A bridalwear brand started by a husband and wife team has been recognised as one of the top 20 fastest-growing companies in the country.

Six Stories, which is based in Altrincham and launched five years ago, has been ranked 20th in the annual Sunday Times 100, the first bridal brand to feature on the prestigious list.

Ross and Lucy Menghini started their e-commerce business in 2019 after she began making handmade bridal gifts at home, and selling them on e-commerce platform, Etsy.

'When we set out on this journey we wanted to create a brand that made brides feel special every step of the way in high-quality bridal wear, becoming a one-stop shop for all of those personal items for a bride’s big day,' says Lucy.

Lucy gave up her job as a marketing director and Ross left his role as a business development manager and the couple started working on their wedding-based venture full-time.

But a year after launch the pandemic hit, meaning weddings and events being put on hold.

Lucy Menghini, co-founder of Six StoriesLucy Menghini, co-founder of Six Stories (Image: Courtesy of Six Stories) Lucy and Ross, who are moving from Hale to a new home in Wilmslow this month, saw the enforced pause as an opportunity to change what they offered, spotting a gap in the market for a range of T-shirts and sweatshirts for each bridal appointment.

While the wedding dress market was saturated, there was growth in interest around the wedding, with couples and their guests making an event of dress shopping, hen parties and pre-wedding planning.

Six Stories offered their social media followers (at the time just over 500) a free ‘bridey’ T-shirt. The brand quickly grew, and they ended up giving away more than 15,000 T-shirts.

Word spread about their designs, and as weddings re-started, they continued the casualwear range, adding gifts for brides and bridesmaids, including fun items for hen parties and honeymoons, and an occasionwear arm of the business, with a selection of bridesmaid dresses.

Last year they expanded their warehouse offering, launching in America and moving to bigger premises in Altrincham. A recent sample sale in Manchester city centre had five-hour queues.

They have sold more than 60,000 bridesmaid dresses, are stocked in Selfridges, Very.co.uk, ASOS and wedding shows and the team has 20 members of staff, with ambitious expansion plans.

Six Stories bridesmaids' dresses (Image: Courtesy of Six Stories) 'Being named on the Sunday Times 100 fastest growing companies for 2024 is something I am incredibly proud of. Ross and I have managed to scale the brand and keep its heart and soul exactly the same,' says Lucy.

'We have grown a team who also live and breathe the Six Stories brand values and have been able to reach some huge milestones. I am looking forward to watching the brand continue to grow with plans to double our product offering over the coming months, taking everything we’ve learned about bridal and moving into everyday casual and occasion. It’s a very exciting time and we are so grateful to everyone who has supported our vision over the last five years.

'This is just the start for Six Stories.'

sixstories.co.uk