FREQUENTLY ASKED  QUESTIONS

When you are ready! The most important part of finding your dress is being in the right mindset to say yes to her. The one you fall in love with could be the first dress you try on and that's ok! The majority of our dresses are off the peg so you won't have to wait for her to be made. She is there, ready and waiting for you. We do have some made to order options too so lead times for those can be up to 6 months. Once you have chosen your dress it does allow lots of other parts of your wedding planning process come together more easily, like choosing the right flowers, colour theme or bridesmaid styles. So the sooner you know the easier the rest of the planning is.

The boutique is exclusively yours when you come and see us, so you will need to book an appointment. You can book directly via the Book Now button on our website, give us a call on 01751 798080 or drop us an email at info@thelittlepearlbridalboutique.co.uk. Our opening times are Wednesday 10 - 2pm, Thursday 10am - 4pm (evenings by request), Friday 10am - 2pm, Saturday 9am - 5pm.

As with all luxury boutiques, we do charge a consultation fee for our bridal experiences. This gives you exclusive use of the boutique, your own personal stylist to offer expert advice and a special goodie bag to take home with you if your find your dress. There is a £20 charge for your 1st appointment and £15 for 2nd or 3rd visits.

Yes we offer evening appointments by request on a Thursday, up to 8pm. If you require an evening appointment on a different day please do still get in touch and we will see what we can do.

It's always a good idea to have a particular budget in mind when you start your wedding dress shopping. There is nothing worse than falling in love with a gown that is outside of your budget. Most of our ready to wear dresses are under £1500, which are up to 75% off their original price. Our Pre-Loved collection is comprised of a Signature Collection all under £1500 and a Couture Collection which are all under £2000.

As part of our commitment to sustainable bridal fashion we do have a beautiful, carefully curated collection of pre-loved wedding dresses. These are made up of dresses that have been worn previously or never been worn. They are in immaculate condition and are ready to continue their love story! We are incredibly lucky to stock designers that you wouldn't usually be able to get hold of, at the most amazing discounted prices too. Some retail prices were over £3000 and are now available at under £1500!! You can even choose to have your pre-loved dress customised into a more bespoke piece through our inhouse alteration team. By choosing a pre-loved wedding dress you are also doing your bit towards a circular economy and helping us in our quest to be a sustainable bridal retailer.

Yes! Here at The Little Pearl it is not about size, it's about finding the wedding dress that gives you the perfect fit. We have an array of sizes in the boutique, which are currently between a 12 and 24. We have lots of different ways to get you the right fit, including having our own in house seamstress team. If you have any worries however, please do get in touch and we can chat things through.

If you have a vision for your bridal look that you'd like to be created for you, then we can of course have a consultation to discuss your ideas. We work with an incredible designer and seamstress teams that can work with us to create a look you have always dreamed of. If you have a dress already that you would like transforming into something totally new, for example your mums wedding dress that you'd like creating into a more modern piece, we can of course do that. Or taking a sample dress and changing it into a mini - the world is your oyster. This service would require a consultation with our seamstress team which we can arrange for you. Please get in touch via info@thelittlepearlbridalboutique.co.uk to discuss your ideas

Even if you haven't bought your dress from us and you are still looking for some accessories, you can book an Accessory Styling Appointment. We have a beautiful selection of veils and hair accessories to complete your bridal look. You can book your Accessory Styling Appointment via the Book Now button on the website.

If you unfortunately cannot make your appointment and need to cancel then please do let us know as we'll only be worrying about you when you don't turn up! You can email us at info@thelittlepearlbridalboutique.co.uk or give us a call on 01751 798080. We can of course reschedule your appointment to another time and you won't need to pay another consultation fee.

When you come to see us you can expect a warm and friendly welcome. We love to get to know you and your guests, so we'll have a chat when you arrive so we get a good idea of your wedding plans and bridal style. We'll talk through the dresses and then the fun bit starts. You'll get to choose some dresses that take your eye (we can suggest ones too) and we'll take them into the fitting room. You have a private fitting suite, where I will come and help you into all of the dresses. We have robes to wear during changing if you'd prefer as we want you to feel totally at ease. The suite area is big enough to showcase your dresses to your bridal guests, but there is no pressure either way. This is your time and we'll take your lead. The most important thing is that you feel relaxed and enjoy your experience. When you've found your dress we'll of course celebrate together!! Finding your dress is such a special moment and we can't wait to create some magic with you.

We have most things you will need for your appointment at the boutique, but if you have one, it's a good idea to bring along a strapless bra and wear nude underwear too. Don't worry if you don't have these though. We have plenty of shoes for you to try on with your dress. If you are a particular small or large shoe size please do let us know before hand or bring a pair with you.

Shopping for your wedding dress is super special experience so having those people with you, whose opinions you trust the most, but will also be your cheerleaders are the ones to get a spot on your guest list! We can comfortably fit up to 5 guests into the main fitting area, but if you have more just let us know ahead of your appointment. If there are guests who can't make then we do have a virtual facility where we can dial them in on facetime or zoom. We do often get brides coming on their own for their appointment too, as lots of guests can make it a little overwhelming for some. So if you are thinking of coming on your own, please don't worry as we'll be here to guide you and share this moment with you. You can always bring guests to show your dress to them afterwards and you will have your alteration appointments too.

Please try not to worry about sizing. Here at The Little Pearl we don't go on size, for us it's all about getting the perfect fit. The dresses we have in the boutique range from UK 12 to UK 24. Our job is to ensure you get the best possible fit when trying on the dresses so that you can see what your finished bridal look will be like. The majority of our brides find dresses that don't fit them 100%. We have lots of ways to create that perfect finished look so please try not to worry. If you are thinking about sizing, bridal can vary from high-street. Usually if you are UK 14 highstreet you would be a UK16/18 bridal. With some of our dresses we can offer custom measurements. You will more often than not, never be one standard size. Your dress will be altered to fit you by our super talented in house alteration team.

You can of course take pictures when you are trying on dresses, but we often advise brides not to. Mainly because the dress might not fit your perfectly everywhere, you won't have your hair and make up done the way you'd like for the big day, so it's not a true reflection of how everything will look. Remembering how you feel in your dress when you find the one is the best feeling and photographs don't show that. Plus you don't want your fiance taking a sneaky peek in your camera roll!

We CELEBRATE and pop open the fizz!! It's such a special moment for you to enjoy with your guests. Once our little celebration is over, we will take your measurements if needed and go through the paperwork. There is an option to store your dress with us up until your wedding day or you are welcome to take her home with you. If you have chosen one from our made to order collection we will take your measurements and submit the order to our designer. You will also be required to make payment for your dress. This is either in full or 60% with the final balance over 2 months.

Yes we are able to offer a payment plan on all of our dresses. A 60% deposit is required with the final amount due over the next 2 months. If you have a made to order dress and need to extend the payment plan please let us know and we can chat this through. All accessories are required to be paid in full.

When it comes to alterations we would usually start your fittings 8 to 6 weeks ahead of your wedding. Sometimes this may be less and will be discussed with you when you find your dress. You will usually have up to 3 fitting appointments so please bear this in mind for holiday time with work. Appointment times are Weds, Thurs, Friday.

We have our own in house seamstresses here at the boutique. They are experts in their field with over 25 years experience between them and are here to guide you on getting the perfect fit. You will usually have up to 3 alterations appointments and will need to bring the shoes and any specific underwear you will be wearing on the day with you. This is to ensure you get the perfect fit for your big day. If any custom pieces are being created to complete your bridal look, these will be discussed and quoted for by our seamstresses at your first appointment. If you do prefer to have your alterations closer to home if you live away from us, then we can help you find a seamstress suitable.

Alterations costs on your wedding dress can vary depending on what needs altering and if you are having any custom pieces added or created. As a guide we advise all of our brides to budget up to £500 All alterations costs are to be discussed directly with the seamstress at your first fitting or at the point of booking your appointment.

Your dress will usually stay with us until you are ready to her before the big day. This is usually any time from up to 10 days before the big day. We will ensure everything is steamed and presented in one of our beautiful dress bags for you on collection. If you are having your fittings done externally then you will need to discuss with your seamstress the collection of your dress after your fittings.

It's so important not to pack your wedding dress away in your case. We've heard a few tales of luggage going missing, including the dress and we definitely don't want this to happen! We sell travel boxes at the boutique that are airline approved to go in the overhead lockers. If you would like to order one from us just ask at your appointment or give us a call.

Yes of course! We have an in-house alteration team to help you get the perfect fit, but also create any custom pieces or looks you may have in mind to complete your bridal look. We also offer alterations for the rest of your bridal party - bridesmaids, flowergirls, MOTB / MOTG. If you'd like to find out more just drop us an email at info@thelittlepearlbridalboutique.co.uk

Yes we offer an on the day Dressing and Steaming service. One of our stylists will come to where you are getting ready to prep your dress and if required get you dressed too. The perfect option to take away any of those pre wedding stresses about your dress! There are different package options available and the cost depends on the package and location. To find out more details head to our On or After Your Wedding Day page.

We love to be a part of your big day as we often don't get to see this very special part! We also offer the option to stay after you have got dressed to help prep you to go down the aisle, be around to fluff that train for your photographs and generally ensure you and your dress are looking perfect for those wedding day shots. If you'd like us to quote for being there longer on the day just email us at info@thelittlepearlbridalboutique.co.uk

Your dress will have enjoyed lots of celebrating so we hope she'll be in need of a good clean! Here at the boutique we offer a Dry Cleaning and Boxing Service with one of our trusted partners. You would just need to drop your dress back off with us and we'll take are of the rest. You can then store her in one of our beautiful LP branded storage boxes or decide to add her to our Pre-Loved collection so we can continue the love story of your dress. To book in your dry cleaning drop us an email at info@thelittlepearlbridalboutique.co.uk

There are so many options for your dress after your big day. One that we are big advocates of, is re-igniting the love through our very own Pre-Loved Collection. Depending on when you bought your dress, we have various different packages to help you sell your dress through us. Click this link to take you to our Pre-Loved Collection page. https://www.thelittlepearlbridalboutique.co.uk/sell-your-wedding-dress

We have our very own Pre-Loved collection at the boutique, so if you are interested in selling on your dress (whether she has been worn or not) then do get in touch via our application form. Head to our Sell Your Dress page for more information. We do not buy wedding dresses from you, but instead help to sell them on for you, either by having them in the boutique or listing them on our website. Creating a more sustainable approach to bridal fashion is very important to us, so taking this choice for your wedding dress is the perfect way to do your bit for the planet too.