FAQs

We suggest scheduling an appointment at the salon closest to you! We have three bridal salons located in Brooklyn, Long Island, and Manhattan. We also have a sample gown salon in Williston Park, Long Island. Please keep in mind that our locations vary in designers and styles, so be sure to inquire about which salon your favorite dress is in! Our salons also vary in their price range. Our Brooklyn location carries gowns from $1,300-$4,500, our Long Island and Manhattan locations have gowns from $2,000-$10,000. Our Bridal Rack location has gowns from $800-$3,000. Be advised that the only locations that have mother of the bride/groom gowns is the Mineola location and Bridal Rack which sell off the rack.

We recommend starting your wedding gown search no less than a year before your wedding.  Start by looking at different styles in magazines and online and envision what type of gown suits your personality.  Also set a budget on how much you want to spend on your wedding gown and account for the cost of alterations, taxes, veil, shoes and accessories to complete your look.  

Setting up an appointment with Lotus Bridal about 9-12 months before your wedding will put you in an ideal time frame to order your gown.  Most designers have a production turnaround of 6-7 months and we recommend scheduling your gown to arrive about 3 months before your wedding so we have a buffer in case of delays as well as ample time for alterations.  Starting to shop one year before your wedding leaves you the perfect amount of time to shop, decide, purchase, and alter.

Yes!  A number of our amazing designers can accommodate a close wedding date, and some offer rush fees as well. We also can accommodate close wedding dates at our Bridal Rack salon that sell exclusively sample gowns. If the gown you fall in love with in our store is not available by your wedding date, we can sometimes sell you our floor sample.

You can check out our inventory right here on our website! We have a comprehensive catalog of gowns in all four of our locations. After you've booked your bridal appointment, we will send you an email that includes a link to a lookbook. This lookbook showcases the styles available at the location where you've scheduled your appointment. If there are particular styles you are interested in, please inquire where the dress is located during your appointment booking.  Our stores have different dresses available to try on.    

At Lotus Bridal, we pride ourselves in providing personal attention to all of our brides and as a result, we do not permit self-service while trying on gowns. We will do our best to accommodate walk-ins but appointments are always given priority. You can schedule an appointment right here on our website or call one of our locations directly.

The best way to stay updated is through our website and our social media! We are constantly updating our website and social media with new gowns, upcoming trunk shows, and the newest bridal trends.

We recommend bringing no more than 2 guests with you during your initial appointment. While wedding gown shopping is a fun and exciting experience, it can also be overwhelming and confusing. Having too many people offer their opinions can often confuse a bride and turn a fun experience into a stressful one. In the beginning, bring a close friend or a family member who knows you well to support you in finding the gown perfect for you.  If you end up with a handful of favorites and want to involve others we can make another appointment for you to come back.

Our dressing area is small so we are limited in how much space we have for guests per dressing room.  Comfortably we can accommodate 2-3 guests per bride.  If you have more than that we recommend you scheduling an appointment during a weekday where we are not fully booked so we can spread out a little more.  Please inform us during your appointment booking so we can make preparations.

We have found that an hour is sufficient time for our brides to browse through our selection and try on anywhere from 4-10 gowns.   If you feel you need more than an hour for your appointment, we recommend making it for a weekday when we are not fully booked so we can be more accommodating.  It’s recommended to arrive about 15 minutes earlier than your scheduled appointment so you can check in and browse through the gowns before your consultant starts your appointment.  If you’re running late on a day that we are fully booked, we regrettably are not able to extend your appointment since another bride would be scheduled for that dressing room afterwards. But if you end up finding a few wedding gowns you love we would be more than happy to either reschedule you for another open time slot the same day or another day of your choice.

You can bring a strapless bra with you so slipping in and out of gowns would be easier although it is not necessary.

Definitely! But keep in mind that these images are normally edited and that models in the images are usually around 6' tall and wear a size 4 so it’s possible that the gowns may not look the same on you. You will definitely want to see yourself in the gown before you purchase it to ensure that it is everything you desire. You should also be aware that many designers sell gowns that are not advertised in the magazines and are not available online. Your Lotus Bridal consultant will be able to select gowns for you to try that will flatter your figure and match your style and budget requirements, even if it was not the exact gown in your picture.

Our samples range in size from a 6 to a size 26. The majority of our gowns are in sizes 10 and 14.  We do have a Curvy selection that ranges ranges from sizes 18-24.  If the gown is too small or too big, we can usually clip you to so that you can get a general idea of what the gown will look like in your size. Being that we are a bridal boutique and not a department store, it is impossible for us to stock every size and color. We try our best to offer a range of sizes and colors so that all of our brides can try on the gowns she desires. 

As soon as you a book a bridal appointment with us, we will email you a lookbook featuring gowns available at each of our locations. In this lookbook, you can mark a few styles as your favorites, helping your stylist understand your preferences. Appointments typically last for one hour, and you are welcome to try on as many dresses as you'd like during this time. At the beginning of your appointment, we invite you to select 3-4 dresses from our collection to get started. As your consultant gets a better sense of your likes and dislikes, she will bring you additional gowns to try on. We generally recommend trying on no more than 6-8 gowns, as trying on too many can be overwhelming and make it hard to remember the ones you've already seen.

YES, you can! We do not impose a "no-picture" policy like other bridal salons as we understand that it is impossible to remember all the gowns you've tried on. It’s a great tool to help you narrow down on your favorites so that you can come back and try them on again.

Your bridal consultant will note down your favorite styles on your personal profile along with notes about possible changes you want to do to each gown. When you're ready to come back, we can look at your file and know exactly which dresses you tried on and comments you've made.

Each designer has a different lead-time for production of your order. We will work with you to determine order and delivery deadlines for items you have selected. We generally recommend ordering your gown at least 6-9 months before your wedding. It typically takes about 4-6 months from the time of ordering for your gown to come in. Gowns with custom changes may take longer. You will want to leave 2-3 months of buffer time for alterations and possible shipping delays. 

Our experienced consultants will take your measurements to ensure that your gown will be ordered in the size closest to your measurements. Often, your measurements will fall in between sizes and your approval will be required before we determine what size to order. Although the collections we offer are made to order, they are not custom-made. Therefore, alterations may be necessary to ensure the perfect fit. As a result, we usually advise ordering the larger size as the gown can always be taken in. Please note that different designers have different measurement charts so it is possible to be a size 8 in one brand and a size 10 in another. In addition, bridal sizes tend to run small so don't be alarmed when your bridal size is not the same as your clothing size.

Most wedding dresses are designed for a 5'7" girl with 3" heels. If you do not fall in this category, you will need to order the gown to your height. Most designers charge $100 for this service. However, most girls are not sure what shoes or height they will be wearing for their wedding in which case, they can order their dress in regular length and have the seamstress hem the gown when it comes in. 

As mentioned above, we can only recommend what size to order based on your measurements at the time of ordering. We are not responsible for any fluctuations in weight (including pregnancy) resulting in the dress not fitting. However, we will work with you and our professional seamstresses for any possible solutions. It is not unusual for our seamstress to take in 1-2 sizes or let out 1-2 sizes if the gown construction allows us to do so. 

We require a minimum of 75% minimum deposit for all orders.  We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, debit, cash, or check. Checks are not accepted for final payments.

Due to the special nature of our business, any orders that have been placed cannot be cancelled after 24 hours. We understand that special circumstances do arise and we will do our best to offer as many options as we can should you need to cancel your order. However, deposits are non-refundable.

Lotus Bridal provides an independent alterations department, conveniently located on-site for fittings. Our team of skilled seamstresses boasts extensive experience in bridal alterations, having previously worked with renowned bridal houses. Alterations are often necessary because wedding gowns are designed to be tailored to your specific measurements and height. However, most designers offer gowns in predefined sizes. When you place your order, we select the size closest to your measurements, and alterations are required to achieve the ideal fit. While alterations do incur an additional cost, our seamstresses offer competitive rates. They offer a fixed price for basic alterations, including adjustments to side seams, hemming, bustling, and steaming. For those who require more specific alterations, we also offer a customizable pricing structure. The cost will depend on the nature of the alterations needed and their complexity.

No, you are not obligated to use our seamstresses and are welcomed to bring your gown to a seamstress of your choice. Due to the complexity of the construction and beading of wedding gowns, we highly recommend you use a seasoned seamstress who specializes in these gowns.

Upon receiving a notification call from us regarding the arrival of your gown, the next step is to arrange an appointment to visit our store and try on your gown. We recommend scheduling this appointment as soon as possible to ensure that your gown matches your order precisely and to determine any necessary alterations. Additionally, this appointment provides an excellent opportunity to select accessories such as veils, tiaras, jewelry, and decide on the desired shoe height to complement your dress.

During this appointment, if you opt to use our seamstress services, we can also schedule your initial alterations appointment. Please note that if your wedding is more than 3 months away, we kindly request that you pick up your gown within 1 month of the date you come in for the try-on. We are unable to store gowns for extended periods due to liability concerns. It's important to settle any outstanding balances in full during this appointment.

We generally schedule your first fitting with the seamstress about 1 ½ to 2 months before your wedding.  This allows enough time to have a 2nd fitting and, if needed, a 3rd fitting before your wedding.  During high peak months, between May through September, it is recommended you make the appointment as early as possible to get the date of your choice.  Our late night appointments are usually the first to get booked up.

There are generally 2-3 fittings depending on how much work is done on the gown.  Make sure your weight is stable by the time you come in for your first fitting since we want to minimize the amount of times your gown is touched.  Complex jobs such as building up and creating jackets will usually require at least 3 fittings.

You should bring the shoes and any undergarments, like a corset or shapewear, you will be wearing on your wedding day. If you choose not to wear a bra or corset you can opt to have bra cups built in. It is very important to bring the shoes you're wearing on your wedding day so that the seamstress can hem your gown to the proper length.

Your seamstress will pin you where adjustments are needed. At that point, you can see how the dress will look like closer to your size. She will discuss options with you such as how you want to bustle your train, how poofy you want your dress and whether or not you want built-in cups. The first fitting usually takes anywhere from half and hour to an hour.

The 2nd fitting is usually about 2-3 weeks after the 1st fitting. If alterations were not extensive you can usually pick up your gown during the 2nd fitting. If additional alterations are needed, your 3rd fitting will generally take place in 2 weeks as long as your wedding date allows it.