London Bridal Week, 2023

Mid-March saw the return of Bridal Week and The White Gallery at the London Excel. We have been so excited from the moment our Platinum Buyer invite arrived from Kelsey Rose.

So Monday 20th March, we made our way to Ebbsfleet Station to jump on the high-speed to London. One quick train and DRL ride (changing at the right stop this time!) later, we arrived at the London Excel.

First stop was dropping our bags off at the hotel, then in to get our passes. Now for anyone that hasn’t been to the Excel before, it is HUGE with loads of exhibits running at the same time, a lot of which look quite similar as you walk past…until that is you get to Bridal Week! There is no mistaking what this exhibit is all about, bright, white and a gorgeous display of stunning wedding dresses ready to greet you as you arrive. With our white lanyards round our necks and our Bridal Week bags over our shoulder, we were ready to explore.

With a bit of time to spear before our first appointment, we took a quick whizz round to see what Bridal Week and The White Gallery had to offer this year and of course a chance for Megan to grad some social content to share with you lovelies. Also chance to say a hello and touch base with the lovely ladies at Freda Bennet, Jane and Christine. As well as a quick nose of the Kelsey Rose and Ellis Bridals stand before our appointment on Tuesday.

Our first appointment was actually with a software company to help us run thing back of house. Though not so glamorous, Bridal Week isn’t just about the gorgeous bridal gowns, it is always a great place to discover new ways of making sure we can improve all aspects of our business to ensure our brides have the best experience possible.

After some free sarnies from the Platinum Lounge (who doesn’t love a free lunch?!) it was off to our next appointment with Love and Liberty, a designer that has been on our radar for a while. And there is no question that their bridal dresses are beautiful. Finishing our first day of the Excel, it is the Fashion Show. Always one of our favourite parts of Bridal Week, watching all the upcoming trends and of course seeing our girls Kelsey Rose and Ellis Bridals make a statement on the Catwalk.

We always like to use Bridal Week as a chance to catch up with other boutique owners. We had the pleasure of bumping into some familiar faces such as the lovely Lorraine from Olive Blossom in Hampshire, and Jane from County Brides of Faversham. We also take the opportunity to catch up with the lovely ladies at Ashleigh Richards, who we met at our first Bridal Week last year. This time we headed to the Coppa Club at Tower Bridge, which I have to say, we highly recommend. The burger was gorgeous, and the cocktails were something else!! It’s always so nice to have a good old giggle and share ideas. After of course getting a selfie with a Tower Bridge backdrop, we headed back to the hotel taking some gorgeous nighttime sights of London. By half 8 we were back at the hotel tucked up with our chocolate watching rubbish on telly!

Day 2 - We were up bright and early, getting ready and packed up before heading down to breakfast. Once Megan had updated the socials, it was time to head off to our first appointment with Sophie Rose Bridal. A British designer, lovingly making all her brides dresses in her Hampshire studio. Her collection really is one for a timeless bride, perfect if you are looking for an easy, effortless look for your big day. This certainly is a designer we got very excited about.

Last but not least, it was time to head over to see the lovely team at Kelsey Rose. Time to get down to business over on the Kelsey Rose stand, watching their stunning model show off their gorgeous new collection. I don’t want to give too much away about the Golden Hour Collection but all I will say is that it was the easiest collection to choose, you are going to love it!!

Safe to say, we had a fab time at this year's London Bridal Week and White Gallery and can’t wait to hit Harrogate in September.

Head over to our Instagram for sneak peaks of what is to come over the next year. @vickisbride

5 Bridal Silhouettes...

So let's talk bridal silhouettes because let’s be honest they are quite different to our normal high-street go-tos. We are going to pick out the key shapes and give you a little insight in to what they can do for you.

The A-line

Starting with the classic, the A-line is one that most of us know, and the perfect silhouette for all body shapes. Nipping in at the waist and kicking out into an A shape bottom, creating a gorgeous hourglass shape. Here are a couple of our favourites in Vicki’s Bridal Boutique.

Milan by Freda Bennet

Demi by Nieve Couture

Serafina by Ellis Bridals

The Fishtail or Mermaid:

This is one of the most dramatic shapes with a figure hugging silhouette to normally the knee where it kicks out, traditionally with a tulle bottom. However, over the years there have been many variations, with designers using the same fabrics, giving a softer look to a more dramatic shape.

Anastasia by Nieve Couture

Ophelia by Ellis Bridals

Storm by Kelsey Rose

Sheath

One of my personal favs, but also one that I know a lot a brides steer way from at first! This is a gorgeous-fitted silhouette with little flare at the bottom. This is the perfect shape to show off that gorgeous feminine shape. This is one of the more paired back bridal shapes but it certainly guaranteed to wow. Here are a couple of our favourites from our bridal collections here at Vicki’s;

Lucca by Kelsey Rose

Lottie by Ellis Bridals

Marla by Freda Bennet

Soft A-line:

The soft A-line is something that we see a lot of across our Kelsey Rose collection. This shape still does everything we want from a traditional A-line without the fullness, allowing for a more relaxed bridal look. It is a great alternative for a bride that doesn’t want to go down the fitted route, but a traditional A-line is too big.

Roseville by Freda Bennet

Aurora by Kelsey Rose

Danielle by Nieve Couture

The Ballgown:

This is for the true fairy tale bride and is exactly what it says on the tin. With a beautiful full skirt, often coming out from the waist or more volume in the base of the skirt created with tulle petticoats. You can't get much more fairytale ballgown than our Marie Skirt by Ellis Bridal teamed with Liza bodysuit.

Which of these 5 silhouettes would be your favourite?

Browse our entire collection here or book an appointment with us at Vicki's Bridal Boutique in Tenterden, Kent and see our gorgeous bridal dresses in person.

Real Bride: Bethany Mccloy

This is the journey of our lovely bride Bethany, who we first meet at Vicki’s Bridal Boutique in November 2021. Bethany has very kindly offered to share her bridal journey with us.

Why did you choose to come to us?

I was looking for a Boho vintage style dress, that was a bit different and unique. And you guys had exactly what I envisioned my dress to look like.

What surprised you the most about wedding dress shopping?

Being a small person, I was able to fit in the dresses I tried on and despite having all the clips to hold me in, I found it! There’s a dress out there for everyone.

How did you know it was the one?

It felt so special and it felt like me. It had all that I wanted the A-line look, the delicate beautiful detail, the gorgeous open back… I could picture myself wearing it on my wedding day with my make-up and hair done. That's when I knew this was the one for me!

Bethany had the beautiful Sicily by Kelsey Rose, with her beautiful leaf edged veil as her something borrowed from her sisters. She also had her alteration to the open back to make it work for her, where she is a petite frame.

Tell us about your wedding?

My wedding was very rustic, a Boho woodland theme, with lots of wild flowers - including many sunflowers, as they are my fav. It was a day that was perfect, surrounded by many wonderful family and friends. Lots of joy and laughter, surrounded by the amazing scenery of the English countryside, yummy food and drink and lots of dancing! It was an unforgettable day, that I’ll always remember.

What was your best bit of your day?

My best bit of my day was marrying my best friend, surrounded with my family and friends. Wearing my beautiful dream dress with all the hair and make-up done.

What words of advice do you have for Brides-to-be before choosing their dress?

Have an open mind when choosing your dream dress. You may have a certain style and vision in mind that you are wanting, but be open to trying different styles on and when you find that perfect dress, you’ll be able to picture yourself on your wedding day. Then you’ll know that this is the one for you.

Bethany's wedding was just what we imagined from all our wedding chats in the boutique. We loved all the sunflowers, matching the embroidery of Sicily perfectly. We also loved that Bethany used her alteration process to make tweaks to the dress to make it work for her body shape, which is exactly what your alterations are for.

Get the look here .

Find your dress with us at Vicki's Bridal Boutique in Tenterden, Kent by booking online.