La Novia is a luxury bridal boutique in the heart of Edinburgh that has been creating beautiful, bespoke wedding dresses since 1996. Their collection is well-known for being ethically-made, making it a swell option for our eco-conscious bride-to-be.

For those who want to splurge, they have a huge selection of ready-to-wear dresses from some of the world’s most renowned bridal designers. These include Enzoani, Etoile, and Oscar Lili, just to name a few.

They also have a sample sale collection, which our tester appreciated since she was on budget. This collection features wedding dresses at discounted prices, which allowed her to browse in peace.

Unlike other shops, a personal stylist helped us look for the perfect dress that suited our bride’s unique style and body type. The stylist was quite helpful and knowledgeable, making the shopping day stress-free and enjoyable for us.

In addition, one can book a standard bridal appointment which is an hour long. Since our bride preferred special treatment, she booked us a VIP appointment, which was 90 minutes long. 

Sipping glasses of Prosecco while munching on delicious cupcakes, we oohed and aahed at each gorgeous number that our bride-to-be tried on. She narrowed her choices down to three dresses and took photos of them for future reference.

However, they’re closed on Sundays, which may not be convenient for some brides. 

Additionally, if you want a dress that is not included in their sample sale collection, it might cost you a pretty penny. This is due to their focus on luxury bridal designers. 

Kavelle Couture is a family-owned bridal boutique in Edinburgh that has been serving brides since 1991, making it one of the longest-running bridal boutiques in the city. 

Since it has over 200 designer wedding dresses in-store from designers around the world, we thought it’d be a great option for brides looking for a unique and high-quality dress.

First, we loved their bespoke service, which would allow our bride to have her dream dress created from scratch. They offered her unique customisation options and certainly helped make her feel special.

They also carry stock samples all year round at a reduced price, which is a great option for brides looking for a designer dress at a lower cost. We thought that for their prices, the dresses were actually in great condition, providing good value for your quid.

Unlike other bridal boutique appointments who can only accommodate 3 guests, they were able to comfortably seat us four. They said they can actually host 4-5 guests with ease per bridal appointment.

Additionally, all wedding gowns from the Kavelle Couture collection come with alterations included in the price. This made our bride quite happy since alterations can cost a pretty penny.

However, Kavelle Couture is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays, which may not be convenient for some brides. 

Additionally, their prices can be quite high, with their main wedding dress collections ranging from £1495 – £3995. 

We also heard reports of customers receiving poor customer service, with shop assistants ignoring customers who have made appointments. Thankfully, the attendants we had were quite charming.

We think Emma Roy is one of the UK’s most prestigious bridal boutiques, and with good reason. With over 40 years of experience, they offer a stunning collection of over 200 exquisite gowns from some of the world’s most prestigious designers. 

Unlike other shops, they’re open all week, making it easy for us to book an appointment that suited our schedule. 

They also offer a couture tailoring service. Meaning, they can customise or alter your dress to any specification, ensuring a perfect fit.

For the budget-conscious, they carry lovely discontinued sample and sale gowns, with prices starting from only around £500! We raved about the quality of these gowns and complimented the fabrics and fit of the dresses.

We were also excited about their personal concierge service. If we choose them, the concierge, Steph, would be our bride’s point of contact throughout the whole process.

They even have a loan sample service, where they can bring in a dress you have your eye on, especially for your appointment. For a small fee redeemable against your purchase, we think this service is quite convenient.

We were given a bridal stylist during our consultation, which we thought was awesome. She was very lovely and helped our bride open up about her styling preferences for the big day.

The appointment came with complimentary refreshments for up to 4 guests. We really had a good time, and our bride-to-be actually had sparkles in her eyes after the appointment.

While others have a £50 booking fee, we appreciate that they only charged us £20. Any further visits would be free of charge. 

Sadly, their new gowns can be pricey, with prices ranging from £1000-£5000.

Also, some customers have felt rushed during their appointments. But in their defense, this wasn’t our experience at all!

Rachel Scott Couture in Edinburgh is a bridal boutique that prides itself on its personalised service and eco-friendly practices. The boutique has been in business for 16 years, which we think is a testament to their level of service.

Unlike other bridal shops, they’re actually open 24/7. This means that they can manage their diary around the customer’s schedule, which we think is highly convenient.

Another thing that sets them apart is their free first consultation, virtual or in-store. This can be conveniently booked through phone, email, or their contact form. 

We tagged along with our tester for her in-store consultation, and we thought their consultation lounge was spacious and stylishly decorated. Furnished with plush seating and elegant decor, it made us feel like royalty.

We also took a peek in their Rachel Scott Accessories boutique. We think brides can find everything they need here to complete their bridal look.

We do applaud their commitment to eco-friendly, sustainable, and ethical practices. They have adopted industry-leading practices to ensure that their wedding dresses come from the most eco-friendly materials and practices.

For the budget-conscious, they also offer sample sale dresses starting at £400. 

However, the dresses on offer can still be a bit pricey, with some going up to a whopping £12,000. Our bride-to-be actually fell in love with a gorgeous mermaid number, but sadly, it was out of her budget.

Another downside is that the boutique does not have alteration services in-house, and a third party does it. This may be inconvenient for some brides who prefer to have everything done in-house. 

We think Pan Pan Bridal is another wedding dress shop that is worth a try. With over 30 years of experience in dress design, tailoring, and fitting, we think their team are experts in their field.

We like how they’re open all week. This made it easy for us to book a schedule.

During the wedding dress consultation, they provided our tester with a pre-selection of dresses based on her style preferences. This took the stress out of the process, making it easier for our bride to look for the dress of her dreams.

What’s more, they offered us tailoring and fitting services. This will ensure that the dress would fit our bride on her special day. 

Their affordable bridal appointment charge of £20 is a great value, especially considering that the appointment was 1.5 hours long. This is longer than what other bridal shops typically offer, giving us more time to look for the perfect dress.

In terms of pricing, they’re comparatively more affordable, with a lower price range of £800 to less than £2000. This is great news for our bride who is on a budget but still wants a stunning dress.

However, some customers have mentioned that the shop assistants can appear disinterested or unenthusiastic. We didn’t encounter this, but we understand that this can be off-putting for brides who are looking for a positive and supportive experience. 

Additionally, there have been a few mix-ups with appointments. We agree that this can be frustrating for customers who may have rearranged their plans.

Lastly, their space is comparatively smaller. Those who plan on bringing a large party with them might not be comfortable inside.