Boston Bridal Week Offers Discounted Designer Dresses and Whirlwind Shopping Aimed at Local Brides

Your dress. Your bridesmaids’ dresses. Your mother’s dress. Your shoes. Their shoes. Maybe even a tiara.

That’s just the start.  Boston Bridal Week, a new event on Newbury Street, features four very different boutiques with everything you need within a few blocks. They’ve got designer names at not-so-designer prices - plus a few perks like discounts and champagne for an enjoyable whirlwind shopping experience that you should find to be surprisingly effective.

“You can get it all done in a day, or a weekend,” said Boston Bridal Week organizer Juann Khoory. The deals end on Sunday, so it would be best to take that advice.

The idea, Khoory said, is to attract brides from across the Boston area who can compare a wide range of products, get star treatment at the boutiques, and make quality purchases that they can afford.

“The same bride with a low budget can find similar styles and qualities of a high-end budget,” she said. In other words, that lace on your $2,000 gown won’t be made in China.

The event, Khoory said, is brand new this year and was inspired by Boston Fashion Week in September.

“There’s always Boston Fashion Week but we have nothing about brides,” she said. With Newbury Street home to a hub of wedding shops, she decided to start there. If it’s a success, next year they hope to have more stores and vendors, along with a bridal fashion show and hotel event.

For now, this is what the experience entails. Everything is free but by appointment only, so get booking!

Vera Wang Boston
617 424 1060 

Experience the crème de crop of wedding dresses and get a sneak peek at the 2012 Spring Collection.

L’élite Bridal
617 424 1010

They just moved into a larger store at 14 Newbury St., and the expansion includes a second floor of bridesmaid dresses and an alterations section.

L’élite Evening
617 424 1010

At 121 Newbury, L’élite has a wide range of options for evening wear – think pre-wedding receptions and classy mother of the bride dresses (“she doesn’t want to do the jacket and skirt anymore” Khoory said). It’s all made by Red Carpet designers, and starts around $2,000. The $15,000 gowns can be ordered, but are not showcased for the obvious reason that “we’re not Hollywood or Texas,” Khoory said.

Musette Bridal,
617 424 1070

The grand opening of Musette on 123 Newbury St. carries whimsical collections by European designers. It offers a fresh alternative to mainstream American dresses.