What Is a Bridal Trunk Show?

If you have been told to "wait for the trunk show", it helps to know what you are waiting for.

A trunk show is a limited event, usually two to four days, where a boutique receives a much wider selection of one designer's collection than it normally carries. The gowns arrive, brides book in, and then the gowns move on to the next boutique.

That is the whole mechanism, and everything useful about it follows from the fact that the gowns are only there briefly.

Why they exist

No boutique can stock every gown from every designer. Floor space is finite and samples are expensive, so a boutique curates — it holds the gowns it believes suit its brides and skips the rest.

That is sensible retail and frustrating if the gown you want to try is one of the ones they skipped.

A trunk show solves it temporarily. For a few days the boutique has depth instead of breadth in one label. If you have seen a specific gown online and your local boutique doesn't hold it, a trunk show is very often the only realistic way to try it on without travelling.

What actually happens on the day

It is a normal bridal appointment with a wider rack and a busier room.

You will usually get a standard appointment length — expect somewhere between an hour and ninety minutes, but confirm, because some boutiques shorten slots during a trunk show to fit more brides in. A consultant will pull gowns, you will try them, and the samples will be clipped to approximate your fit.

The differences from a normal appointment:

• More of the collection is present, including gowns the boutique does not usually hold.
• A discount applies to orders placed during the event. Around 5–10% is typical across bridal.
• The room is busier, and often warmer and louder than a quiet weekday appointment.
• There is time pressure, which is the part to be deliberate about.

Being honest about the discount

The discount is real, and it is also an incentive designed to make you decide inside the window rather than going away to think.

Both of those things are true at once, and the right way to hold them is simple:

If you were going to order that gown anyway, take the discount. Do not let the discount decide the gown.

A saving of a few hundred dollars on a gown you were unsure about is the most expensive money you will save all year. If you need a week, take the week — ask the boutique whether they can honour the price, because some will and some won't, and the answer tells you something either way.

How to prepare

Trunk shows reward preparation more than ordinary appointments, because you have less time and more gowns.

1. Book early. Slots are limited by definition and go quickly.
2. Call ahead with a shortlist. Ask which specific gowns are coming. Sometimes a trunk show is the full collection, sometimes it is a selection — and if the one gown you want isn't in it, you want to know before you drive.
3. Bring the right underwear and shoes. Nude seamless, and heels at roughly the height you plan to wear.
4. Bring at most two people. Rooms are busier during trunk shows and large groups slow you down. More on this in who to bring wedding dress shopping.
5. Know your budget before you arrive, including alterations, which are separate.
6. Decide in advance what would make you say yes. Not a gown — a set of conditions. It makes the decision under time pressure much cleaner.

We go deeper in how to prepare for a trunk show and what to bring to a trunk show.

What happens after

If you order, the boutique takes your measurements and places a made-to-order request. The sample you tried travels on to the next boutique; your gown is made.

If you don't order, nothing is lost — but if the gown you loved is not one the boutique normally holds, ask when they next expect it. That is a much more useful question than it sounds.

What happens after a trunk show covers the process properly, and how to buy a designer wedding dress covers the wider journey.

Trunk shows and where you live

For brides not near a stockist, trunk shows are the most important part of the calendar. They occasionally run at boutiques that are not permanent stockists, which effectively extends the map for a few days at a time.

If that is you, read where to try Miss Scarlett in Australia or worldwide for the permanent list, then watch the trunk show schedule for the temporary one.

To be told when a trunk show is coming near you, book an appointment and mention your location, or browse the collections to build your shortlist first.