FAQ

Before you begin making appointments to shop for your wedding dress you should have booked a wedding venue so you know the date and location of your wedding. Our sales consultants will help you select a gown that is perfect for your wedding’s setting.  We recommend that you begin shopping for your wedding dress 9 to 12 months before your wedding date to ensure that you’re not rushing through the process.  You should purchase your dress no less than 6 months before your wedding day. While this is the optimal situation, there are some designs that can be ordered within a 6 month time frame, and others that may incur rush fees, which are applied by the designer, when a wedding gown needs more time to be made.  If you are booking an appointment and your wedding is within six months, please schedule your appointment by phone so that our concierge is aware that your gown will be a rush.

Appointments are required for both wedding dresses and evening gowns and can be made by calling the Atelier at (212) 319-6778 or through our online booking system .  You will be charged a $50 cancellation fee if you do not cancel or reschedule your appointment at least 24 hours before the scheduled time or if you do not arrive for your appointment.

Appointments are scheduled for one hour, which will allow the bride and consultant to discuss style ideas as well as the wedding date, time of day and location.  We are happy to schedule a second or even a third appointment if you need more than the allotted time to ensure you find your dream wedding dress.  

Before scheduling an appointment make sure you have determined a budget for your wedding gown. Our consultants will work with you to stay within your budget. Prices for bridal gowns at the Atelier start at $5,000 and go up to $20,000, with an average price point of $7,000 to $12,000.

We typically have one sample of each designer gown we carry available for you to try on, these are normally in a bridal size 6 or 8 depending on the style of the gown.  We have a limited amount of styles available to try on in larger sizes, such as a 14 or 16.  If your size is outsize the range above, please let the Concierge know when scheduling your appointment and we can call in larger sized samples that you can try on during your appointment.  The more information we have prior to your appointment, the better we can service you.

While it’s not possible for the Atelier to carry every style by each of our designers, we have the ability to request specific styles for your appointment.  Notify the Concierge of the style you would like to see during your appointment and we can make a request with the designer to send it to us for your appointment.  Please note, the designer may charge a fee for the sample to be sent in.  Alternatively, during a designer trunk show, the entire collection will be available for brides to see and try on.  View our Events Calendar to see the upcoming designer trunk show schedule and make an appointment for the designer collection you are interested in viewing.

A made-to-order wedding gown means that your dress will be made in the size closest to your measurements and with any customization options you’ve requested, such as a change in sash color, the addition of sleeves, etc.  Once your wedding gown is ready you will have several alteration fittings to ensure the gown’s fit.

We occasionally have sample sales in the Atelier.  Please check the events section to see if we currently have any upcoming sample sales.  Additionally, we always have a selection of samples that we are able to sell out of stock at a discounted price in our “Sample Closet.”  These gowns are typically in bridal sizes 8 to 10 and can be altered up or down a few sizes depending on the style.  Please contact our concierge if you are interested in an appointment to see gowns in our sample closet.  Please note, appointments for the Sample Closet are not available on Saturdays or during trunk shows.

We recommend limiting your shopping companions to the one or two people whose opinions mean the most to you. We’ve found that too many people, and their opinions, can be a distraction and overwhelm the bride.  We want to make your experience as stress-free as possible. You can always bring additional companions with you to for your fittings.

We suggest that you bring images of dresses you want to try on.  They can be photos on your phone, pintrest boards or tear sheets from bridal magazines.  You should also bring with you anything you plan to wear on your wedding day such as an heirloom veil or jewelry.

At your first appointment a consultant will speak with you about the formality and setting of your wedding and the style of gown you’re looking for. You will have an hour to try on various silhouettes and designs.  Once you’ve selected your wedding dress your measurements will be taken to ensure the dress that is made-to-order for you is the closest to your size.  You will be notified when you’re wedding dress arrives and schedule your first fitting. (You can expect at least two fitting appointments.) When your gown’s alterations are completed, our alterations team will inspect the gown for any final tweaks and then steam and wrap it for you to pick up the week of your wedding.  Your consultant will stay with you through the entire process to ensure that your gown fits you perfectly.

Each designer has a different delivery schedule with the average time ranging from five to seven months.  Some styles are available sooner. But if you select a gown that may not have enough time to be made a designer may charge a rush fee to ensure that the dress can be delivered with enough time for alterations.

We offer alteration services for an additional fee.  The fitting cost is determined by the style of the gown and the amount of alterations needed.  Alternations take place at the Atelier during normal business hours.  If you do not live in New York and would like to have your alterations completed near your home, we can have your dress shipped to your address. We cannot recommend seamstresses in other locations and are not responsible for a wedding dress once it leaves our premises.

The Atelier may host a designer trunk show over several days for brides to shop additional styles in their collection that are not part of the Atelier’s curated collection.  A representative from the designer may be available to work with you to customize elements of a gown.  Trunk shows are by appointment only, so book your appointment as early as possible. To learn about upcoming trunk shows click here to view our Event Calendar and to sign up for our newsletter announcing future event dates.

We kindly ask that you let us know at least 24 hours before your appointment if you need to cancel or reschedule it, otherwise you will be charged a $50 cancellation fee.   All appointments are set for 1 hour. If you are late for your appointment it may not roll into the next appointment time.

While we are animal lovers, unfortunately we cannot allow pets at the Atelier.  The intimate space is not suitable for pets and other clients may have allergies that will affect their experience.