A Kenilworth charity shop has been given a number of brand-new designer wedding dresses by a local bridal shop.

Pre-loved Emporium was given three wedding dresses, seven bridesmaid dresses and a number of accessories including tiaras earlier this summer by the local business which asked not to be named.

The Millar Court shop - which was opened by friends Katie Best and Melissa Humphreys in December 2020 - has since been given a fourth dress to sell in aid of Samaritans by a local lady who three decades after she decided not to go through with the wedding it was intended for.

"We met the owner of a local designer wedding dress shop because Melissa's daughter was getting married this year," Katie told Nub News. 

"And she has donated some absolutely beautiful designer wedding gowns. 

"Lots of people know about the shop now, but we are trying to get the message out about these dresses. 

"She was going to put them in a sale, but decided she would rather give them to charity and support the Samaritans."

One of the windows at Pre-loved Emporium has been dedicated to the wedding dresses (image supplied)

One of the windows at Preloved Emporium has been dedicated to the dresses, with the largest dress - made by Martin Thornburg - taking centre stage.

The dresses were originally priced at around £3,000, but the Samaritans store is selling them from £300 to £450.

"It came out of the blue, it was fantastic," Melissa added. 

"When I went over and picked them up, it was great and I got to see how stunning they were. 

"We have got four that are really different, which is great. 

"And she said if we can sell them, it could become an ongoing thing." 

Shoes and other accessories have also been donated (image supplied)

Katie and Melissa also said they wanted to reassure potential customers that the dresses are all brand new and are unworn.

And they said they would open the shop out of hours for a potential customer to make sure they had the "full bridal experience" and had the shop to themselves to try on the dresses.

"The window is a big talking point," Melissa added. 

"Our windows are anyway, people always say they look lovely - and often people don't even realise we are a charity shop, they think it is a vintage store which is what we wanted. 

"But yes, the wedding window does draw a lot of attention, people taking pictures to pass on to friends."

Pre-loved Emporium first opened its doors in December 2020 (image by James Smith)

And as the shop nears its third anniversary, in the year that Samaritans celebrates 70 years since it was founded, the pair said they were incredibly proud of what they have achieved so far.

"It is great, we love it," Melissa added. 

"We like it here, it's lovely in the courtyard and we are absolutely loving it. 

"We have regular donations, really good stuff. 

"People are always surprised at the range and the quality of the stock that we have. It is nice to know that we are doing some good and making a difference."

To find out more, or to see some of the stock at Pre-loved Emporium, head to the Facebook and Instagram pages.

There are four wedding dresses and seven bridesmaid dresses available (image supplied)



The dresses have all been donated by a local bridal shop (image supplied)