Frequently Asked Questions

 

Covid -19

Do I Need to Book an Appointment or Can I just Walk-In?

Yes, we ask that all appointments are pre-booked to allow time for us to clean the boutique prior to each appointment. Appointments can be booked on our Book Page



Where Can I Find Your Covid Secure Information?

All our Covid protocols can be found on our Covid webpage. Covid - 19 Page



Who Can I Bring As Guests To An Appointment?

Unfortunatley we are currently located in a Tier 2 area. Govermnet rules for Tier 2 areas don't allow for household mixing indoors. We therefore can only allow a bride to be accompanied by members of her own household/support bubble. Don't worry though, we have plenty of ways that more guests can join the appointment virtually so even if they can't be with you in person, doesn't mean they have to miss out. Once you have purchased your gown you will be very welcome to come back and show all your friends and family the gown that you have chosen once its safe to do so* If you are travelling to us, please ensure that you follow the guidlines that govern where you live, if they are more restrictive than ones that are inforce in Cheshire East. We know this is terribly disappointing for everybody at present but your saftey comes first and we will contiune to follow all current Covid secure guidlines & legislation. *Subject to the gown still being in stock with us. We have a regular turn over of gowns, so the stock gown may no longer be avaiable in store. Please contact us for the most up to date information.



Do I Need To Wear a Face Covering?

Yes, unless you are exempt then everybody in the store must wear a face covering at all times while in the boutique. This is to comply with legislation regarding the wearing of face coverings in retail outlets. We have available some masks and visors for guests to use if you haven't brought your own in. We are aware that some bridal boutiques allow masks to be removed for a short period of time, possibly to take photographs. Unfortuantley due to the legislation currently in place, and more importantly, for your and our safety we can't allow this to happen for the moment. Once the rules have changed, if you want to come back to take photographs etc without face coverings getting in the way, then we will be more than happy to help.



Do You Serve Refreshments?

Yes we do.



Booking an Appointment

When Should I Start Searching For My Wedding Dress?

You can start searching for your dream wedding dress any time you like. We do recommend at least a 6-month timescale for delivery of the dress and then approximately 8 weeks for alterations and fittings. From start to finish an average time from ordering to wedding date is 9 months. Please don’t worry if time is short, contact us and we will offer assistance to get your dream bridal gown on-time. We also have an extensive collection of ready to wear wedding gowns that are available to take home on the same day, so even if you are getting married next week we can help you out.



Do I Need An Appointment?

Yes. We are a strictly by appointment only boutique in order that you can have a completely private appointment with one of our Bridal Stylists. Evenings and weekends are often fully booked quite a few weeks in advance, so we would advise that you book your appointment as early as possible to avoid disappointment. Evening & Weekend Appointments are £25. This is redeamable off the price of your wedding dress or accesories. www.willowbridal.co.uk/book



How Long Are Your Bridal Appointments?

Appointment bookings are for 90 minutes. 90 minutes gives plenty of time to try on plenty of styles without having to rush. With over 100 gowns in store the choice can be daunting, so will will take as long as is required to find the right one without any pressure. Need longer? No problem. If we find that you need longer than the 90 minutes then provided that there is no other appointment booked behind you then will simply carry on for as long as you wish. If there is another booking afterwards, or you simply just need more time to decide then we can very easily book you in for another appointment at another time. What matters to us is that when you decide, its the right decision for you. We'll never pressure you to buy on your first (or 2nd or 3rd...) appointment. Only you will know when the time is right for you to purchase your wedding dress.



What Prices Are Your Wedding Dresses?

Our made to order gowns start at £1000. Our ready to wear wedding dresses, which are available to take away same the day, are priced from £350.



Do You Charge For Appointments?

Yes we do charge £25 for bridal appointment during evening and weekends. We do not charge for weekday appointments. We have a £25 charge for all appointments cancelled or missed within 24 hours of scheduled appointment time.



Do I Have to Book Online?

Of course not. While we try to make the online system as easy to use as possible, we totally understand that it doesn't work for everybody. We pride ourselves on making every single appointment unique, with the bride very much leading the way. If you have any questions or specific requests for your appointment and feel it would be easier to talk to us first then please get in touch. We are contactable via phone, email or our social media platforms as well as the online booking form. Please feel free to contact us by whichever means is best for you.



I Can't Find a Suitable Appointment Time on Your Online Booking System. What Should I Do?

Don't worry if you can't find appointment availablity online that works for you and your bridal party. Please get in contact with us and we can find an alternative time and/or date for you, which may be outside the online availbiliy.



I Need to Change or Cancel My Appointment. What Do I Do?

We totally understand that you may want to amend or cancel your appointment. That is not problem at all for us. The most important thing for us is that if you do need to cancel then we can open up the availability for other brides. All we ask that if you need to change please could you let us know as soon as possible. We do reserve the right to charge to cancel appointments if required. The appointment cancellation fee if less than 24 before an appointment is £25.



Boutique & Experience

Do you stock bridesmaids dresses?

Yes, we have a small but very exciting selection from Lou Lou Bridal. Details can be found: https://www.willowbridal.co.uk/bridesmaids



Do you stock bridal veils?

Yes we stock an extensive collection by Elizabeth Dickens and Rainbow Club. Please book a styling appointment to view our veils on our book appointment page They can also be viewed on our accessories page.



How much are your bridal gowns?

Our made to order bridal gowns are priced from £1000 - £6000 Our ready to wear bridal gowns are priced under £1000 These can be viewed at: www.willowbridal.co.uk/bridal-collections www.willowbridal.co.uk/readytowear



What Can I Expect During an Appointment?

That is the Million Dollar question. The answer is that its down to you. We tailor each and every appointment based on individal bride's wishes and desires. While we offer complimentary light refreshments and the services of a perosnal Bridal Consultant as standard, that's where the similarities end. So if you want to chose your own gowns, go ahead, if you want us to use our experiance and choose them for you then it would be our pleasure. If you want to make use of the extensive floor space of our main showroom, or stay in the more private bridal suite, again that's totally down to you. There is no right or wrong answers. If you have any specific requests, please get in touch and we will do our absolute upmost to accomodate you and your bridal party.



I See That Many Stores Ask Brides to Pose for a Social Media Picture After Buying. Will I Have to Do That?

No is the simple answer. We are aware that many bridal boutiques ask all their brides who purchase a gown to pose for a social media picture, normally accompanied with a sign that states "I Said Yes to the Dress at XXX" or similar. We specialise in being private and discreet when it comes to our brides. Therefore we will never ask any bride to pose for such an image. That is the reason why you'll very rarely see pictures of brides in the boutique on our social media pages. Many brides often want to keep every detail of their wedding dress secret, including where they bought it, to stop others (especially the groom/partner) having any idea of what they will be wearing. All of our brides' pictures that you see on our pages are either brides who have asked us to post such images or pictures our brides have very kindly sent us of them on their wedding day for us to use. If you want to take pictures, then fill your boots. We have our selfie flower wall among other areas if you wish to take pictures yourselves. If you post them on social media then it would be brilliant if you tag us in them, but we'll never ask you too. We specialise in confidentiality when selecting your wedding dress.



How Do I Pay For My Wedding Dress?

When you puchase a made to order gown you will need to pay 50% of the balance in which we will order your gown from the designer with the remainder due when the wedding dress is ready to be shipped to us. If you buy a wedding dress from our ready to wear collection we need the whole balance paying as it has been taken from stock and not ordered.



Do You Store Wedding Dresses?

Yes absolutley! there is a £50 fee for us to store you wedding dress regardless if it is a made or order dress or a ready to wear gown. We dont store any gown that is purchased on a sale day or event.



Disability Friendly

I have, or One of My Party has a Disability. Will This be a Problem?

Absolutley not. We are very proud on being a very inclusive bridal boutique. With a power assisted entry door, step free access to a large open space main showroom accessability for everybody is very easy. We can very easily move furniture around to create even more space if required. Our large fitting suite can accomodate any bride and your needs in total privacy (it's a stand alone room, rather than just hiding behind a curtain). Additionally Helen, as a previous airline crew manager has several years worth of experience and training on how to attend to any person with any form of disability, visible or otherwise in all manor of situations. If you have any specific requirements for either yourself or any member of your bridal party then please get in touch. We would be delighted to work with you to ensure that everybody gets the full experience of being part of the bridal party.



Can I Use My Wheelchair In The Fitting Room?

Absolutley we have a large wheelchair accessible fitting room



Do You Have Your Terms & Conditions Available In Large Print?

Yes we have a large print set of our terms and conditions or can be read via an ipad.



Children

Are You Buggy Friendly?

Of course we are. Every member of the bridal party is very welcome, no matter their age. We have step free access, and plenty of space to park your buggy. We also have a small selection of toys available to entertain the younger (& older) members of the party. All that we ask is that you please keep an eye on your little ones while in the boutique if they are playing close to our dresses or accessories.



Can I Bring Children To An Appointment?

Yes of course you can, well behaved children are always welcome. We do have a small box of toys for very young children and toddlers.



Are You Breast Feeding Friendly?

Yes of course we are!