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Discover the Magic at Maidens and Ravens

A unique, sustainable and inclusive bridal boutique in the heart of York

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The Treasure Trove

The Treasure Trove

A magical collection of beautiful one-off designer wedding gowns at affordable prices, especially handpicked for you by me. Made up of discontinued, sample, vintage and bespoke wedding dresses - there is something for everyone. These are my most eco-friendly gowns These gems cannot be ordered so once they are gone - poof! they're really gone. Please note that new dresses sometimes come and go before I get the chance to photograph them so this is not our full collection!

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Maiden Collection

Maiden Collection

Drawing from the treasure trove and commission dresses these beauties are ethereal, magical, pretty, classic, regal and vintage inspired wedding dresses that are perfect for every queen.

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Raven Collection

Raven Collection

Welcome to the dark side... 🖤 Bold, colourful, dramatic and dark. This is where you'll find our wedding gowns for our alternative brides and those Queens looking for something different. I love alternative style especially gothic inspired gowns. This collection includes our one-off designer wedding dresses and custom made to order wedding gowns. Available in sizes to fit every bride, everyone is sure to find a dress that is both affordable and unique.

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Commissioned for you

Commissioned for you

Careful thought was given by me nto the Bridal designers I have chosen for my made for you collection. It was essential that the designers became part of my story and could customise dresses to make them uniquely yours. I am not interested in designers that partake in the fast fashion industry with styles that are regularly discontinued. I wanted beautiful, timeless and affordable dresses designed by people whose values align with my own. The Commissioned for You collection are wedding dresses which are made by hand just to order. These designers enable me to offer customisable dresses and to be fully inclusive by being available to order in every size without restrictions.

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Veils and Accessories

Veils and Accessories

We are official stockists of veils by Nieve Couture and Shane Moore Designs. Veils are made to order in all lengths and different shades to match your dress. We also carry an affordable range of tiaras, headbands and hair accessories. Book an accessory appointment with me if you would like to try them on.

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Special Occasion Wear

Special Occasion Wear

Maidens & Ravens are official stockists of Richards Designs and have a wide range of beautiful dresses available to order in sizes 4-32 and pretty much every colour you would wish for! Whether you are looking for coordinating dresses for your bridesmaids, a prom dress or something for a special event, there is a dress for you! I can also show you how your chosen dress can be customised for example by adding applique, extra sparkle and even a detachable train or overlay skirt! The dresses are made to order especially for you and take around 3 months to come in. They are generally priced around £250-£500 depending on the style. Book an Occasion appointment with me if you would like to try them on.

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Whole Store

Whole Store

Unsure? See the whole collection at Maidens and Ravens here!

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"Be our guest; our stunning collection of one-off dresses are fully customisable, allowing us to add your personality, vision and a sprinkle of magic to create the dress of your dreams."

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Sustainable Style

More and more couples are making conscious decisions to be more environmentally friendly when planning their weddings. Bridalwear is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to fast fashion, not to mention the polluting effects of the production process so it is one area where you can make a difference. At Maidens & Ravens I am passionate in doing what I can to offer my brides a truly sustainable choice.

Read About My Values
Our promise on sustainability
Elizabeth helping a bride down the stairs!

Meet Elizabeth

Hello my Queens.
I am Elizabeth and I am the founder, owner and award winning bridal mavern at Maidens and Ravens, here in the historic city of York.

Did you know that a mavern is someone who is experienced and knowledgeable? Seemed like a fitting name for me...

Read More About Me

No Size Limit

We have dresses for everyone!

Planet friendly wedding dresses

Sample dresses and made to order by sustainable designers.

Options to Customise

Choose your dress and make changes to suit your style

Affordability

Dresses for every budget

"Feel confident and cherished every step of the way. Our warm, welcoming and inclusive boutique makes dress shopping the start of your wedding day"

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Create your Dream Dress

Looking for something you just cannot find? Then let me help you create your dream dress! Whatever you want, I want to help you achieve it!

You may like to purchase a base dress from our Treasure Trove and together we can explore ways in which it could be adapted into your perfect dress. Using my years of bridal expertise and creative imagination, I can show you how sleeves can be added or removed, necklines changed, and details altered or added to adapt your chosen dress into the look you have envisioned. This is a cost-effective way of creating a completely unique dress without the nasty price tag!

Alternatively, many of our Commissioned for You dresses by Louisa Jackson can be made in different colours and with changes to sleeves, skirt type, trains or little details to create a dress that is as unique and individual as you would like and unlike a completely bespoke dress, these new to order dresses still sit comfortably below £2,000.

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Having seen a dress I liked online in I decided to travel up from London. What a welcome i received from the lovely Elizabeth, she immediately put me at ease with her warm personality and professionalism. Whilst the original dress was not for me I soon found my perfect dress in her shop which is full of beautiful dresses. Elizabeth is everything you would want to find in a bridal retailer – she passionate about the bridal wear she sells without being pushy and has such good advice. She knew I had travelled from London and advised I might prefer someone closer to home to alter the dress but I wanted to keep the dress alterations in York and Elizabeth recommended a local business who were perfect. I cannot hank them enough. I have not only got my dream dress but I now have friends in York!

Michelle L

This was wedding dress shop number 7 for me! Elizabeth was very welcoming and had a collection of slightly alternative and unique dresses, along with the classic styles. Elizabeth has most of her dresses listed on Facebook and identifies when these have sold. This allowed me to look through the dress catalogue and pick out favourites knowing that they would be in store. I visited the shop by myself and Elizabeth made me feel special, built up my body confidence, but was also honest in her opinions. When I found a dress I liked, she helped me to video call my family and show off my chosen outfit. Great customer service. Value for money. Would recommend! Thank you.

Anon

I attended with my mum and from the moment we arrived Elizabeth was super welcoming and nothing felt like too much trouble. There were so many more beautiful dresses available to try on than expected and at no point did I feel rushed, overwhelmed or that my budget was under any pressure. Elizabeth is still in touch with me following the purchase with guidance on the next steps and I feel reassured that should I have any more questions she will be happy to help. Overall a really personable experience.

Faye.M

Found my wedding dress with the help of this lovely shop and the expert eye of Elizabeth. I was finding the whole experience of wedding dress shopping stressful and overwhelming, especially as I was on such a tight budget. Elizabeth was so kind, patient and knowledgeable. And the dress we found is just perfect, I absolutely loved wearing it last Saturday to get married! Thank you so much!

Olivia.H

An amazing stress free experience for wedding dress shopping! Couldn’t recommend enough. Amazing selection of different affordable dresses in all different colours and sizes and Elizabeth is fabulous! Couldn’t have had a better experience.

Alexandra.G

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