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Love at first sight

September 21, 2020

Rebecca knew her dress was The One from the moment she saw it on the hanger! For most brides, a bridal gown isn’t love at first sight – it’s love at first try. Every dress looks completely different on your body to how it does when it’s on the hanger, and you can never tell what you’re going to love until it’s on. But for Rebecca, the perfect gown was a done deal as soon as she set eyes on it! Rebecca had already booked her appointment at one of our boutiques, but knew she didn’t need an appointment to just pop in and look around… so she decided to drop by our boutique for a sneak peak the day before. In Rebecca’s case, this was a good decision! “Having looked round the day before, I had my eye on this dress as one of my favourites,” Rebecca says, “and I made sure it was the very first dress I tried on.” Even though Rebecca had fallen in love, she wanted to be sure she’d made the right choice and tried on several more – before, of course, coming back to her first pick. “I was really impressed with the choice from the moment I found Elite Bridal online,” she says.  “The service I received was brilliant and everyone was really helpful. “We got married in Huddersfield Town Hall surrounded by friends and family,” says Rebecca.  “The day was just perfect and magical.” Did you know we’re open 7 days a week, and that you don’t need to book an appointment to drop by? You can find details of all our boutques at https://elite-bridal.com/our-boutiques/ and if you would like to book a free appointment now, just head to https://elite-bridal.com/booking/

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The perfect illusion

September 21, 2020

Abi fell in love with a strapless gown, but had her heart set on an illusion neckline!  Luckily, our design team came to the rescue… When you book an appointment at any of our boutiques, the personal bridal advisor you’re assigned has one job – and that’s helping you find the dress of your dreams, even if it’s not already in our collection. They don’t just know our collection off by heart; they also know each gown, and how our Yorkshire-based design team are able to edit it to create the perfect bespoke gown for a beautiful Elite Bride… like Abi Deighton from York! When Abi first came to Elite Bridal, she had a strong vision in mind for the dress of her dreams – and it definitely was not strapless. Abi knew she wanted her gown to be from Elite Bridal, but didn’t expect to say yes to the dress in her very first appointment. She went in with an open mind but firm ideas, and immediately started chatting to her personal bridal advisor about what styles and materials she liked.  With Abi’s eager guidance, her bridal advisor was full of suggestions! “I knew I didn’t want a princess style, but I wanted to try one on!” Abi admits.  “After that, I tried various more fitted styles.  With each dress I tried on, I gave feedback on what I liked and didn’t.  And each dress I tried I liked more than the previous one…” Then Abi’s bridal advisor threw in a curveball. “The fifth or sixth dress I tried was a strapless gown, which I’d specifically said I didn’t want,” she says.  “But the bridal advisor reassured me, and I tried it on anyway.” Abi got a bit of a shock when she tried on the gown she definitely didn’t want.  “I absolutely loved everything about it – it fit perfectly and I felt amazing!” she says,  “I loved everything about it… apart from the fact it was strapless.” With Abi adamant she wanted an illusion neckline, the bridal advisor was quick to explain her choice. With our design team based right here in Yorkshire, Elite Bridal’s seamstresses could make bespoke alterations to give this strapless gown Abi’s dream illusion neckline, and they would do it using the exact lace from her gown.  It really would be the perfect illusion – no-one would ever know the difference! “I was so surprised it was possible!” says Abi.  “My bridal advisor used another piece of material to show me what it would look like when finished, and my decision was made – when you know, you know.  I was so excited I even video called my maid of honour in Spain!” After that, Abi’s fittings were a dream.  She chatted to a member of our design team, who made the custom illusion neckline from pieces of lace to match the original strapless gown, then also added buttons to make Abi’s dream look complete. Abi had several fittings to make sure she was completely happy with her new neckline and that everything fit her comfortably.  Then she was ready for her simple church wedding and reception at the Pavillion in York! “Everything about the day went perfectly to plan, and we had the best time,” Abi says. “The added lace was sewn onto the dress, but you couldn’t even see where it had been attached.  Nobody knew there was extra material added, but I knew my dress was one of a kind. “I’m so grateful to Elite Bridal for helping me find my perfect wedding dress and making it bespoke to me.  Thank you!” So if you find a gown you love in any of our boutiques, but find yourself wishing you could tweak somehow… please don’t hesitate to speak to one of our bridal advisors or seamstresses! To find out more about our bespoke alterations, visit https://elite-bridal.com/design-room/

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Unleash your inner princess!

September 21, 2020

When Katie came into our boutique, she had a clear picture of her dream dress in mind. But, having already visited several other stores and tried on lots of bridal gowns, she was running out of steam by the time she came to Elite Bridal! “Everywhere I’d been, I just didn’t seem to be finding what I was after,” Katie says.  But she wasn’t settling for a dress that didn’t give her the feeling. Determined to find the dress of her dreams, Katie arrived at our boutique and began the process of whittling down dresses with her personal bridal advisor. “When I came into Elite Bridal, my lovely bridal advisor said, ‘Why don’t you try this one?'” Katie’s bridal advisor had picked out a big princess dress – not at all what Katie had spent all those shopping trips looking for. “I was looking for a completely different dress,” Katie admits.  “I wasn’t sure a big dress would suit me. “But I tried it on – and everyone started crying.”  Katie finally had the feeling she’d been waiting for.  “I knew straight away I’d found my dress.”  To Katie’s delight, the gown she ended up falling in love with worked perfectly for her wedding and venue. “The lights on the dancefloor picked out all the sparkles in my dress,” says Katie.  “Everyone thought it was beautiful – and the train was so stunning. “It even worked with the surprise dance I’d planned!” Even though Katie walked out of our boutique with a dress so unlike the one she’d originally pictured, she now can’t imagine getting married in anything other than her sparkly princess gown. “Our wedding day was just amazing.  It was such a magical day, and I wish I could do it all over again. “Thank you to all the Elite Bridal staff, who were so welcoming and helpful, for helping me find my perfect dress.” Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @EliteBridalUK for more real bride pics and stories!

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"I felt like a child on Christmas Eve!"

September 21, 2020

From style to sizing, the path to India’s dream dress was definitely paved with uncertainty… but Elite Bridal made sure she got her dream dress, and her dream wedding! India had known for years that she wanted her gown to be designed by Elite Bridal, but with nothing in mind and no idea what would suit her, she worried she’d be a problem bride! “I had no idea what I wanted,” says India.  “Style, size, colour… anything, for that matter! “My bridal advisor reassured me straight away, and started taking me through everything – from styles I might like to whether there was anything in particular I wanted to cover… which for me was my arms.  I knew I’d feel uncomfortable with my arms on show, but I also didn’t want a full sleeve because I was worried about being too hot. “I wasn’t picky as such,” adds India.  “I just didn’t know what I wanted!” For India, one of the best things about her appointment was that she felt no pressure to settle on a gown – or even to purchase one at all. “At no point did I feel I was bothering the bridal advisors because I couldn’t find what I wanted,” India says.  “They kept saying there was no pressure to buy my dress that day, and that I was welcome to keep trying on gowns.” India tried on every single style and colour… and eventually she landed on a gown she, her mum and friends all loved. But when India came back for her fitting, she had a niggling feeling something wasn’t quite right…  “I couldn’t put my finger on it,” says India. Because India was unsure, her bridal advisor suggested she try on a different gown – one she’d had her eye on at her first appointment, but which hadn’t been available in her size on the day… “I thought instantly, ‘Oh my god, this is the dress!’  Then I thought, ‘Oh god, how do I tell them?’ “Well, I didn’t have to – they knew straight away.  My bridal advisor said that Elite Bridal’s top priority was making everything perfect for me.  I felt no pressure at all – I just felt so cared for by everyone.” One of Elite Bridal’s designers then chatted to India through the possibilities for bespoke alterations to the gown she’d chosen, and India chose to alter her hem and add buttons all the way down her train.  She also had a bespoke veil constructed from the same lace used in her gown, completing the look. “It was amazing!” India says.  “They even sewed a tiny blue bow inside my dress to be my something blue.” When India came in for what should have been her final fitting, she was excited to put her dream dress back on – but panicked when she realised she’d lost a lot more weight than she thought, and the gown now needed taking in four whole inches. “I was so stressed,” remembers India.  “I was getting married in five days, and I was sure it wouldn’t be ready in time. “I was so wrong!  It was ready the very next day, and I was called in for my final final fitting!” India was overjoyed.  “I can’t describe the feeling of trying your wedding dress on once everything is absolutely perfect.  I felt like a child on Christmas Eve.” When India’s wedding day finally arrived, she took advantage of Elite Bridal’s personal dressing service to make sure her gown sat as perfectly as it had in that last fitting appointment. As if she needed any further reassurance, India’s big reveal got exactly the reaction she’d hoped for. “My bridesmaids cried.  My grandad was speechless.  My dad couldn’t look at me for crying, and he said he’d never seen a dress so beautiful.  It was wonderful.” The dress was just the start of India’s perfect day.  She carried it with her through fields and the first dance, and even her dog – who was also a star of the show that day – seemed to love it. “The day was perfect,” she recalls.  “The weather, the people, the food – everything!  Nothing went wrong, and I literally mean that – nothing! “My dress was so light to carry.  I was up and down, stretched everywhere, and my dress just followed causing no problems for me at all. “Overall, I couldn’t have been happier.  I didn’t want to take my dress off, and that says it all.  Thank you to everyone at Elite Bridal from the bottom of my heart – you made my dream wedding dress come true!” If you change your mnd about your gown before any alterations have been made, or find you need another size when it comes to your fittings, it is often possible to swap the dress you purchased for a restocking fee.  Ask your bridal advisor for more details! For more real bride stories, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @EliteBridalUK

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A high bar to beat

September 21, 2020

Roushana had her heart set on a glorious gown to ‘do justice’ to her husband-to-be – who’d be getting married in uniform… After lots of bad experiences at other bridal stores, Roushana was running out of steam – and time – before her wedding. She’d had her heart set on a 50s-style look, but was having no luck finding a dress she felt really amazing in – or which she felt would live up to her husband-to-be’s military uniform. “I just wasn’t committing to anything, and time was running out.  When we drove past Elite Bridal and my fiancé suggested we pop in, I wasn’t that interested – I’d already been to several bridal shops where the dresses were either massively overpriced or looked cheap.  But my fiancé said it didn’t hurt to look… “Well, when I walked in I was actually bowled over with delight! “There were so many choices, and each and every one looked classy, high quality and stylish.” Roushana knew she had to come back with her sister, but she was finally excited about shopping again!  When she came back for a full personal appointment, they made sure to make the most of it… “We has so much fun and totally went over the allotted appointment time,” Roushana says.  “The staff were extremely patient, and helped me make sure I was choosing the right style for my figure and for our day. “I left with a beautiful dress, all my accessories, and my alterations appointments booked in.” Although Roushana knew she’d left choosing her dress a little late, she was happy to feel no extra pressure from Elite Bridal’s staff during her appointment. “I never felt like they were trying to give me the hard sell,” says Roushana.  “I felt zero pressure – I just felt so accommodated.”   Roushana loved the dress she chose – and it definitely wasn’t a 50s gown!  Though the style was a bit of a surprise, she finally felt she felt a good match for her husband-to-be. “I never thought I would want to wear a traditional dress, but nothing else would have done my husband justice when he looked so smart in uniform! “I’m so glad we drove past Elite Bridal that day.” Roushana and her husband both looked incredible on their blustery big day. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @EliteBridalUK for more real bride pics and stories – and if you’re getting married in an Elite Bridal gown, ,we’d love to see yours!

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