General FAQs
How long does it take for Bridal Gowns, and Mother of The Bride outfits take to be made?
Bridal gowns can take up to five months to be made, and of course we like to allow two months for seamstress fittings. It is possible to place gowns on a rush order with our suppliers to reduce delivery times however this does incur surcharges. Sometimes we are lucky enough to be able to even get gowns from our suppliers stock and failing that we gladly sell all our gowns off the peg, this does limit choice a little so we always say the more time you have the more choice you have. Many Brides start looking for their gown approximately a year in advance of their wedding date.
Mother of The Bride and Groom is just like a normal high street shop, once the stock has been sold we can no longer order more so early bird really does catch the worm! We recommend shopping for occasion wear anything from a year prior to the occasion.
I am hoping to lose weight for my wedding, if I order now will it still fit?
Many Brides wish to lose weight for their wedding, so we are very used to this and is no problem at all. This is why we offer our fitting and alteration service with every gown we sell. You will visit us in the boutique for your pinning fittings and we arrange all of this for you. Your pinning fittings are so very important to achieve a perfect fit of your gown. Please note alterations charges are not included in the price of the gown. If time is permitting, ie if you have a year plus to have your gown made you can choose the style and we can confirm the size needed closer to the wedding date, this is what a lot of ladies who are pregnant will do, it gives you the best of both worlds - planning the wedding is easier as you have chosen your gown and you can relax regarding your measurements.
How can I can be assured of your business?
‘OUR REPUTATION IS OUR GUARANTEE’ We have been trading for over 30 years and 99% of our business comes from personal recommendations. We pride ourselves on maintaining a high standard of excellence within our industry. This is reflected in Frilly Frocks being Devon and Cornwall’s only accredited member of the Retail Bridal Association. This means we have been inspected by the association, are health and safety compliant, financially sound, and only deal with reputable dress designers, therefore you can BUY WITH CONFIDENCE knowing you will be treated professionally. There are just over 80 RBA members through out the country so this really does show we are a group of elite bridal retailers.
Appointment FAQs
What happens in a classic bridal experience at Frilly Frocks?
The appointment will be with one of our experienced and friendly bridal stylists Fiona or Coral, who will ask you lots of questions about your day as this really helps us understand how you are wanting your wedding day to feel. It really helps us to know where the wedding is, what colours you love and all those gorgeous details. We will then ask you about what you would love your wedding dress to look like, how you wish to feel on your wedding day and if there are any special requirements for your dress to have.
You will be offered a prosecco or a non alcoholic drink per guest. We are most welcome to bring up to four ADULT guests for this appointment. Under 18’s (including babies in prams) are not permitted due to our alcohol licence.
If you wish to bring an under 18 then this is no problem, but please do call us as we may need to make provsions as there be another Bride in store enjoying an appointment where alcohol is being served.
Its really important to have your loved ones with you for that super special moment of when you find your perfect gown, it really is special and cannot be recreated.
The appointment will last an hour and a half, so there is plenty of time to try on all our amazing dresses. The average appointment a bride will try on approximate 6-8 gowns, trust us anymore will create dress fog, and you will not remember what you liked from what you didn’t like.
Charges and cancellation fees apply for all bridal appointments, so if you need to reschedule or amend your appointment please contact us as soon as possible as cancellation charges do apply. Please see our cancellation policy.
How does a luxe (cocktail) experience work?
We now offer luxe appointments for bride and two or four guests.
Charges apply £25 for Bride and two guests, £45 for Bride and four guests.
You can book which luxe appointment works best for you, we will then contact you for you to pre order your cocktails or mocktails so we can have them ready for your luxe appointment.
Luxe appointments last an hour and a half.
Please do let us know if you any special requirements, we love to personalise your appointment, a special song, a treasured heirloom that needs to be tried on with your gown, just let us know and we can make it happen.
The appointment will be with one of our experienced and friendly bridal stylists Fiona or Coral, who will ask you lots of questions about your day as this really helps us understand how you are wanting your wedding day to feel. It really helps us to know where the wedding is, what colours you love and all those gorgeous details. We will then ask you about what you would love your wedding dress to look like, how you wish to feel on your wedding day and if there are any special requirements for your dress to have.
Please note that persons under the age of 18 cannot attend luxe appointments where alcohol will be served due to our premises license restrictions. Mocktails can be served in this instance.
Do I need to book an appointment to visit Frilly Frocks?
We run by private appointments as we feel this is the best way to give our customers a one-to-one service, and ultimately our full attention. You are always most welcome to ring the door bell if you are passing to see if you are able to pop in and browse however we may be in the process of a Bridal or Mother of the Bride consultation so we may ask you to pop back later if we are full at that time.
How long do consultations/appointments last?
We want you to take your time choosing your outfit, this is a once in a lifetime experience, its something you dont do everyday! It cant be rushed, so what we find works well is an hour and a half for Bridal consultations, and an hour for Mother of the Bride and Groom consultations.
Can I bring anyone with me to my appointment?
Yes, yes, yes, its sucyh an important and magical day you should have your nearest and dearest with you. We find 1-4 adult guests work well for a bridal consultation and 1-2 guests for a Mother of the Bride appointment. Under 18’s (including babies in prams) are not permitted due to our alcohol licence. If you wish to bring an under 18 then please call us to discuss as we may have another Bride enjoying cocktails so we may need to rearrange for a quieter time.
We can always video call your guests, just let us know and we can arrange this for you.
Do I need to bring anything for my appointment?
To help us prepare for your appointment please complete your Wishlist by selecting your favourite dresses from our website.
We have everything you need already, shoes, accessories the only thing to remember is to wear undies you feel comfortable and don’t worry about your bra being strapless, it really doesn’t matter.
Do you offer an alteration service?
Yes we do, this is such an important part of our service not only to us but also tohis should be really important to you too.
Lorraine our seamstress works in the shop on Thursdays to pin our gorgeous gowns and Mother of the Bride and Groom outfits to get them fitting perfectly for your big day. Fittings are just on Thursdays so we recommend keeping two half day holidays for this as we know how precious your time is especially on the run up to the wedding.
Your first fitting will be at the latest 8 weeks prior to your wedding. Your gown is then worked on to complete the alterations and you will retry these approximately 4-5 weeks later, ensuring there is plenty of time to complete any tweaks that may be needed, however the majority of our ladies only require two fittings.
If you require fittings that are not suitable within this time frame, i.e. your have just had a baby, or will be pregnant, or your wedding is under 2 months away and you have only just purchased your gown then we can accommodate this, do not panic, just speak to us.
Cancellation Policy
Not showing up for your appointment or cancellations with less than 48 hours notice will incur a charge of £25 which is charged to the card used at the time of booking your bridal appointment.
Wishlist FAQs
Why have a Wishlist?
Creating your own Frilly Frocks Wishlist allows you to narrow down the looks and styles you like (or don’t like!). You can save your favourite dresses to your Wishlist ahead of your appointment.
Can I have more than one Wishlist?
No.
How do I create a Wishlist?
After registering, your Wishlist is created immediately. Take your time to edit, add or delete dresses from your Wishlist to create your own shortlist.
How do I add an item to my Wishlist?
Browse through the dresses and when you’ve found one you like simply click the ‘heart’ icon to add the dress to your Wishlist. Click the heart again to remove it.
How many dresses should I add to my Wishlist?
We recommend you select your favourite dresses - ideally limited to 5. Whilst it may be tempting to add more dresses to your wish this can become overwhelming. The Wishlist helps narrow down looks and styles you like.
I'm happy with my Wishlist, what happens next?
When you are ready simply share your Wishlist with us and we will make sure we have those dresses ready for you to try on.
How long before my appointment do I need to send my Wishlist?
Please give us 24 hours notice so we have time to prepare the dresses for your appointment.