Heavenly Vintage Brides London

Wedding Dress Heaven

I'd read a lot about this next place in magazines and other blogs and, having caught the bug for wedding dress shopping, promptly arranged a visit to...

Heavenly Vintage Brides

This is a gem and if you haven't already booked yourself in to see the lovely owner, Helena, then do it now. 

Based in her home in Acton, this is a treasure trove of beautiful dresses and accessories dating back as far as the Victorian era. Heavenly Vintage stocks genuine vintage dresses in a range of beautiful designs as well as Helena's own creations which are based on patterns of vintage dresses.

From the moment we walked inside, I felt completely at ease. Helena led us upstairs which, pardon the pun, might as well have been called the Stairway to Heaven. I think the moment she opened the door to her showroom we died and went to wedding dress heaven. Am I gushing?

Setting the Scene...

Along two sides of the room hang a vast array of delicate, unique, and often quirky dresses. Old wedding photographs adorn the walls and sparkling accessories rest on vintage tables. 

Helena sat us on the divine chaise longue and explained the chronological organisation of her dresses. She then offered to make us tea and told us to pick out as many dresses as we liked.

I'd taken three of my close girl friends with me that day and I think they were almost more excited than I was. By the end of our 'selection' we had a choice of nearly twenty dresses!

When Helena returned - with amazingly delicious tea - she gave earnest and frank advice (no hard sell here) and between us we whittled them down to six. 

I was particularly enamoured with this 1950s design. I just love the whimsical, fairy-like skirt which comes together to form a sort of bustle at the back. The layered tulle created the illusion of a fairy-sized waist, too.

Enchanting: ethereal and chic.

Helena has a very good eye for detail and we tried several sashes, brooches and veils in order to judge what worked best with each dress. There was no rushing in and out of the changing room; instead Helena guided us through the histories and stories behind her collection...

Youthful: Pretty shape with feminine rose sash.

Romantic: Sophisticated yet subtly alluring. 

                           

 Carefree: 1930s timelessness.

English country garden: Romantic and demure.

'Florence': 1940s design from Helena's own collection.

1930s inspired 'Butterfly' - the colour of this dress is absolutely gorgeous and so flattering. It has to be seen to be truly appreciated.

All images courtesy of Heavenly Vintage Brides

Vintage:

The wonderful thing about buying a real vintage dress is the character that inevitably accompanies it - and the knowledge that you're not going to see another bride in anything like it. It's like buying your own piece of fashion history. Don't be put off by vintage sizes either because Helena and her team of seamstresses will adjust the dress to fit you.

Prices:

My jaw dropped for all the right reasons upon hearing the answer to this question. Vintage dresses start from an astonishing £400 and go up to the region of £1400.

I'm going back for a second look.

~x~