The Wedding Club has recently opened a new London store in South Kensington, giving brides even more choice when it comes to gorgeous designer wedding gowns. Absolutely Weddings pays a visit
Store photos: Kate Nielen Photography
The Wedding Club has added a new location to its collection of designer bridal stores – meaning more labels and more choice for brides. Clare Thompson and Emma Clarke, the team behind one of the UK’s most fashion-forward luxury wedding shops, have expanded into new premises to meet demand from brides – and, says Clare, make space for more UK and international luxury labels and exciting new bridal designers.
The smart location, in Thurloe Street, South Kensington, is a minute’s walk from South Kensington Underground, and a short walk from Fulham Road, making it convenient for brides looking to combine a visit here with a shopping trip around Chelsea. More convenient still, it’s only one stop on the Tube for brides who also want to try on labels at The Wedding Club’s sister store in Knightsbridge.
Located in an elegant Victorian terrace, the by-appointment store carries a carefully curated edit of luxury diffusion gowns from leading designers, including the Bliss Monique Lhuillier and Legends Romona Keveza collections. There are endless treasures in the mix here, from the glamorous bohemian styles of Savannah Miller, Costarellos and Temperley London to the flattering and form-fitting gowns of LA’s Katie May and the ethereal-meets-sexy designs of Spain’s Marco & Maria.
Thurloe Street will also be exclusive London home to the new Berta MUSE collection. The main Berta collection will still be at The Wedding Club’s Knightsbridge store, but this is a great way to see and try on gowns by Berta Balilti, a designer who has garnered a huge worldwide following among brides (largely through word of mouth), since she launched her first flattering and avant-garde collection in 2004.
Another new label soon to be in the mix at South Kensington is Australian brand Made With Love – a runaway success that began with one bride’s custom design for her own wedding. Clare and Emma talent-spotted this fabulous husband-and-wife label at New York Bridal Fashion Week and snapped it up. Designed on Australia’s Gold Coast, Made With Love is perfect for destination brides and anyone seeking a lightweight and romantic gown featuring exceptional materials.
More choice for brides
Clare Thompson and the team at The Wedding Club decided they needed a third store to create a dedicated London home for gowns they love that have a more relaxed-luxe style. Clare says: “We want to provide the widest choice of luxury wedding gowns, and the South Kensington store provides a dedicated space for our edit of exceptional designers – focusing especially on designs with a streamlined, modern-romantic or ‘boho’ design aesthetic. As well as extending the range of design talents and price points we can showcase, it also means we can offer even more appointments to brides.”
The Knightsbridge store, which opened in 2014, remains the London home of exclusive designer collections by international couture houses. Alongside Berta, The Wedding Club is the exclusive UK stockist of Carolina Herrera, Naeem Khan and Zuhair Murad and attracts brides from across the UK, Europe and Middle East looking for gowns by these iconic bridal designers.
The original Edgbaston, Birmingham store – founded back in 2001 – offers an exceptional choice of luxury designers in one smart central location convenient for brides from across the Midlands, north-west and beyond. These include world-renowned bridal labels such as Atelier Pronovias, Berta, Jenny Packham, Sabina Motasem, Suzanne Neville, Rue de Seine and YolanCris, alongside hot British talents such as Charlie Brear and Savin London. From this autumn, the store will have a new home in The Mailbox – the chic new shopping and restaurant quarter in B1 where Harvey Nichols has already set up shop.
All three branches of The Wedding Club host regular bridal events – including trunk shows – by their portfolio of designers and by exciting new-to-the-UK labels. Each store has a dedicated team to give brides the space, time and assistance they need to find a wedding dress to match their style. Visits to London Knightsbridge, London South Kensington and Birmingham stores are by appointment. Find out more about the labels and locations, or book an appointment, at theweddingclub.co.uk
Labels located at The Wedding Club, South Kensington include…
Gallery 1-6: Monique Lhuillier Bliss; Costarellos; Katie May; Marco & Maria; Legends by Romona Keveza; Temperley Bride
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