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Frequently Asked Questions

12 months out is probably the sweet spot, but anywhere from 18 months to 8 months is usually fine for made to order dresses. Off-the-peg dresses can be bought anytime before the wedding, though do try to build in at least 4 weeks for alterations.

My designers standardly deliver with 3-6 months of ordering. Rush orders can be done if your dress is needed quicker than that – each designer is different though, so do get in touch if you have a short lead time to chat this through. Rush orders carry an additional fee.

Price ranges are listed on every designers’ page. Made to order dresses range from £1,200 – £2,500. Sample dresses can be priced as low as £250, but are often around the £700 – £1,000 range. I have marked all dresses that are £1,500 or below within my collections.

I don’t do these in house, but I recommend two amazing seamstresses.  Visit my Recommended Suppliers page for more details.

I always recommend booking these in as soon as you find your dress (or if you’re working to a shorter lead time, as soon as you have your wedding date). Seamstresses can get booked up, especially during the busy months (March – August) and it’s better to know these are scheduled in at a time to suit you. Usually this is two fittings at 4 weeks and 8 weeks before your wedding date, but this can vary depending on the alterations required.

I charge for initial wedding dress appointments and veil styling appointments. Follow up appointments, sale appointments and 30 min discovery appointments are all free. See appointment types below for details on fees.

If it’s your first appointment then book an Ultimate Dress Discovery session. I book out two hours of my time to ensure we don’t need to feel rushed and you have plenty of time to explore how you feel in the dresses. For this professional bridal styling service there is a £25 charge. This usually means 90 mins of trying on dresses, with time to welcome you and to sort out any next steps (such as celebrating finding your dress or arranging follow up appointments).

Follow-up and dress collection appointments are free of charge.

Veil Styling appointments are available if you are looking for a veil but already have a dress. These are free if you have already bought a dress with me, and are £10 for new customers. That £10 is refundable against any veil purchase.

Sale Appointments are suitable for you if you’re specifically looking at buying a sale dress you have seen on my website. These are 1 hour long and limited to 4 sale dresses. If you wish to try more dresses than that please book an Ultimate Dress Discovery session.

If you are in the initial stages of your dress journey and don’t feel ready to make a purchase, you can book a Free 30min Discovery Consultation where Zoe can show you the dresses in the studio, talk through the process and give you some advice. These are a great way to see if you like my dresses and way of doing things ahead of booking a full appointment. They are fantastic too if you’re feeling anxious about trying on dresses or want an initial look around before bringing friends/family along.

Appointment fees are refundable up to 7 days before the appointment (meaning if your appointment is a Saturday, as long as you cancel by 9am on the Saturday before, your appointment fee will be refunded). Where an appointment was free, there is a cancellation fee due – you will be asked to agree to this and enter your card details when booking any appointment.

I recommend between 0 – 2 is the best number. Ensure they are people that will give you as much feedback as you want and are aligned with what you are looking for. I can accommodate more than that (up to 5 total) but the space is quite small and it can get quite tight. In dry weather we can have the door open and guests can spill onto the patio.

I can only accommodate service animals in order to keep the sample dresses as clean as possible.

It is always easiest not to bring them as it means you can really focus on yourself during the appointment. However, if you want to or if you need to bring them then they are welcome – I have space outside they can sleep in their pram (in full vision of you) or play.

You are responsible for ensuring they don’t touch any of the dresses or cause any damage in the studio – you will be liable for any cleaning or repair costs that are associated with negligence to do that.

There is ample free on-street parking. You are also welcome to use my driveway if preferred.

Yes!! I recommend either Serene by Madi Lane or Shikoba to my plus size brides as these are the collections I have in the widest range of sizes (sample sizes are listed on each designers’ page). Most dresses can be ordered to size 30 as standard and we can often go beyond that too. If there is a specific dress that really interested you make sure to mention to me before your appointment so we can check the size. Additional sizes can often be loaned in too.

Yes! I am part of the Rebel Love Directory, and part of the community myself and regularly attend inclusivity training to ensure I am a safe and welcoming space.

I am conversational in BSL so can provide appointments that are accessible for anyone who uses British Sign Language. My space is suitable for wheelchair users, though there is currently one step up to get into the studio (a ramp will be coming in due course). I am happy to accommodate all reasonable adjustments for, but not limited only to those with autism, ADHD, disabilities, religious requirements, insecurities etc.

I know how daunting wedding dress shopping can be. We will speak on the phone before you arrive which will give us time to get to know each other, create a dress shortlist. I’ll run through how the appointment will work and will give you a chance to ask any questions you may have. This usually helps ease nerves.

My little studio is based in my garden and completely private and very relaxed.

Yes I can often be flexible and offer appointments on Sundays or other days/evenings than listed on my booking tool. Please get in touch to enquire.

The gold standard is nude, high-waisted, seamless knickers as they are best across most styles of dresses. But ultimately wear whatever you are comfortable in. I’d steer clear of black or super bright colours though. Most dresses don’t require a bra, but you are very welcome to wear one if that is your preference.

I am happy with whatever you are happy with when it comes to changing between dresses. As standard I will get the first dress ready for you to step into, I’ll then leave the changing room for you to get undressed and pull the dress up – when you’re ready I’ll pop back in and help you with the fastenings.

After that we have two options:

  • I can stay in the changing room with you, help you out of one dress and you immediately step into the next whilst I put the first one away. I am so busy doing this I rarely see anything, and I do this every day so don’t mind even if I do. If you’re comfortable with this is definitely the most efficient way.

  • If you prefer privacy, I will continue how we did the first dress. Get the next dress set up, step out of the room and come back in to fasten you up and put the first dress away.

Most of the dresses will go up, however, in the case of a small sample size some dresses may need to go over your head. I’m happy to work with you to do this is the way you are happy with.

Yes most dresses can be bought off-the-peg even if they aren’t listed on my sale page if they are the right size for you and you prefer this. They will be discounted accordingly depending the their condition etc.

Yes I have samples from two amazing designers and can also discuss bespoke veils with you. I recommend buying your veil at least 4 months before your wedding date – again the more lead time the better.

Once you’ve bought your dress I will give you an idea of when your dress will be ready. We can then book in a collection appointment nearer the time. These are usually an hour long and you will have time to try the dress on again, try veils if you haven’t yet bought one and you want to, check the dress over to make sure you’re happy, ask any questions and generally celebrate it all starting to feel very real!

You will be given a breathable wedding dress bag with your dress. Hang the dress by the ribbon hanging loops as shown at your collection appointment and the dress will be fine in the bag in your wardrobe or on the back of a door for months if needed. I will run through all this with you at your collection appointment.

Probably yes, but it will depend on the material your dress is made from. I will run through this with you at your collection appointment but my top tips are:

  • Steam your dress the day before – steaming can make a dress damp and ruin your hair and make-up, so ALWAYS steam the day before
  • Ideally get someone you trust to do this for you
  • Block out 2 hours to do this, which I know sounds like a lot of time, but you don’t want to steam in a rush!
  • Use distilled water if you can to avoid residue spitting out onto your wedding dress. You can also cover the steamer head with a clean, white, linen hanky/cloth to ensure the risk of spitting is gone!
  • Once steamed, hang your dress somewhere as high as possible to ensure the train isn’t crumpled up on the floor. You can use the back of a chair if needed to lift the train off the floor
  • I don’t recommend steaming your veil as they are so delicate – veils will usually drop out any creases simply by hanging them overnight

The bridal industry is notorious for not being sustainable. The most sustainable way to buy a wedding dress is to do so second hand of course, but I aim to make my business as sustainable as possible. I do this within my studio practices themselves, but also by working with designers who have sustainability at the front of their minds. All dresses are produced on demand and made to order, to reduce waste. 

Rembo dresses are produced in their eco- studio in Portugal using EU fabrics and local seamstresses. 

Shikoba have a great sustainability policy too and have their Shikoba Wild collection dresses which are made in the UK with British-sourced fabrics. 

All dresses that have eco credentials are labeled on my designers’ pages.