Design duo Belle & Bunty - aka Alice Shreeve and Hannah Coniam - are lauded for their beautiful feminine dresses, attention to detail and sprinkling of vintage magic. We took a few minutes to chat to them about their latest swoon-worthy collection, their influences, W-day fashion tips and how they created their own perfect weddings – starting with the dress, of course! It's no wonder this young, up-and-coming label has melted our hearts...



Tell us about the bridal collection: We aimed to create a timeless, glamour-drenched collection with a style to suit every bride - stunning shapes in the highest quality silks that are easy to wear and can be treasured and worn for years to come. The collection includes the styles we designed and wore for our own weddings, so it is intensely personal to us.

Who is the Belle and Bunty girl? Playful, feminine, sophisticated. A woman who knows her own mind and style, who wants something individual and to have some serious fun, whether on her wedding day or any other day!

Who would be your muse? Our customers have become a prime source of inspiration. We design for real women and she is at the forefront of our thoughts when building our collections. We make sure we meet and work closely with all our brides and the time we spend with them has been of great value, alongside talking with customers in our boutique. It is a process we take great personal pride in.

What is your signature design style? Feminine, elegant and effortless, underpinned with a hint of vintage.

Who or what are your influences? We can be influenced by anything and everything. It could be a striking fabric, a sketch in an old magazine, music we’re listening to in the studio, or a film. We’re both magpies and collect things as we go about our day-to-day lives; our studio is full of pictures ripped from magazines, photographs, snippets of fabrics and trims. Our finds are pinned to the walls like an Aladdin’s cave!

How do you want to make your brides feel when they wear one of your dresses? 
Like herself on sparkling form! Right from the first appointment at our studio, our brides enter a relaxed and fun atmosphere with tea, biscuits, chin-wagging and dressing up. The prime thing is for a bride to enjoy her wedding day, to feel true to herself, calm, confident and comfortable. Forget corsets and boning with our dresses; once it’s on, all our bride needs to think about is having a fantastic time!

Can you give any tips on how to accessorise your dresses? Finding the right underwear is key. Our gowns have handmade detailing such as silk corsages or subtle embellishment, so a number of our brides like to draw attention to their hair. We have now created our own range of vintage hairpieces and combs to compliment the dresses with a small vintage-style flourish.

Where do you see your designs heading in the future? We adore bridal. The feedback from our brides has been overwhelming so we are currently in the process of developing further styles. These designs will hold the same timeless appeal, but we are exploring varieties of embroidery, fabrics and shapes to suit different figures and weddings – more easy-to-wear dresses that make you feel like a goddess but let you have a riot in the process.


What’s your dream wedding? Hannah: My wedding! It was a relaxed, vintage English Country wedding at Springhead Mill in Dorset – an 18th century mill with the most gorgeous gardens and lake. I floated around all day in The Bunty Dress. Everything had a vintage twist or was DIY so was very personal to us. We drank Pimms in the sunshine amongst tonnes of meadow-flowers and homemade bunting!



Alice: I had my dream wedding at Christmas. I wore The Belle Dress in scarlet red with a tailored footman’s coat over the top to keep me warm. After the service, we drank champagne on a London Bus as we travelled to St Germain; a beautiful cocktail bar in the City for a party.

Belle & Bunty are offering brides an exclusive 20% discount if you arrange an appointment at their London Boutique before 30th June 2011. Simply call 020 7267 3322 or email shop@belleandbunty.co.uk and quote ‘You & Your Wedding 20%’ to arrange an appointment. There is no time limit on when your appointment date can be scheduled, whether you arrange one for next week or next year.

Alice Burnfield, Senior fashion assistant

See the stunning Belle & Bunty Bridal Collection here.

belleandbunty.co.uk