Bridal Emporium

100% avoid! Paid 15 for the appointment - the whole shop is in "clearance" so not very many dresses to try, a lot are damaged and theyre selling whatever samples they have and not ordering in new which I didn't see clearly advertised anywhere. If I'd known this I wouldn't have booked an appointment. They had clearly tried to make it a boho/vintage vibe but felt dirty and dusty compared to other places I've since been to. The lady on the day seemed lovely but otherwise waste of money and wouldn't recommend as it is. (Mentioned it becoming a "design your own" bridal shop down the line so basically it's currently a clearance sale before they rebrand). I was a bit sceptical after seeing other reviews but thought I'd see past them but sadly also didn't have a good experience.
Apr 21st, 2023

My bridesmaids and I visited this shop on 08/04/23 for a pre-booked appointment with bottomless drinks. When we were greeted at the door, the lady didnt seem to register that we had an appointment (despite the fact Id called 5 mins beforehand to advise we were running 5-10 mins late). We were then taken upstairs where we were left alone for around 15 mins just waiting. A lady then introduced us to another lady who was to be looking after us. I had pre-paid 20 for the bottomless drinks, but this was really disappointing as we had to ask each time for a refill and only ended up having 2 drinks each in the 1.5 hours we were there. The majority of the appointment we were self-guiding each other and trying dresses ourselves, as the lady looking after us kept disappearing and then just standing to the side not saying anything. Considering this was supposed to be an exciting occasion, we all felt quite awkward and on edge. Overall, I was sadly quite disappointed with the level of service received and wouldnt return. However, if you know exactly what youre after and want an in/out appointment, this shop could be perfect for you.
Apr 8th, 2023

Ladies, sadly I would avoid this place. I ordered my wedding dress in July 2022 and it arrived in store end of Feb causing a lot of stress - they just say "the designers can take the mic and don't give expected delivery dates" - I find this impossible to believe. I also purchased a simple slip dress (massively overpriced), I changed my mind the next day and they still had the dress in the shop but refused - no refunds (i should have read the T&C's apparently!) Even though i was spending thousands on my main wedding dress, a cape and bespoke alterations, there was no flexibility (they could have sold the dress again straight away). Super upsetting and I would NOT recommend, this should be a nice experience, it was not. Sorry but AVOID!!
Mar 20th, 2023

Save yourself the heartache and do not go. Their customer service is appalling, they simply do not care. Completely ruined my bridal experience.
Mar 4th, 2023

I needed to give myself time and space following my wedding to write this review - it didnt feel right not to do so so future brides can make a balanced decision on whether to use bridal emporium. I first went to try on dresses with Bridal Emporium in January 2022 and found the dress, I did state that my wedding was in mid- Dec 22 and I was assured the dress would only take 6 months to arrive, max 7 so we went ahead and paid a 650 deposit. The appointment was my only positive experience and I have to say Jess who looked after us was great and it was exactly what I was expecting from a bridal appointment. I heard nothing (which I didnt expect to), so called at the end of July for an update on my dress and I was told it still wasnt in store but would be soon. Still nothing for several weeks so I contacted at the end of August and got the same response. It got to September and I was getting nervous that my dress still hadnt arrived and was told it would be in store soon. Someone from the store rung me at the beginning of October to arrange a fitting appointment as my dress was ready albeit not yet in store, so appointment booked for the 20th of October. I called on the Tuesday to double check my dress had arrived and I soon got a phone call back saying she had made a boo boo and forgot to book the courier to collect my dress from Belgium - what would have happened if I didnt call to check? I would have probably turned up to find my dress wasnt there having done a 30 mile trip to the store. At this point I just wanted my money back as I was incredibly stressed and it was 9 weeks before my wedding (you start alterations at 10 weeks before) and my dress was still in another country despite being told my dress would be here no later than August. The owner Claire was not responsive in emails back and forth and used the 7 days response time required by law to the last minute along with excuses of sickness and short staffing (at this point I wanted everything in writing), and despite agreeing to pay me my deposit back and claimed to have sent it back (my bank details were correct and the money never arrived) I had to threaten legal action to get the 650 back so I could go get one off the shelf 8 weeks before my wedding as my original was not even in the country. Once I threatened legal action the money was then swiftly sent and I never heard anything again. Claires apologies in the emails leading up to my refund were not sincere and just added insult to injury. I wanted my dad to deal with Claire as it was causing unnecessary stress and anxiety before my wedding but she refused despite my parents paying the original deposit - there was little empathy of my situation. I get the feeling my dress was never ordered back in January and it was put through as a rush order, but I will never know and its not something to dwell on now. I ended up getting a dress off the shelf from Elite Bridal which was an amazing experience and dress and really shon a light on how poor my dealings with Bridal Emporium were. I understand life happens however when you run a business this shouldnt get in the way or you should at least have contingencies in place - especially as you are dealing with the biggest day in peoples lives. I would give 1 star if I didnt have a great initial appointment but would encourage people to consider reading my review and the others when wanting a dress from this bridal store. I wanted to provide this review on google and on Facebook however conveniently the Facebook reviews were turned off back in October when this back and forth was happening - that perhaps speaks for itself.
Jan 7th, 2023