A resourceful Cork city boutique has found a way to salvage many of the wedding dresses damaged in Storm Babet
Last October, ‘biblical’ flooding left the town of Midleton in shock as shops and store fronts were left ruined by the force of the storm.
One of these businesses was award-winning bridal boutique, Say I Do, run by Ria Burgoyne and Shirley Keating. It was founded in 2003 after Ria had a disappointing experience when she bought her own wedding dress. She vowed not to let that happen to any other bride and the pair has built their reputation on that promise ever since.
However, they learned the hard way that when it comes to the Irish weather, sometimes keeping the promises you make is outside of your control.
“Our store was completely ruined by the flooding last October,” Ria said. “All of our stock, furniture and equipment were completely destroyed. We managed to salvage one dress and about five veils. We were very lucky that all of our Christmas brides had already collected their dresses and our Spring and Summer dresses hadn’t started to arrive.”
The one thing they were very relieved about was that, incredibly, only one customer’s dress was destroyed. Even more fortunately, the bride who lost her dress wasn’t getting married until March and the ladies had the dress replaced by the end of November.
The suddenness of it all is still a source of amazement. “We got no warning that the town was going to flood. It all happened within minutes so there was no time to save anything. The entire town was engulfed in water in a matter of minutes. We were very lucky there was no loss of life.”
Finding solutions
Instead of wallowing in the misery of seeing their beautiful boutique flooded, Ria and Shirley immediately began to think about what could be done with what they had left.
As they sifted through the wreckage, and saw that a lot of dresses just had damage at the lower end, and the answer became apparent.
“All of our beautiful stock dresses were destroyed from about the knees down,” Shirley said. “The day we started dumping them in the skip was the hardest day of all. We couldn’t bring ourselves to dump them all so we decided to cut the ends off the dresses. They are ideal as a hen party dress, a dress for changing into for dancing or if you are getting married abroad and doing the civil part of the wedding before you travel.”
In the end, being able to save and re-use even a small portion of the beautiful dresses meant a lot to them.
“It has brought us great joy to see the dresses being used and worn,” she agreed. “Most of the dresses had to be dumped as they were too damaged but the small selection we managed to salvage helped in the healing process.”
Changing with the times
With the shift to smaller weddings since the pandemic, I wondered if they had noticed a big difference in what brides are looking for dress-wise.
“In our experience, all brides want the dream dress, no matter how big or small the wedding is,” Ria smiled. “Every bride has a different dream of the perfect dress. While the venue etc. will have an influence on the dress a bride will choose, ultimately the most important thing that a dress should reflect is the bride’s personality. It’s so important to wear what she loves and feels amazing in and not what others think she should wear.”
Despite this, the flooding has made them rethink some elements of the business and implement some changes, including looking at the brands they stock to see what is really working and what they should move away from.
“All of our styles are brand new from some of the best designers in the wedding industry,” Shirley explained. “We especially love our Jesus Peiro dresses. They offer something very special to a bride-to-be and are unique to us in Munster.
“We also did a complete revamp of our interiors and completely changed how we ran our fitting rooms. Our new boutique is bright and airy and beautifully decorated in creams and greens. It’s a lovely space to welcome our brides to.”
While the renovation work was happening, the boutique relocated temporarily but have since reopened and are delighted that business is booming.
“Our brides have been amazing and so supportive of us while they waited for us to reopen properly. We are delighted to say that all dresses arrived on time and we let no one down and we are forever indebted to Tom Kelly in Market Green for giving us a temporary home while we rebuilt our boutique.”
The Midleton rebrand
And Say I Do is not the only business in Midleton that has re-emerged with a new ethos. In fact, 12 April marks the launch of the Midleton brand and website, a significant milestone in the revitalisation of the community.
In response to recent challenges, notably the flooding that impacted the region, the Midleton and Area Chamber of Commerce recognised the urgent need to redefine the town’s narrative. The aim is to showcase Midleton as a vibrant and resilient community, ready for business and open to opportunities.
“This shift in narrative is not just about perception but a crucial step towards boosting commerce and fostering economic growth in our locality,” said Adrianna Hegarty, President of the Midleton and Area Chamber of Commerce.
Celebrating Midleton and East Cork’s rich offerings extends beyond its vibrant atmosphere to its renowned establishments. In addition to its culinary and cultural delights, Midleton and East Cork boast scenic attractions like the newly established greenway, picturesque beaches, and stunning coastline. These, coupled with employment opportunities and convenient commuter links, make the region not just a destination, but a thriving community offering a balanced lifestyle and endless possibilities for residents and visitors alike.
Say I Do is thrilled to be part of such a vibrant community and is keen to spread the message that Midleton is very much open for business.
“The town has so much to offer and it is a wonderful place to spend a day in,” Shirley enthused. “We have a fabulous selection of independent boutiques, cafes and restaurants. It really is a beautiful town to trade in and I have had over 20 happy years working amongst some great people. The floods in October showed us all how resilient we are and we really can achieve anything if we work together to make it happen.”
See visitmidleton.ie for more details.
