gown needed for a beach wedding in the Caribbean sunshine.  The jewels looked stunning when the light hit them. “I also picked the perfect cathedral veil I’d always dreamed of.” Brogan’s complete bridal look cost less than £1,000, and she was overjoyed with her Elite Bridal experience. “I would 100% recommend Elite to anyone,” she says.  “The ladies were so friendly and helpful.  They really knew what would suit me and what would travel well.  They told me how to pack my dress into a suitcase, and what to do when I got to our wedding destination to get all the creases out of the dress.  I can’t sing their praises enough. “The dress was perfect – and despite getting married in 31 degree heat, I felt really comfortable.  And the best part was it didn’t break the bank!” Every wedding is different, and at Elite Bridal we make your day our priority.  Book an appointment at one of our boutiques, and our lovely staff would love to help you find the perfect dress to suit your dream wedding. Are you an Elite Bride planning a destination wedding?  We’d love to hear about it!  Email social@elite.gb.net or get us on social media @EliteBridalUK to share your story.

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When it’s the one, it’s the one!

September 21, 2020

Bride-to-be Kayleigh really wasn’t expecting to stumble on the dress of her dreams… two years before her sunny Cyprus wedding! When Kayleigh decided to visit one of our boutiques with her sister, she really wasn’t intending to buy a gown that day.  Having spent hours looking at hundreds of gowns on the internet, Kayleigh had seen lots she loved… and had no idea what would be right for her. “I wasn’t sure what style I wanted – I usually buy on impulse!” Kayleigh admitted.  “I wasn’t planning on buying anything that day.  I just wanted an idea of what would suit me.” But self-confessed impulse buyer Kayleigh instantly saw a gown she loved – and that was it. “The first one I saw as I walked in was the dress I picked,” remembered Kayleigh.  She tried on a few more dresses to make sure, but knew she wasn’t getting the same feeling in any other gown.  “It just stood out straight away and was absolutely gorgeous.  I knew it was the one when my sister burst into tears!” Kayleigh’s wedding was still two years away, and she had a holiday booked the month after her first appointment.  But she knew she’d found the one, and that she couldn’t let it go. She set up a payment plan (“which was a godsend!”), booked a date to show all her entourage the gown, and was overjoyed to have her dream dress in the bag – literally!  Once Kayleigh’s gown was paid off, she got to take it home with her for a year before her alterations appointments. When she brought it back for her fitting, one of Elite’s in-house seamstresses suggested the addition of straps. “When I went to my final dress fitting, I couldn’t believe the gown hadn’t had straps already,” said Kayleigh.  “They really finished it off, and everyone who had seen my dress before said they made it look better.” With the straps and alterations finished, Kayleigh was all ready to head to Cyprus for her dream wedding – and so, with a bit of help from our Elite staff, was the dress! “I left the dress to be packed into a hand luggage bag,” said Kayleigh.  “I didn’t think it would fit, but they managed to pack it perfectly and it had virtually no creases when I got there.” Once in Cyprus, Kayleigh realised she hadn’t actually thought about the heat when falling in love with her dress – but luckily it was really comfortable! “It was perfect.  It sparkled in the sunlight and made me feel like a princess,” said Kayleigh.  “Everyone loved the dress, and thought I paid double what I had because of the quality.  It was the most magical day of my life and I felt like Cinderella in ivory. “Luckily I get to wear it again for my UK reception!” Kayleigh made the most stunning Cyprus bride, and we’re so happy she was still just as in love with her gown two years down the line.  When it’s the one, it’s the one! If you’d like to share pictures and memories from your Elite Bridal experience, please get in touch!  Message us through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter @EliteBridalUK

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Going Grecian

September 21, 2020

Becky and her beautiful bride tribe travelled all the way to Greece so she could marry the man of her dreams… so a themed wedding was a must! When Becky and her now-husband Danny decided to get married on the Greek island of Kos, there was lots to consider… A destination wedding in a hot country midsummer was naturally going to factor into shopping for both bride and bridesmaids – but when it came to it, Becky’s own choice of gown surprised her. “We planned a sunset wedding on the beachfront.  It was my dream wedding and location,” Becky recalls.  “I wanted a dress that would make me feel amazing and like a princess for the day.” When Becky came to Elite Bridal to look for her own gown, she already had a firm idea in mind for both herself and her bridesmaids. “We chose the colours of Greece for our theme – whites and blues,” she says.  “I wanted something long and flowing to complement the style I wanted for my bridesmaids.” Before coming to Elite Bridal, Becky admits she’d been to three different bridal stores and tried on no less than 15 beach wedding dresses.  But as Becky’s personal bridal advisor at Elite guided her through her appointment, she realised she was changing her mind. “I initially thought I’d choose a beach wedding gown, but the strapless lace princess dress just blew me away when I put it on. “The bridal advisor listened to what I was looking for and chose the best dresses to suit me,” Becky remembers.  “She was friendly, professional, and really helped me decide which dress was best for me.  I knew instantly when I’d found my dream dress.” Becky took advantage of a package deal allowing her two bridesmaid gowns for free with her own dress Excited, Becky decided to look for gowns for her bridesmaids then and there.  She instantly fell in love with one of our (surprise, surprise) grecian bridesmaid dresses. Her bridesmaids all walked out with our one of our gorgeous chiffon styles.  As well as a flowing, asymmetric grecian skirt, this dress features a light lace bodice and tiny embellishments for some sparkle around the neckline. They went for pastel blue, of course, to tie in with Becky’s Greek wedding theme. “I loved the pale blue, and the lace and crystals on the neckline complemented the bodice on my dress,” Becky says.  “As soon as the girls tried on the dresses they looked stunning – nothing else on the market compared.” You could get yourself up to three free bridesmaid dresses too when you purchase your own gown at any of our boutiques! Book online at https://elite-bridal.com/booking/  

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