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FAQ
Yes, an appointment is necessary so that we can give each bride our undivided attention. At Emerald City Gowns a consultant is made available to assist you in finding a wedding gown that best suits your personal style. Appointments can be booked online, in-person, or over the phone. Please visit our appointment page.
We usually cannot accommodate walk-ins. We encourage you to book an appointment, which are available from 10am - 4pm on weekdays & 11am - 4pm on weekends. Please call if you're in the neighborhood 510-725-7771
It is helpful to bring undergarments in the style that you will be wearing on your wedding day, including nude strapless bras, seamless panties, and foundation garments, like Spanx. If you plan to wear specific jewelry or accessories on your wedding day please bring them to ensure they are complementary to your gown. Important: bring heels of a height that you will wear for your wedding. Your heels will help determine the length of a hem. Some pre-worn gowns have been hemmed and you can't always make them longer again. We do not recommend trying on gowns with a sports bra or leggings.
Yes, we are a small salon and can comfortably accommodate 4 guests per bride. We have found that the opinions of a trusted few always result in relaxed and clear decision making.
Yes, bring a camera or smartphone! Guests are welcome to photograph you in the gowns you try on, but staff is also happy to help if you're shopping alone.
We offer made-to-order bridal gowns from five independent designers. Collections from each designer are featured in the bridal salon. You can expect a curated 5 - 10 sample gowns per designer. This number can increase significantly when we host a designer's trunk show. Each gown purchased will be custom made to the brides size and specifications. Made-to-order gowns are handmade in the designer’s studio by professional tailors earning living wages. Made in the USA. Takes 12 - 16 weeks to complete and ship.
Our consignment collection and designer samples are all available off-the-rack, meaning you may purchase the gown you see in-store and take home the same day.
Made-to-order designer gowns are priced between $850 - $3,500.Off-the-rack consignment gowns and designer samples are priced between $500 - $5,000.Sales tax in Berkeley is currently 10.25%.
Made-to-order gowns are sampled in sizes 6 - 16, depending on the designer. Off-the-rack gowns range in size from 00 - 20. They are a mix of altered and unaltered gowns so the hem length can vary from about 5'0" to 6’2".
We take specific measurements required by the designers for made-to-order gowns when you place your order. If you need your measurements taken for a gown you are purchasing elsewhere, there is a $45 fee.
We have a wonderful seamstress who will meet you and do fittings at Emerald City Gowns. Her name is Young Ki and can be reached via email at thepida12@gmail.com. A bridal specific seamstress’ shop has all the necessary tools at their fingertips to achieve a precise, custom fit. The cost of alterations are not included in the price of the gown, and you are welcome to choose the tailor of your liking. We work with a couple well-trusted, local seamstresses. Check out our support local section for more info.
Absolutely. We sell veils and hair accessories new and on consignment. We have a limited collection of jewelry as well, but no shoes or undergarments. You do not need an appointment to shop our accessories.
Our consignment gowns come from individuals selling their personal bridal gowns, designers wanting to clear out last season's samples and other bridal salons that do not sell their own samples. The individual consignments are usually worn and altered, but professionally dry cleaned before available for sale. The designer and store samples are generally sizes 8 - 12 and may need minor repairs and cleaning. We make great efforts with all the gowns to ensure there are no condition issues that cannot be easily reversed. The prices and discounts reflect all of the condition issues we are aware of upon arrival to our shop.
We have moved from the Fourth Street shopping district near University Ave. and the 80/580 FWY to our new home, 1411 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley CA 94702. You will find us next to Stella Nonna. Our bridal salon entrance is visible from San Pablo Ave.
Parking is easy! You may park in our adjacent parking lot if there are spaces available. It is a small 5-stall lot that we share with 2 other businesses, so if it is full check out the abundant street parking. Most of the spaces on San Pablo Avenue are metered 9am to 6pm, but there is plenty of street parking in the neighborhood if you turn the corner. Please reference the custom map below.
Yes, and we will gladly assist you at the door, please call us at (510) 725-7771.
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and Cash. Payment is expected in full at the time of purchase.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
Made-to-order designer gowns and accessories — as soon as we collect payment of between 50 - 100% deposit, the order is submitted to the designer that same day. All of our designers have a very strict policy on not allowing changes or refunds once orders are placed, since everything is custom made and goes into production. Therefore, we cannot allow any changes or refunds to an order after a deposit has been collected. Off-the-rack consignment gowns and designer samples — we cannot offer you a refund. We are happy to re-consign your gown whether or not you've worn it, if in acceptable condition.
Holds, yes. We will hold a gown with a $125 non-refundable deposit. Should you choose to buy the gown on hold within 7 days, the $125 will be applied to the balance. We do not offer layaway or gown rentals. Ask a consultant for details.
First, visit our sell consignment page to learn about the process and fill out our application form to sell your gown at Emerald City Gowns. We review all applications. Expect to be contacted via email or phone with all relevant information. An appointment will be scheduled. Bring your professionally cleaned gown to the appointment. We hand inspect all of our gowns. Upon approval a resale price is established and a consignment agreement is signed, which is valid for six months. Some basic terms — you will be named consignor and the owner of Emerald City Gowns will be consignee. We employ a profit sharing model, meaning we will issue payment to the consignor, exactly 50% of the proceeds from the sale. Payment is not made until the gown sells. Items that are not sold are returned to the consignor.
A trunk show is a scheduled event where the designers send us their current collection of samples for our brides to experience and try on in-person. Each gown purchased is then made-to-order. This is a fun way to see more of the collection and get promotional pricing! We posted our upcoming truck show schedule on our about page.
Winner of
Best Bridal Shop
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