UK and European Bridal Boutique Guide

A region spilling with timeworn facades, cliffside cities enveloped by azure seas, whimsical country gardens and ancient castles – Europe and the United Kingdom hold some of the world’s most magical destination wedding locations. For brides-to-be with the most diverse locations at their doorstep, we’ve put together an edit of must-visit bridal boutiques and stockists dotted throughout the continents. 

From iconic English labels, city boutiques awash with dreamy interiors, to hidden couture gems accessed by cobblestone paths – this diversely different selection of boutiques are woven together by their modern approach to bridal.

Amare

A little sanctuary in the heart of Midlands, this dreamy, white-washed space offers modern bridal shopping devoid of all the cliches. Far more than a boutique, Amare is a bespoke experience designed for each individual bride. Before even stepping foot into this beautiful space, a pre-appointment phone call with owner Lyndsey Gibbons will be arranged to make sure every detail (down to your choice of essential oil!) is considered. 

In an intimate appointment, champagne in hand, you’ll be guided through racks that spill with silhouettes by independent designers. Stocking gowns from Prea James, A La Robe, Alexandra Grecco, Harriette Gordon, Halfpenny London and regularly hosting trunk shows with the likes of Christie Nicole and Newhite – Amare’s gown edit is carefully curated, guided by a sense of individual magic that the brand is known for. 

Brand Highlights

• Independent Designers / Here you’ll find racks spilling with a thoughtfully curated edit of modern wedding designers and refreshingly unexpected bridal gowns and accessories. 
• Bespoke Experience / Ask any bride who has shopped at Amare, and while they are allured by the unique gowns stocked at Amare, it’s the level of thoughtful detail infused in their shopping experience that forever lingers. 
• Modern Accessories / Amare stocks bridal accessories you’d actually wear like keshi pearls by Lori Muldon and statement earrings by A.B. Ellie, as well as the most beautiful vow books by one of our favorite artists Acqua & Ink. 

Location

Middleton, Staffordshire UK

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Ghost Orchid

Inside the curved walls of this stunning interior in the north of England you’ll find racks upon racks of the worlds most coveted bridal designers. Step foot into the Ghost Orchid boutique and you feel like you’ve entered the personal wardrobe of one of your favorite stylists. Spilling with a diverse range of gowns from linen gowns by & For Love, ethereally embellished looks by Alexandra Grecco, or boldly structural gowns from Chosen by KYHA, Ghost Orchid allows brides the opportunity to explore their own sense of style, rather than conform to traditions.

A brand ethos that embodies the nature of the Ghost Orchid wild flower – the boutique is for the wild hearted dreamers who deeply understand their own style. Those who feel instead of think, blooming when conditions are just right. 

Brand Highlights

• Diverse aesthetics / A boutique to experiment and explore your own sense of style with a wildly diverse range of aesthetics, all tied together with a sense of modernity.
• Chic Interiors / You could leave happy to have experienced just the space by itself – contemporary curved walls and modern furnishings against a beautiful industrial canvas.
• Sensory Details / A sensory experience at every turn – from textural gown detailing, dreamy scents that infiltrate the space to playlists you’ll be stalking later to follow on Spotify.

Location

Hull, Northern England, UK

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Murashka

A brand we stumbled over a few years ago that has infiltrated our editorial shoot pages ever since – Murashka is an artisanal bridal label designed and produced in Russia. Embodying a beautiful balance of Bohemia and old world grandeur Murashka are renowned for their billowing sleeves, plunging backs and necklines and ephemeral fabrics. 

Best worn barefoot on raw, oceanic shores or against ageing European facades, Murashka is for wild hearted brides wanting boldly romantic gowns that move with effortless ease.

Brand Highlights

• Wildly Romantic / Every facet of the brand and each ethereal silhouettes spills with wild romance that never feels cliché and overdone.
• Billowing Sleeves / Muraskha are renowned for their boldy dramatic sleeves balanced in the most delicate, ephemeral fabrics.
• Boutique Label / A little hidden gem in Russia for those who want something truly unique and authentic.

Location

Chelyabinsk, Russia

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Temperley

Renowned for gowns that interlace etherealism and Bohemia, Temperley is a UK icon and must-visit when shopping for your wedding gown. A label that grasps the true soul of Bohemia without confusing it’s worldly influenced, free-spirited nature with the lack of finesse and construction consideration we see all too often in bridal. Temperley gowns spill with both luxury and ease, designed by a visionary artist and innovator who boldly marches to her own beat. 

Stepping into the boutique is a wildly inspiring experience on its own – a sprawling 22,000 square foot Victorian building in the picturesque town of Ilminster – Alice Temperley’s hometown. A multi-purpose space housing the design atelier, work shop, the bridal boutique with current and achieved pieces, plus a bar serving cocktails and cider from Alice’s parents cider farm. And for London brides, we’ve got some exciting news that a new space is just around the corner launching in October!

Temperley offers virtual appointments for anyone who can’t visit their inspiring space, as well as personal shopping and bespoke appointments, home delivery and consignments. For those who want to purchase straight off the rack, you can do so directly in store.

Brand Highlights

• Authentic Bohemia / A diversely contrasting collection of gowns woven together with worldly influence and a spirit of Bohemia.
• Bridal Concept Space / Step into the world of Alice Temperley through this unique space that encompasses an atelier, workshop, boutique and cocktail and cider bar.
• Luxury and Craftsmanship / Gowns that focus on the intricacies of Bohemia through luxurious, artisanal details.

Location

Ilminster and London, UK

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Elisa Ness

A French label that blends traditional couture techniques with a whimsically feminine and free-spirited aesthetic, Elisa Ness is a quaint boutique romantically hidden away in the dreamy city of Colmar in Eastern France. Just two hours from Paris, down quaint cobblestone paths lined with medieval and renaissance buildings you’ll find the Elisa Ness boutique. Charming, eclectic and undeniably French – it’s a place for brides that value sentiment, looking for a special piece that is beautifully authentic. 

Inside the Elisa Ness boutique are racks floating with featherlike fabrics woven in a collision of textures – appliqué, hand-stitched embroidery and feathered detailing. Behind the boutique walls is where the magic happens – the Elisa Ness atelier which spills with remnants of their meticulous artisanal process – rolls of textural fabrics, design sketches and mannequins swathed in the dreamiest of silks. 

Brand Highlights

• Authentic Couture Techniques / Every detail of an Elisa Ness gown is meticulously considered and constructed by hand using couture techniques honed from years of experience.
• Ethereal Textures / A collision of three-dimensional textures balanced with featherlight fabrics.
• The Quaint City of Colmar, France / Plan a dreamy weekend away in the romantic city of Colmar for a bridal shopping experience that will become lifelong memories.

Location

Colmar, France

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A La Robe & Friends

Renowned for masterfully cut silk slip gowns that drape exquisitely over the female body, A La Robe encapsulates everything we love about French design – chic simplicity, innate sensuality and effortless luxury. A label dreamt up by the creative and charismatic Elizabeth Soljak, originally from New Zealand who relocated to the French countryside to chase creative dreams, A La Robe is for the wild hearted brides who want luxurious pieces they can wear with nonchalant ease. 

Honoring traditional techniques and slow fashion practices throughout the creation of her collections, A La Robe is unbound by strict fashion calendars and seasonal trends. Here you’ll find timeless pieces that are forever innovating modern bridal. Each piece steeped in luxurious fabrics sourced from remote villages and European houses, subjected to artisanal hand treated dying and texture-inducing techniques before hand-sewn with the utmost attention to detail and care. 

In addition to A La Robe, this multi-label boutique also stocks designs by the likes of Murashka, Lola Varma, Carta Branca and Ofrenda.

Brand Highlights

• Inimitable Slips / Trust us, there’s been plenty of labels who have tried to imitate what may aesthetically look like a beautifully understated slip gown – but absolutely none fit the female body the way an A La Robe gown does. The reaction watching the models in our shoots or real brides try these pieces on is always the same – one of awe at the unexpected beauty and perfection hidden inside the construction of these gowns and the fabrics used.
• Uncatagorized Gowns / A La Robe pieces suit understated bridal looks, elegant evening wear or looks to throw in your suitcase and contrast with bare feet and messy top knots on your honeymoon.
• Slow Design / A La Robe subscribes to a slow fashion ethos, designing and producing sustainable pieces sourced from remote villages and European houses.

Location

Paris, France (stocked at Amare, UK)

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Halo & Wren

Located in the historic cobbled streets of Old Town, Hemel Hempstead, Herts – Halo & Wren is a modern bridal boutique just twenty minutes from London. Founded by owner Jemma Palmer, who struggled to find a gown that was fashion-lead, relaxed and no-traditional, Halo & Wren is an award-winning boutique for brides searching for something beautifully modern and effortless. 

Inside this dreamy all-white interior space punctuated with modern detailing are racks of whimsically romantic gowns. A deeply considered edit to fill a distinct gap in the market for UK brides featuring European designers Alena Leena and Daalarna Couture, Australian independent designers Made With Love and Canadian based & For Love. 

Brand Highlights

• Modern Bridal Edit / A beautifully modern take on traditional bridal with pieces that feel effortlessly chic.
• Dreamy Interiors / Shop for your gown in a space drenched in natural light and all-white interiors punctuated with modern decor.
• Relaxed Professionalism / A bridal boutique that doesn’t take itself too seriously, executed by the most professional and knowledgable stylists to guide you through the process.

Location

Hertfordshire, UK

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Daalarna

Unabashedly feminine and elegantly timeless, Daalarna is a long loved favorite based in Budapest Hungary. Renowned for their delicately ethereal pieces that move like wind, woven with intricate embroidery – Daalarna gowns are boldly distinct. 

Handcrafted using artisanal techniques, the level and intricacy of Daalarna’s detail is exquisite, weaving works of art in the form of sculptural embroidery, delicate lace, embroidery and appliqué placed strategically over the body to compliment the feminine form. The perfect pieces for a destination wedding, Daalarna blends the drama of detailing with a fluidity and lightness that allows you to move with ease. 

Brand Highlights

• Feminine Textures / Daalarna gowns are renowned for their signature, sculptural embroidery that elevates an otherwise effortless silhouette.
• Ethereal Movement / Dramatically decadent yet effortlessly ethereal in fabrics that allow you to move (and dance!).
• Small In-House Team / Each garment is passionately designed, produced and shipped all in-house by their small team who subscribe to a slow design ethos.

Location

Budapest, Hungary

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Alena Leena

Combining chic, refined detailing with whimsically romantic fabrics, Ukraine-based Alena Leena is a boutique label creating inimitably modern bridal. Elaborately constructed by hand using luxurious fabrics, Alena Leena creates elevated bridal looks that are renowned for their immaculate fit.

From billowing sleeves in dramatic proportions to mermaid-inspired bodices, each gown is infused with poetic detailing. Deeply inspired and imbued with story, Alena Leena is a label for individualists who want a gown that feels both boldly modern yet inherently timeless.

Brand Highlights

• Boldly Contrasting / Alena Leena gowns are rich with contrast – whimsically romantic yet with a modern edge.
• Immaculate Fit / Construction is at the forefront of Alena Leena’s process and her gowns are renowned for their incredible fit.
• Poetic Details / Deeply inspired by poetic references, each collection holds a deep story that spills into the intricate detailing of each gown.

Location

Ukraine (Stocked at Halo & Wren, UK)

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The Mews

Pioneering the movement toward a modern bridal shopping experience – The Mews are a UK boutique we’ve worked closely with for over a decade and couldn’t recommend highly enough. Renowned for their exquisite edit of exclusively French designers, The Mews is a brand for those romanced by luxurious fabrics, artisanal detailing and an aesthetic that balances classicism with nonchalance.

Located in Notting Hill near the famous Portabello Road, and in the heart of Clifton Village in Bristol, The Mews exclusively stock French designers such as Rime Arodaky, Laure de Sagaan, Margaux Tardits, Caroline Takvorian and Mademoiselle De Guise.

Brand Highlights

• Exclusively French Designers / The Mews are renowned for their edit of French designers selected for their distinct aesthetic and luxurious craftsmanship.
• Family Run Business / Founded by two of the sweetest women, mother and daughter duo Gail and Lauren bring style, expertise and a beautifully down-to-earth nature to their boutiques.
• Charity Driven / 50% of The Mews’ sample sale appointment fees go directly to supporting ‘Girls Not Brides’ – a global partnership of over 1000 civil society organisations committed to ending child marriage and enabling girls to fulfill their potential.

Location

Notting Hill and Cliffton, UK.

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Boutique photography: Ghost Orchid by Olivia & Dan, Halo & Wren by Joanna Brown, Elisa Ness by Paulina Weddings, and Amare by Benjamin Wheeler.