Why Every Non-Traditional Bride Should Visit Sarah Seven

A couple weeks back, I was invited into Sarah Seven’s Chicago Flagship Boutique to check out their latest offerings in bridal gowns!

I know so many of you are getting engaged and wedding planning right now, so I thought it would be:

A. Super helpful for you to get an inside look at what Sarah Seven offers and what their in-store experience is like, and…

B. Who cares if I just got married. I’ll take any excuse to try on some gorgeous wedding gowns without the pressure of being a bride ?

It was so much fun.

I got to try on so many dresses that I hadn’t ever considered previously. When I got married, I knew exactly what I wanted in a bridal gown (I know, that is NOT the norm!). So I never really took the opportunity to try on say, a gorgeously simple silk number, or a fuller a-line skirt!

What I loved most about Sarah Seven though is that they are certainly not the traditional stuffy wedding dress shop.

Sarah’s designs are definitely for the modern bride who doesn’t need all the fuss. You won’t find any rhinestone encrusted ballgowns here. They are beautifully elegant, for the real-life girl on a real-life budget.

Sound familiar? Not in line with the whole concept of this blog or anything…?

(This is why I knew you would love this post ?)

Let’s keep going, shall we?

Sarah Seven Chicago Boutique:

What to expect:

The boutique space is absolutely stunning. It’s chic without being overly glam, it’s intimate without being “cozy,” and sophisticated yet welcoming. As much as possible, they try to make sure you’re the only party in the shop (though they do have two dressing room spaces if needed. You’ll never have more than two appointments running at once, to ensure you get a special experience!)

When you arrive, you’ll be handed champagne in a coffee mug (you know, no guilt for drinking champagne at 10am ?–the most genius thing I’ve ever seen) and your stylist (I had Patrese, she was WONDERFUL!) will chat with you about your style, what you’re looking for, budget, etc. Then you can go through and pull some styles together!

This is another thing that I loved. It’s really not overwhelming. There are a few racks of dresses to choose from. Since they only carry Sarah Seven designs, there aren’t hundreds of dresses to weed through, leaving you feeling like you didn’t get a chance to see everything.

Perhaps the best part of Sarah Seven dresses though, are the prices–which typically range from $2650-$4500 ?? No $30,000 gowns here!

Details to keep in mind when wedding dress shopping:

If you haven’t been bridal shopping before, this is a GREAT place to start! Here are some items to keep in mind:

Wear nude, seamless underwear: You don’t want to be distracted by your underwear showing through a beautiful gown! (This happens a lot if you’re wearing colored underwear or lace underwear). Nordstrom has a ton of styles of invisible undies based on what you like!

Wear similar jewelry that you plan to wear for your wedding: Obviously it doesn’t have to be the exact pair, but if you can wear similar jewelry to the look you’re going for, it will help you really envision how your dress will look on the big day and whether or not it’s “the one.”

Do your hair: If you have an idea of how you’d like your hair–it helps to style it in a similar fashion. I knew I wanted mine down and curled (like it is all the time, haha) so I made sure not to wear it up that day, for example. I was very adamant that I didn’t want to wear my hair up (I hate my hair in updos) so I knew not to wear it in a messy bun when shopping for example–because you might like the look of one dress with your hair up, but hate it with your hair down. Some dresses really call for hair to be styled a certain way.

The Dresses:

Now let’s get to the fun part–here are the dresses I tried on! Can you tell which ones are my favorites!?

The Eloise Gown:

The first dress I tried on I was absolutely smitten. I think if we were to renew our vows one day (an event I immediately started planning in my head upon slipping this slinky number on), I would wear something like this!

You can actually make a few customizations on this dress in terms of the material of the skirt (see below!) Sarah is known for her illusion details–which you can see with the deep V sides–I love this detail!

The train is also really special–it’s the same lace that is on the boddess and isn’t super long or over the top! Pure elegance!

The Kir Gown: 

In this dress, I felt like a Hollywood movie star on the red carpet! It also strikes the rare balance of demure in the front and bold in the back!

For those brides who feel like white is just too traditional for them, I think this is such a beautiful option! (This dress comes in ivory as well!)

It’s blush, yet you still feel like a bride (especially with a bouquet, earrings, and hair done!) How pretty would it be with a vintage-inspired headpiece or shorter veil?

The cutout details make a subtle statement without being too overt, and the high slit in the front makes it easy to walk and dance in!

The Manhattan Dress: 

Remember the first dress? This is the same top, with a different skirt! At first in the dressing room I felt like a cupcake, but when I got out to the mirror I was so pleasantly surprised with how much I loved the look! This is great for a bride who really wants to feel like a princess in more of an a-line skirt without feeling ball-gowny. (For the record, this is as full as the skirts come here at Sarah Seven!)

(Side note: I’ve always wanted to lay on a vintage couch in a gorgeous princess gown like they do in the magazines, so I was elated I was able to check this off my professional bucket list ?)

The Marin Dress 

AHHH this gown. WOW. Just wow.

It’s perfect. Sophisticated. Glamorous. Simple.

What more can a non-traditional bride want in a wedding gown? No matter what type of celebration you’re planning, I can’t think of a situation where this wouldn’t be fitting–from an elopement to an intimate black tie soiree. My favorite detail was the low back that is so beautifully squared off. When Patrese handed me this whispy cape, I felt like a goddess! For the bride who doesn’t want a traditional veil but is looking for something special for the ceremony–this would be SO cool to wear!

The Venice Gown: 

This was the first dress I beelined for when we were pulling dresses–(obviously, because it’s the closest to MY original wedding gown–just a boho version ?) I loved the long sleeves and lace detailing–and the great part is that the neckline is actually illusion, so despite the deep v, you don’t have to worry about falling out of your dress on the dance floor!

The Goodwin: 

I will admit I did NOT like this dress on the hanger at all–it looked very odd (proof that you should trust your stylist and try things on even when you don’t like them at first glance!) but when I pulled it on, I fell in love! I felt like a modern day Grace Kelly–the combination of the sleeve and the lace makes it feel almost preppy with a dose of sophistication and a splash of vintage (did you get all of that? ?)

True to Sarah Seven fashion–the top is illusion, so you don’t have to worry about it falling too far off your shoulders (plus, it’s easy to move in!) I’ve never seen a dress like this–it’s truly very unique!

The Belmont Dress: 

Last, but certainly not least–one of Sarah’s most popular dresses that made me feel like Marilyn Monroe. I don’t know if you can find a more universally figure-flattering dress. It hugs in all the right places, defines the waist, has these gorgeous low back and low side details, makes your backside look like a million bucks and is STILL easy to walk and dance in! No small feat–bravo, Sarah, bravo!

Save the date for the Sarah Seven Trunk Show: August 17th-19th!

If you’re interested in trying on some Sarah Seven dresses, book an appointment to visit during their trunk show for extra savings! You can click here to schedule an appointment online, or call Sarah Seven Chicago at (773) 270-5939! If you don’t live in Chicago, that’s okay too! They have several stores around the country and carry Sarah Seven in some other bridal boutiques. See their website for more information! 

Which is your favorite dress style? Okay, engaged ladies, you HAVE to snap up some of these dresses and tag me on your wedding day so I can live vicariously through you! 

Thanks to Sarah Seven for sponsoring this post, and for letting me play dress up in your gorgeous Chicago flagship store! 

Photography by Hannah Schweiss