Frequently Asked Questions

No appointment is needed at New York Bride of Columbia — walk in any time we’re open and a stylist will help you that day. We’ve built our name on walk-in bridal shopping. If you would rather hold a set time, a private 90-minute Personal Appointment is available Tuesday through Friday, and the Say Yes Experience reserves the store privately on Sundays. Both can be booked on this site or by calling your local New York Bride.

Yes — photos and video are always welcome at New York Bride of Columbia, so take as many as you like. We want you to be able to look back and compare while you shop. Tag us at @nybgcarolinas so we can celebrate your yes moment with you. Every gown carries a tag with its price, designer, size, color and available modifications, so the details behind your photos are easy to find again later.

No — trying on gowns at New York Bride of Columbia is free, with no browsing fee and no consultation fee. Our walk-in experience is free, always. If you would prefer to book a private appointment, current pricing is listed on our Appointments page.

Bring the people whose opinions matter most — our Columbia salon does not limit how many guests you can bring. Three to five guests sit comfortably. On our busiest days seating can get tight, but we will always do our best to make everyone comfortable while you shop.

Yes — plenty of brides shop alone at our Columbia salon, and you get the same experience whether you come by yourself or bring a crowd. We are ready and excited to celebrate you no matter your party size. Some brides already know what they want and would rather decide without a room full of opinions; others want everyone there.

Most brides spend about 90 minutes at our Columbia salon, from the first gown to saying yes. With walk-in shopping there is no clock — we do not limit your time. Take as long as you need to find the right dress.

Wear nude-tone undergarments and a strapless bra, and bring heels close to the height you will wear on your wedding day. Shoes at the right height give you the truest picture of how a gown will look and fall on the day. Skip heavy makeup and self-tanner so nothing transfers to the gowns — everything else you need is here in store.

New York Bride of Columbia is a walk-in bridal store with over 1,000 gowns and private suites, and no appointment is needed. We keep it relaxed and pressure-free — no appointment needed, and nobody rushing you toward a decision. The Say Yes Experience reserves the whole store privately on a Sunday if you want the day to yourself.

Bring three measurements — bust, waist and hips — and you will know which gowns to pull from the floor. Measure your bust at the fullest part, your waist about an inch above your belly button, and your hips at the fullest part. Bridal sizing runs differently from street sizing, so your measurements tell you far more than your usual dress size.

New York Bride of Columbia carries gowns from roughly bridal size 6 to 28+, in both standard and curvy styles. Bridal sizing runs two to four sizes larger than street sizing, so the number on the tag is not your normal dress size — our stylists will size you when you arrive.

Designer wedding gowns at New York Bride of Columbia start at around $1,200 and go up to about $3,500. That range covers our full-service salons in Charlotte, Raleigh and Columbia. If your budget is firmer, our Last Look outlets carry designer gowns from $249.

New York Bride of Columbia carries over 1,000 wedding dresses from more than 20 designers. Allure Bridals, Maggie Sottero, Justin Alexander, Morilee, Casablanca Bridal, Randy Fenoli, Sottero & Midgley, Lillian West, Milla Nova, Madison James, Sophia Tolli and more — plus two collections you can only find with us, Violet Grace® and London Genevieve.

Violet Grace® is New York Bride’s own curated gown collection, and you can see it at our Columbia salon. We built it from what our brides told us they wanted — high-end styling, real quality and honest value, across around 95 styles cut to flatter a wide range of body types. An individual designer in the collection may turn up elsewhere; the collection as a whole is ours.

Yes — every custom-ordered gown from New York Bride of Columbia comes with a complimentary veil, valued at up to $400. These are full-length veils, not token trims: cathedral sweeps, scalloped lace, handcrafted embroidery and crystal-dusted styles. The veil comes with gowns we order in for you. Sample and clearance gowns bought off the rack are already discounted and do not include one.

New York Bride of Columbia sells wedding dresses rather than renting them — every gown you try on is yours to keep. We order your gown in the size closest to your measurements using the designer’s size chart, then it is fitted to you before the wedding. It stays yours after the wedding for preservation, portraits, or a daughter. If budget is what brought you to rental, our Last Look outlets carry designer gowns from $249 — often less than a rental, and you keep the gown.

New York Bride of Columbia carries wedding gowns rather than bridesmaid or mother-of-the-bride dresses. Your bridesmaids and your mother are welcome at every visit, and our stylists will talk color, fabric and silhouette with them so what they buy elsewhere sits right beside your gown.

Yes — many of our designers make matching sleeves and accessories, and your stylist at our Columbia salon can walk you through custom changes. Talk to your stylist about options and fabrics. For custom work we will connect you with our in-house alterations team in Charlotte to design it with you.

Most brides know because they keep coming back to one gown and comparing every other dress to it. You do not have to cry. You should feel like yourself, comfortable, already picturing the day, and not needing to keep looking. At our outlets, if you love it and it is your size, trust that — inventory rotates and it may not be here next time.

We recommend ordering your gown from our Columbia salon eight to nine months before your wedding date. Leave two to three of those months for fitting work after the gown arrives. If you are already inside that window, rush fees and faster delivery options are sometimes available — ask your stylist.

Yes — our Columbia salon sells gowns off the rack, so a bride on a tight timeline can take her dress home the same day. With hundreds of styles on the floor across our salons and our Last Look outlets, finding the right gown quickly is very doable.

Yes — you can buy a gown off the rack at New York Bride of Columbia and take it home the same day. At our full-service salons, taking it home is your choice: we will store your gown at no charge right up to your wedding date if you would rather we keep it safe.

No — our Columbia salon stores your gown free of charge from the day you buy it until you’re ready for it. It stays in our storage rather than hanging in a closet collecting creases.

Yes, and it’s free — our Columbia salon presses your gown for your bridal portraits and again for your wedding day.

Yes — our Columbia salon coordinates museum-quality cleaning and preservation for any bride, whether or not she bought her gown from us. Your gown is inspected, cleaned with acid-free materials and sealed in a preservation chest with a viewing window, protecting it from yellowing, set-in stains, mold and creasing. Brides who bought their gown from us receive $25 off. Drop off during regular hours — no appointment needed.

Wedding dress preservation at New York Bride of Columbia ranges from $300 to $350, depending on whether your veil is included. Other pieces can be preserved too — detachable skirts, capes and mini dresses among them. Call your local New York Bride for pricing on add-ons.

Wedding dress preservation through our Columbia salon takes about three to four months. Bring your gown in within a few weeks of the wedding — the sooner it arrives, the better the chance of lifting every stain before it sets. You will get a precise timeline when you drop it off.

Yes — our Columbia salon can preserve your veil, garter, handkerchief and gloves alongside your gown, usually for an added cost. Call your local New York Bride for pricing on specific items and to confirm what can be included when you drop off your gown.

No — our Columbia salon preserves wedding gowns for any bride, whether or not you bought your dress from us. Brides who bought their gown with us receive a $25 coupon toward preservation as a thank you. Bring the gown in within a few weeks of the wedding for the best chance of lifting every stain before it sets.

Yes — New York Bride Last Look is the outlet side of the New York Bride family, run by the same people, with designer gowns at 50–75% off retail. Same brand, same buying team, family-run since 1994. The salons are the full-service experience where you special-order your gown; Last Look is where designer samples go.

New York Bride of Columbia is at 270 St Andrews Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, open Tuesday through Thursday 11am to 7pm and Friday and Saturday 10am to 5pm. We are closed Sunday and Monday. Sundays are reserved for the Say Yes Experience — a private booking with the store closed to everyone else. During open hours no appointment is needed; walk in any time.

Yes — New York Bride of Columbia has accessible parking and a step-free entrance. If you have questions about access before you visit, call your local store and we will help.

You can reach New York Bride of Columbia at (803) 560-6400.