Experience with Berketex Bride?

Ive been told to stay away from berketex by a few brides but i didnt go so cant comment.

i know my dress wont be ready till either December or January but im not sure if thats normal for all dresses.

id start looking now, i was told to go round 1 year +

Definitely start looking soon. Some dresses take around 6 months.

Oh dear, I didn't realise that it can take that long for them to come in.

I've read some bad reviews online but it seems to vary a lot by store. Most of what I've read about the Edinburgh store has been positive. Better give them a call then.

My OH and I only just got engaged 12 days ago, haha. That's why I've just started planning.

I'm a Emily fox bride I got married in Sophia and had so many compliments. so much recommended

Also if u go to one of the shops the one I went to in Nottingham had loads to take away the same day :-)

I went to a Berketex store and it was ok (Watford store). My dress was a sample though (although not cheap and still over £1k!) and not a normal Berketex dress so I can't really comment on their full service as mine was already in the shop and just needed one alteration.

I really think it depends on the shop you go to and also the staff working there at the time as to the service you'll get. I had a fantastic lady called Sue when I first bought my dress but she'd sadly left when I went for my fitting and the new lady seemed a bit snappy so not as nice an experience.

Mmmm....my experience of berkertex was getting an email from a supposed wedding fair, it was marketing a dress sale and suggested making an appointment on line. Went into loads about how many dresses they had but nothing about designers. Anyway I booked and then did some more digging. I found it was a direct mailing from Berkertex. I looked at their dresses and reviews and because they'd been deceptive in their mailing approach decided to cancel. Then I started getting phone calls from them....why had I cancelled, could they rearrange, would I please come.....any pressure like that for me sends me in the opposite direction. Plus to be fair their dresses didn't do it for me.

Berkertex are much like a high street bridal shop. I don't know what their dresses are like in the flesh, there non bridal clothes are a bit old fashioned, and the shops get varying reviews, but I don't like their hard sell.

With 6 months to go you are in the prime space for getting a bargain sample dress from a nice boutique. Also don't rule out Coast, Phase Eight or even BHS. All have lovely bridal ranges for a good price. Also consider bridal outlets, not always the best shopping experience, but loads in stock and a great price. You might be too late for some gowns as they can take up to 12 months, but don't panic buy. You have lots of options yet.

I went to an outlet and my experience was brilliant! My bridesmaids came with me, and as I wasn't really sure what I wanted they just kept finding more dresses fpr me to try on! Being an outlet store you can take pretty much everything away there and then and they will recommend a good seamstress etc. for any alterations you may need.

I couldn't fault my experience there! Also because everything is 'off the peg' it's a lot cheaper!

I would definately go and try some on asap - but don't rush buying it's got to be right, as I thought I had some idea of what I did/didn't like but when I tried on different dresses I worked out what suited me better!

Good luck x

I purchased and cancelled my dress from Berketex.

Went to the London wedding show last February and tried a few dresses on at the Berketex stand. The lady was fab, really nice and made me feel at ease. I purchased a dress and she said to book an appointment in the shop for a few weeks later to try it on again and try some veils etc away from the hectic show. She also said my dress would be in in about 6 months. Anyway life was a bit hectic so I didn't get round to calling the shop to try the dress on till about 6 months later (not getting married till this July anyway) called on about 3 occasions to find out if my dress was in and to book an appointment to try the dress on again. They said my dress wasn't in but could try the sample on. Turned up and they put me in the dress, they didn't even know it was the one I had purchased until my mum told them, they just thought I was there to try it on, the one I tried on at the show was a size 8 (I'm a size 6) but the one in store was a 16, the put a towel down the back so didn't use those clip things, they didn't fluff out the skirt or put on any veils, it looked awful and I hated the dress instantly, I was devastated as I had taken my fiancé's nan who is registered blind but isn't completely blind yet and I wanted her to see the dress before the wedding incase she can't see at all on the day. Anyway I asked again when the dress was due in and they said July 2015......I'm getting married in July and the dress will need major alterations (im only only 5ft), anyway they said they would get it changed so it would come in earlier, but they still couldn't tell me when. Left the shop disappointed, they had bitched about the girl who had sold me the dress (she had resigned since the show) as apparently I shouldn't have been told to go back in until my fitting and had bitched about the London store as in there words there snobby and rude (I asked about having my dress sent there instead as I wasn't happy with the service they had given). I called late last year and in Jan this year and they still couldn't tell me when my dress would be in, I completely lost faith in them and looking at pictures decided I no longer liked the dress anyway so called to ask about the cancellation process. I was in tears at the time as I had just called h2b to tell him how I felt about the dress after bottling it up for months and gutted as my mum was paying the the dress so didn't want to piss her off, started asking one girl (quite nice actually) when someone else grabbed the phone off her and said I had had X number of days/weeks (can't remember) to change my mind and I'd just loose all my money. I had only paid the deposit at the time so asked if I'd have to pay for the whole dress to which she replied yes very rudely but gave me the number to a head office girl as I had asked about maybe putting the money towards a different dress instead. I was gutted and in an even worse state by this point. Spoke to the head office girl who advised actually there was a cancellation process and I would just loose the deposit, not the whole amount of the dress. I spoke to my mum who was really understanding and we cancelled the dress, I lost my deposit and paid that to my mum as its unfair for her to pay for 2 dresses but I'm so glad I never have to go back there again, there rude and don't know what there doing bar about 2 of them. I'd never been to a wedding dress shop before then and I hated every minute of it, have since been to 2 other shops and have an amazing dress and had amazing experiences at both. This was at the Watford shop so may be different at another one. I'm sorry it's so long but wanted to give you my opinion and experience.

I hope whatever you choose you have a fab time and get your dream dress. Xx

I purchased and cancelled my dress from Berketex.

Went to the London wedding show last February and tried a few dresses on at the Berketex stand. The lady was fab, really nice and made me feel at ease. I purchased a dress and she said to book an appointment in the shop for a few weeks later to try it on again and try some veils etc away from the hectic show. She also said my dress would be in in about 6 months. Anyway life was a bit hectic so I didn't get round to calling the shop to try the dress on till about 6 months later (not getting married till this July anyway) called on about 3 occasions to find out if my dress was in and to book an appointment to try the dress on again. They said my dress wasn't in but could try the sample on. Turned up and they put me in the dress, they didn't even know it was the one I had purchased until my mum told them, they just thought I was there to try it on, the one I tried on at the show was a size 8 (I'm a size 6) but the one in store was a 16, the put a towel down the back so didn't use those clip things, they didn't fluff out the skirt or put on any veils, it looked awful and I hated the dress instantly, I was devastated as I had taken my fiancé's nan who is registered blind but isn't completely blind yet and I wanted her to see the dress before the wedding incase she can't see at all on the day. Anyway I asked again when the dress was due in and they said July 2015......I'm getting married in July and the dress will need major alterations (im only only 5ft), anyway they said they would get it changed so it would come in earlier, but they still couldn't tell me when. Left the shop disappointed, they had bitched about the girl who had sold me the dress (she had resigned since the show) as apparently I shouldn't have been told to go back in until my fitting and had bitched about the London store as in there words there snobby and rude (I asked about having my dress sent there instead as I wasn't happy with the service they had given). I called late last year and in Jan this year and they still couldn't tell me when my dress would be in, I completely lost faith in them and looking at pictures decided I no longer liked the dress anyway so called to ask about the cancellation process. I was in tears at the time as I had just called h2b to tell him how I felt about the dress after bottling it up for months and gutted as my mum was paying the the dress so didn't want to piss her off, started asking one girl (quite nice actually) when someone else grabbed the phone off her and said I had had X number of days/weeks (can't remember) to change my mind and I'd just loose all my money. I had only paid the deposit at the time so asked if I'd have to pay for the whole dress to which she replied yes very rudely but gave me the number to a head office girl as I had asked about maybe putting the money towards a different dress instead. I was gutted and in an even worse state by this point. Spoke to the head office girl who advised actually there was a cancellation process and I would just loose the deposit, not the whole amount of the dress. I spoke to my mum who was really understanding and we cancelled the dress, I lost my deposit and paid that to my mum as its unfair for her to pay for 2 dresses but I'm so glad I never have to go back there again, there rude and don't know what there doing bar about 2 of them. I'd never been to a wedding dress shop before then and I hated every minute of it, have since been to 2 other shops and have an amazing dress and had amazing experiences at both. This was at the Watford shop so may be different at another one. I'm sorry it's so long but wanted to give you my opinion and experience.

I hope whatever you choose you have a fab time and get your dream dress. Xx

Thanks, ladies! I might still check it out but not expecting too much. Any recommendations for outlets in or near Edinburgh or Glasgow?

i actually have some dresses bookmarked from BHS, John Lewis and Debenhams but I don't really understand whether I can also find them in a store, I'd really prefer that over ordering online.

at the moment I am a size 18 so I'm a bit worried it might be difficult to find samples in my size. I am hoping to be a size 12 or 14 by the time we get married but can't wait that long to buy a dress of course.