Wedding dress shopping should be a joy, and nowhere is it more so than at Miss Bush, one of the oldest and most established bridal boutiques in the UK. Their 35 years’ experience shows in its expert dress curation and personal service, tailored to empower brides from their first appointment to walking down the aisle.
At Miss Bush, there is no scripted approach to bridal dress shopping. Instead, the boutique offers a unique and engaging experience, honed over the 35 years since it was opened. ‘We have now been lucky enough to see generations of brides through our doors,’ explains managing director Emma Meek, ‘with mothers who bought their dresses with us bringing along their daughters to enjoy the same’.
Service is top notch at this stunning former chapel in Ripley, Surrey, where brides can expect a consultancy rather than a typical sales boutique. The essence of a bride’s style, type of wedding, and personality are taken into account from the very start. Interestingly, Miss Bush has an independent streak: there is the notion that not all is rainbows and confetti with wedding planning and brides want to be taken seriously rather than offered a dumbed-down experience so common in the market today. Miss Bush is all about finding the ideal solution for each bride, with individuality firmly celebrated.
Many brides are still in touch with Miss Bush years later.
Miss Bush is all about empowering women to feel and look their best, helping them find the perfect look that reflects their personality As the oldest and biggest UK stockist of iconic Spanish designer Jesus Peiro, Miss Bush offers a wide selection of the brand’s dresses and separates, together with ever-popular British designer Suzanne Neville and carefully selected pieces from Anna Kara, Sophie et Voila and Yolan Cris.
There are no set sizes here. All shapes are celebrated: Miss Bush specialises in the female body and empowers women to look and feel their best, whatever that style may be.
‘We don’t focus on high-street dress sizes,’ continues Ms Meek. ‘What we care about most is achieving the perfect fit, using your unique measurements. All bodies are different, we know that not one size fits all and we can make sure you feel completely comfortable on your wedding day.’
Brides will start with a surprisingly in-depth questionnaire, not commonplace in the bridal market, which asks about style, beliefs, taste, how they wear clothes and perhaps a Pinterest link, too — this is all so the expert Miss Bush team can have a full understanding of what a client might want before they arrive for an initial consultation in person.
‘We have a brilliant knack of putting looks together and an ability to handhold even the most nervous brides through different ideas and styles,’ she says.
‘If the team or I think something looks great, we’ll tell you, but we are always honest in the nicest possible way. My team will give their own opinion, a frank approach, but the aim is to create amazing bridal looks reflecting your personality.’
The Miss Bush approach is one of complete flexibility. Brides may fall for a design without making any changes at all, but often they’ll want to adapt — sleeves and bodice from one dress, the skirt from another, then a bow from a third to perfectly hone the look.
Every detail can be adapted.
Thirty five years is no mean feat in the bridal dress market. Covid took its toll, of course, but now weddings are back in full force, with brides keener than ever to enjoy an enriching experience. ‘Weddings are part of the fabric of our society and we aim to establish the values of a couple,’ Ms Meek adds. ‘Bridal style is not a frivolous thing: it’s something we allow a level of importance, but at the same time remember to keep it fun and expressive, too.’
Fashion is important at Miss Bush. If everyone opted for very classic and simple dresses, fashion wouldn’t exist. ‘There would be no vintage style if there was no statement or fashion of the time, so very classic can sometimes be a little boring,’ notes Ms Meek, who specialises in giving brides the gentle nudge they need to manifest their inner style. Brides who arrive feeling conscious about a particular part of their body, leave confident that they have a dress to enhance their natural beauty, empowering them to enjoy their wedding day, worry free.
The shop has no set sizes, with every dress tailored to fit individual brides perfectly.
The bridal experience with Miss Bush doesn’t end when you walk out clutching the dress of your dreams, but brides usually keep in touch, some more than a decade after their nuptials, bringing in friends and family to enjoy the same enriching experience.
For further information, please telephone 01483 225355 or visit www.missbush.co.uk
Emma Meek of Miss Bush.
