UPDATED: 22nd March 2021
We are currently closed in line with Government guidelines, however, we plan to reopen on Tuesday 13th April 2021 with our usual hours of business.
We will be providing all of our usual services, however, in order to keep our customers and staff as safe as possible, there are some restrictions in store which are explained below and in order to prepare you for your visit, and make you as comfortable as possible, we’ve also set out below some key information and notes on what to expect.
At present we are unable to cater to walk in appointments, and will therefore, be by appointment only for the foreseeable.
COVID-19 Appointment Guidelines:
Before Your Visit:
When booking your appointment, you will have been asked how many guests you would like to accompany you. This is to ensure safe social distancing can be maintained at all times, particularly in the changing suites, and to manage the number of people in store at any one time. We will do our best to accommodate you and your guests, but should the store already be near capacity it may be that you will need to reduce guest numbers or change the time of your appointment.
We would appreciate you sharing these guidelines with your guests ahead of your visit.
If you or your guests feel unwell, have been in contact with any person showing COVID-19 symptoms or have any symptoms no matter how mild please contact us to reschedule your appointment – it is imperative that you do so and we will ask you to re-confirm this before starting your appointment.
The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
- a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
As we are lucky enough to have multiple changing rooms, this does mean that other Brides and their guests will be in store during your visit, as well as other team members.
Face coverings are currently mandatory in all shops in England for both customers and staff. Please ensure that you and your guests come prepared for your appointment with a face covering of your choice, which should be worn before entering the store. All of our staff will be wearing clear face shields.
Your Visit:
Please arrive promptly, no earlier or later than your confirmed appointment time. This is because we need to ensure we have enough time between appointments to clean and refresh changing rooms and high frequency touch points.
On arrival you’ll spot signs guiding you to our reception desk. You’ll pass our sanitisation station on the way, stocked with hand sanitiser, disposable gloves and face masks should you require them. Please use the hand sanitiser before touching anything in store.
There are a number of COVID-19 contact tracing QR codes dotted around the store for you and your guests to use, should you wish to check in using the NHS track and trace app.
At reception you’ll be introduced to your consultant who will then show you to your private changing suite which will be yours for the duration of your appointment.
Before starting your appointment please ensure you visit our restroom to thoroughly wash your hands. Your sales consultant will be doing the same. If you would prefer your consultant to wear gloves, simply let us know.
As we offer such a personal service, your consultant will need to be in close proximity to you throughout the appointment. This means they will be wearing a face shield for theirs and your comfort. Where possible they will also keep a safe social distance.
Only your consultant will be able to select dresses from our rails. This is to reduce movement in store, minimise touch points and ensure that we can confidently clean and sanitise all dresses between appointments. You and your guests simply need to sit back and relax and let us do all the heavy lifting… literally!
Should you need to move about the store for any reason, please ensure you follow social distancing guidelines at all times.
When making payment, we kindly ask that, where possible you make payment using a credit or debit card instead of cash to reduce the need for us to handle it. Our card machine will be sanitised between every use and disposable gloves are available.
Safety Measures:
All team members have completed a COVID-19 hygiene course and have been briefed in full on the Shops and Branches Reopening Guidelines.
Signage and floor markings are throughout the store to make it as easy as possible for you to follow social distancing and good hygiene practices. Your consultant is fully trained in all our new measures and will be on hand to assist.
We have carried out a thorough risk assessment ahead of reopening and have new procedures in place to ensure cleaning and sanitisation can take place frequently. This also means our store looks a little different right now as we have removed any excess soft furnishings that are not required for your visit, clean = beautiful.
Thank you for your support and understanding – these guidelines are not what we want, but they are what we need right now. Our main priority is to keep everyone safe, whilst still maintaining that Maria Modes experience you all love.
If you are unsure about any of the above or have any questions just drop us a call or message, we cannot wait to see you!
