TWO friends from Hampshire are getting ready to live their dream of opening a bridal boutique.

House of Boêmia will be opening at a chapel in Alresford on Valentine’s Day. Friends and former colleagues Bethany Sharp, from Fair Oak, and Lauren Fletcher, from Kings Worthy, have been dreaming of the day since they first met as bridal boutique employees.

The pair are hoping to appeal to the “modern bride” with their bohemian theme in the romantic setting of The Old Chapel in the village near Winchester.

Bethany, 24, who has a degree in graphic design said: “We are absolutely thrilled. In disbelief that this is really happening and going to be a reality. It’s our dream. It’s always been in the pipeline but now it’s real.”

The ambition to run their own boutique was reinforced when Lauren, 31, was Bethany’s maid of honour.

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The pair always knew they wanted a chapel for the business and said yes to the Alresford unit in November. The space was previously used as a gallery and already well decorated so the duo are now adding finishing touches such as a flower arch, a feature mirror and a swing.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Bethany added: “We wanted a swing so people can sit in their dresses and feel like they are flying. There are original stained glass windows in the building so it matches our aesthetic instantly.

“We’re sticking with the bohemian style for the wild and free bride. We didn’t want to go with the traditional style because there seems to be a lot of that on the market so we’re really trying to narrow down on the modern bride.”

To start with 19 bohemian-style dresses will be stocked but the bridal boutique hopes to build this over time. All of the dresses will be sourced from the UK and Europe.

Hampshire Chronicle:

Fellow businesses in Alresford have been invited to the launch on February 14 as well as the mayor of Winchester, Cllr Derek Green.

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Bethany said: “Valentine’s Day is perfect for the launch because the day is about celebrating love and we’ve got the mayor as our date.

"We want to make the business community-based. Lots of things are built through word of mouth so if we can support other businesses too, that will be great."

Despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, Bethany and Lauren remain positive the business will be a success after putting in the effort and the hard work to make it happen.

House of Boêmia is available for pre-booking and will be open at The Old Chapel in The Dean 10am-2.30pm from Tuesday to Friday, 9am-6.30pm on Saturdays and some Sundays 9am-11am.

For more go to houseofboemia.co.uk/.