Frequently Asked Questions
HOW FAR IN ADVANCE SHOULD I BEGIN DRESS SHOPPING?
In order to ensure you’re not rushed with your decision-making, we recommend that you begin dress shopping 8-12 months before the big day. This is the ideal, not the absolute. While some designers work well with tight timelines, it's best for you to order early! This also provides enough time to perform alterations on your gown. Our hand-crafted gowns typically take 4-8 months to arrive. Rush orders are available but not every designer offers them, keep in mind that fees will apply. We recommend starting alterations 2-3 months before your wedding date. Again, this is ideal, not the absolute.
DO I NEED AN APPOINTMENT?
We do require appointments, as we want to provide you with our undivided attention. Our shop is small, and we pride ourselves on our one-on-one consultations. Also, even though we are open by appointment only, we still have set business hours which you can find in the footer.
Click HERE to make an appointment!
HOW LONG IS MY SCHEDULED APPOINTMENT?
Our one-on-one appointments are blocked for 90-min but rest assured that if we run over, we will happily schedule another appointment with you to make sure you're taken care of.
IS THERE A CANCELATION POLICY?
We are proud to offer a personalized bridal shopping experience here at Flutter. To book an appointment is FREE, but there is a $50 fee for "no shows" or cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance. Please call if you are going to be more than 10 minutes late for your appointment to avoid being a "no show". We ask that you please reschedule or cancel at least 24 hours before the beginning of your appointment or you will be charged a cancellation fee of $50.
HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN I BRING TO MY APPOINTMENT & WHAT IF I HAVE A LARGER GROUP?
We are happy to accommodate your bride tribe, please let us know how many people will be attending your appointment! Real Talk: As much as we love the idea of a party in our store, we believe that your fitting should be as intimate as possible. We want the focus to stay on you and what style and feeling YOU want to exude on your wedding day. We’ve found that sometimes too many opinions end up overwhelming the bride’s decision, and we don’t wish stressful shopping upon any of our brides. A great way to incorporate additional friends and family is to invite them to your pick-up appointment when your gown arrives!
WHAT IS THE PRICE RANGE OF YOUR GOWNS?
Our made-to-order gowns range from $1,500 - $12,000 with the majority of our gowns being in the $2,000 - $5,500 range. We encourage you to refer to our "Designer Collections" page in order to best understand the price ranges of each designer. We try to be as open and honest as possible, so if you don't see the price range you're looking for, please don't hesitate to call or email us.
WHAT SIZES ARE AVAILABLE TO TRY ON AT FLUTTER BRIDAL CO?
Our dress samples range from sizes 6 - 20. If your sizing is outside the range mentioned above, we have creative ways of making sure you can experience the look of your desired dress. We have future plans to carry larger sample sizes to accommodate even more brides!
ps... bridal sizing is not the same as your street size ie: when you shop at the mall! Typically, your bridal size will be larger than your street size.
DO YOUR DESIGNERS OFFER ANY CUSTOMIZATIONS?
Depending on the style and designer, slight altercations can be made ie: adding sleeves, short sleeves vs. long sleeves, revising neckline, etc., but most of our gowns are ordered true to the intention and design of the gown. However, we do have a couple of designers that offer more intricate customs, please reach out via email or phone if you have any questions.
WHAT IF THERE IS A GOWN THAT I LIKE FROM A DESIGNER THAT YOU CARRY, BUT YOU DON'T CARRY THAT PARTICULAR SAMPLE?
While we can't carry entire collections from each of our designers, we can sometimes request particular samples. Please email us to enquire about requesting a gown we don't carry at this time.
DO I NEED TO BRING ANYTHING TO MY APPOINTMENT?
Aside from your shining self, we invite you to bring any undergarments (preferably nude-colored!) or shoes that you’re considering wearing on your wedding day, if applicable. Underwear is required to try on wedding dresses. We also love seeing your inspiration, you can shop our designers on Pinterest as well!
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT IN THE FITTING ROOM?
In order not to damage the gowns, our stylists will join you in the fitting room to help you in and out of the gowns. You may wear whatever makes you comfortable underneath the gowns, but we do require underwear. Feel free to wear Spanx! They are great for foundational support and help the gowns to slide right on.
WHAT IS THE START-TO-FINISH PROCESS OF PURCHASING A DRESS FROM FLUTTER BRIDAL CO?
When you come in for your 90 min bridal consult, you and your loved ones will be shown to your bridal lounge, toured through our carefully curated gown selection, and given some time to shop and select the gowns you love best for try on. Whether you already know your style or have no idea where to begin, we’re here to guide you in finding styles that make you feel best.
Once you’re settled in, your consultant will help you try on your selections and can recommend other styles within our collections that you may have missed. When you find the one, we'll take your measurements and order the closest dress size to be made, pop the champagne, and send you and your loved ones off to celebrate in style.
A few months later, when your gown arrives, you won't have to worry about anything. You’ll visit us to try on the dress again with accessories before visiting a recommended seamstress. Out of town brides, have no fear — we’ll make sure your gown is perfect before lovingly packing it up to be shipped to you.
WHEN I FIND MY DRESS, WHAT IS THE DEPOSIT TO ORDER?
We require that all orders be paid in full. Once your order is submitted, no changes or cancellations can be made since all orders are custom.
Payments can be made with all major credit or debit cards. If you choose to pay in cash, please make sure to pay in exact change as we do not have the ability to break large bills. Also, we do not accept checks.
WHAT DOES MADE TO ORDER MEAN WHEN ORDERING MY GOWN?
Made-to-order means that we order your gown based on your measurements and the designer's size chart. The most important thing to note is that made-to-order gowns are ordered to the closest numerical dress size based on your measurements that day. The gown is not made to exact measurements (which is referred to as "made-to-measure"). In order to achieve the perfect fit, the bride must seek the assistance of a seamstress or tailor.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE MY MADE-TO-ORDER TO ARRIVE?
Depending on the designer, there is a 4-8 month lead time for all made-to-order gowns. We have some very select styles that can be made in less time, if you're in a time crunch! Rush orders are available upon request, but keep in mind that fees will apply.
WILL I NEED ALTERATIONS?
We like to order the dress as close to your current size as possible, but all bridal gowns need alterations to give it a perfect fit for your body and height. Before picking up your gown from Flutter Bridal Co, we suggest you contact a seamstress to schedule your appointment to start the fitting process. We have recommended bridal seamstresses, so contact us for a referral. We recommend starting your alterations one to three months prior to the wedding date, so make sure to add this time onto the four to eight months for gown production.
DO YOU OFFER/INCLUDE ALTERATIONS?
Alternations are a separate cost from the purchase of your gown. We have connected with a handful of local seamstresses in Minneapolis to refer you to, however, we do not offer in-house alterations. Please note, that we are not in contractual agreements with our recommended seamstresses, nor do we receive any payment from them for your business.
HOW MUCH DO ALTERATIONS TYPICALLY COST?
Depending on the severity of your alterations needs, expect costs to range from $500-750 on average. For any major customizations, costs can go upwards of $800-$1700.
RETURNS + EXCHANGES
Made-to-order gowns, Sample Sale gowns, jewelry and accessories are all final sale.