If you’ve started your wedding dress shopping, you’ve most likely been hearing, “You should make an appointment for a trunk show”. But… what is a trunk show? A trunk show is when a bridal salon has a full, upcoming collection from a designer they carry. A wedding gown designer will create a couple of collections per year that consist of anywhere from 12 to 20+ gowns. Bridal salons pick a minimum of gowns required to, permanently, carry in their salon. They will almost never carry the entire collection. That is where a trunk show comes in.
Generally, the newest and hottest collections, that have debuted at New York Bridal Fashion Week, get packed up straight from the runway into “TRUNKS” and get shipped around the world for bridal salons to showcase. The salons have the gowns for a small window, usually a weekend or two, before they are back in their trunks and off to another location.
How to shop a trunk show?
Book an appointment as you would normally! Tell your consultant that, foremost, you are there to see that certain designer. Your consultant will pull gowns from that collection based on your likes and dislikes. You will try on the sample gowns from the collection, just as you would any other bridal gown. However, these specific gowns will not be in salons or available to the general public to try on for months and months to come. That is the #1 perk of a trunk show! Therefore, be prepared to buy your dream gown that day! After the trunk show leaves the salon, you won’t be able to see or try on the gowns again. Also, the designers, usually, offer an incentive to purchase during the event.
Wedding Gown Trunk Show Tips!
#1 Do your research!
Google, pin and search gowns you are interested in! If there is a common designer, look to see who carries them near you and if they have any upcoming trunk shows with them.
#2 Make a bridal gown trunk show your second or third appointment!
It is beneficial to try on a handful of different gowns to see what you are loving vs. not loving. This way, you will have a much better idea of what designers, fabrics, silhouettes and necklines suit you, best!
Be sure to enjoy a show early on so that you know exactly what you are shopping for. Once you’re ready to shop, be sure to book an appointment with one of our consultants to really narrow in on your wedding day vision.
The Dimitra’s Bridal Team cannot wait to see you at one of our upcoming shows – be sure to check the events calendar!
