A boutique with eight private suites
TDR Bridal, formerly The Dressing Rooms Halesowen, was founded in 2007 by Rebecca, who came to bridal retail from wedding floristry. Her husband Lawson joined in 2018. Rebecca selects the collection herself, is a judge for The Wedding Industry Awards and mentors other bridal retailers. The boutique is on Manor Lane in Halesowen, a short drive from Birmingham city centre via the M5, with free parking at the front.
More than 600 dresses
Inside are more than 600 wedding dresses from designers including Allure, Enzoani, Justin Alexander, Ellis Bridals, Morilee, Veni Infantino, Wona Concept and Lillian West. Dresses can be ordered from UK 2 to UK 34, and the shop holds samples in every size in between, including more than 100 samples in sizes 18 to 36. Wedding dresses cost from around £900 to around £4,000, with an average of around £1,500.
The appointment
Each bride is welcomed into one of eight private suites, named Forever, Devotion, Always, Evermore, Promise, Cherish, Beloved and Adore. Appointments are free, run for a little under two hours and are by appointment only. A client portal lets brides browse and favourite dresses before they visit.
Once she has chosen, a 50 per cent deposit secures the order, and the balance is due when the dress arrives. Delivery takes from two weeks to nine months depending on the designer.
Alterations and aftercare
Eight in-house seamstresses handle hems, trains, side seams, bust support and corsetry, and can add sleeves, corset backs, modesty panels, pockets and bustles. The first fitting is usually about six weeks before the wedding. The preparation team steams, presses and packs the gown for collection, dress storage is available until the wedding, and alterations are quoted at the fitting.
The team
Rebecca is the founder and owner, with Lawson as co-owner, Louise as business manager, Paige as stylist manager and Jeanie as prep manager. The boutique has its own YouTube channel with 15 films.
