FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
Have questions about our wedding dresses and bridal services?
Your bridal journey usually starts with a wedding dress…and a lot of questions. If you’ve got questions about our wedding dresses, accessories, and alteration services, then feel free to browse our list of ‘frequently asked questions.’ If you don’t see your question here, don’t worry. At THE BRIDEHOUSE, formerly known as Paddington Weddings, no question goes unanswered. Simply pick up the phone and give us a call, or drop by our store in beautiful Bulimba, Brisbane. Otherwise, contact us directly via gabrielle@thebridehouse.com.au.
CAN I JUST COME IN AND VIEW YOUR COLLECTION, OR DO I NEED AN APPOINTMENT?
We pride ourselves on the individual time we spend with our brides at THE BRIDEHOUSE, formerly known as Paddington Weddings, so we ask that all brides book an appointment beforehand. You can book online or give us a call and we can secure your individual time with one of our bridal stylists.HOW LONG DO THE APPOINTMENTS RUN FOR?
Our appointments run for an hour. This gives you plenty of time to have a good look around and try on some of our wedding dresses. We will do sketches of your favourites and give you quotes at the end. If you need to come in for a second appointment to make your final decision, that is no problem at all. Sometimes you need time to think over the big decision.
IS THERE A COST TO COME AND VIEW YOUR COLLECTION?
Not at all. Your design consultation is free of charge. We want you to relax and enjoy your time with us at THE BRIDEHOUSE, formerly known as Paddington Weddings, as you fall in love with one of our Bertossi Brides wedding dresses.HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING WITH ME TO MY APPOINTMENT?
Since the Covid situation we have decided to try and reduce the amount of people coming through the studio to keep our staff as safe as possible. So we are asking brides coming to view our collection to limit their guests to three (four including the bride.) If you have a larger bridal party contact us and see if we can accomodate you, sometimes we can block our 2nd change area, this is always more available on a weekday.
DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING TO MY APPOINTMENT?
We find that wearing nude underwear is best when trying on wedding dresses, but you don’t need to worry about shoes. We have a box that you can stand on if the wedding dresses are too long, so you can see how the skirt falls. It is worth browsing the website and social media pages and saving some of the gowns that you like the look of on your phone, so we can show you those styles when you are in store.
CAN YOU COPY A WEDDING DRESS FROM A PICTURE?
While Anne is very flexible within her Bertossi Brides collection (e.g. you can have the skirt of one gown and the bodice of another, or add sleeves and trains) we won’t copy a gown from another designer, or use anything other than our own silks and laces. However, if you have images of wedding dresses you like, send us the images. We may have similar styles in our collection, or find a way to combine a few aspects from various Bertossi Brides designs to create a gown you will love. Please email us via gabrielle@thebridehouse.com.au to discuss this further.
DO YOU HAVE PARKING AT YOUR STORE?
We are lucky enough to have two parking spaces at the back of our store. To access these parks, you need to drive down the driveway to the right-hand side of our store. Our parking can get very busy, especially on Saturdays. If our car park is full, there is also 2-hour parking on Latrobe Terrace and unlimited parking on Enoggera Terrace nearby.
WHAT SIZES ARE YOUR SAMPLE GOWNS?
At THE BRIDEHOUSE, formerly known as Paddington Weddings, we make wedding dresses for brides of all shapes and sizes. We would love to have all our wedding dresses in every size, but due to the size of our quaint showroom and the cost of our stunning fabrics, our samples are mainly sizes 10-12 with a selection of the collection in sizes 14-16. In most cases, however, we can create mockups to show our brides what a design will look like and have clever tricks to give you a feel for the designs you love.HOW FAR IN ADVANCE DO I NEED TO BOOK A BERTOSSI BRIDES GOWN FROM PADDINGTON WEDDINGS?
Our workrooms are located in-store, so we can create wedding dresses in a reasonably short period of time. So, even if your wedding is very soon, it’s always worth giving us a call, we can often help. In most cases, however, we find six to nine months before your wedding day is the perfect amount of time for you to confirm your dress. That way you can relax and look forward to your big day.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF YOUR GOWN?
Once you pick your dream Bertossi Brides dress we take a full range of body measurements and make up the gown to as close to these measurements as we can, we adjust the pattern accordingly at the cutting stage to give a superior fit. Our gowns can be created within a general size 6 to 18 and all fittings and adjustments needed are included in the price of your gown. As long as you have your shoes at your measurements appointment we also finish the hem to your perfect length!.
WHAT IF I LIVE OUTSIDE OF BRISBANE, CAN I STILL HAVE A BERTOSSI BRIDES GOWN?
We create wedding dresses for brides all over Australia and the world. Because our workrooms are located in store, we are very flexible with our timeframes. We offer Virtual appointments, where we facetime you and personally guide through the measurement process. We then offer an additional virtual appointment to go over your beautiful wedding gown before we wrap her up and send her by registered post directly to your door. This allows you to have that Paddington Weddings award winning experience without having to travel to Brisbane for your fittings. We are finding this is very popular at the moment where travel is a little more complicated.
DO YOU OFFER AN IN-HOUSE ALTERATIONS SERVICE?
Your Bertossi Brides gown is made to your measurements so any alterations needed for your gown are included in the price of your gown and completed by our team of seamstresses.
We are also happy to alter bridal gowns purchased from other stores, our experienced team of seamstresses understand the intricacies of bridal gowns and can help you achieve a great fit.
We are the preferred alterations person for both Grace Loves Lace and Karen Willis Holmes