In Store With Our Personal Stylists For Whistles Wedding 2023 Finding the right wedding dress can be all-consuming. Through our styling appointments at St. Christopher’s Place, we strive to offer a welcoming environment where you can easily explore our Wedding Collection. Always on hand to guide you, our personal stylists know the dresses better than anyone and are dedicated to making appointments an experience to remember. With that in mind, we visited our flagship store to meet the team in person and reintroduce ourselves to the new styles in the collection, as well as the bridesmaid dresses pulling focus this season. Debbie, Personal Stylist, St Christopher's Place What can brides expert from the personal styling service at WHISTLES? How do you guide them in searching for the right dress? At Whistles, we have a spot on the team and always bring something different to each of our brides. We must be organised, as sometimes we make up to eight bridal appointments daily. We find out when the wedding will be, in case of alterations, and we give them space to explore initially. We often get brides coming in alone to do that first session of exploring what they want to try on, who will then come back later with bridesmaids and family once they have more of an idea in mind. What is your favourite piece from the Whistles Wedding 2023 Collection? The Lina Satin Dress is just exquisite, with the 30s feel to it. It’s designed with straps at the back and is simple but catches the light beautifully. The Ellis Strapless Wedding Dress is also a highlight, with a statement bow set across the back. Some brides who don’t want to expose their arms and shoulders have had this altered to drape the organza fabric over their shoulders, which is unique. What have you learnt about personal styling for brides along the way? How is it different from your usual personal styling appointments? So much. We have people of all ages coming in. For some more senior customers, this might not be their first wedding, and they may not want a traditional dress but a jumpsuit or tailoring. We have to be sensitive to all needs. It’s all about trying to understand them personally and what they’re looking for and asking lots of questions. We often try to take them out of their comfort zone too. Debbie, Personal Stylist, St Christopher's Place What can brides expert from the personal styling service at WHISTLES? How do you guide them in searching for the right dress? At Whistles, we have a spot on the team and always bring something different to each of our brides. We must be organised, as sometimes we make up to eight bridal appointments daily. We find out when the wedding will be, in case of alterations, and we give them space to explore initially. We often get brides coming in alone to do that first session of exploring what they want to try on, who will then come back later with bridesmaids and family once they have more of an idea in mind. What is your favourite piece from the Whistles Wedding 2023 Collection? The Lina Satin Dress is just exquisite, with the 30s feel to it. It’s designed with straps at the back and is simple but catches the light beautifully. The Ellis Strapless Wedding Dress is also a highlight, with a statement bow set across the back. Some brides who don’t want to expose their arms and shoulders have had this altered to drape the organza fabric over their shoulders, which is unique. What have you learnt about personal styling for brides along the way? How is it different from your usual personal styling appointments? So much. We have people of all ages coming in. For some more senior customers, this might not be their first wedding, and they may not want a traditional dress but a jumpsuit or tailoring. We have to be sensitive to all needs. It’s all about trying to understand them personally and what they’re looking for and asking lots of questions. We often try to take them out of their comfort zone too. “At Whistles, we have a spot on the team and always bring something different to each of our brides.” You often hear brides choose a dress they wouldn’t have expected to… We have many walk-ins and appointments where brides have seen dresses online and therefore have an idea of what they’d like. However, seeing other dresses up close, not just in photos or on a model, they can be drawn to something completely different. Everything can also be altered, customised and tailored to make it what they want. We use Bride and Alter in Clapham Junction, which is fantastic for alterations. Which bridesmaid dress do you feel has the most mileage? How could people style it and wear it after the wedding season? The most popular at the moment is the Tie Back Maxi Dress. It’s simple and elegant and has slits up the side for a modern feel. Some brides select a colour and then go for variations of the dress; for example, we have several styles in powder blue, from the square neck to the one-shoulder. This always looks elegant and offers bridesmaids something different tailored to their style. “We have to be sensitive to all needs. It’s all about trying to understand them personally and what they’re looking for and asking lots of questions.” Megan, Personal Stylist, St Christopher's Place What’s your favourite thing about helping brides and bridal parties find the right dresses for them? It’s just so rewarding. We’ve had occasions where people have come to us at the last minute and panicked, and we’ve helped pull together one of the most important things about their big day. You’re guiding them with one of the most significant moments in their life. It’s fantastic to make them feel special and welcome; something about our space feels more comfortable and home-like than in official bridal shops too. What is your favourite bridesmaid dress from the collection this year? The Gemma Strapless style. It’s the best one for people to wear after the wedding. So many bridesmaids get frustrated with being given dresses they could never wear again, but this is simple, elegant and timeless and could be styled for so many occasions. And your favourite wedding dress? My favourite is the Eileen Silk Wedding Dress. For Debbie, it feels very 30s, but for me, it’s very 90s. It’s finished in silk and satin, and there’s a cowl neck detail at the back – it’s just stunning. If we did this in black, I would wear it everywhere; it’s so chic. Megan, Personal Stylist, St Christopher's Place What’s your favourite thing about helping brides and bridal parties find the right dresses for them? It’s just so rewarding. We’ve had occasions where people have come to us at the last minute and panicked, and we’ve helped pull together one of the most important things about their big day. You’re guiding them with one of the most significant moments in their life. It’s fantastic to make them feel special and welcome; something about our space feels more comfortable and home-like than in official bridal shops too. What is your favourite bridesmaid dress from the collection this year? The Gemma Strapless style. It’s the best one for people to wear after the wedding. So many bridesmaids get frustrated with being given dresses they could never wear again, but this is simple, elegant and timeless and could be styled for so many occasions. And your favourite wedding dress? My favourite is the Eileen Silk Wedding Dress. For Debbie, it feels very 30s, but for me, it’s very 90s. It’s finished in silk and satin, and there’s a cowl neck detail at the back – it’s just stunning. If we did this in black, I would wear it everywhere; it’s so chic. “It’s fantastic to make them feel special and welcome; something about our space feels more comfortable and home-like than in official bridal shops too.” Advice to new brides who are about to start their wedding dress search? As Debbie said, it can help to come in by yourself first and try everything without worrying about what anyone else thinks – embrace the experience. We ensure brides have fun here; we offer prosecco and talk them through things. Then we suggest returning with a relative or friend for a second opinion. Which Wedding Dresses do you foresee being the most sought-after this year? Eileen has been popular, and so has the Lina Wedding Dress. The Billie also garners a lot of attention, but it really depends on the type of wedding and the bride. HOW DO I BOOK AN APPOINTMENT? To book an appointment please email us at personalshopping@whistles.co.uk or call our London flagship on 0207 487 4484 detailing your preferred date and time. Please also provide your contact details in your email and we will be in touch soon. HOW DO I BOOK AN APPOINTMENT? To book an appointment please email us at personalshopping@whistles.co.uk or call our London flagship on 0207 487 4484 detailing your preferred date and time. Please also provide your contact details in your email and we will be in touch soon. 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