How to Get Your Dream Designer Gown for a Discount Part 2: Trunk Shows

If you are looking for your perfect wedding dress or you have not found ‘the one’ yet, then trunk shows are the perfect place to look!

A trunk show is a special event held in a bridal salon or boutique where a featured wedding dress designer is invited in to showcase their collection. Sometimes it is for one day only or over a long weekend. From here, brides are able to try on more styles from a specific designer since bridal boutiques only carry samples of a handful of styles.

Trunk shows are beneficial for the bride who has tried on dresses and has not found any she likes, but she has a designer she loves and wants to see more of their styles in the collection.

Like sample gown sales, trunk shows do have some benefits:

Exclusive Styles

When attending a trunk show, brides can get an exclusive look at new styles from new collections. Gowns that are in these collections have not hit any bridal boutiques to carry in their inventory yet, as some of these just came from the main brand headquarters and Bridal Fashion Week. Brides have the ability to try all the dress on and possibly purchase these gowns directly from the designer!

Custom Changes

You know the feeling when you wish a dress had one (or a couple things) changed, then it would be absolutely perfect? Well, with trunk shows you can do that. At trunk shows, usually the designer or head sales representative are there to guide brides through the ordering process and show them the styles in the collection. Brides can work with them to see what custom changes are able to be offered and work alongside the designer for them to make the custom changes for you.

Discount

Trunk shows do not have an exact sale all across the board, but select bridal stores offer discounts if you purchase your gown during a trunk show. It’s common to see a discount of around 10% or 20%, and some stores give brides a cool swag bag full of bridal items. Some designers even throw in some special gifts like a personalized sketch of the gowns purchased for the brides.

If you decide to go to a trunk show, make sure to call the bridal shop and make an appointment first. Don’t forget to ask for if the store is offering any discounts for if purchasing a gown for the trunk show, as discounts for wedding gowns are hard to come by, so take advantage of it when you can!