White Secret Brautboutique

White Secret Brautboutique is a bridal shop at Hauptstrasse 51 in Münchenstein, which the site describes as near Basel ("bei Basel"). It sells wedding dresses, evening and cocktail dresses, flower-girl dresses, bridesmaid dresses and bridal shoes, has its own in-house tailoring, and lets brides rent a wedding dress for half its sale price. Its online shop shows prices for the dresses and shoes, which makes it possible to judge the budget before a visit.

The bridal collections

The homepage names the labels: the Maggie Sottero and Rebecca Ingram collections, Maison Signore, and the shop's own White Secret collection. The styles, in the site's words, run from modern, classic and sexy to high-necked, and on the bridal page from simple, elegant and full-skirted to boho and classic.

The shop lists some of the dresses in the boutique with prices. The bridal page shows models such as Deon at CHF 1,450, Amanda at CHF 1,585, Iris at CHF 1,910 and Kiandra at CHF 1,920, and the new arrivals on the homepage include Kathleen at CHF 1,915, Finley at CHF 2,010, Oakley at CHF 2,055, Pezy at CHF 2,070, Jazzy at CHF 2,095, Honor at CHF 2,160 and Larissa at CHF 2,170. The bridal category says 21 dresses are shown online, a selection of what is in the boutique.

Renting a wedding dress

The bridal page offers rental in plain terms: if you have found your dress but do not want to carry the whole cost, get in touch "und du bezahlst nur 50% des Verkaufspreises", and you pay only 50% of the sale price. On the listed prices that is a large saving. The site does not set out the rental conditions, such as how long you keep the dress, deposits or cleaning, so those have to be agreed with the boutique.

Bridesmaids, family and guests

The shop is set up to dress the people around the bride too. The homepage says it can promise that the maid of honor, the mother, the flower girl and the bridesmaids will find a suitable dress there. The menu includes evening dresses that can be ordered online, accessories, flower-girl dresses, "Twist" convertible dresses, and two bridesmaid categories.

For bridesmaid dresses made to order, the shop works with the company myprettydress. Bridesmaids, maids of honor and female relatives of the bride can choose from different cuts, colors and materials, and the dresses are made exclusively for them. The site states the delivery time as ten weeks and recommends a visit to the boutique for advice, with the friends together, so everyone can be matched to the bride's dress. A separate category offers bridesmaid dresses up to size 58.

Shoes

For bridal shoes the shop works with Rainbow Shoes, a manufacturer that specializes in bridal shoes padded to be worn all day. The main selling point, in the shop's words "der absolute Clou", is that the shoes can be dyed after the wedding, so a white wedding shoe can be reused for another occasion or even for everyday wear. The boutique keeps various Rainbow models in different sizes. The online listings run from Rainbow Jerney at CHF 179 through Billie at CHF 199, Hira and Bodine at CHF 205 and Pammy at CHF 215 to Judith at CHF 225. Rainbow also makes bags, evening shoes, flower-girl shoes and men's shoes, and the full range can be viewed through a link on the page.

The appointment

The homepage describes how a visit works. You can drop in without obligation, or book a fixed appointment online, for which the boutique closes for you and your companions and gives you two hours of individual advice. The consultation is free. It starts with your wishes and ideas, then you look through the dresses and take any you like into the fitting room. Once you have found your dress, the shop alters it to fit you. At the last fitting, a few days before the wedding, you put it on again and they check one final time that everything fits.

The same service applies to evening dress fittings, and the shop also offers advice on gifts. The menu links to a page of tips and questions and answers about the fitting, a gallery of White Secret brides, a page on the designers, a partners page and a blog.

In-house tailoring

The menu has a page for the in-house tailoring (Hausinterne Schneiderei), and the footer names the seamstresses: Monika, Filomena (Fifi) and Judith. Having alterations done on site is useful for a bride who wants one place to handle the dress from choice to final fitting. The site does not publish alteration prices.

What customers say

The homepage shows an "Ausgezeichnet" (excellent) rating from 38 reviews. The reviews name Nicole and Joana as the people who advised them. One bride wrote that Nicole created a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and that "Die Brautkleider-Auswahl war eher klein, aber dafür wunderschön!", the choice of bridal dresses was rather small but beautiful. Another customer found her wedding shoes online with Nicole without ever meeting her, over a few WhatsApp messages, and says Nicole contacted the manufacturer to find the right shoe. Another reviewer found two dresses there for the mothers of the bride and groom.

For couples from abroad

The site is in German. It gives a phone number (+41 (0)78 671 04 84), an email address (info@ws-brautboutique.ch) and online booking, but it does not say whether consultations are offered in English. It gives no directions, parking or public transport information beyond the address, and it does not list opening hours.

What the site does not settle

• Opening hours.
• Rental conditions beyond the 50% price.
• Alteration costs and timing.
• Delivery times for wedding dresses ordered in your size.
• Languages spoken in the boutique.
• Shipping and return terms for online orders. The site links to general terms (AGB).

Who it suits

White Secret suits a bride who wants published prices before she visits, likes the idea of renting a dress at half price, and wants alterations done by the same shop. It is a practical choice when bridesmaids, mothers and flower girls also need outfits. The caveat, which one reviewer notes, is that the bridal selection is on the small side, and the German-only site means couples from abroad should confirm language and opening times before they travel.