“We work with talented designers who celebrate women, put sustainability at the heart of what they do and win awards for their work.” Vicky, Founder & Owner of Love & Loved
Born from a longing to try and curate the perfect bridal experience for the modern bride (one that is not only unique and relaxed, but sustainable too) new rural Buckinghamshire boutique, Love & Loved is set to open its doors this March 2022, and we can’t wait!
With the likes of Kate Fearnley, Believe by Gaia and Sanyukta Shrestha hanging from their glittering rails, here at your day we’re in no doubt the likelihood of finding ‘the one’ is high. And, so is the likelihood that it’s a bridal experience you (and your guests) won’t forget. Read on to discover our Q&A with Founder & Owner, Vicky to find out just why that is…
#1 If you had to describe the (soon to launch) Love & Loved bridal boutique in three words, what would they be?
“Relaxed. Modern. Unique.”
#2 What inspired the birth of Love & Loved?
“Like many in the industry, the seed for opening my own bridal boutique was planted when I started planning my own wedding. This seed has grown and flourished over the years, finally blossoming into the idea of Love & Loved. As a creative person I really loved researching and curating my big day, from DIY favours, hand made decorations and elegant finishing touches with a keen desire to make our day a bit different from the rest. My own experiences shopping for a wedding dress has influenced the way I have approached my own boutique. A stunning location in an exclusive setting was a priority. I wanted every bride’s visit to be easy; drive up, park and enjoy your time with us, no hassle, no fuss. I have set out to create a contemporary space that feels relaxed and welcoming to all. The interiors are important and looking good is essential but people need to feel welcome, like they fit in, its not intended to feel intimidating or pretentious, just friendly, beautiful and a departure from the more traditional and expected spaces I experienced when shopping for my dress.
As for me, I have had a successful career as a Buyer for a well known and much loved department store. In my time as Buyer I have developed essential skills in forming relationships with customers and suppliers, I have extensive experience in sourcing and developing products that reflect trends and set new ones. So many of the skills are relevant to running my own boutique, after all as a business owner you wear many hats and this is no different from the role of a Buyer. I have been so fortunate to have travelled extensively with work and in my personal life, these experiences have created so much opportunity for me, from trying new foods, to experiencing other cultures and meeting so many amazing people.”
#3 How is Love & Loved different from other bridal boutiques?
“Love & Loved seeks to be unique in its style, traditional on the outside but stylishly contemporary on the inside. The space will be a calming environment for brides-to-be to navigate their wedding dress shopping. We acknowledge that for each bride-to-be what they want and expect from their experience is different and so our mantra is to be led by the bride. We set no expectations, traditions do not need to be followed, no rules are set. Try on everything, try on just a few, we work with each bride to give them a tailored experience.
We have also focused on supporting British designers and designers with incredible stories to tell. Our mission was to work with designers for more than just a pretty collection. We want to support local where we can yet we have not limited ourselves to this in order to showcase other designers making a difference.
We have curated an edit of dresses that are both elegant and in some cases understated but beautiful and unique. You can expect slimline silhouettes with stunning details, either in the back, the choice of lace or the simplicity in the cut of the dress. We also have dresses with billowing skirts, with volume but still light and breezy with incredible movement. Nothing stiff, nothing too fussy and no flounce. We have a selection of separates and over skirts to enable a bride to transform her outfit and create something unique.”
#4 What type of experience can bride’s expect from Love & Loved?
“When you book an appointment with us we would love to chat to you ahead of the appointment. We will give you a call and delve in to your wedding journey and get to know you a little better. This way we can be prepared to meet you and get an early idea of the type of experience you want. We can also share some of our top tips to help you get the most from your visit. When you arrive you can expect a friendly, laid back atmosphere, we will chat some more and get stuck in to selecting dresses to try on. We can do this with the bride or give them some space to browse, digest and decide what works best. Refreshments will be available and we will have the best time trying on dresses. We can layer on accessories and curate the full look and allow brides to create a unique bridal outfit for their big day.”
#5 Talk us through the current designers you stock, and the beauty of these brands…
“We have selected three incredible designers for brides-to-be to choose from. First up, Kate Fearnley Bridal. We came across Kate early doors and set our hearts on securing her. Her gowns make a style statement and are really successful in being unique yet versatile. We love how her gowns can be styled in a variety of ways, dreamy and romantic, boho chic or alternative with a rock ’n’ roll edge.
From modern lace, fringe details and Kate’s signature 3D embellishments she offers something for every bride. Even better she is a role model in British bridal design, creating and manufacturing in her Yorkshire studio.
Next up, we came across the debut Believe by Gaia collection, a new, fashion forward brand from the creators of Gaia. Produced in their Welsh studio, we were keen to introduce another British brand and employing local workers and sourcing UK fabrics was a big tick in our discerning box.
Finally we completed our collection with the incredible works of Sanyukta Shrestha, a leader in sustainable bridal fashion. Creating gowns from organic and vegan materials, Sanyukta Shrestha is a designer that is kind to the planet and a champion of women empowerment, while equally ensuring the protection of the bride’s skin with a highly comfortable feel. Recognised by the media as ‘Greta of the wedding world’, her combination of sustainability first, ethical beliefs, luxurious eco fabrics and a centuries old Nepalese craftsmanship makes these gowns the number one choice for the environmentally conscious modern bride.
We will also stock a number of British accessory brands. Hair accessories and jewellery will be provided by The Bobby Pin while hand made crowns by Caped & Crowned are the perfect modern twist on a traditional tiara. We are proud to be stockist of the W Collective veils and have more to come!”
#6 Sustainability is very much at the heart of the new boutique – talk us through Love & Loved’s sustainable credentials…
“When we found our location and realised its sustainable benefits we knew it was perfect for us. We don’t preach to be perfect and are open to learning and making a greater environmental impact but it was certainly a great start. Situated in Dodley Hill Barns, the boutique is at the heart of the Swanbourne Estate which has a wide ranging conservation programme. They are meticulous in their preservation and enhancement of the ancient historic parkland and local landscape. Replanted traditional wildflower meadows, orchards and woodlands are a key feature of the estate. Our power is provided by solar panels from the nearby grain store and our heating comes from a new “green” air sourced heat pump. We provide a habitat for local bats (at a safe distance from our gorgeous gowns) and new ponds have been created to take care of the local wildlife. This is reflected in the way our designers work, in the fabric choices they make, supporting local communities and minimising waste.”
#7 Do we have a launch date? Where can bride’s book?
“Our gorgeous barn is currently being developed and is progressing nicely. Our aim is to open in March 2022 and so we have opened our waiting list for brides-to-be as excited as we are to open. You can join our waiting list via the book now section on our website or by contacting us on any of our social media channels, by email or by phone.”
#8 What are Love & Loved’s designs/plans for the future?
“We have a ton of plans for the future but first we want to bring you a stunning boutique that leads on service and style choices. For the future we are exploring pre-loved dresses that will be a curation of vintage and designer gowns that still have plenty of love to give. We are also exploring the rental market, with more and more brides wanting a sustainable wedding, this is something that can not be ignored. The boutique itself has space for us to grow and major in other categories, so watch this space as we evolve.”
Book an appointment with Love & Loved Bridal today.
Discover more wedding dress inspiration via your day magazine.
