4 Big Shopping Changes David’s Bridal Is Making This Month

Whether you’re headed to prom, in a wedding party, or walking down the aisle yourself, David’s Bridal can be a huge help in coming up with something to wear. And with more than 170 locations across the U.S., the gown and garment retailer is a likely shopping destination for anyone dressing up for a big event. But while their consistent offerings make them something of a go-to, things won’t be the same forever. Now, David’s Bridal has announced a few big shopping changes that will take effect this month.

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When it comes to big names in wedding-focused fashion, there are arguably none bigger than Vera Wang. But while getting one of her dresses can be a lofty goal that weighs heavy on your big day budget, you’ll soon have even easier access.

On Sept. 12, David’s Bridal announced it had launched a new partnership with Vera Wang brand parent company WHP Global, Chain Store Age reports. Starting next year, the retailer will carry exclusive brides’ and bridesmaids’ dresses in a new line called Vera Wang Bride that will be available both online and in-store. The line-up will also eventually include stationery and invitations.

As per the arrangement, David’s Bridal will oversee production of the latest line in-house. The high-fashion Vera Wang Haute service will still stay under the control of its namesake founder, producing custom bridal gowns and designs for high-profile clientele.

The partnership marks the second time Wang has penned a deal with David’s Bridal, with the previous arrangement beginning in 2010 and ending in 2020 as wedding purchases slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chain Store Age reports.

The rising cost of goods has taken a toll on many purchases, and wedding essentials are no exception. As a result, clothing manufacturers like David’s Bridal have been forced to change up their operations to avoid major interruptions.

Earlier this summer, the bridal retailer announced it was moving production entirely out of China—where it produced roughly two-thirds of its apparel—to other countries, including Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, Glossy reports. The company decided to mitigate the effects of high tariffs placed on Chinese goods by President Donald Trump, relocating to places with lower fees currently in place.

As part of the move, David’s Bridal will invest more heavily in quality control. And besides craftsmanship, the company also says it hopes not to change how much brides-to-be will pay.

“We do not want to raise prices due to tariffs, and we haven’t raised them,” Kelly Cook, the CEO of David’s Bridal, who stepped into the role earlier this year, told Glossy. She added that the company has planned ahead by placing large orders for necessary materials well in advance of the new tariffs, as well as planning out the company’s budget through the end of next year.

Anyone who has been through the wedding planning process would likely agree that the more tools couples have at their disposal, the better. Now, David’s Bridal is overhauling its offerings with some new options for shoppers.

In March, the company announced it would be shifting to a new “Aisle to Algorithm” strategy, which the company calls an “asset light” strategy that incorporates AI into the planning process, per a press release. The new roadmap includes amplifying the brand’s recently launched David’s Pearl Media Company, which provides inspirational content for couples in the planning process while also connecting them to relevant brands.

In a recent interview with Retail Brew, Cook also explained how the new approach would work regarding its fashion production.

“An asset-light approach to couture is partnering with somebody that does it, versus setting up the internal mechanisms to produce it ourselves. It gets us to the market faster,” she said. “It’s an asset-light approach developing a tool that takes a bride’s Pinterest board that she’s been building for five or 10 years…and using an AI analyzer, which is something that we built that’s in production, that imports all the data from her Pinterest board and puts it into our wedding book on our side. Before, that would be a survey that she’d have to fill out, and then the survey has to be downloaded, and it’s just cumbersome.”

Other technology updates that will affect the shopping experience include “quintupling” the number of dresses available online thanks to a Shopify e-commerce integration, adding shopping screens in-store, and streamlining the checkout experience, Retail Brew reports.

David’s Bridal has long lived up to its name of being exclusively bride-focused since it opened 75 years ago. But soon, some couples may be able to get everything they need to dress themselves without having to go to a second store.

In June, the retailer announced a new partnership with suit and tuxedo rental company Generation Tux, Retail Dive reports. The move will initially bring shop-in-shop sections to 10 David’s Bridal locations, adding more locations each week through the end of 2025 until all stores have them in place.

Besides the major addition of menswear, the Generation Tux experience also hopes to streamline the dressing experience by using iPads to help customers make their selections and tailor their options. They’ll then be able to try on their choices at home and return them via mail afterwards, per Retail Dive.

“This intuitive setup bridges the digital and physical worlds, combining the convenience of online shopping with the personal touch of an in-store consultation,” David’s Bridal said in its announcement.