Long Island bridal shops are seeing pent-up demand. 'We have a waitlist'

Behind the doors at Long Island bridal shops, seamstresses are working overtime finessing frocks, while customers are facing waits up to a month for appointments to select gowns for their big day. Call it another sort of long engagement — and it’s an arrangement that many plan-ahead brides are taking in stride.

Boutiques selling bridal gowns and evening wear are bracing for customer logjams as 2022 emerges as a banner year for "I do's." More than 2.5 million U.S. weddings are anticipated, the most since 1984, according to an industry study by The Wedding Report.

Breanna Bottoni, 26, of Nesconset, booked about three weeks in advance of her first appointment at Blu Rayne Bridal Boutique in Commack when searching for a dress for her May 12 marriage to Joe Governale, 27. “I needed a weekend date because of my kids, and I also wanted my mom with me,” she says. “I was a little pickier with appointments.”

BRIDAL BACKLOG

Backlogs have become a reality at Blu Rayne, which specializes in gowns for brides, mothers of the bride and groom and bridesmaids. "It feels like a long time when you’re so excited about something, but wedding planning is like that," adds Bottoni.

Blu Rayne owner Carrie Lish says moms seem to be the ones still seeking out their dresses from pandemic postponements. “So we’re seeing a large surge in mother-of-the-bride and groom appointments. We have a waitlist for them,” she says.

It’s par for the course at Max Bridal, wedding-attire specialists in Syosset. “Before the pandemic, you could probably book a Saturday appointment to select a gown if you called on Tuesday,” says Alene Aguirre, 41, the store manager. “Now, you need to give yourself three to four weeks' advance notice.” 

Bridal Reflections, a 49-year-old family-owned business based in Massapequa and Carle Place as well as Manhattan, has similar scheduling situations for appointments. 

“We’re booking at least three weeks out on the weekends and evenings,” says co-owner RoseLynn Fiumara. “If you’re inflexible and say ‘I can only come at noon on a Saturday,’ then it can be extended to a month.”

The shop’s current customer slate includes rescheduled holdovers from 2020 and 2021 as well as the new crop of brides, their mothers and attendants for 2022.

At Dress Gala, a Commack shop that features mother-of-the-bride and prom dresses, the current wait for appointments has expanded to around two weeks, up from “a few days,” according to owner Diona Pollari, 34. 

The launch of the appointment-only format coincided with the start of the pandemic at the 9-year-old store where brands like Jovani and Mon Cheri are among the popular choices for customers. 

“I never used to go by appointments,” says Pollari, adding that it was all about safety in the beginning. “Now, it helps deal with the increase in demand.”

At Here Comes the Bridesmaid, a by-appointment-only salon in Bethpage specializing in dresses and accessories for wedding parties, three weeks is and has been the norm for appointments, according to manager Leslie Supino, 49. 

What’s changed, she adds, is a shift away from one peak wedding season, which historically has been weekends in June. People are also shopping further in advance than ever.

“Different months throughout the year and days of the week are popular,” she says. Thursday has become a go-to alternative day for weddings, a change brought about by venues being booked to capacity on weekends. 

“Those were trends that were in motion even before the pandemic but they have gained steam,” says Supino. “Now, anything goes.”

SEAMSTRESS OVERTIME

What’s going overtime amid the current wedding surge are seamstresses, whose work by and machine can mean the difference between a dress that simply fits to one that wows. 

“Pre-pandemic we had three seamstresses at Max Bridal that were busy all the time,” says Aguirre. “Now we have six, and they are swamped.” 

Ask Zizi Nasr, 50, who heads the nine-seamstress team at Bridal Reflections in Massapequa. Their work by hand and machine transforms dresses into wedding dreams come true. “It’s going to be a very busy year,” she says. 

Beyond the sheer volume of work, the degree of detail for each gown has altered, according to Erin Savino, an independent Queens-based seamstress with clients around the metro area including Long Island. 

“The pandemic made it so that weddings became more significant,” says Savino, 31, who’s been getting more requests to customize design elements. They’ve ranged from adding embellishments, buttons and bling to makeovers that turn a separate bolero jacket and dress into one chic gown.

“People are looking for special nuances that make their dresses different,” she adds. “Some clients have waited so long that their dresses just have to be above and beyond. They want the drama.”