ABOUT US
Have you noticed the snowdrop hiding in our logo? It's not just there to look pretty!
Being based on the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria is a big part of our history and we thought this was the perfect nod to both our Island and bridal gowns.
Snowdrops represent new beginnings and hope and were the primary flower in Queen Victoria's bouquet when she married Prince Albert in 1840; they were his favourite flower ❤️
HOW DID IT ALL START?
Our sister company, Wed & Prosper, is a bespoke wedding planning and styling company based on the Isle of Wight. We have been established since 2017 and since then we have listened to many disheartened brides who were not able to source their dream bridal gown and accessories. We decided to take matters into our own hands and open our own bridal boutique, focussing on unique and alternative styles. We are committed to ensuring that you will have an unforgettable bridal experience with us.
1840 is the brainchild of Carrie who is passionate about helping you feel special as well as comfortable on your big day and is run by the team behind Wed & Prosper, our sister wedding planning business, so please feel free to get in touch if you're looking for additional support with other areas of your day:
"The idea of a new bridal boutique came to me at 3am (when all the best ideas come!) last September. As a wedding planner and owner of Wed & Prosper most of my brides were shopping off Island, yet there are so many weddings here and even more brides from off Island choosing the Isle of Wight to get married - so why were they going elsewhere? I had to find out.
It became apparent that brides wanted their dress shopping to be an experience, something to be
excited about and to form part of their wedding journey. They wanted to feel special and they wanted to see all those gowns we see in photoshoots on Instagram. So that is what we set out to do.
Who would we stock? Where would our boutique be? And what would we be called?! Referring to the latter we knew we had to include Wed & Prosper in the name, a trusted brand in the wedding industry on the island. After weeks of names going back and forth and nothing feeling right, another 3am idea sprung up after I resorted to Google (the font of all knowledge!). I looked at the history of wedding dresses and it showed the white wedding dress became a trend after Queen Victoria married in 1840; the obvious link to the Isle of Wight meant it was the one!
Next up money! We spent a long time researching grants and loans to work out if we could find a way to feasibly afford to set this up and then we came across the Isle of Wight Lottery Loan. After a very lengthy process and a Dragons Den-like meeting, we were absolutely ecstatic to be granted an interest-free loan which enabled us to get the cash we needed for the upfront costs of setting up the business.
Finally we could look at designers. We wanted to be true to ourselves and the brand we were creating, ensuring we listened to feedback from brides and our mission which was to bring new designers to the Isle of Wight who offered designs and styles that weren’t available here. We then had to choose the dresses themselves, making sure we covered various styles. Styles which would ensure we were an inclusive boutique offering gowns for all shapes and sizes and dresses we loved so we felt passionate about our stock and would love selling them and seeing brides wearing them - another part of the plan ticked off.
The final piece of the puzzle was our location, and Instagram helped with that one when an advert popped up from Gully Howard and it showed a property next to Osborne House, it was a sign for 1840, we booked a viewing and said yes straight away!
So that’s how the 1840 story started and we are so excited to see where it takes us and to see who becomes an #1840bride!
Thanks for reading"!
Carrie x