Are You A Mews Bridal Bride?

The Wedding Edition’s fashion series enables you to experience the best bridal boutiques in the UK, before making an appointment. This week our Fashion Editor, Alessandra Frame, has immersed herself in the heavenly world of The Mews Bridal in Notting Hill. Read what you can truly expect, inside one of le chicest bridal boutiques in London.

The look:

The Mews Bridal is a family business at its core, run by mother daughter duo Gail and Lauren. With two boutiques in the UK, The Mews Bridal’s story began in 2007 when Gail opened her first boutique on a quaint little mews in Bristol. After finishing school, Lauren joined the business and convinced her mum to let her open their London boutique – but with a French twist:

“After I spent time in France and discovered our bridal designers, I knew I had to bring them to the UK,” says Lauren. “The French have an unparalleled attention to detail – a standard of work they completely set for themselves. It’s as if the commercial success of their work is an afterthought, every intricate detail is executed with a precision and passion that reflects everything they stand for. But besides the quality, what draws us to French designers is the way they marry elegance with ease. Classicism with nonchalance. It’s a juxtaposition they execute in a way no one else can, and a balance that’s allowed us to carve out such a well-defined niche in the market.”

As you may have guessed, The Mews Bridal in London stocks exclusively French bridal couture designers and the curation is specifically non-traditional. It proudly nails the sweet spot many brides are looking for these days: a wedding dress that’s modern enough to feel like you, but traditional enough to never date.

Mews Bride Elizabeth with husband Stefano

A snapshot of the space:

Set in the heart of vibrant Notting Hill, when you step inside The Mews Bridal it’s like entering a different world. As the front door swings closed, the bustling street outside suddenly feels a million miles away and a sense of calm washes over you. Taking in the whitewashed surroundings filled with dappled light and chic French artwork, there is a true sense of tranquility inside the boutique as well as an ever-present (yet never overpowering) scent experience created by Diptyque, no less.

Who is dressing you?

For one glorious hour you’ll be immersed in a world of handmade French bridal beauty. Looking after you will be a dedicated one-to-one Mews stylist. All of The Mews’ styling team have studied fashion and are highly trained so you’ll be in excellent hands. Using their years of experience your stylist will work with you to help you find ‘The One’.

It’s also worth noting that, once a year, The Mews Bridal holds designer days where its key designers travel to London from Paris to meet brides and style them in person. On these special days, brides-to-be can request bespoke design options and work with the designer to achieve an even more unique look for their big day.

The experience:

On arrival at the store you and your guests will be welcomed with bubbles and herb-infused water. You’ll have an hour on your first appointment and a follow-up session is included in your booking fee should you wish to go back and revisit any of your favourite dresses. Co-founder Lauren suggests that brides-to-be bring a maximum of three guests on the day because too many opinions can become confusing, distracting and overwhelming!

Brides are advised to wear skin-coloured seamless underwear to their appointment in order to see the gowns in their full glory. The boutique will provide shoes for you to try on with the dress but as soon as you’ve purchased your actual wedding shoes, make sure to bring them along to subsequent appointments as these will affect your alterations later on.

Book in advance: The Mews gets quite booked up so it’s worth getting organised ahead of time. Lead times on dresses are approximately 7-8 months to order the dress and 6 weeks for fittings and alterations.

The collections:

The Mews Bridal is the only studio in the UK to stock these incredible French designers, and what a list it has:

Rime Arodaky: Fiercely feminine – these dresses stand out for all the right reasons. Sheer lace details and clean geometric lines provide the balance that give all of Rime’s dresses that rock ‘n’ roll edge.
Laure de Sagazan: Heirloom inspired, Laure de Sagazan’s romantic gowns give a casual nod to the past, while staying current with modern lace. Fluid and ‘willowy’ silhouettes reveal the element of mystery that every on-trend bride yearns for.
Margaux Tardits’ adventurous exploration produces everything from the bold and wild to ‘dreamy’ and romantic. An original designer bursting onto the bridal scene.
Caroline Takvorian’s collection is inspired by Parisian haute couture and has a strong visual identity. French and ultra chic, Caroline’s modern collection mixes romantic beaded lace and deep sensual necklines creating an elevated bridal look.
Donatelle Godart returns to The Mews Bridal with a beautiful new collection characterised by its Gainsbourg-esque mood and antique touches. Donatelle Godart will be available in all three of The Mews Bridal’s studios in London, Bristol and New York.
Marie Laporte for free-spirited romantics, Marie Laporte specialises in beautiful dresses with a bohemian heart. Marie Laporte will be available in Bristol.
Mademoiselle de Guise by designer Chloé Jaouën. Crepe, tulle, chiffon and lace meet to create liberating, urban romanticism.

The extras:

The boutique also stocks stunning accessories by Maison Sabben, a jewellery designer also based in Paris, along with beautiful pieces by Zoe & Morgan. There is an array of veils to style your dress with and shoes by Rime Arodaky, one of the exclusive designers.

The budget:

The booking fee for a one-on-one hour-long appointment and follow-up session is £35 and booking can be made on the store’s website.

You’re going to be looking at spending between £2,000-£4,000 for a dress from The Mews Bridal, not bad for a bespoke gown handmade in Paris! However, if this is too much of a stretch for your budget, the boutique holds exclusive sample sales twice a year. The next one is on 17 December in collaboration with Girls Not Brides, a charity very close to the Mews Bridal’s heart. Link here for tickets.