Bridaltique – the story of the store!
Background…
When we considered how Bridaltique’s offer would shape out back in 2022, we actually originally decided to be just an online business with a ‘home fitting’ option. We did chat and have ‘loose plan’ to consider some retail space, but it was just that, loose!
Cut a long story short we were up and running online and registered as a company by mid 2023, and only then started looking (with a bit of focus this time!) for some retail space in Pembrokeshire.
We visited or assessed over 20 locations, and through those connections were given a ‘heads up’ that 27 High Street in Haverfordwest was soon to come on to the market ( the store known as ‘Bonkers’ at the time.)
It was a great fit for us…we put in an offer pre the property being marketed, and were lucky enough to have it accepted.
We became the proud owners of 27 High Street, Haverfordwest on the 5 August 2023.
Heritage…
With Mandy being a proud ‘Haverfordwest’ gal, she was acutely aware of the long textile and apparel heritage attached to the property. Before Bonkers ( a lady’s designer apparel store), the property housed ‘Trews Shoes’ – another family owned entity with strong roots in the community. Both entities stretched back many decades.
We set about the refurbishment but in doing so tried to maintain as many of the authentic elements of the property as we could…including the many names and dates scribbled on the walls around the building dating back to the 1960’s and beyond!
The refurbishment project…
Although the building is well built and has always been occupied, we knew in advance that there was a good amount of structural work and fitting out needed in certain areas to ‘blend in’ the existing retail space to a purpose built bridal studio. There was also some remediation work needed on external spaces and in ‘back of store’ areas.
The property is over 3,500 square feet, and over 4 floors ( 5 if you include the basement).
So the project was split into 3 phases..
Phase 1
Phase 1: Ground and First Floor Refurbishment – Ready for Trading January 2025
The first phase of our project was an ambitious ground and first floor refurbishment with one goal in mind: to open our shop for trading in January 2025. This was a truly hands-on effort, involving everything from painting and wallpapering to floor sanding—yes, we did it all ourselves (well, mostly)!
Starting from Scratch
Before we could even pick up a paintbrush, we had to deep clean every surface—dust, wipe, repeat. Once everything was clean, we began with the ceiling on the first floor, followed by the walls, using a combination of mural wallpaper, basic wallpaper, and paint. We carefully chose colours in line with our brand—golds, blacks, and whites—to create a space that felt cohesive with our logo and visual identity.
Planning the Space
Next up were the fittings. Designing and installing the fitting room rails became a mini-project in itself. We had to call in builders to ensure everything was securely fixed and enlisted the help of a local engineering company to custom cut the rails to size.
Learning the Hard Way
Then came the floor sanding—big mistake doing it after painting! The dust got absolutely everywhere, forcing us to clean all over again (several times). Lesson learned!
Calling in the Pros
We’re proud of how much we did ourselves, but we did call in a local painter to handle the high stairwell and ceiling. At the time, we didn’t feel confident tackling it ourselves, though in hindsight we probably could have managed.
For the staircase, we added a simple panelling effect, which wasn’t so simple in practice. We had to bend the wood to fit the curve of the stair wall—not bad for a pair of enthusiastic DIYers!
Ground Floor – Our Main Showroom
This level was all about atmosphere and lighting. Electricians had already made the fuse box safe and handled lighting removals and additions. We opted for a ceiling track light system, which offered flexibility and gave us a clean visual border to work around with paint, helping to brighten the space.
The ceiling here was tongue and groove wood, so we started with corking between the planks—tedious but totally worth it. After corking came sealing and painting. It took ages, but we love the result. We left the inside of the light track in its natural wood finish to match the tongue and groove wall on the right-hand side.
The left-hand brick wall was a gift—we only needed to clean it to reveal its natural beauty. We paired it with a rose mural wall, and white 3D panelling to keep the space light and uplifting. Finally, the new flooring—installed by a local supplier—completely transformed the ground floor.
Downstairs Fitting Room – Accessibility First
Our fitting room downstairs may be smaller, but it got plenty of attention. We removed most of the old fitting room dividers (kept one), repainted, wallpapered, and replaced the glass in the door. We also laid new carpet to finish the space. Making this fitting room fully accessible was important to us—especially for customers with elderly relatives or those who use wheelchairs. We’ve even have a ramp for easier access that can be brought out when required.
Outside of the Property.
This was important to us, as we wanted to create a good first impression you get when you look at the building, One of the first jobs was to remove the awning… it was dark and hide the window, so at a blink of an eye it was gone! Once the scaffolding was up we could start the paint…The painting here was done by S&J Edwards and they lifted the building from dirty and grubby to a fantastic looking building with the use of our pallet of dark creamy gold, black and white colour scheme.
The Final Touches
Once the flooring, carpets, and painting were complete, it was time to bring in the stock. We dressed the mannequins, styled the windows, and stood back to admire all the hard work. We’re not professional shop fitters or window designers, but we’re genuinely thrilled with how everything turned out.
The shop now perfectly complements our website, giving customers the option to browse styles online and try them on in the shop.
Completed, and we opened on 6 January 2025!
A Huge Thank You to Our Amazing Contractors!
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all the contractors who have worked with us—and continue to work with us—on this project. From the very beginning, we aimed to support our local community by sourcing all our contractors locally, and we’re proud to say we’ve successfully done just that.
A special thank you to:
- CMS Builders
- AMG Electrical Work
- Big Brums Carpeting Warehouse
- Matt Decorating Services
- Signature Floors Pembroke
- S&J Edwards Painters and Decorators
- 1st Choice Scaffolding
- Abersign
Your hard work, expertise, and dedication have been vital to the progress and success of our project. We truly appreciate everything you’ve done—and continue to do.
Stay tuned for Phase 2
Stay tune for Phase 2 refurbishment which is of the back of store and external – kitchen, washroom, storage, windows, landings and rear entrance. Well underway and due for completion by end June 2025.