Meet Cosham bridal shop owner looking to transform every bride into a 'Velvet Queen'

Velvet Queen, formerly known as The Bridal Dressing Rooms in Cosham High Street, has always strived to be a fully inclusive experience.

Starting with a simple goal to dress a bride from head to toe, Velvet Queen went the extra mile to ensure that they could offer bridal wear to suit every bride’s needs.

‘We like to have variety and we strongly believe that bridal wear doesn’t have a definition,’ Nicola said. ‘It doesn’t have to be a white or ivory dress. If you want to wear a black dress, a trouser suit, a jumpsuit, something pink, we want to be able to give you that.

‘We also make sure that we cater to all shapes and sizes.’

After five years as The Bridal Dressing Rooms, Nicola felt the business needed to bring on a new era that really reflected the business and with that came the new name: Velvet Queen.

‘It’s something a bride can stand behind and say, “I’m a Velvet Queen”, which is a type of person that isn’t afraid to be a little bit different and is looking for something unique,’ added Nicola. ‘They feel empowered to have the wedding they want.’

While Velvet Queen does cater to more unique tastes, the store also provides for the more traditional choices, making sure that they can give every bride their dream.

‘We see brides for who they are and celebrate that. That’s what Velvet Queen is all about; bridal wear, but different.’

Getting married is one of the most special times in a person’s life and Velvet Queen wants to make sure that choosing bridal wear is a big part of that experience.

Fittings are by appointment only which ensures that the bride will have the shop to herself and up to four loved ones for 90 minutes to two hours.

It creates a safe, fun space and with no restrictions on what you can try on, with brides having the run of the store for the entire time they’re there.

‘We’ve got lots of new things coming this year with goodie bags and different types of appointments,’ Nicola added. ‘Choosing a dress becomes part of the memory of your wedding and we want to make it special.

‘I love it when people come in and take pictures with their friends around the shop and really enjoy themselves.’

Over the next year, Velvet Queen has more exciting things to come, including a birthday party for the business in April that will double as a rebranding celebration for the birth of Velvet Queen.

Though there are positive changes coming, the store still sticks to its roots of dressing the bride from head to toe, from the shoes all the way up to the headwear and finding that unique spin for each bride to make it special for them.

Velvet Queen also offers bridal wear customisations, from slight alterations to bigger changes.

Nicola added: ‘We have in the past done completely customised dresses, but we’re not dressmakers ourselves so we prefer to start with a base dress and make custom changes like adding sleeves, more lace, changing lining colours and adding accessories and beading for example. It gives a unique experience and a unique dress at the end of it.’

Velvet Queen is currently accepting applications on their website for models. Diversity is still at the forefront of the store’s goals and they’re looking for ‘real people’ to model their bridal wear.

You can find all the information here: www.velvetqueen.co.uk/model-for-us/

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to our online coverage, including Pompey, with 70 per cent fewer adverts for less than 20p a day.