Want more info about shopping with us or consigning your dress? Here are some of our most frequently asked questions or contact us for more information.
Consignment means we do not own the dresses that are in our store. Local brides and other bridal shops bring us their gowns for us to resell for them! It’s a 50/50 split once the gowns sell. Our inventory consists of dresses that are brand new, samples, and once wed gowns. All dresses have been previously dry cleaned, except those that are new with tags or are a sample.
All of our inventory is available to try on by appointment. This way, we can ensure that there will be a fitting room available and a dedicated bridal stylist to help you. We do our best to accommodate walk-ins but please call in advance to check our availability for the day. Our shops are often tightly scheduled, so we ask for your understanding and patience if we are unable to accommodate you without an appointment. We do get cancellations, so be sure to ask to be added to our waitlist – or check back on our online booking system for last minute openings!
All of our dresses are offered off-the-rack and are available up to 20-65% off retail. Our dresses are priced based on the year, designer, style, retail price and condition. While each store carries a different selection, which changes all the time, you can expect most dresses falling between $,1000-$3,000 with our full price range typically being $800-$6,000. You may also find a few pieces up to $9,000 at selection locations.
We also occasionally host “Clear the Racks” discount sales at select locations, offering dresses at deeper discounts. Visit the Events page for upcoming sales!
We carry a variety of sizes from 00-28! Since our dresses are sold off-the-rack and we get new dresses in every week, the selection and sizes are constantly changing. Typically, at any given time, you can expect to see a variety of sizes 00-28 in stock, but the selection and quantity will vary by location and time of year. Feel free to call for more details on our current selection!
Keep in mind, bridal sizes run small and while most of our dresses are unaltered samples, designer size charts can vary drastically, resulting in size inconsistency among dresses. To create more size consistency and to ease the try-on process for our brides, gown sizes are evaluated and resized accordingly. This means, the tag size inside the dress may not be the “current” size or the size advertised in our store.
Yes! We carry a large selection of plus size dresses! Blue Sky Bridal is committed to offering the largest selection of off-the-rack plus size wedding dresses in the area! At any given time, our stores carries 75-150 dresses in sizes 16 and up, depending on the Blue Sky Bridal location! You’ll typically find a full size range of 00-28 at our locations. But because dresses are sold off-the-rack, the inventory is constantly changing!
Both! We carry brand new dresses as well as sample gowns from stores. More than 50% of our dresses are samples that are sourced from other bridal stores around the country and never worn down the aisle before! We also carry once-worn wedding dresses that have been dry cleaned.
We recommend starting to look for your gown about 6-12 months before your wedding. However, all of our gowns are sold off-the-rack, so if you’re on a shorter timeframe, we’re the perfect bridal store for you! We have helped lots of women find their perfect gown just 1-3 months before their wedding – and have even helped women find a dress less than a week before their special day! So if you are in a time crunch, come see us!
Our bridal store is perfect for the last minute bride! Since all wedding dresses are sold off-the-rack, you get to take home your dress that day! No ordering time! No waiting! We help lots of women find their dream dress within 1-3 months before their wedding… sometimes even a few weeks! If you need a dress in a hurry, come see us!
You will have a personal bridal stylist who will guide you through your appointment. We’ll ask you a few questions about yourself and your wedding, try to get a basic idea of what you might be looking for, and then we’ll let you dive in! We like to let you browse through our gowns first and then your stylist may make suggestions to help you find your gown! Our stylists do not work on commission, so you can always be sure that our main goal is to match you with your perfect dress that’s within the budget that you are comfortable with.
Our standard 1 hour appointments can accommodate up to 3 guest limit (bride + 3 guests) in Seattle and San Francisco and up to 4 guest limit (bride+4 guests) in Portland. Our Book the Boutique appointments have up to a 5 guest limit (bride + 5 guests) in Seattle and San Francisco and up to 7 guests (bride + 7 guests) in Portland.
Our shop is cozy and intimate so we suggest bringing the key people who will be supportive and those you need present to make your decision. We have found having 1-3 guests is a great number. Bringing anymore than 3 people can get a little overwhelming for the bride.
Underwear is required to be worn in order to try on dresses. Bras and shape wear are optional. If you have a strapless bra and/or shapewear that you are comfortable in, it can be very helpful. However, it is not necessary to purchase or bring if you do not want to. If you have already purchased your wedding shoes or have a pair with the approximate heel height, you can absolutely bring them to try on with your “favorite” gowns during your appointment. We do ask that you please limit the amount of makeup that you wear when you come to try on our gowns, as we want to be sure they stay as clean as possible.
We don’t allow champagne in our shop, but luckily, our shops are within walking distance to restaurants and other places to grab a drink or food before or after your appointment to celebrate!
We do not allow any children in the shop under 12, including babies.
We work very hard to create a relaxing and fun environment for adults. In order for all of our clients to be able to have a good time, we ask that you please make other arrangements for children when you’re coming in for an appointment. We’re the trusted stewards of gowns we do not own and there are a number of potential hazards for little ones in the boutique. Thank you for understanding!
We do not do alterations in-house. However, we will provide you with a list of bridal seamstresses, who will take great care of you and your new gown! Most dresses will need some kind of alterations to make it fit you perfectly, especially since most of our dresses are samples.
Typical alterations include waist and/or bust adjustments, strap adjustments, hem and a bustle. The cost of typical alterations has a wide range, as it depends on your dress, the amount of work that needs to be done and the company you visit. You can typically expect pricing to be in the $300-$1,500 range.
Some seamstresses offer customizations. You’ll want to check with the seamstresses if they offer customizations, such as adding sleeves, re-styling a neckline, drastic shortening, etc. These kinds of customizations require more labor intensive adjustments which means you can expect to pay a higher range, such as $500-$3,000.
Pricing can vary based on a number of factors and if any custom work is needed when it comes to your wedding dress, so while Blue Sky Bridal is happy to provide a seamstress list and pricing expectations for convenience, it is the bride’s responsibility to evaluate and select a tailor and get an actual quote from a seamstress, as they are the alterations experts performing the work.
In addition to factoring in alterations pricing into your dress for a perfect fit, you’ll want to factor in the time it will take to get your alterations done. Many seamstresses book out months in advance, sometimes more in high wedding season! We recommend starting alterations at least 3 months before your wedding.
Yes, a gown may be placed on hold for three days with a non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of 10%.
Absolutely! We know how important it is to “see” yourself in your dress!
Tipping is not mandatory or expected but always very much appreciated! Your bridal stylist is providing you with a high level of service and expertise, just like the other wedding vendors that are hired for your wedding. We try to make tipping as inconspicuous and comfortable for you as possible so it is not part of our check-out process or an ad-on to any sale. But we do offer an opportunity for our brides to give their stylist a little something extra!
Our stores have completely different inventory! Unfortunately, we don’t transfer dresses between our stores, as they are on consignment with that particular store. It’s best to plan a trip to the shop where you’d like to visit and try on dresses. Each store has its own collection that is curated for their specific brides. Many of our brides shop at several of our locations to have a wider selection to choose from! New dresses arrive weekly, so our inventory is always rotating! We can also invoice and ship a dress directly to you!
No, since all of our gowns are sold “off the rack,” all sales are final. We do not offer any refunds or exchanges. We gladly accept cash and all major credit cards. We will also consider consigning any unwanted gown for you!
Great! We love working with stores to sell off their samples! Please visit our Consign for Stores page to learn all about how we can sell off your samples! In short, we accept current styles in good condition and it’s a 50/50 split once they sell. We can pick up the dresses if you’re local or arrange to ship them if you’re out-of-state! Email us at consign@blueskybridal.com to get started!
Great! We’d love to see if your dress is something we can add to our inventory! Please visit our consignment page to learn more about how to consign your dress! In short, we accept dresses that are 3 years and newer, dry cleaned and in good condition. Feel free to send us a photo at consign@blueskybridal.com.