Our Boutique
We are located in the heart of the beautiful market town of Ampthill Bedfordshire and offer a luxurious yet relaxed environment where our team of bridal stylists are dedicated to helping you find your perfect wedding dress for your big day. We offer a wide range of carefully hand selected wedding dresses from some of the worlds leading bridal designers for the modern bride and our bridal stylists will be there to guide you through your bridal journey from the moment you come for your first appointment until you walk down the aisle.
We work very closely with all our designers and are able to provide our brides with a carefully hand selected range of wedding dresses to ensure a wide selection of high quality designs and styles from fish tail to a-line , boho to classic and lace to simple in a range of sample sizes from 10-22 for all our brides to try. We are however able to order most dresses in a 4-32. We also aim to cater for all budgets with our made to order dresses ranging from £1200-£4000 with the majority of our off-the-peg sale dresses available at under £1000.
We pride ourselves as being a unique bridal shop as alongside our collections from other bridal designers we also stock our own brand of wedding dresses which are made on site in our studio. This means we are able to offer extensive customisations to designs as well as fully bespoke wedding dresses and in-house wedding dress alterations with our team of expert designers and makers, so you can be sure that you are in good hands for your wedding day.
About Us
Within the premises of our boutique is our studio where all Natalya James bridal pieces are carefully constructed for each bride. We are within easy reach of the surrounding counties of Northamptonshire Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire and the nearby towns of Northampton, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Luton, Cambridge, Peterborough, St Neots, Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury.
In our boutique we stock our own Natalya James brand of made to order wedding dresses and separates along with our bridal accessories including hair pieces, veils and garters. In addition we also offer bespoke wedding dresses and accessories, where each piece is designed and made for each individual bride.
Alongside our own collection we are also stockists of leading bridal brands Wendy Makin,
GAIA Bridal, Georgia Bridal, Kate Fearnley, Linzi Jay Bridesmaids, and Jacqueline Louise Bridesmaids.
All brides who choose Natalya James will receive one on one consultations and a personalised service, making the journey to find an exquisite and dream wedding dress individual to each bride.
All Natalya James branded garments and accessories are handmade in her studio in Ampthill Bedfordshire.
Appointment FAQS
-
This is something that we do advise as we offer exclusive use of our boutique to each bride for their appointment and so lock the door for the duration of every appointment. We do welcome walk-ins but as we offer exclusive use and are also a working studio we may not be open if you were to just pop down. However we do understand that sometimes you may want to come and try dresses on, on the spur of the moment so please do feel free to ring ahead for same day appointments and we will be happy to accommodate you if at all possible.
-
This varies depending on the type of appointment you have booked. To try on dresses or for a consultation for a bespoke dress you will need to allow 1 1/2 hours. For a first dress fitting or accessory consultation you will need to allow 45 minutes. If you are collecting your dress or accessory please allow 1/2 hour.
-
We have a two separate bridal suites and each is able to cater for up to 3 guests. We often find that bringing lots of guests means lots of different opinions which can be a little overwhelming and ultimately as the bride the dress you choose should be your choice.
-
We would advise wearing nude underwear as colourful underwear can detract from the dresses when trying on as well as a pair of heels if you plan on wearing heels on the day. We also find bringing any images you have of dresses or styles you like helpful especially if trying on for the first time.
-
As most brands require 16-20 weeks to make your dress and then 8-12 weeks need to be allowed to alter your dress, we would advise to start looking for your dress about 12 months before your wedding. However if you are on a shorter time frame than this don’t panic as many of our designers offer rush orders and some dresses can be ordered from stock, however please bear in mind not all our dresses will be available. We also have a selection of off-the-peg sale dresses.
-
Many of our designers offer a loan service. As long as the designer has the sample of the dress we can usually request to loan the dress that you would like to try on from the designer for a small fee for a limited time. The fee is dependent on the designer.
-
This varies between brands and is also dependent on the time of year you order your dress, as during busy times orders may take longer to complete. Usually most dresses take 16-20 weeks but rush orders can be made if required on certain styles but do incur an additional fee.
-
Yes we require a 50% deposit on all made to order dresses and accessories. If the dress you have chosen is from our sample sale then the full balance of the dress is required upon purchase. For bespoke orders a 25% deposit is required.
-
We usually recommend having your first fitting 8-12 weeks before your wedding date in order to ensure a perfect fit. We do advise booking in advance as we do get very booked up especially between March and September.
-
You will need to bring your shoes, these are a must especially if you are wearing heels on your wedding day as the length of your dress will be adjusted according to the height of the heels you bring to your appointment. We also advise to wear the underwear you plan to wear on the day. If you are unable to wear a bra with your dress due to the style we are to offer bust cups to be sewn into your dress.
-
No all alterations are charged at an additional cost to the purchase of any dress.
-
Yes, we are happy to alter any wedding dresses, bridesmaid, flower girl, mother of the bride/groom, prom and evening wear even if you haven’t bought them with us. As we are a specialist in bridal alterations we don’t however, alter regular everyday clothing.
-
It is really difficult to give an exact price without knowing exactly what needs to be done as well as the construction of the dress. On our services – alterations page we do give a starting price for each type of alteration you may require but most alterations tend to cost between £200 to £400 with some less and some more. We will take you through the alterations required at your first fitting and give you a cost at this point.
-
You will need to pay a 50% deposit of the final balance for alterations at your first fitting. The balance is required on collection of your dress once it has been altered.
-
Yes we do. We have a wide range of boxes and designs to choose from. Price is dependent on the size of your dress and box so please do ask us for more information if you require this service.
Please note we are appointment only.
We have appointments available at our boutique within the following times.
Monday – closed
Tuesday – closed
Wednesday – 12pm – 8pm
Thursday – 12pm – 5pm
Friday – 10am – 5pm
Saturday – 10am – 6pm
Sunday – Closed