FLASH SALE
£799&UNDER
27-28APRIL
APPOINTMENT GUIDE
FAQ'S
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING WITH ME?
We welcome brides to bring FIVE guests MAX with them to appointments based on space and seating capacity. SALE APPOINTMENTS please note a maximum of 5 guests may attend with the bride also but we politely recommend fewer is better due to the tighter time allowance and nature of the appointment (we find less opinions and contrast is smoother and works best for sale appointments) . Please note, our studio is strictly adults only due to the nature of the stock and space no children under 12 years of age permitted.
DO I NEED TO BOOK?
You will ABSOLUTELY need an appointment to visit us for all appointment types, whether bridal gowns, accessories or collections. During your appointment, you will have the full run of the shop so you can have a relaxing and intimate experience! Our standard appointment is 90mins from start to finish and we allocate time in between each booking to thoroughly clean and disinfect all areas and items ready for the next appointment. We stress it is extremely important to arrive on time for your appointment due to our exclusive use policy as unfortunately we cannot allow additional time if you are a little late. If you find yourself a little early as you're super excited to find THE ONE, we are lucky enough to be surrounded by some lovely eateries, bars and cafes which are perfect for a celebratory visit before or after saying YES!
HOW DO I PAY FOR MY WEDDING DRESS?
To ensure each bride can get the dress of their dreams we offer two payment options:
1) Payment in full on purchase 2) Three Step Payment plan: 60% deposit on purchase, final balance paid across 2 proceeding months
Accepted payment methods include Debit/Credit card , BACS transfer or Cash only.
WHEN DO I NEED TO PURCHASE MY DRESS?
A bride looking to purchase a designer gown needs to be saying yes and ordering at the very latest 12-18 months before your big day, but any earlier is really all the better to ensure a smooth process from start to finish. When it comes to wedding dress shopping all designer gowns are made to order especially for you, so you will need to allow time for it to be lovingly stitched. Leaving it last minute can cause unnecessary stress, so as soon as you are ready to find the one that is the time! We will always go above and beyond to help our brides, however please be aware our standard lead time is currently up to 30 weeks for gown production, however some designers can be more and especially following the unprecedented 2 years, it is best to leave yourself as much time as possible. We will do all we can to help brides who of course may not have this time already - We offer off the peg options in store please enquire for details. Some designers also provide rush orders, but note these do come at an additional fee of between £75-£250 and are not guaranteed to suit your needs or be availablAs well as order time, you need to consider that most brides will need alterations to make sure the gown is perfectly fitted, and this can also take 16-20 weeks so this should be factored in to your timings. Alternations can be done around a quicker time frame, however this is subject to availability and at the consent of the alterations team, therefore please factor this in to your bridal journey as cannot be guarenteed.
DO I ORDER MY DRESS OR TAKE HOME THE SAME DAY?
All our gowns in store are samples therefore you will not take these home, unless you are purchasing one of our 'ready to wear' samples. Once you select your gown, a new one will be made just for you and ordered in time for the big day. Our samples in store range in size from (UK) 8 to 16, and our Curve Range caters for sizes 18-26 instore; but our gowns are available for reorder in UK sizes 2-32, depending on designer. Remember, our samples will rarely fit anyone perfectly when trying on so a pinch of imagination is always required - but your stylist for the appointment is highly trained and experienced in garment technology, so will walk you through exactly how each style will fit you when it is your size or if you would like any custom changes. Please bare in mind that bridal is sized very differently to high street sizing and do run smaller than high street sizing, so should you have any sizing queries prior to your appointment please contact us.
In store we do offer a vast range of 'ready to wear' gowns that are store samples available to take home the same day at a reduced cost - gowns in our ready to wear range start from £899 and are available in one size per style. Please indicate on booking if you are looking to purchase a ready to wear gown so that we can assist you with availability. You will pay for all ready to wear items in full to take them away same day - we cannot save any gowns or accept deposits to hold due to high demand.
DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING TO MY APPOINTMENT?
We ask brides prepare with the below:
NUDE UNDERWEAR - Seamless are best without any bows/lace/detailing for a flawless look in gowns
NO FAKE TAN - Staff reserve the right to refuse appointments should fake tan be worn due to the high price and delicate nature of samples
HEELED SHOES ARE OPTIONAL NOT NECESSITY
Other recommendations:
Unless you feel you will absolutely require or want a bra on the big day, our stunning gowns do offer the perfect support with built in bra cups and boning, so Bra is not essential. We want you to feel your best whilst trying on so in our experience any TLC prior to your appointment is always beneficial, so get your hair fresh, makeup looking flawless and skin feeling fabulous – and what a perfect excuse for a little bit of pampering!
HOW MUCH ARE GOWNS AT HUMMINGBIRD?
Be sure to prepare your price point AHEAD of the appointment and answer truthfully in your pre-appointment questionnaire on booking so our stylists can find your dream dress seamlessly. It also helps to discuss this with your entourage too so that they know what to keep in mind and do not place pressure on the appointment or stray from your bridal brief - If you are not the bill payer, absolutely agree budget in advance and ensure payment arrangements are all in place, present and prepared, for a smooth and exciting appointment as you find your dream dress. Our made to order gowns currently range between £1400 - £4000.
WILL I NEED ALTERATIONS WHEN MY DRESS ARRIVES?
Your gown will most likely need slight tweeks after the dress has arrived with us and this is completely normal, as remember we are ordering a 'made to order' dress and every female body is different. In fact, we affectionately refer to the bride who does not require any finishing touches 'The Unicorn Bride', as it's quite unseen! When this time comes, we recommend an out of house, highly trained and incredibly skilled alterations team who can take you through this simple process with confidence and hold private alteration appointments within their own equipped studio. This process usually requires 16-20 weeks as standard, all determined on the arrival of your gown, and is an additional cost directly to the seamstress and not to Hummingbird Bridal Studio, so ensure you factor this in to your budget, as well as time, which will be payable on completion of work nearer the wedding date to the alterations team chosen, and NOT Hummingbird Bridal Studio. Alternations and fitting appointments are agreed and arranged between the bride and the seamstress following the collection of your beautiful gown for fluidity.
