How Quickly Can I Get a Wedding Dress?

The Altar Bridal in Barrington, Illinois is the largest off-the-rack bridal shop in the whole state of Illinois. We help brides every single day find the dress of their dreams, it’s what we love to do! What makes our brides’ experience extra special is that they get to take their dream dress home the very same day they say “yes!”

That’s right! Our brides walk into our beautiful 10,000 square foot store at the start of their appointments and then leave with their dream dress in hand. How are our brides able to do this? They are able to do this because we are an off-the-rack boutique. This means that all of our dresses are sample gowns and that we do not order any gowns. Every single dress you see in our salon (we have 1,000) is able to be taken home with our amazing brides. This is very different from ordering a dress, but off-the-rack has so many perks and our brides absolutely love it!

Where Do Off-The-Rack Dresses Come From?

Our stunning, top designer, off-the-rack gowns come from a variety of places. Most commonly, our gowns come from other boutiques, or they are from our amazing Private Labels. Our gowns are in excellent condition, we carry a variety of sizes, and our dresses are listed at a reduced price than if you were to find them anywhere else.

The Altar Bridal is proud to say we have a beautifully hand curated selection of designer gowns. Gowns that you can find at the top boutiques in downtown Chicago are also available at The Altar Bridal for a fraction of the cost! Brides from all over the state of Illinois come to The Altar Bridal and find their wedding dresses for less than what they were planning on spending. This is an amazing feature of off-the-rack shopping and helps our brides feel less stressed about shopping for their wedding dress.

When Should I Shop for My Off-The-Rack Wedding Dress?

At The Altar Bridal, since brides are able to take their dream dress home the same day, our stylists see a number of brides with very quick timelines, as well as brides who have lots and lots of time before their wedding dates.

Since you are able to take your dress home the same day, we have seen brides who are getting married in as short as two days! This is a very quick turnaround, but our incredible team of stylists and our seamstress made it work for this beautiful bride! She found a dress that she absolutely loved, and this made her even more excited for her wedding day. Since the wedding was going to be so soon, this bride didn’t think it was possible to wear a real wedding dress. But she came to The Altar Bridal, and that was the exact right place to go! After saying “yes” to her dress, she walked two doors down and had her first alterations appointment with our incredible seamstress. What an amazing story for that bride to be able to tell! Although The Altar Bridal, Illinois’ largest off-the-rack boutique, is excellent for a wedding date coming up, we also see many brides who have further out wedding dates.

Is My Wedding Too Far Away to Shop Off-The-Rack?

Absolutely not! At The Altar Bridal, we have such an amazing selection of dresses that many brides who are just starting their dress shopping journeys stop by The Altar Bridal. We have seen brides who have late 2027 weddings, which can feel very far away, but for wedding dress shopping, this is a very typical timeline.

Off-the-rack dresses are not just for brides who have close wedding dates, it is for every bride. A big benefit to off-the-rack wedding dresses is that you can take your gown home the same day, but this is not the only perk. Every other perk, such as not having to worry about shipping timelines, shipping costs, there being a problem with ordering, or anything else, is a perk for every bride. No matter when their wedding dates are.

When ordering a wedding dress, there are lots to consider. Some brides do not like the additional stressors that can come from ordering a wedding dress. First and foremost, ordering a wedding dress needs to be done up to about 10 months before the wedding date. This is a reality to ordering a dress that some brides do not want to experience. The idea of saying “yes” to the dress and then not seeing that dress for months, is not what brides are interested in. Instead, they love the idea of taking their dress home the same day they say “yes!”

When Should I Book My Bridal Appointment?

Whether your wedding date is 2 months away or 2 years away, The Altar Bridal is ready to help you find the dress of your dreams! Book your appointment today and come see what Illinois’ largest off-the-rack bridal boutique has to offer!