We’re joining our dear friend, and ethical wedding dress designer, Sanyuka Shrestha this afternoon, to find out what you can expect when you attend an appointment at her ethical wedding dress boutique.
Chances are, you’ll have discovered this link or followed a promotion for it if you are curious about or interested in ethical bridal fashion. If that is you, we welcome you warmly to our wedding blog pages.
We’re doing everything we can to highlight the incredible work the many independent designers we work with are doing to make their wedding businesses as ethical and sustainable as possible.
Let’s find out what you can expect if you are keen to plan an appointment at a bridal boutique whose number one priority is the health and stability of our climate and environment.
Tell us a little more about the usual format of appointments when brides visit you
First of all, hello! It is such a pleasure to be able to have a conversation with brides who have an interest in ethical bridal fashion, through these beautiful wedding blog pages.
My name is Sanyukta and I am the founder of Sanyuka Shrestha. Annabel and her team have written about me many times before – so if you’re interested, you can read more about my commitment to sustainability and ethical bridal fashion here, and how I source organic, chemical free and vegan fabrics, and support female led, artisan communities in my home country of Nepal here.
I have a boutique called the Behuli Boutique which is located in Fulham in London, where both myself and my team of specialist experts work and are ready to provide you with guidance, undivided attention and expert knowledge in your efforts to find a beautiful, ethical wedding dress.
During your very first appointment, if you don’t get to meet me personally, you will get to meet one of my brilliant, highly trained (and lovely, down to earth) consultants and designers who will take time to get to know you, your personality, your tastes, the story of how you met and anything you might have in mind regarding your dress design. We’ll take all things things carefully into account to ensure they are a part of the final wedding dress vision that we create for you.
From the moment you step into our boutique to the time you slip into your finished dress for the very first time, it is our wish for your entire experience to be a seamless, enjoyable and memorable process. No pressure, no hard sell – just a lovely, relaxed environment and opportunity for you to share your wedding dress and wedding day plans with us at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
Tell us more about your boutique, the interiors and the styling
Our vision has always been to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere that made our brides feel like they are at home and yet at the same time, ensconced safely inside in a chic and beautiful boudoir. Our team members are kind and friendly and their job is to go out of their way to make sure your needs are catered for. It’s a job we all love.
Sustainability has hugely impacted the interior design of our Behuli Boutique, from the furniture to the wallpaper, everything was carefully chosen after extensive company ethics research, and because we wanted our boutique design ethos to align with everything we create at Sanyukta Shrestha.
Ultimately, every decision around decor and furniture has been taken to ensure our brides feel comfortable, beautiful but ultimately safe and relaxed within our boutique. We really have tried to create a beautiful ‘safe space’ that makes women from all walks of life feel welcome and respected.
View this post on Instagram
How many dresses are available to try on and how many do brides usually try?
You may have to try on a few pieces in our boutique to help us narrow down a style that really suits you, but we will be at your side every step of the way encouraging and guiding you.
We are also size diverse; it doesn’t matter what size you are – we can accommodate brides of all and any size whatsoever.
Besides our ready to wear collection that is available to try on at our boutique, we also provide a ‘bespoke design’ service which means we can create a dress from scratch based on a unique design we create just for you – a one off wedding dress style all of your own.
Do you suggest that brides bring friends or family with them? How many is too many?
We love our brides to bring along guests but ask that you bring a maximum of two guests only. This is because too many opinions may bring a bit of distraction. Please trust us, we’ve worked many hundreds of brides and have learned some valuable lessons along the way. We want to encourage an environment that enables our brides to follow their own instincts and make their own decisions (supported by whoever they choose to bring along to their appointment, of course).
We also advise that you bring in someone who knows you well, someone who is aware of your tastes, insecurities, personal characteristics – someone who won’t compromise your personal style, but be there to assist in your experience.
What options are available to brides to personalise or customise their dress?
Our brides can have a bespoke gown created to their exact liking so the options to customise are endless. Whether you want a more cinched in waste, or shorter sleeves, or no sleeves, or a shorter, or longer skirt length, or train, or high-low hem or embellishment – whatever you might have in mind, we are very happy to accommodate.
Whatever
With an eye for perfection, whatever your taste, the possibilities are endless and she won’t stop until you are completely satisfied.
View this post on Instagram
When a bride has decided what they want to order, what happens then? What’s the process?
The first, most important thing is that we take the bride’s measurements, obviously so that we can ensure the dress fits you to perfection. If you are having a dress designed from scratch, then at this point, we will set out to create what’s called a ‘toile’ (prounounced ‘twarl’) – which is basically a prototype/mock-up of your dress design produced using a cheap fabric – often calico. Once created, the bride will try it on and our design team will make any tweaks and refinements to the shape of the toile to ensure the overall pattern, fit and silhouette of the completed dress will be perfect.
At this stage too, a deposit is required to process the order.
How do fittings work and how many fittings appointments will I need?
Our brides will usually have a minimum of two and maximum of five fittings – it all depends on the alterations that will be essential to achieve an immaculate fit and finish. At each fitting appointment, the toile will be tried on and any necessary adjustments made. The final fitting will be in your actual wedding dress.
What underwear should I wear to my appointments?
We recommend all brides bring seamless nude underwear for their fitting, along with the shoes they will be wearing on their wedding day. Most of the fittings will take place around one – two months prior to your wedding day. The final fitting usually takes place one-two weeks prior to your wedding day.
Is it essential to have a pre-booked appointment if I want to visit you?
We hold consultations at our bridal boutique in London, and we do require that you book an appointment ahead of time. This helps us ensure that we can dedicate our time and space to one bride at a time, which is how we like to run our business, and, we believe, means our brides receive the best possible service and experience.
Please visit our website and take a moment to complete this form if you would like to book an appointment. Alternatively you can give us a call on 44(0)207 385 9927.
We would love to hear from you.
View this post on Instagram
Testimonials from real brides
Ebba
“Sanyukta created a bespoke wedding dress for me, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with the experience and the final dress. I had a quite unusual design in mind, with several intricate details and high expectations. With Sanyukta’s expertise, passion, attention to detail, great taste and understanding of her customer, she took the idea and turned it into an absolute dream dress that was beyond beautiful, wearable and comfortable. What’s also amazing and rare is that Sanyukta stays true to her values being; craftmanship, the highest quality fabrics & dresses that are handmade in Nepal, as well as supporting sustainability, women’s equality & ethics. This is so important, but also, the fantastic quality really shows when you wear the dress on a hot summer wedding in Spain. The service from start to finish couldn’t have been better. Sanyukta & her team was very understanding and flexible to accommodate my busy schedule. Sanyukta is such a lovely, fun & professional woman and I can’t thank her enough – my wedding was perfect and a lot is thanks to you.”
Jillian
“Truly unique designs, beautiful organic materials and incredible attention to detail. The intimate boutique is like a treasure trove full of vintage-esque goodness. Think 1920’s & 30’s elegance but with a contemporary twist. Thank you to Sanyukta for creating my perfect wedding dress, Gina for tailoring it so beautifully, and the full team for the most amazing, attentive service.”
Beryl
“The minute I entered Sanyukta Shrestha’s Boutique, I instantly felt warm and welcomed. It was the first time in my life that I tried on a wedding dress and was also quite nervous about it. Elham is such an amazing and genuine person and I felt that I could immediately trust her judgement and knowledge. I love how Sanyukta takes her time for each client and how she gives her absolute best to make every dress so unique and individually beautiful. I love when they make breakfast tea for everyone and enjoy at what they are doing best. Sanyukta Shrestha and her team are a real gem. Highly recommended.”
Anais
“My experience at Sanyukta’s bridal boutique was second to none. Sanyukta and her team are such lovely people and gave me the warmest welcome making me feel instantly at ease. They picked out the most beautiful gowns for me to try on and completely to my surprise, I found my dress. It was a beautiful experience and I am over the moon with my gown. More than that, the ethical and sustainable values of their bridal fashion are inspiring and the reason I came to them in the first place. I am so happy with my sustainable gown and I could not recommend them more.”
Ruth
“I absolutely loved my beautiful dress and received so many comments about it on the day. It was perfect. Sanyukta understood exactly what I wanted as soon as we met, so I knew I was in good hands. I was able to input on the design at every step of the process and the fabrics she uses are so beautiful and soft, very different from other bridal shops I’d been to. Her team are lovely and super supportive, which made for a really positive experience. I would highly recommend Sanyukta.”
Fleur
“Working with Sanyukta, Elham and the team was an incredible experience from start to finish. As a plus-size bride, I was hesitant when I first arrived at the Behuli atelier that any of her gorgeous silk creations would fit me, but Sanyukta made me feel so comfortable and very quickly put me at ease. My dress idea came to life with her design flair and within seconds of her pinning me in, and few quick adjustments I knew I had found the perfect dress that completely represented me. The story of women’s empowerment and working with the Nepalese Ashram also really spoke to me and I was delighted that by purchasing my wedding gown through Behuli, that I would also be supporting sustainability and women’s equality. My dress was made out of the hemp fabric, which shone so beautifully (I’m sure the hypoallergenic qualities were helping to calm me down on the day). I absolutely loved going in for my fittings, the team were professional and a delight to visit (shout out to Elham). The service I received was unbelievable from start to finish. Thanks again to the wonderful team – my wedding day was absolutely perfect and a lot of that is thanks to you.”
Annabel View all Annabel's articles
Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.
