Bridal studio tour

Hi there, my name is Caroline, owner of Caroline Arthur Bridal and in this video, I show you the inside of my bridal boutique, just in case you're curious about what it looks like when you come in.

And in case you're curious about how wedding bridal businesses work. This video is a bit of a get to know me, get to know the store type of thing.

So when you first arrive, you’ll discover you’re in the Surrey Hills, very leafy, off the beaten track, very private and peaceful. There is an ancient copper beech tree at the entrance to the drive, and plenty of space to park. The couture studio has a high vaulted ceiling with white walls and thick wooden beams. This is a room with a view straight out into the forest.

The boutique has a dedicated entrance room for you and your party to hang your coats, and if you are a wheelchair user, there is a ramp and more generous entrance round the side. Check out my bridal guide for wheelchair-users coming soon.

The main thing that you see when you come inside is the wedding dresses, and plenty of space to move around, with big mirrors and flooded with light. I have a separate workspace for sewing, so you don’t have to look at all the clutter that comes with storing materials and making dresses! This is intentional so when you’re trying on your wedding dress you have space to imagine yourself walking down the aisle.

If you are thinking of opening your own bridal store, and you’re going to be doing fittings like I do as a designer, I would recommend having an area with a really good carpet with a really good underlay. I ask my brides to take off their shoes to avoid transferring the countryside onto the wedding dresses, so everything stays pristinely clean, and the carpet makes it really cosy and comfy for the knees of the person who is doing your fitting!

So the room is in two sections. One whole end of the room is a large curtained-off fitting room with large mirrors and plenty of room for you, your dress, your petticoat, and me to help fasten you into your dress. There is a door through to a bathroom if needed. When I ask brides-to-be if they’d like to use the loo before they try on their dress, 99% will say yes, so if you’re planning your own bridal store, do prioritise this facility.

The main part of the room has two double sofas next to the large mirror, which is where we do your fitting.

There is a selection of gowns from my collection, organised into separate bodices and skirts, and then a rail of fabrics, which you can choose from.
Around the room, are gorgeous embellishments to choose from, as well as a lovely selection of veils to try on, and even my original sewing machine which I learnt to sew on as a child.

My own daughter is allowed to come in here when I don’t have appointments, and she and her friends love trying on sample dresses and playing at dressing the mannequins. I never keep real bride dresses in here, as they are too precious and I protect them from being touched by anyone other than me and the bride. So it’s safe for the girls to play in here if they want to as they’re just samples, and not real dresses about to be worn for someone’s wedding.

People often ask me how I balance mum life and business life and I find it works really well. When Holly was little, I used to sew while she was napping, and I used to arrange appointments when she was a nursery or asleep in the evening, or when my husband was around at the weekends. Now she’s a bit older, I find it works beautifully and I just do fittings while she’s at school.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. In my other videos, you’ll find a lot more of the behind the scenes of bridal industry, so hopefully you’ll find it a little bit more, welcoming. I know some of you either run bridal businesses already, or would like to open a boutique, so I hope this introduction has been useful.

Do leave me a comment and let me know who you are and if you have other ideas of videos you would like to see, so we can get to know each other better.
Whether you're a bride-to-be, a future business owner or just someone who likes wedding dresses, thank you for watching and see you next time.

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