The Story
A bridal hair atelier built quietly, run carefully.
Founded by Sarah Whitmore in 2020 to be the studio she wished had existed when she first started working with brides.
The morning of a wedding is the single most photographed two hours of a person's life. We take it seriously.
Sarah trained at Vidal Sassoon, returned home to Somerset, and worked through every salon role in Bath before she opened her own door. She knew what she wanted Ethereal to be from her very first bridal trial: unhurried, intimate, immaculately prepared.
The studio sits on Margaret's Buildings — a tucked-away street of independent boutiques where you almost have to know where to look. That suits us. Most of our brides find us by word of mouth, by a photograph their friend showed them, by a recommendation from a wedding planner they trust.
Three of us now hold pairs of hands. We work weddings together, we trial together, and we hand over notes the way a surgeon would: every pin, every product, every angle that worked.
The Journey
Six years on Margaret's Buildings.
2008
Sarah trains at Vidal Sassoon London — three years on a foundation programme that becomes a lifetime habit.
2014
First wedding behind the chair: a friend of a friend's intimate ceremony at the Holburne Museum. Word gets out.
2017
Sarah leaves the salon she'd worked in for six years and starts taking bridal-only bookings from her home studio.
2020
Ethereal opens its doors on Margaret's Buildings. Two months later, lockdown. Weddings postpone. We hold the bookings.
2022
Mia Chen joins as Senior Bridal Stylist. Bookings open six months further out — the studio is full.
2024
Amara Okafor joins as our texture specialist. The atelier reaches three pairs of hands.
2026
2,000+ brides served. Featured in Country & Town House. Still in the same Georgian townhouse.
The Atelier
Three pairs of hands.
Sarah Whitmore
Founder · 15+ years
With 15 years behind the chair and over 2,000 bridal updos, Sarah is Bath's most sought-after bridal hair specialist. She trained at Vidal Sassoon London before returning to Somerset to open Ethereal. She's the calm presence every bride needs on the morning of.
Mia Chen
Boho & romantic specialist
Mia specialises in boho and textured styles — loose waves, braided half-ups, and effortless romantic looks. She joined Ethereal in 2020 and has quickly become the go-to for brides wanting something relaxed but refined.
Amara Okafor
Texture & Afro hair specialist
Amara is Ethereal's specialist in textured and Afro hair bridal styling — from sleek chignons to statement locs, crown braids and natural curls. Every bride deserves a stylist who understands her hair.
