We recommend starting your dress search 10–12 months before your wedding. Most gowns take 5–7 months to arrive, with additional time needed for alterations. Rush orders are often available, but starting early helps avoid extra fees and stress—and gives you time to decide with confidence.
If your wedding is more than a year away, it’s best to wait. Styles can change and dresses may be discontinued. At Weddings by Design, we want you to begin your search when you’re truly ready to say yes to the dress!
When ordering your gown, we’ll review the designer's size chart together and choose the best fit based on your measurements. Brides often fall between sizes, so it’s recommended to order up. This allows for any needed alterations, like hemming, bustle, or strap adjustments. Alterations are key to getting the perfect fit, so don't overlook them!
Gown shopping is one of the most fun parts of wedding planning, but bringing too many people can make it stressful and overwhelming. We recommend limiting your group to four or five trusted friends or family for the best experience and helpful feedback.
On Saturdays, you may bring a maximum of five guests. If you’d like to bring more, please visit us on a weekday or book a private appointment.
No - like most bridal boutiques, our gowns are priced without alteration fees - they also do not include any other fees such as tax, custom or rush fees. We do not have a seamstress on staff but can offer recommendations. We typically tell our brides to budget about $600-$800 for their alterations. This amount can vary depending upon your specific gown, how it fits you, which seamstress you choose, and other factors.
Don’t worry—your stylist will help you envision how the gown will look, even if it’s not an exact fit. Bridal sizing can be tricky, but our experts use clips and panels to help you feel comfortable and confident during your appointment.
Bridal boutiques ask for your typical clothing size to help provide the best possible experience. Bridal sizing differs from street sizes and usually runs smaller. Knowing your size helps us prepare for your appointment, as sample gowns vary. At Weddings by Design, we proudly carry sample sizes 8–30 and celebrate brides of all sizes.
Our gowns range from $1,200–$4,000, with most priced between $1,500–$2,500. We also offer a sale rack with stylish gowns under $1,000, perfect for short engagements. For designer pricing, visit our Designers tab. All gowns and accessories feature quality craftsmanship and beautiful hand-detailed designs.
You’ll work one-on-one with an expert stylist dedicated to helping you look and feel your best. Bring inspiration if you have it—or come with no ideas at all. Our experienced stylists will make the process fun and easy and can’t wait to help you find your dream dress!
If you need more time or want a second appointment, we understand. We offer a pressure-free experience, and return visits are up to an hour with the same consultant when possible. You can book a return appointment on our home page. Just look for the book appointment button.
While we are a family-friendly store, we host multiple appointments at a time, and although you’ll have your individual appointment space, children can be a distraction. In our experience, children also get bored quickly. We also have very delicate decorations and accents in the store that can be easily broken if handled wrong. As such, we strongly encourage you to leave the kids at home and let yourself focus on your dress hunt. If you need to bring children to your appointment, we do ask they are given a separate form of entertainment and remain seated and quiet during the appointment.
Weddings by Design offers a wide selection of veils, jewelry, and headpieces to complete your look. Your consultant will suggest accessories during your visit, and you can try them on later at pickup or book a weekday accessories appointment.
Generally, our gowns take five to seven months to arrive, and you should plan for about 3-4 months for alterations. Like most bridal boutiques, we do not employ an in-house alterations person. We do recommend an independent seamstress who does fittings for our brides in our store for your convenience. While you’re waiting for your gown to arrive, we recommend you select your shoes, because you’ll need them when you start the alteration process.
You may pay in full, pay 50% at purchase and the remaining balance when your gown arrives, or use our payment plan: $450 down minimum with the remaining balance split into four monthly payments, plus a $25 administrative fee.
At your gown try-on, you’ll confirm the fit, color, and style of your wedding gown and choose whether to take it home or use our Full Service storage and steaming. If you take it home, you can choose between a fabric garment bag or a plastic garment bag.
This is not an alteration appointment.
After your wedding, have your gown cleaned and preserved as soon as possible. Drop it off with us, and we’ll handle the rest through Wedding Gown Preservation, a trusted company with over 100 years of experience. Ask about our Weddings by Design bride discount.