As a wedding photographer I see so many wedding dresses and after I have photographed a wedding I tend to become friends with where the bride purchased her dress. This was the case when I photographed Emma & Mason’s wedding at the Old Kent Barn this year. Emma showed me the luxury bridal boutique in Kent where she bought her dress and I just had to get in touch.

I’m also super thankful that Aimee at “Amore” in Canterbury included me in their “our friends” section of their website – I hope to see more brides appear that have purchased their dress here!

Amore Brides – Luxury Bridal Boutique in Kent

Hello Aimee. Can you tell me what unique services or experiences does Amore Brides offer to enhance the bridal shopping experience for luxury clients?

Amore Brides launched in 2010, fulfilling our lifelong dream of having a beautiful bridal boutique in the heart of the historic City of Canterbury. The Amore Brides family are a welcoming and friendly team and together we have over 30 years’ experience in the bridal industry. We pride ourselves in getting to know each and every one of our brides and creating special memories.

Blessed to be Kent’s largest Bridal Boutique, we have over 300 dresses by world renowned Wedding Dress Designers in a luxurious suite, including iconic Designers such as Pronovias, Enzoani, Pen-Liv and Jenny Packham.

As trained stylists, we help the bride to find her perfect dress by using our skilled body shape knowledge and marrying it with everything we have learnt from the bride during the consultation about their big day.

All of our brides will receive a one to one personally tailored experience having their Stylist’s undivided attention and together help them find ‘The One’, starting with a consultation to ascertain the style of the wedding, their bridal dress journey so far and their ideas and dreams for ‘The Big Day’. We find that the consultation relaxes the bride and includes their guests too.

Why do you think brides opt for Amore over other lovely bridal shops in Kent?

Our Amore Brides feedback highlights that we are unique in being one of the only bridal boutiques to offer such a large selection of designer gowns, teamed with an intimate stylist service as well as creating a ‘Dress Day’ and not just an appointment. We strive to create an entire day to remember, one as memorable and magical as the Wedding Day itself! We are working closely with lots of local business and suppliers to exclusively offer more to our Brides, even after saying Yes to the Dress.

In the Summer of 2024, we launched our brand new VIP Rose Suite, offering a luxury VIP Experience for Dress Day. Our Bride’s and their guests can enjoy exclusive access to our private suite for their one-on-one consultation with our expert stylists whose passion is to make your bridal dreams a reality. The suite allows space to relax and enjoy Dress Day, creating the perfect setting for the unforgettable experience of finding ‘The One’!

Can you share any standout trends in bridal fashion that you’re seeing for 2025? Is there anything you are seeing brides avoid for their wedding day?

Vintage Lace

The overall effect of a modern vintage lace wedding dress is dreamy and romantic, striking a balance between tradition and contemporary fashion. Vintage lace encapsulates the epitome of elegance and glamour. The dresses boast intricate lace detailing and delicate embellishments, often with a deep plunging neckline that add a modern, daring twist to the classic bridal look. This trend is usually achieved with French and Italian fine laces creating a timeless and classic Bridal look.

Drop Waist

Described as ‘the silhouette of 2025’, the Dropped Waist is not only top on trend but also flatters every body shape, elongating the torso. This Trend is definitely a comeback! A versatile feature, the drop waist can take the form of a corset, basque or peplum and can be added to any Bridal silhouette, creating the perfect look for any Bride, shown recently on celebrity Brides such as Millie Bobby Brown.

Second Dresses

With minimalism having been a trend amongst Brides for the last few years, the rise of the Party Dress has definitely been noticed in the industry. Modern Brides may be opting to ditch the ballgowns in favour of mini dresses or sparkling gowns for their Wedding receptions, wowing guests with not just one look, but two! Clocking on to this trend, Bridal Designers have begun to create ways of transforming one gown into multiple looks with features such as detachable sleeves or overskirts.

How do you go about choosing your gowns for your bridal shop? Do they err on the traditional or modern style?

We feel incredibly lucky to be Kent’s largest Bridal Boutique, housing over 300 gowns. This means we are able to pick out the best gowns to suit every trend, so that there is something for everyone! We work closely with our Designers to choose the best edit of every collection, making sure every gown has a wow factor. When curating our new collections, we carefully select gowns that have a modern and fresh edge, but will still encapsulate a traditional and timeless Bridal look for years to come.

What is the best piece of advice you give brides who are trying to find the perfect gown to complement their wedding theme and venue?

The best piece of advice I give brides is to try and align your gown with the overall vibe of your wedding by considering both your theme and venue when making your choice. For example, if you’re getting married in a grand ballroom, you might lean towards a more dramatic gown with a long train or intricate embellishments. For outdoor weddings, like in a garden or by the beach, a lightweight, flowy dress made from fabrics like chiffon or tulle will feel more comfortable and appropriate to the setting.

Ultimately, go for a gown that not only matches the aesthetics of the day but also makes you feel like the most confident, beautiful version of yourself. Trust your instincts and choose a dress that makes you shine!

Can you tell us about a memorable experience you’ve had with a bride that highlights the magic of your bridal appointment process? With that, what’s your favourite thing about your job?

For us, every Bride is unique and special to us – we take away something different from everybody that we meet, which is why we love our job so much! It is particularly special to us that we so often meet Brides who are also in the Wedding Industry, who we can build long lasting connections with, both on Dress Day and for future events.

Amore Brides, Luxury Bridal Boutique in Kent

Amore Brides is super easy to get to in Canterbury and has a huge variety of dresses: with their love and experience I’m sure they will help you find your wedding dress.

All the best, Tom Keenan Photography, Kent Wedding Photographer