29/08/2026
This is going to be a long one, so grab a drink… 🥂
There really is no right place to begin.
As you swipe through these images, you’re swiping through 10 years of English Rose Bridal.
The ups, the downs. Where we began and where we are today. The processes, the people, the hard work — the blood, sweat and tears, as they say.
So, we begin at ERB #1.
A bad day at work turned into a life-changing decision — a leap of faith, if you will.
Jacqui, the creator of ERB decided this was her new career path.
Where? Not sure yet.
How? Don’t know that either.
Any Bridal experience? Absolutely not
And with what gowns? Ah yes… that’ll be the 200+ gowns she had just spent her and her husband’s savings on! 😳
As crazy as it all started, the journey only gets crazier.
With no store in sight, the gowns were piled into a storage unit, where they would wait for the next three months before finally, there was a store that seemed just right.
A store Jacqui thought she’d never outgrow.
She and her husband, Terry, fitted out the entire store themselves, ready to officially open the doors on the 8th of October 2016.
But with less than 2 weeks till open day, Jacqui heard a knock at the shop door.
Standing outside, little did she know, was her first bride.
Before the doors had even officially opened, Jacqui had sold her first gown.
A sigh of relief… maybe she could actually pull this off!
That day is now what we consider our birthday.
On the 27th of September 2016, English Rose Bridal had officially been born. 🥰
There was still an official opening on October 8th, where friends and family gathered to celebrate. Mimosas were flowing and plenty of photos were taken to remember the day.
And then... just two years later, it was already time to move.
A terrible flood from the adjoining unit left the store unable to operate. Thankfully, none of the gowns were damaged, but the beautiful flooring Jacqui and Terry had spent so much time laying was ruined.
And, as it turned out, Jacqui had already started to outgrow the store she once thought would last a lifetime.
Before moving out, Jacqui spent the final day stripping down the entire store — on her birthday — accompanied by her poor Roxy dog, who had just come out of surgery.
Then came ERB #2.
Store number two was a very short stay.
The shop fit was complete, they moved in, and the store was a dream.
Until it wasn’t…
In the early hours of April 18th, 2019, the day before Good Friday, Jacqui was woken by the sound of alarms blaring.
In her PJs, she raced to the store and arrived at a scene no business owner ever wants to see.
Fire.
It was blazing through the deli next door.
Only one thought crossed her mind:
Her brides.
For anyone who knows Jacqui, you’ll understand the determination — and very persuasive effect — she has when she needs it.
Somehow, she convinced the firemen to take her into the store.
Through thick black smoke and with the help of the firefighters, she was able to rescue the client gowns — especially those belonging to brides who were due to collect them for weddings over the Easter weekend.
Thanks to Jacqui and the firemen, every client gown was rescued.
The stock gowns, however, weren’t so lucky.
Fire, smoke and water damage meant they were ruined and had to be disposed of.
What followed was an incredibly long morning.
Calling brides. Calling suppliers. Calling KoKo, the incredible dry cleaner who helped repair any smoke damage they possibly could.
Once every client had been taken care of, Jacqui turned her attention back to the shop.
What on earth do we do now?
The store was closed.
There were no gowns to sell. No store to hold appointments. Not even a room to complete alterations for upcoming weddings.
A new collection was being designed, but it would take months.
And yet, through it all…
Not a single wedding was missed.
Alterations were completed from home wherever possible, or from the home studio of our seamstress at the time, Susan.
We later discovered the fire had been caused by an arson attack on the store next door — a completely unavoidable and devastating event.
A very long four months later…
ERB #3 had been found.
It was time for the third — and hopefully final — shop fit.
Six weeks of work later, we were officially up and running again in November 2019.
And what a find this store was.
It was huge! (Or so we thought)
The change rooms and seating areas were spacious, there was more than enough room for all of our rails and different collections, plus a great storeroom and an amazing sewing studio.
What a fresh start!
Until…
COVID-19 hit less than five months later.
Very few sales over the following 12 months took a huge toll on Jacqui, her family and her staff.
Of course, businesses everywhere were experiencing the same thing — but after the string of bad luck ERB had already faced, you could forgive us for thinking it was starting to feel a little personal!
Jacqui opened her home studio once again, supporting herself and as many brides as possible while keeping COVID restrictions in place.
Then, as restrictions began to lift, the alterations studio became very busy.
Not many people had been purchasing gowns, but all of the brides who already had — and had been forced to pause their wedding plans — were suddenly able to start again.
That meant almost a year’s worth of gowns needing alterations.
And somehow, once again, it became apparent…
The store wasn’t big enough.
Which brings us to…
Shop fit #4. 😳
This was by far the biggest one they had tackled.
Jacqui and Terry were back on the tools, this time recruiting their sons, Aaron and Carter.
The Dunns were all hands on deck, while Charmaine, Gwenda and I tried our best to hold down the fort at store #3.
And by July 1st, 2021, ERB had officially moved across the road and opened its doors once again.
This store is absolutely incredible.
I am still in awe of what Jacqui created, and I am incredibly proud to say that this is the English Rose Bridal you know today.
But, as most of you will know, there has recently been another big change.
In May, Jacqui stepped away from ERB.
It wasn’t a decision taken lightly, nor was it an easy one.
After moving into our new store in July 2021, Terry suffered an incredibly unfortunate accident on a job site that December.
For almost five years now, Terry has been living with an acquired brain injury.
Without going into too much detail, it’s easy to understand how something like this changes life not only for Terry, but for Jacqui and their two boys as well.
Juggling being a business owner while trying to navigate this new life brought struggles no one could ever prepare for — struggles no book could ever guide you through.
Eventually, the time came when Jacqui’s attention was needed elsewhere.
Her energy was being stretched too thin, and it was time to bring her focus back to the people who needed her most.
And that is where my chapter really begins.
I had spent six years under Jacqui’s wing.
Watching. Learning. Growing.
I had never felt more ready… and I had never felt more terrified.
The shoes I knew I needed to fill felt impossible to fill.
So, I took a page out of the book I had spent six years learning from…
and I jumped in anyway.
It has been an incredible feeling to be able to give my energy to something Jacqui poured so much of herself into for so many years.
I will forever remember and appreciate the history of English Rose Bridal, and I can only hope to continue creating many more memories — for us, and for our brides.
And throughout these ten years, we must never forget the people who made any of this possible:
Our brides.
Every appointment. Every “yes”. Every wedding. Every recommendation. Every review. Every bride who trusted ERB with such an important part of her life.
You are the reason the doors stayed open through every move, every setback, every rebuild and every new beginning.
And Jacqui…
Thank you.
Thank you for creating our award-winning store. For taking that crazy leap of faith ten years ago. For surviving the floods, the fire, COVID, four shop fits and everything else that was thrown your way.
Thank you for the six years you spent teaching me, whether you realised what we were preparing for or not.
I only hope to continue what you started with the same passion, love and devotion that built English Rose Bridal in the first place.
Ten years.
Four stores.
A flood. A fire. A pandemic. And a very Traumatic Brain Injury.
Thousands of appointments, countless gowns and so many beautiful brides later…
ERB is still here. 🥂
And the story does not end here.
In fact, I am only just getting started. 🤍
If you have not already seen our HUGE Birthday promotion happening this September, make sure you book your appointment now to be involved! Everyone is a winner at ERB 💐
