Weddings 826

ream dress. Also, they have a super cute pup in the store named Summer who makes the shopping experience that much better.

d to my opinions and pulled gorgeous dresses. I was beyond happy with my choice to get a Justin Alexander dress and veil here and highly recommend this shop!!

ine and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. Kristina was great at really listening to what I liked – even pulling exact dresses I had photos of that they had in store – as well as pulling other options she thought I’d want to try. She really understood my vision and made me feel really comfortable. I had pretty much decided on the dress at the end of that first appointment, but got suddenly nervous and wasn’t ready yet to sign the dotted line in paying. Weddings826 let me come back for another short 30min appointment to try the dress on one more time before decided to go forward with ordering - which I really appreciated. It was clear they really wanted brides to feel ready and sure about their choice and not feel rushed into buying. Suzi and Brian were so wonderful during the alterations process. I initially wasn’t planning on having much done in terms of alterations, but when we accidentally created a little snafu with my dress’s lace while making last minute bodice alterations, they were super calming and communicative in scheduling more appointments to make sure we got the fix just right. Brian and his expert tailoring eventually came up with a beautiful solution. Weddings826 was also super transparent in pricing, timing expectations, as well as providing helpful tips and recommendations for the day of. They also provided services with gown cleaning and preservation for after the wedding. Plus, their adorable shop dog Summer was a just a super cute bonus!

work with - it was as if Suzi knew more what I wanted than I did! I loved the gown I ultimately chose and the alterations team there made it the dress of my dreams. I so appreciate the expertise, guidance, and professionalism of the whole weddings 826 team!

ere were other shops that felt pushy, but it was very comfortable and fun shopping at Weddings 826 (and it doesn't hurt that there's a cute shop dog!) Unfortunately, there were just issues with my dress. At my last appointment, I asked them to take it in an inch further, and I think my only assumption is that they didn't? I do think I lost a few pounds in the two weeks after that appointment, but it was crazy to me that the dress still needed to be taken in another inch (or more!) on my wedding day. I really really wish that I had tried it on when I picked it up a few days prior. Because it wasn't tight enough and it was a strapless dress, it was too long and I was pretty anxious about tripping on it. I just got our photos back, and I can see a gap in a lot of the photos, or I can see the cups that were sewn in, and in general, I ended up looking bigger than I am. I don't think it was bad enough that many guests noticed, but it felt really disappointing to spend a lot of money on attire and on photos, and then see that you can tell in the photos that my dress doesn't fit me properly. The last issue I had was that they only showed my friends how to do one of the two bustles that were on the dress. When we got to the reception and they pulled out their video they took at my appointment, they found that they had no idea what to do with half of the bustle. It took them a long time to figure it out, and they never quite got it right, so it kept coming undone. With all that being said, I do actually recommend this shop. But I would recommend having your wedding party practice your bustle, and confirm that they were shown all the steps. I'd also recommend trying on your dress when you pick it up.

staff was amazing & let me come back the following day to show my mom & mother in law. After I said yes to the dress, they made the rest of the process so easy! They gave me updates on when my dress was coming in & helped set up an appointment with their seamstress, who was absolutely amazing! My dress was off the shoulder but I wanted it to become completely strapless for the reception, which she made it look so good. I received so many compliments on how beautiful my dress looked & how perfectly she altered it. At my final alteration appointment Suzi went through a lot of helpful information on what to do with my dress when I got to my hotel. I have recommended Weddings 826 to so many of my recently engaged friends & would recommend it to anyone!

made several customized changes which were all clearly explained, fairly priced, and very well done. Zero complaints, perfect.

were affordable and the staff is all so kind, thoughtful and insanely helpful! Plus, theres a super sweet pup in the store which just adds to the experience! Kayla was so helpful in picking out dresses for me to try on and asked great questions to help me narrow down my choices to my favorites (although crying should have been my immediate indicator that I found the one). When I was between 2 dresses, I came back for a second look to try them both on and was able to buy The One off the rack and take it home that which helped me save a bit of money and a lot of stress from avoiding having to order and wait for a dress! Every time I came back to Weddings 826 for my veil or for fittings, I had a lovely time and enjoyed catching up with the team there. I didn't need many alterations done to my dress but had full confidence in the seamstress there and was so happy with the hemming and bustling of my dress. They offered curbside dress pickup which was so helpful with my hectic rehearsal day schedule and the dress was so safely packaged, there were no wrinkles in sight. You can truly trust Weddings 826 with all of your bridal needs from dresses to accessories to alterations. Love this place to pieces!!

them all over again! I had three more dress appointments scheduled with different salons after Weddings 826 (my first appointment), and cancelled them all because I found my perfect dress after trying on only 5 dresses! They are so great at capturing your style and vision. I did my alterations through Weddings 826 as well and was so impressed by the attention to detail they gave. I had a heavily beaded dress with a net back and was worried about the straps rubbing, but they altered it perfectly and I was able to dance all night. Definitely recommend choosing them for your dress shopping experience!

opped first with my friends, then with my mom, and every time I came in the team was welcoming, kind, and professional— and that continued through all of my fittings, pick up, and even taking it in for cleaning after my wedding. I had a single rule for my dress going into the dress selection process— no strapless. And of course I ended up falling in love with a strapless dress! But I shouldn’t have worried— the alterations done on my dress were SO incredible!! Lisa, who did my alterations, is absolutely amazing. I can’t express how blown away I was that I didn’t have to pull my dress up ONE SINGLE TIME for a 17 hour day that was in the 90s, including outside photos and ceremony, and dancing SO hard! I absolutely partied all night on the dance floor, and literally the dress wasn’t moving on me at all, while still being comfortable?? Incredible. I got so many compliments on my dress and I felt absolutely amazing in it. The Weddings 826 team also worked with me to make a very comfortable and approachable bustle, and add a hook closure on a slit I wanted but only for the reception. They were great through all of my fittings— asking for feedback, lovely to my guests, etc. I would recommend them to anyone! Suzi and her team are amazing!

I felt beautiful, seen and cared for from start to finish. They know exactly what they’re doing and want nothing but the best for you on your special day. I so appreciated that they communicated clearly with me at every step. The text communications were super helpful and convenient. Suzi was particularly helpful with all of her tips and suggestions. She is one wise lady! And I adored Lisa—she is a true artist and takes such pride in her work. My dress was not an easy one to alter, but she handled it all with such professionalism and skill. I am 54 and have been with my now husband for years. So I wasn’t exactly the girl who was dreaming of my special princess dress in my 20s. But boy did Weddings 826 make me feel absolutely gorgeous and special in my wedding dress. It fit me like a glove and I was taken aback by how much I truly loved it! I would recommend them in a heartbeat to anyone who wants a seamless, no-pressure experience finding your perfect dress.

about what I had to say. She easily accommodated to my family and I. I didn’t feel rushed or pressured. She let me try on as many dresses as I need to so that I could get a better idea, and she helped me narrow down the style and feel I wanted in a wedding dress. The boutique itself was comfortable and cozy. They had a variety of different dresses in so many different styles. All the dresses were beautiful and comfortable. They all fit my budget perfectly too! You have your own private area with comfortable seating. The shop and dresses were stunning. I would recommend weddings 826 to anyone!

four different bridal shops. Weddings 826 offered high quality yet affordable wedding dresses. The bridal stylist Kayla respected my budget, and was patient and kind without ever pressuring me into a sale. The store owner, Suzi, was communicative and on-site almost every time I visited – you could tell that this was a local business where she really took pride in their service and products. Weddings 826 is a full service bridal shop, which was essential to me. It gave me such peace of mind to know that the same shop who owned the relationship with the dress designer/supplier would also be tailoring my dress. Our tailor was Stephanie, who was so talented and wonderful. My dress required more work than initially anticipated, because my wedding dress was fitted for a longer torso and also had a very wide train that needed extra bustle points to sit properly. Stephanie kindly accommodated two additional appointments, and Weddings 826 also honored their original all-inclusive prices despite the extra work. Stephanie still managed to finish the work with plenty of time to spare, and many people commented on how well the dress suited me!! My wedding dress was so comfortable too!! If you want to work with a shop that has kindness, patience, and integrity, then Weddings 826 should be your first stop!!

d I found Weddings 826. I was incorrectly sized for my dress when I bought it and lost some weight. The seamstress, Carolyn (who is also amazing), had to take in 16 inches. Not only that, the fabric was beaded! The dress turned out perfect. She literally deconstructed the dress. I don't know what I would have done without her. I did 6 fittings and she gave such helpful feedback with everything. I am so grateful they were recommended to me. Definitely come here for alterations!

ommodating to my busy schedule. The dress fit like a glove and Lisa was able to create a perfect ballroom bustle!

the turnout of my dress. I used Weddings 826 for alterations only, I did not get my dress there. Right from the start I probably should have picked somewhere else when I had made an appointment by calling and the day of my appointment came and they could not take me because they did not have it in the system, although I could show them in my phone the date and time we talked. So my appointment had to be pushed back a week. I then had 8 fitting appointments which seemed pretty extreme because my dress was only slightly big and needed taken in at the shoulders (straps) and the hips. I was told by Weddings 826 this was very basic and simple. After my first appointment to see what needed altered I felt as if the seamstress was not fixing what we discussed and it never fit as I would have hoped for each appointment after. I would come in for a fitting and the straps would be way too tight to the point where I had marks on my arms when only having the dress on for 5 mins. Then I would come back and it was to the extreme, but the other way - the straps were much too big. This back and forth of "too big" now "too small" went back and forth 8 fittings until it was finally my wedding date and I had to take the dress as-is. I would also come back for appointments and bring up how the hips and other areas still felt too big and the seamstress would say "Oh I have not had time to do that yet." I felt I should have been contacted to move my appointment if the dress was not ready to try on. This happened a few times where the alterations were not complete. I had brought my concern up to the owner who stepped in after my 2nd or 3rd time bringing it up, so I did appreciate that. However, I felt that it took awhile for her to step in when she knew I was very upset and feeling frustrated. At the end of it all the straps did fit okay but I had to use sticky tape to keep them up because they continued to fall. My dress was still too big in the waist and I could pull the fabric out from my body at least 3 inches. My friends were in shock when I showed them. After 8 appointments I felt my dress should have fit. My guests could not tell how big it fit on me, which was really nice, but I did not feel as pretty as I would have liked. I felt bad even writing this review but the number of alterations I had to get, my dress not fitting still at the end, the amount of time it took the owner to step in.. I felt like I had to share for other brides. I had to ask at the end for a discount for all of my troubles where Weddings 826 tried to fight me on that. They eventually gave me a free steaming but no discount on all of the work. I would unfortunately not recommend this place to any bride. Save yourself the stress.

It was the best experience I had out of the 3 places I looked. Lisa was assigned to me for alterations and truly did fantastic work. The dress fit perfectly and made me feel so confident on my wedding day. Thank you to everyone!!

because they have such a good vibe in their store. So I ended up getting my alterations done with them! Suzi is fantastic, she gets back to you right away and is very organized. Also very sweet! I felt like the whole alterations process was very smooth. The communicated so well along the way, and my dress turned out PERFECT. Highly recommend Weddings 826!!

try on. When it was time for alterations everyone was so knowledgeable about how best to alter the dress to fit me. The dress fit me like a glove! I loved coming here and will recommend to all my friend and family!

pick out my dream dress as well as tailor it. Brian is magic and really made my dress feel special and like my own even many months after purchasing. They allowed me to bring guests to all of my appointments and of course Summer the shop dog is the best support while wedding dress shopping. Thank you for all that you do!

as so careful to consult me during every step of the process, and the result was phenomenal. Pricing was incredibly reasonable too. I couldn't be happier with Weddings 826!

listen to what you are looking for, and then show you dresses in the budget you described. They also were totally not trying to impose their vision or any body-related opinions on the brides, which is so important. My dress was everything I wanted in the end and I had the best day. I highly recommend making an appointment!

flare gowns (which is what I was originally looking for) would lay flat on me as they were way too small. (I’m a street size 10). I called Weddings 826 and explained to them that I needed to try on dresses that would fit and they assured me that they had a ton of sample sizes. I worked with Kristina and she was so amazing and reassuring. Unlike the previous salon I went to, my entourage was able to actually touch and pick out gowns. Every dress I tried on fit well enough to law flat on me so I could get a good idea of what it looked like. Additionally, I was notified that the consultants don’t work on commission so they are really there to help you find a dream dress, not just make a sale. I ended up with a beautiful dress and walking out of the salon excited. I highly recommend this salon if you’re looking for a great experience.

eel special and beautiful. They have a wonderful selection of dresses that contain both classic and unique looks in a wide variety of price ranges. Kayla did a great job of listening to what I was looking for while still giving me options that were a little bit different, and I ended up picking a dress that was different (but better!) than I imagined I’d be in. I also loved the convenience of working with Weddings 826 for alterations - my dress fit perfectly and looked beautiful for my day!

ing gorgeous gowns that wouldn’t have let me spend the night on the dance floor, or were a little too plain, etc. I love the owner, the salespeople, and the tailors at Weddings 826 because they got to know me, my preferences, my insecurities, and my goals before they started pulling dresses. And they pulled so many amazing ones - on top of having a great staff, this store has a great selection. And finally, after I bought my dress, the alterations team was stellar. They made sure my dress fit like a glove, my bustle was strong enough to withstand a night of dancing, and they put seamsgreat all over anything I said was itchy. I won’t need to buy another wedding dress but if they invited me to hang out, I’d drive over there in a heartbeat. And on top of that, they had excellent recommendations for other vendors. I was having trouble finding a hair and makeup team and the one they recommended was phenomenal.

erations there. We had planned on doing 3 alteration appointments but ended up having to add 2 additional because the top of my dress was not fitting as I had hoped. Rachel was absolutely amazing and did everything to make sure that my dress fit by my wedding date. My last fitting was the week of my wedding and although it was a little nerve-wracking, she did an amazing job making me feel confident that it would be ready and fitting perfectly. Well it did and I received so many compliments about how incredible it was. It fit like a glove. Suzi and her team were helpful, responsive, and very hands-on. They answered all my questions and made sure my dress was steamed and ready. Thank you Suzi and team for all your help throughout the process!

status of my dress etc. I had several large alteration requests, and they were able to accommodate everything so well. It was always so lovely to go in for appointments, and all of the staff is so friendly and helpful. Would recommend Weddings 826 for anyone planning their wedding :)

n old friend every time I went in for a fitting, and their assistant Kayla made sure I knew what to do regarding my bustle and other small details for the big day. Their boutique is so cute and welcoming, and whenever there is a manager’s dog roaming around the premises, you have a lifelong fan in me! Thank you for making my dress fit like a glove, the compliments I received were nonstop!

y first shopping experience. The woman working with me gave me a dress that was 7 layers. I said that I liked the dress a lot but I’m getting married in July and would like something a little lighter. She said “Hun! This is the lightest dress they make. You’re not going to find anything lighter than this” and laughed. I had tried on lighter dresses (2-4 layers) at the previous store but decided not to say anything. Next she had me try on a bright white satin gown. I mentioned that I was worried I’d stain it and that it would show easily. She told me “Your dress is going to be trashed by the end of the night so it doesn’t matter the fabric.” She didn’t have me try on the dresses I picked out, chose styles that I said I didn’t want to try, and didn’t talk to me to get to know what I liked or didn’t like about the dresses.” Also, I noticed that the first layer of may of the dresses were wrinkled. I asked about it and she said it was because I was wearing spanx. I mentioned I didn’t have this problem at the previous store and thought it could be the fabric. She then said the first layer is Jersey which tends to show what’s underneath. It got to the point that my sister came back to my room and asked me if I wanted to be at the shop anymore and I said no. At the end, I did ask them to write down the price of a dress and the name of it. When the woman was told the price by the woman at the desk in the front she loudly said “that’s it?” multiple times. It was just an awful experience. I ended up getting a dress for $100 more than this place at a much better quality and experience. If you go here, I suggest you don’t make it your first stop. I didn’t feel heard, supported, or special here from the staff and no one deserves that when they are trying on wedding dresses. To all the brides out there, good luck on finding the perfect dress. You will find it and you deserve it!

ing every single appointment. They were able to help me find the dress of my dreams without making me feel pressured to purchase, and even let me book an extra appointment to try on the dress again before deciding it was the one! I was 100% confident that my dress and I were in good hands, and I could not be happier with how my dress looked on my wedding day!

what I imagined! They also helped me find the perfect jewelry to complete my look. I would absolutely recommend Weddings 826 to any Chicago-land bride who is looking for a dress!

team is so nice and accommodating. The store is beautiful and the selection is incredible. Lauren really listened and understood exactly what I was looking for. She helped me stick to the simple, sleek look I imagined within budget. She made my vision come to life by pulling everything I wanted to try and then working with the designer on a custom dress. She pinned a size 14 in a dozen places so I could really visualize the final bodice in my size; she held various skirts over said bodice to show me the options; she found dresses with different backs until we decided on the right shape; she took pictures from multiple angles. She even got the designer to FaceTime on a weekend to see me in the dress and make sure we were all aligned on the customizations! Lauren was truly so patient with me and fun to work with the whole time. If you can’t find the one, you just haven’t met Lauren yet!

time. The store has a relationship with a small, local designer that they kept trying to get me to try on, and I wasn’t interested. Overall, I didn’t have a great experience here and wound up finding my dress at the next boutique I visited.

ter only trying it on once. When the store reopened, Suzi worked so well with my busy schedule to get me in to see the dress again, and for all of my fittings. We customized my dress both with the manufacturer and with their amazing alterations department. Suzi had my back when we had to dispute the color of my dress, and she made sure I was completely satisfied. Bryan, in the alterations department, was wonderful! He even made my custom cap sleeves. I kept accidentally losing weight, so I had to come in for more fittings, but he always reassured me and adjusted my dress quickly. I have no regrets about buying my dress here and having my alterations done here. I highly recommend it!

attuned she was to my mom and I during our wedding dress weekend extravaganza! The service we received was amazing, and they went above and beyond to try to help me find the perfect dress. I am sad to say I ultimately found "the dress" at another location, but everything about our experience at 826 was perfect, and I would 100% recommend a visit there to anyone looking to find a gorgeous dress at reasonable price points in a very fun and laid-back atmosphere. The customer service and personalized attention is really what sets 826 heads above the rest. Kristina, if you read this, thank you so much for making me feel so special and cared for!

Weddings 826! It has the perfect salon feel and I loved supporting a small business with my purchase!

elay on the L meant I was late for my scheduled appointment). They helped me try on a ton of dresses during my appointment, which is exactly what I wanted to do! The selection of dresses was gorgeous. They’re also one of the only stores in the area that carries Madi Lane dresses! I tried on so many beautiful gowns, and they even helped me style them with veils and off the shoulder lace sleeves. Even further, they contacted a designer to ask about modifying one of their dresses and called me right away the next day with the pricing info. The store also couldn’t be in a better location right on Armitage and close to the L! Any bride in the area should definitely check out Weddings 826!

lue. Plus, the salon is super cute and the fitting rooms are MASSIVE. You should absolutely make Weddings 826 part of your dress shopping experience.

ld end up with). It was a great environment to dress shop with my mom, mother in law, and MOH. The champagne never hurts either!

there. The next day, I received a call and text from Weddings 826 asking to confirm my appointment... which I did again. When we showed up, the studio seemed a bit chaotic. A lot of people scurrying around. The studio stores dresses in the changing room, so whenever the door to my room was open stylists were coming in to pull dresses for their clients. My stylist was pulled away by another stylist almost each time we left the room, which was distracting and took away from our appointment. Also, my pedestal was taken away by staff in the middle of my appointment so they could take photos for Instagram. We found a dress there that I really liked, but I didn’t realize until later that it was $300 over my budget. My stylist didn’t tell me that, and I was very clear about my budget walking in. At the end of the day, I’m glad I visited Weddings 826, but would not recommend it based on my experience.

aybe I would have stopped by for their dresses too!). I had a wonderful stylist who spent way more time with me than what was allotted. She paid attention to my preferences and budget. I ended up purchasing my veil and jewelry the same day at reasonable prices. I loved my experience at Weddings 826!

e take my time and really talked through everything with me. Once I moved into the alterations phase they were always rushing me through appointments - it seemed clear that they work for commission and prioritized the sales appointments versus the tailoring. Suzy - the main seamstress - was on maternity leave so I did not work with her for my dress. I ended up having to come back 4 times because I kept finding new issues that we didn’t notice because they rushed through appointments. For example - I paid $250 to get the train removed before the dress was actually delivered to me. The seamstress never read that in my “file” and kept telling me I needed a bustle. I kept saying I didn’t want one and it wasn’t until the 3rd appointment that she realized I had already paid to get the train taken off. Also - at the last appointment I put the dress on and the staff looked for about 3 seconds, said it fit perfectly and rushed me out. I knew I didn’t feel right in the dress so I asked another staff member if I could go back into a dressing room and try the dress on again — when I did we noted the back was too long, the right side was not even with the left in a part that was altered around my shoulders and when the seamstress had changed the length of the shoulder straps - she had not blended them, so the back part of the strap was way wider than the front. Had I not insisted on trying the dress on again all of those things would have been there for the day of. I was not able to try on the final product before the day of and had to just trust everything would fit right. It did in the end - but definitely didn’t help with the anxiety in the last week. Alterations also cost $300 more than they told me they would, ended up being about 50% of the cost of the dress. The pricing for alterations was also super confusing/not transparent - they had a pricing list posted in one of the dressing rooms and when it didn’t match up with my invoice I asked why it was different - they said it was because of the material of the dress, which was not specified on the pricing list they had posted. In numerous appointments I heard staff asking each other what certain alterations should cost - it seemed like they just make it up as they go. Again - I loved my dress at the end of the day, but they definitely need to improve the alterations process. If you go here make sure to be very assertive throughout the alterations appointments and insist they take their time to make sure they catch everything.

de feel special and like a priority. They work with exceptional tailors that can transform even the most difficult of fabrics and styles so that the dress fits like a glove! Suzi has exceptional attention to detail and years of experience that is invaluable. We cannot recommend Suzi and her team enough!

mom and now MIL), and found THE perfect dress that was surprisingly within my budget - which was super important to me! I tried on about 10 dresses, all of which looked like they were way out of my budget, and then the last dress I tried was the one I bought on the spot :) Thank you so much for giving me the dress that I want to wear everyday (btw, why isn't that a thing?)