Alright ladies, let’s cut to the chase here. To put it lightly, COVID-19 has caused some unrest in the world of weddings. For some of you, who were set to be wed in this first half of 2020, suddenly you’re not. For others, the uncertainty around what weddings look like in the near future, is a painful reality.

While at times you may feel that worrying about your wedding in the midst of a global pandemic is silly or superficial, we are here to reassure you that it’s ok to be feeling some angst and high emotion when it comes to your current wedding plans.

So, if your dream day has been, or is looking to be impacted by the health crisis – let’s take a moment to consider your gown.

If your gown is ready and raring to go, how do you keep it safe? And if you’re yet to find your dream dress – what does this process look like for you?

We’ve got you covered.

With the help of our talented fashion Tribe, let’s take a look at what COVID-19 means for your wedding gown.

Where are your gowns made, and has the current crisis impacted how and when I will receive mine?

First up, speak with your designer, if you haven’t already, and see how they are positioned. For those newly engaged, be sure to reach out to potential designers and learn about their process. Communication is key and everyone is working hard to make the process a smooth and simple one!

Our friends at Karen Willis Holmes share that all gowns, except their LUXE ready-to-wear collection, are designed and manufactured in Sydney, Australia.  “We have a strong team of exceptional makers that are working through this period to make sure every bride gets their dream gown on time,” they share.

“Our LUXE gowns are all hand-beaded in India and we are currently experiencing delays in pre-orders, which are on hold until the India borders re-open,” they add. “However, because they are ready-to-wear, we carry stock of these dresses in our workroom which is what we use to fill orders until we need to re-order dresses that are low in stock. We can work closely with our brides with shorter lead-times and let them know what is currently available to order based on our stock levels.”

For the team at Luci DiBella, who’s Armadale studio is home to their collection of gowns and samples – the current climate in not impacting availability. “The current climate and circumstances has not impacted the quality, availability or experience we provide our clients, as everything is controlled in-house.”

Kim Of Love You More Bridal says that as part of the brand’s “Keep it Local” ethos, they too source and make locally, right here in Melbourne. “There are currently no delays with completing and delivering dresses to our brides,” she adds. “The only difference is that every single completed dress is carefully boxed and delivered to our brides at their nominated address. There are no dress pick-ups at this time.”

The divine studio doors of Georgia Young Couture are also currently closed for now, though with Georgia at the helm, there has to date, not been any delays with gown production. “I am very proud to say that all of our gowns are made in our Melbourne studio,” she says adding, ” I’m the only one working on creating the gowns. So things are a little slower than having the full team, however we don’t foresee any issues at this stage.”

My wedding has been postponed and now my dress is hanging in my parent’s spare bedroom. What do I need to do to ensure its safety?

Your glorious gown is precious cargo! If it’s in your hot little hands and you’re worried about keeping it safe, never fear – we have some great tips to ease your mind.

Georgia Young Couture recommends hanging your dress in a garment bag and keeping it away from sunlight. “Sometimes if you leave a gown in direct sunlight it will start to ‘age’ the fabric. Be sure to also check the room you are storing it in is dry and safe – by safe, I mean no puppies easily able to access your gown and pulling it apart, yikes!”

The team at Karen Willis Holmes are pro’s when it comes to storage tips, and here are their top six tips for keeping your beloved safe:

• Cool (between 15-25 Degrees Celsius).
• Dry (not humid).
• Dark, out of sunlight/daylight AND out of the way of your future wife or husband’s curious eye!
• The gown can be hung from the ribbon hanging loops (found at the armpit).
• It also needs to be stored in a fabric bag that can breathe (KWH bags are Plastic bags, which are brilliant for short term and travel but are not suitable for long term storage).
• If you do not have hanging space, your gown can be lay flat in a fabric bag and hung back up closer to your wedding. It may need a steam afterward. Running a hot steamy shower and hanging your dress on the back door of the bathroom works wonders on light creases.

Love You More Bridal have another handy hint – store your dress in a dress bag using two hangers – one hanger for the top of the dress using the hanging ribbons and the second hanger to drape the bottom half of the dress over (the same way you hang trousers). This helps to maintain the shape and proportions of your dress and minimises any stretching. Also, try handling your dress as little as possible to keep the clean, crisp colour.

With all Luci DiBella gowns, it is being advised that brides hang their gowns inside the Luci DiBella garment bag provided. “As we reach closer to the new wedding date, we welcome our clients to bring their gowns back in studio for a professional steam and further finishing details.”

Can fittings still take place given the current social distancing rules and temporary closure of businesses?

For the most part, bridal fittings are on hold for now.

In some instances, you might find that you can attend a studio in a one-on-one capacity (chat with your suppliers for their individual stance on this), however we would encourage you to utilise the many ways in which bridal brands are pivoting to provide their services at the moment. This includes video calls and perusing websites and socials to get a great idea of your options for when the time is right.

It’s crucial that brands ensure the safety and wellbeing of their staff and clients right now, and when appointments re-open – boy will the experience be fun-filled and emotional!

As the team at Luci DiBella explain, appointments that do take place, will look a little different in the current climate. This includes following Vic Health Department and WHO guidelines and takes into account – sanitation options, wearing gloves, bringing your own heels to appointments and rearranging showrooms to look like a gallery space, so gowns can be viewed from a distance and not touched unnecessarily.

For Karen Willis Holmes brides that were about to book a dress, you can still place an order over the phone and get in for a VIP fitting once doors re-open to re-size closer to your new wedding date (or once again, purchase from their online boutique).

Will there be flexibility on the usual 6-9 lead time of a wedding gown when we come out on the other side of this crisis? I’m worried I’ll run out of time.

According to our experts, this has been the most frequently asked question over recent weeks. While typically wedding gowns, given the work involved, take a minimum of 6 months from order to delivery, there are some exceptions and conditions to keep in mind.

For Love You More Bridal, it is recommended that you get in touch with your bridal designer as soon as you know you’ve found ‘the dress.’ “We have limited availability of fabrics for each design so this needs to be considered as well.  As for the timing, there is flexibility for shorter lead times but we wouldn’t recommend less than four months to allow time for alterations if needed.”

Before COVID-19 wreaked havoc, Georgia Young’s timeline sat at around the 9-month mark. As she explains, “realistically, no one will be booking gowns until bridal stores can open back up and see clients face to face.”

“When we do open back up, I expect an influx of rush orders.” Adding, “Being a small business that makes all of our gowns on site, there’s only so many gown orders we can accept. We have started a waitlist for brides that are interested in making an appointment for when we open back up. I would highly recommend getting on the waitlist if you are interested and that way you can have the option to take one of those remaining spots if you want to.”

When stores re-open, it will really be a matter of READY, SET GO! So use this time to do your research. Find the brands that you really love. Pick out a few gowns that you are keen to try on and be ready for when those lights turn green!

A great workaround here is ready-to-wear collections such as those from Karen Willis Holmes’ LUXE line, of which they hold stock so depending on size, you could look to book and take home your dress on the same day.

What now?

If you’re still feeling any uncertainty, reach out to these incredible brands and ask questions and begin to open up a dialogue with them – they are just as keen as you are to say ‘yes to the dress’.

And in the interim, keep the inspiration at your fingertips – save ideas to your phone or notebook, and take this time to really hone in on what you love and how you imagine your wedding day look to unfold.

We’re all for a great virtual get-together in these isolation times, so why not gather your bridal party, enjoy a glass of bubbles and peruse some of your favourite brands’ collections altogether.

Naturally, your shortlist of ideas is likely to change, but it pays to be thinking positive and these simple steps will ensure your excitement for the incredible big day you have ahead won’t be dimmed.

We host the finest fashionistas in our bridal fashion directory. Take a peek at their talents here.