When Will Gowns from Bridal Market Be Available? Answering Your FAQs from NYBFW

Twice a year, bridal designers flock to New York City to premiere their newest collection. Retailers preview the new designs at fabulous show rooms and on runways, and after careful consideration, they select which gowns they’d like to feature at their store. With press everywhere and extensive social media coverage, brides-to-be are often intrigued by the glamorous bridal market showcases and runways filled with elegant white dresses on display. 

Each year, after seeing New York Bridal Fashion Week press and following collection debuts online, brides fall in love with these new styles and come to us enthusiastically inquiring about our new collection for their upcoming weddings. We’re here to guide you through the exhilarating experience of planning a wedding, starting with finding the dress. Here’s everything you need to know about bridal market and shopping for the latest runway collections. 

You may notice that we debuted our Fall 2024 collection — during the fall of 2023. It takes a season to design and prepare a collection for production, so this collection will arrive in stores in late spring of 2024. The first brides to wear this collection on their special day will walk down the aisle in Fall 2024. 

Take a look behind the scenes into our design and production process to see why we share our collections a year in advance, and when to expect new collections to be available. 

Peek Behind the Curtain: Our Design Process

It all starts with a sketch. When our production team receives a new sketch, the first thing they do is talk to Shawne (our designer) about her goals, the final product, and how to make her ideas come to life.

They also place an order for all the materials that we’ll need — including luxurious fabrics, trimmings, horse hair, boning, and more. 

While waiting for the materials to arrive, our talented team makes muslins, which are practice garments in the style of the new design that are used to confirm the shape, fit, and construction of the final gown. Usually, muslins are made and remade several times to perfectly capture Shawne’s vision until it’s approved for sampling. 

Once we’re ready to create the final sample, the product team uses the chosen fabrics and trimmings to create the gown that will be used for photoshoots and shown at bridal market. This process is all about the details, so naturally it takes our designers and production team quite some time to create the elegant end product that you see at New York Bridal Fashion Week.

From sketch to debut, creating a new gown can take between four to six months, and we spend every minute of that time ensuring that our creations will showcase our brides’ ethereal beauty on their wedding day. 

The Bridal Market Debut

You’ve seen the buzz and glamor of NYBFW — but what exactly is bridal market? Is it an opportunity to buy your wedding dress straight off the runway? 

Bridal market is a semi annual, week-long event where bridal designers showcase their newest collections for both retailers and press. While brides are not present at NYBFW, we do invite them to follow along with the excitement through social media and press coverage. Leading up to the event, you’ll see sneak peeks of sketches and new gowns. You’ll also get to hear the story behind the collection, as many designers will share their design inspiration. 

When is the new collection available to try on? 

Swept up in the excitement of bridal market, many brides hope to see and try the brand new collections right after Bridal Fashion Week closes. We get it — with so much fashion at our fingertips, we often expect immediacy from brands. But bridal market is just the beginning of the journey. 

In the weeks following bridal market, designers will host special preview events. You may be one of the lucky few who get to try on and order the new collection. This will likely be the last chance to see the gowns in person for several months, so if you fall in love with a freshly-debuted collection, see if your favorite designer has announced a preview event near you. 

After preview events close, our production team finalizes every detail of the collection and begins to create our “cutters musts,” which are maps for how to cut and sew each design. Then, we grade each gown into sizes 0 to 22, ensuring that each gown’s proportions and patterns are perfect at every size.

Craftsmanship is one of Anne Barge’s core values, which is why we take the time to refine each and every detail of the collection. Finally, after about six to eight months, we’re ready to introduce the collection to brides through our retailers.

From Bridal Appointment to Big Day

Once our newest collection makes its way to our flagship locations and retailers, brides-to-be can at last see the new gowns for themselves, and hopefully find “the one.” Your retailer will then place an order for the gown in your size. 

High-caliber craftsmanship and attention to detail are hallmarks of every Anne Barge design. Each gown is made to order, with just as much care as our sample pieces. Your gown will be extensively checked by hand to ensure that it’s exactly as gorgeous as you envisioned. Expect your gown to arrive between four and eight months after you place your order. 

Finally, when your wedding day arrives, you’ll spend an unforgettable day exuding effortless style in the gown of your dreams. We’re honored to play a small part in the special day of our beloved Anne Barge Brides.