THE SIMPLE SERVICE

We understand how difficult it is to take in all the information we throw at you on the day you say yes to your dress, so here's what happens next and your options when your dress arrives.

Your Pre-fit and Pick up Day

Once your gown arrives, we'll thoroughly check her over and carefully press and steam her. Once that's done, we'll contact you to come in and check her over for yourself and, ideally, try her on. This appointment is called a PRE-FIT.

We understand that there could be reasons why you might not want to put the gown on at this point – especially if you haven't quite hit the gym yet, or you are pregnant or have recently given birth – but it's imperative that, at the very least, you come and check it over and settle any outstanding balance within 28 days of its arrival in-store. Once this time frame has passed, we will be outside the window of opportunity
to lodge a complaint with the designer if there is any problem with the garment, so this 'Pre-fit' date is of
vital importance for us all!

At this time, we'll ask you to settle the outstanding balance on the gown and also pay the balance on any accessories you may have ordered, including a veil, which you will then need to take away. Don't worry, as these items will be well packaged and perfectly safe for you to keep at home.

After you've checked your gown over and hopefully tried her on, we'll hand her over all bagged up and ready for you to take home. As you've chosen our Simple Service, we'd strongly recommend adding the gown to your house insurance as, once she leaves our premises, we will not be responsible for any damage or loss that may occur. In all cases, we recommend taking out a wedding insurance.

Before you leave, we'll pass on a list of seamstresses who are known to us, although they do not work for us, and do not attend our premises, but rather work from home or their own premises. Alterations are charged according to the work that is done, and payment is made directly to the seamstress.

At your pre-fit, it's still not too late to opt into our add-on services

If you'd like to opt in to our storage service after you pre-fit, the charge is £10 per month or part of a month. So, if you'd like to have her stored at Bellissima, until you need to take her away for your fittings, just let us know, and we'll work out your charge. For example, your pre-fit falls on 15 March and your fitting is 6 August, your storage fee would be for six months and therefore £60. In most cases, we will calculate storage to be paid from your pre-fit date to ten weeks before your wedding, to allow for your fittings to take place, unless instructed otherwise.

This storage fee will need to be paid on the day of your pre-fit, along with the remaining balances. If your wedding date is subsequently moved further into the future, additional storage fees will need to be paid. This can be done over the phone when you call to give us the new date.

All of our customers' dresses are stored and securely held, hanging full-length in acid-free coverings and in a regulated climate. They are fully insured, lovingly cared for and handled at all times with the respect they deserve.

If you'd like to book either our Aisle-Ready or Airport-Ready service on the day of your pre-fit, then we can arrange this for you – the cost is £150.

Aisle Ready

After you've completed your alterations, call us to arrange your gown drop-off. Once we've got her, we'll also need to arrange a pick-up date. As your dress will have been altered elsewhere, we'll inspect it with you before you leave it with us and take photographs front and back before we get to work.

We can offer pick-up times and dates whenever the shop is open, as long as we have at least three working days' notice, and your collection will take place from our pick-up room, which is at the back of our building and easily accessible by car – in fact, you can drive right up to the door!

Your gown will go through a rigorous two-person inspection, where any alteration work will be quality controlled and signed off. We employ a team of dress finishers to ensure that your dress is as perfect as it can be, but we may contact you if we find a problem caused by an alteration so that you can contact your seamstress to flag the issue.

We'll then press and steam it, paying special attention to any particular areas as necessary and, wherever possible, removing any make-up or other marks and sorting out any fabric issues, wobbly beading or loose threads that could have occurred during the fitting process. Once your dress is good to go, we'll transfer her to our downstairs pick-up room where she will again be inspected and prepped for your collection
appointment.

Your gown will be ready for you hanging on our inspection hook for you to admire and look over. At this point, we'll go over with you how to do the dress up, where all the little hidden extras are (for example, the bustle if you've had one added) or the tiny hooks and eyes that sometimes go unnoticed. There's a complimentary button hook for the dresses with button loops, and we'll also take a photo for your memory book should you wish. We'll ask you to complete a checklist with us and sign to say that you're happy with your gown and the condition in which we are sending her off.

Once done, we'll bag her up in our special acid-free wrappings and branded bag and help you put her into your car. We'll wave you off with a tear in our eye, knowing we've done our bit to make your special day even more special!

Airport Ready

After you've completed your alterations, please call us to arrange your gown drop-off. Once we've got her, we'll get to work and arrange a pickup date. As your dress will have been altered elsewhere, we'll inspect it with you before you leave it with us and take photos front and back before we get to work. At this point, we'll also book your pick-up date.

To keep creasing to a minimum, we like to pack your case as close to your travel date as possible, and will require at least three working days' notice to prepare and pack it.

We'll then press and steam it, paying special attention to any particular areas as necessary and, wherever possible, remove any make-up or other marks, and sort out any fabric issues, wobbly beading or loose threads that could have occurred during the fitting process. Once your dress is good to go, we'll transfer her to our downstairs pick-up room where she will again be inspected and prepared in readiness to be packed.

Before boxing her up, we'll take pictures of your gown front and back and note any extras for you (for example, the bustle) then we'll carefully place your gown in our cabin box which measures 54cm x 39cm × 18.5cm. We'll film the process of the packing for you, so that you stand a chance of getting it all back in the box on your return. Inside, you'll also find your hanger and dress coverings to protect her once she's out of the box.

In some cases, especially if your gown is very full-skirted, and you have also purchased a hooped petticoat,
we may have to pack the petticoat separately in a bag for you to slip into your suitcase. We'll go over a
checklist with you so that you know exactly what's in your box – and make sure that any picture or video
has been transferred to you. Please note, we will only pack items purchased at Bellissima Weddings.

Cleaning

If you'd like to arrange an after-the-day clean for your gown, you can do so at any point before or after
your wedding day. The cost is, £180.

We'll arrange with you to drop your gown back to us, and we'll clean it and box it, so it can be preserved for future generations. We're happy to take pictures of your newly-cleaned dress for you; just let us know when you drop her off. If you've had a bit of a whoopsie and ripped or damaged your dress having a good time, then we can arrange repairs as well; small ones are free but anything requiring serious help will incur a cost.