Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of experience should I expect?
Ila Bridal Boutique is located in the heart of the Wedgewood Houston neighborhood, in a private loft space designed to provide our brides with a mindful and personalized experience.
Beyond stylish looks that are hard to find and a carefully curated collection of bridal ready to wear from world leading designers, our primary purpose is to provide a memorable experience for each bride because we understand how sentimental and personal the shopping process can be.
Ila Bridal is about creating moments infused with meaning. A bridal sanctuary with YOU at the center of all that we do!
What is the price range of your gowns?
Gowns at Ila Bridal Boutique range from $1,500 – $7,500 with most of them falling between $2,000 – $4,000. Party dresses, jumpsuits, separates and completer pieces range from $500 – $1,800. Inventory changes frequently— if you are looking for a particular size or price range, please contact us at our Nashville boutique to inquire.
What sizes do you carry?
Our gowns range in size from 0 – 24.
Do I need an appointment?
Yes, darlin! We offer our entire studio to each bride and her loved ones during a 75-minute private appt. We do this so our brides feel relaxed and have our undivided attention.
Is there a booking fee?
Yes! Our private appointments allow us to get to know our brides and allow for an intimate, successful shopping experience. The $50 booking fee will be applied to the gown purchase if purchased the same day.
How far in advance should I start gown shopping?
We recommend booking with us when you are ready to find and purchase your wedding gown. Because we sell our gowns off the rack, you want to be able to purchase your dress the day you find it. This means being emotionally, financially and mentally prepared to say yes with us! We also recommend allowing at least 3-4 months prior to the wedding date for alterations.
What does off the rack/ready to wear mean?
We believe in simplicity and recognize that a modern bride is uninterested in shopping all over town before finding her dream dress, waiting 6-12 months for her gown to come in and paying the insane bridal markup, including production fees that easily tally up. Honestly, that feels outdated to us. That’s why we’ve simplified the shopping process.
Rather than the traditional “made to order” bridal experience, we offer bridal ready to wear that is purchased off the rack. All garments are new, never worn or altered and available to go home with you the day you purchase. We are able to remove the traditional markup in bridal by selling ready to wear due to how eco friendly and cost effective off the rack is in nature. We then set you up with one of our exclusive seamstresses for alterations. Post purchase aftercare is very important to us!
We highly recommend booking your private appointment when you are ready to commit to your look since we only have one of each garment, keeping our collection fresh and rare. This doesn’t mean you have to know exactly what you want, besides, that’s what we are here for!
We kindly ask that you do not book a private appointment “just to start looking” or “figure out what looks good”. This can cause serious confusion for the bride and since our inventory changes so quickly, you want to shop with us when you’re ready to make a decision.
Our expert stylists are fully prepared to walk you through the decision making process for a stress free experience. Don’t worry babe, it’s not nearly as scary as you might think.
What should I bring to my appointment?
Your beautiful self! Really, that’s all you basically need. However there are a few things that will help mimic your actual look on the big day. For example…
We recommend wearing nude/seamless undies, bring shape wear if you think you’ll wear them on your wedding day, nipple pasties or a strapless bra for the best experience.
How many guests can I bring to my appointment?
This is an important one! We recommend keeping your group small rather than a large party. Although we love a great girl gang, we have found that the more opinions given, the more confused the bride becomes.
This can lead to frustration and we never want that for our brides. Bring up to 4 (MAX) of your most supportive humans. Or come alone (we see this a lot – don’t worry, it’s not weird at all. In fact, sometimes its the best way to shop!)
Do you do holds?
We do not hold any items. In efforts to be fair and give everyone equal opportunity, is first come first serve.
Do you offer in-house wedding dress alterations?
Since our Nashville wedding boutique is dedicated to our brides and private appointments, we do not have an in-house seamstress.
However, we work with two master bridal seamstresses and absolutely love them. For our out of state (or city) brides, we are happy to research for them and highly recommend a few bridal seamstresses in their own city.
Where did the name come from?
Ila, the owner, was named after a dear family friend. Growing up, she was always told that the woman she was named after was a loving, kind, bright light. As Ila grew up she thought that was what her name meant because all she ever heard was positive things about this magical “Ila”.
We want our brides to feel loved when shopping with us. We want women to be treated with kindness and believe they deserve to work with and be surrounded by nothing but bright light while planning one of the most special occasions in their lifetimes… well, everyday really but specifically when shopping for her dream wedding dress!
Good to know before you shop
#1. Try to avoid scheduling back-to-back appointments. We believe shopping for your wedding gown should be a fun, special, and simple experience. Yes, we said it—simple! Although it may seem logical to book back-to-back appointments at boutiques around town, it can be very overwhelming, confusing, and lead to frustration. Trying on gowns is emotionally and physically draining.
#2. Set your budget. Before you book a private appointment and start trying on gowns you should understand the shop’s pricing and determine if they are a good fit for you and your budget. Falling in love with a gown and then finding out the price tag can be dangerous and disappointing for brides. It never feels good to find your dream dress just to discover it is out of budget. We always want to respect your financial priorities and empathize that the dress isn’t the only expense for your big day! This is why we tend to discourage trying on gowns you know are out of reach. It will lead to disappointment (and oftentimes, tears).
#3. Prepare yourself to ‘say yes’ during your appointment! Contrary to popular belief (and terrible, scripted television shows) you CAN find your dress during your first appointment and you DON’T need to shop until you drop. Think about it, babe. You’re engaged to the love of your life, you’ve set your budget and you’ve intentionally scheduled a bridal appointment to find your dress. Typically, brides actually do find their wedding gown during their first appointment with us. When you find something you love and want to get married in, why wait?! It really can be that simple. Don’t overthink it or overcomplicate your decision. Live in the excitement of finding your gown. You deserve it!
#4. We understand sh*t happens and in life, things come up unexpectedly. However, out of respect for other brides hoping to book with us, our staff, and schedule we kindly ask that you contact us within 48 hours if you need to cancel or reschedule. We are a small boutique offering private appointments for our brides, so we are only able to serve a handful of brides a day. If your plans have changed and you no longer plan on coming to your appointment, please extend common courtesy to let us know you won’t be able to make it. That will affect our daily schedule and we may be able to offer that appointment to a bride on our waitlist.
