An award-winning bridal boutique is set to return to Stone while opening a second new shop in Longton within the space of a month.
Wedding Belles Love, run by mum and daughter Claire and Darci Sutton, first opened on the corner of Church Street in Stone in 2017 before expanding to Trentham Road in Longton during the Covid lockdown. They had initially intended to keep both shops open, but plans were derailed due to the pandemic.
But now the business is set to move its flagship store back to Stone between Christmas and New Year, as well as opening a second business, Bridal Hack, in Longton Exchange by the end of January.
The team have won eight awards in the past 12 months and are investing around £30,000 in the two new shops.
The new Wedding Belles Love store will be on Stone’s High Street in the former Man A Boot Town shop, while Bridal Hack will be located in the former Barnardo’s charity shop and will focus on pre-loved dresses, one-off pieces and samples in a wide range of sizes.
Initially, no additional staff will be taken on, with Darci based at the Longton shop and Claire running the Stone premises with current team members, although they hope to recruit in the future.
Darci said the move back to Stone felt like the right moment when a vacant unit became available.
She said: “We saw that a shop on the High Street had become available and went for a look around. It seemed lovely and fitting for us to go back to Stone.
“People have been knocking on the door and asking us what’s happening. Everyone has been very positive about it. There is a lovely community feel to Stone that we have missed.”
As well as retail, Wedding Belles Love works with the Care Leavers’ Association to provide placements and mentoring to young people, and has built a strong online presence through YouTube podcasts.
The business does not use stock photography, instead choosing to represent real customers in their imagery. The fully accessible Stone shop will sell wedding dresses in sizes 4 to 36, with Darci saying the business is focused on inclusivity and confidence.
She said: “We want our shops to be a safe space, where women can come just as they are and find the right dress for them. We want to make sure that all women feel confident when they come in.”
