Reflecting on 10 years at the chapel – by Emma

There are two contrasting narratives I could spin about The Chapel and how a picture perfect, non-denominationally spiritual place of bridal fashion pilgrimage was created.

One would paint me as a visionary retailer with a big idea. Something of an outlier in the very weird world of bridal retail.

In this version, I would claim that I decided to be one of the first UK stores to move away from plate glass and shop fittings and take a deep dive into experiential retail. An environment where everything from the interiors to the hand soap, the grand events and tiny gestures would speak to the taste profile of our clients. Where privacy, privilege, and point of view would seamlessly overlap in a vaulted spiritual space.

The second, more truthful version, is that it was an economic necessity. An achievement that goes far beyond Farrow and Ball and a decent online profile.

The foundations of the story lie in divorce and death. Two of the big, unplanned twists of fate that take your eyes off several balls all at the same time.
Some less than strategic decisions were made that resulted in Miss Bush hemorrhaging cash.

Occupying two sites, doubling the fixed costs.

Introducing wildly unprofitable lines (I am looking at you, bridesmaid dresses.)

Too many staff, too many sample dresses, too little accounting, too little analysis.

If I got an invite to appear on Elizabeth Day’s ‘How to Fail’ podcast, I could give her many more than three failures.

Additionally, two new relationships, one with my now husband and one with social media were a dizzying distraction from the bottom line of the business.

One day a ceiling collapsed in our old building. Only then did I discover that at the dawn of time a ‘full repairing’ lease had been signed. A decrepit building, whose water tanks were sitting on plasterboard and a prayer, was fully my responsibility.

Extracting myself from our previous lease, giving up half my house to production studio and office space, converting the front of Chapel from a sewing space to jaw dropping gorgeousness was the only answer.

I look back and wonder how this was managed in 6 weeks with zero budget.

When I look back from today’s vantage point, I see many things, borne of necessity, that I did right, that keep Miss Bush an agile and relevant company.

Streamlined staff, outsourced geniuses (finance, digital marketing, HR) highly edited and curated collections, a sharp focus across all digital marketing mediums, strategic trade partnerships, female collaboration, content creation, personal license, live events, leveraging of contacts and degree-level deployment of smoke and mirrors.

Despite two floods, one pandemic, one litigation case, one court case, new roofs and a particularly nasty case of IP theft, the last 10 years have been a huge success professionally.

However, I can’t write the history of The Chapel without considering the incredible impact the building (for the first four years as a tenant, the last six as an owner) has had on the fortunes of my family and my personal mental health.
Too many hours, too few holidays. Absolutely no work/life balance. An actual nervous breakdown, a lot of alcohol. Every event over-thought, over-wrought, overdone.

When I finally got the mortgage and pushed the purchase of The Chapel over the line, the consensus was that I should be delighted. I was exhausted. Nearly six years on, I am pleased that the ‘woman is like a tea bag’ quote applies to me.

Put me in hot water, I am very strong.

There are members of my team that now work with me that are invaluable but arrived with The Chapel as a given.

I want to pay specific tribute to the stalwarts that flipped The Chapel, encouraged me, and had faith beyond reason.

Marshy tops every list. For transforming the building and supporting me entirely.

Apologies and thanks in equal measures to my children Georgia, Harvey, and William.

The original Bush Girls- my Mum and Corinne who always know the truth.

Leah, for everything. For someone that works remotely, Leah’s creativity is as fundamental to Miss Bush and the Chapel as the stained glass. Both illuminate the physical reality and the virtual space occupied by Miss Bush.

The chapel launch was also the first time our wonderful Rosie stepped through the doors, attending alongside her Mum, Sharon Roberts. Since then, Rosie joined the Miss Bush family as a stylist, eventually becoming our General Manager. She came as a plus 1 and now she is the number 1.

Layla, was the first person brave enough to tell me that our client services needed a major overhaul, our communications a 21st century glow up.

Our amazing production personnel, now headed up by patient and gifted Jo, have been fundamental to Miss Bush’s overall success. The line-up has changed but the teamwork has always been incredible.

There are legions of other ‘thank yous’ – florists, models, photographers, artists, designers, caterers, beauty teams, DJs, cake makers cocktail shakers that have all elevated the in-person experience and the content creation that has made the first 10 years of The Chapel such a success.