A MUCH-loved bridal shop, dubbed Scotland’s best bridal boutique, has announced a shock closure – fans are left reeling.
Ten Special Day Bridal, located on Baird Road in Livingston, has served thousands of customers since it first opened ten years ago.
But bosses have revealed that the store will close its doors for good in the coming months, although an exact date has not been announced.
Staff at Gutted announced the closure to customers in a heartbreaking social media post today.
In it, bosses explained the store had been forced to close for “personal reasons” but thanked everyone for their support.
All staff are also said to have lost their jobs during a “very stressful and upsetting time”.
The shop owner announced the news on Facebook: “It is with absolute sadness that I announce the closure of my shop That Special Day Bridal due to personal reasons.
“However, I am so grateful to every customer who has walked through our doors and allowed me and my staff the pleasure of being a part of your special day.
TSD was never just a store, it was never just selling clothes. It was so much more for me and my staff
Bosses for that special wedding day
“The memories, laughs and friendships we have made over the past 10 years will stay with us forever.
“With thousands of customers on our records, there are certainly plenty of fond memories to look back on.
“I will never quite get over how far we have taken the business and I will always look back fondly and be forever proud.
“TSD was never just a store, it was never just selling clothes. To me and my staff, it was so much more than that.
“It was about supporting and helping our customers to accept that they are beautiful and can wear the most beautiful clothes that match how beautiful they are, regardless of size, gender or even the expectations of others.
“Giving them a place to step in where they feel safe and unjudged and able to be themselves to make the right dress choices for them.
“It was also about being there for our customers from the moment they walk into our store until their special day.
“From day 1, our main focus was to provide the ultimate wedding experience, and while the mocktails and all the little extras were beautiful, it was the memories we helped create that are the most special to all of us.”
Bosses also revealed that the store is launching a huge sale starting this Saturday.
As a plus size bride, finding a dress was very daunting… But I found you at TDS and what an amazing experience you gave me and memories I will cherish forever
A customer with a broken heart
All stock will be 30 percent off, and customers will need an appointment to visit this weekend.
However, from Tuesday 2nd July, any brides and grooms-to-be who have their eye on something won’t need to book an appointment.
Bosses added: “We’re launching a clearance sale and we estimate it will take around 6-8 weeks to clear our stock, so you’ll have us for a few more months.
“We will have ALL WEDDING FROGS on sale, bridesmaid dresses, flowers, shoes, wedding accessories, jewelry, tiaras, bridal wear and so much more.
“Please bear with us over the next few days as we begin to prepare the sale which we hope to launch this Saturday 29th June.
‘DO NOT PANIC’
BOSSES at That Special Day Bridal have confirmed that all orders placed will proceed as planned.
The staff posted online: “To customers with current orders… First, no need to panic.
“Most orders are now in stock and you should have been contacted to say so and arrange to collect your order.
“There are several customers that we haven’t been able to reach or haven’t heard from.
“If you haven’t arranged a pick-up time yet, give us a little message so we can do so.
“We have approximately 15 orders in stock with a deadline of up to 3 weeks.
“Most of them should be stored by Friday of this week.
“We remain fully committed to completing all orders for our brides so please don’t stress if your order is not in stock yet as it will be here very soon.”
“If you already have an appointment, don’t worry, it’s still going on. All stock will be 30 percent off, so if you’ve spotted one of our dresses now, you’ve got a chance to get it at an amazing discount.”
“The closing of the sale will be by walk-in, but we will be by appointment ONLY this Saturday and Sunday. After that, we will be walking from Tuesday 2nd July until the end of the closing sale, so no appointment is necessary.”
“As you will appreciate we will be inundated over the coming days, please be patient and a little more patient than usual while we plan and organize the closure while dealing with current orders.
“It is also a very stressful and upsetting time for our staff who have had to be told the sad news that they will be losing their jobs.
“If you call us, please keep this in mind and treat the staff with respect and understanding.
“Thanks again from the bottom of my heart for letting me run TSD for the last 10 years. Lots of love always.”
Users quickly flocked to comment on the post after being gutted by the message.
One person said: “Oh I’m so sorry to hear that. What an amazing store and an amazing team. As a plus size bride looking for a dress it was very daunting and I always thought I wouldn’t get my dream dress because of the size or that yes. feeling in clothes like i have to go online.
“But I found you at TDS and what an amazing experience you guys gave me, memories I will cherish forever. I wish you all the best for the future and I’m sure this decision was not taken lightly.”
Another added: “The most amazing bridal shop! I received my wedding dress in March and was blown away by the friendliness of the staff! Good luck to everyone in the future.”
Someone else wrote: “My daughter got her beautiful prom dress from That Special Day Bridal Warehouse. Everyone was so nice and helpful. I’m sure this will be a huge loss. You have to do what’s best for you. I wish you all the best the best”.
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And a fourth wrote: “So sad to hear you are closing – thank you for helping us choose our dresses for my big day and for all your kindness and guidance, it has been a pleasure being a customer and getting to know you all. , good luck for the future.”
While a fifth chimed in, “I’m sorry to hear that! I felt so comfortable and special when I was dress shopping and you helped me find my dream dress! Thank you so much and I wish you the best of luck in the future.”