This week, our team traveled to Chicago to view Spring ’23 collections at the National Bridal Market! From accessories to ball gowns and little white dresses, we made sure to bring home all of the pretty for our #ljmrealbrides. Take a peek at some BTS + 2023 bridal trends and book your appointment below!
Day One
Before heading over to The Merchandise Mart, we checked into our hotel in downtown Chicago, The Gwen. This gorgeous hotel housed a champagne vending machine and spectacular views of the Windy City!
After getting settled and changing from our traveling clothes, we took a scenic walk to The Mart and prepared for the main part of our trip to begin!
Day one began with a visit to our friends at Paris by Debra Moreland. Filled with handmade accessories and hand-painted veils, this booth was surely not one to be missed. Our team found the perfect jewels for every bride — from trendy pearl crowns to timeless drop earrings.
After our time with Paris, the team made stops at Watters for a preview, Jenny Yoo, and Frascara, for a peek at trending Mother of the Bride dresses.
Before heading out from day one, we of course had to stop for some goodies, a sneak peek of the next day’s appointments with Paloma Blanca & Mikaella Bridal, and a quick look at some updated bridal risers.
After day one at The Mart, we headed back to The Gwen, before an amazing Italian dinner at Adalina. Following dinner, we prepared for a packed day of appointments & headed to bed!
Day Two
We started off the second day of the National Bridal Market with breakfast & some educational videos for social media. Soon after arriving to The Mart, we browsed gloves and accessories at Poppy Lane, and then were lucky enough to try on Vera Wang Bride’s Spring ’23 collection.
Afterwards, we headed to Calla Blanche to view their Spring 2023 collection where we saw trends including colorful floral appliques, detachable sleeves, and exposed corsets.
Following our appointment with Calla Blanche, we enjoyed lunch in the café before meeting up for our appointment with Paloma Blanca and their diffusion line Mikaella Bridal where we saw more exposed corsets, and other 2023 bridal trends like square necklines and oversized bows.
After another jam-packed day of bridal appointments, we headed back to the hotel before another great dinner at Kamehachi in Old Town Chicago.
Day Three
To close out our time at the National Bridal Market, we joined Watters as they showcased their latest collections for Watters, WToo, and Willowby — not to mention the adorable shorties from By Watters! Here, we saw more bridal trends for the upcoming seasons like pearl detailing, more detachable sleeves, and cutouts.
After a busy three days in Chicago, our team had a lot of decisions to be made on our drive back to Columbus! We strive to bring the best selection of wedding dresses to every bride who walks through our doors. 2023 + 2024 brides, request your appointment here!
Our size-inclusive bridal shop serves brides throughout the Midwest + beyond, including Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Covington, Dayton, Detroit, Indianapolis, Lexington, Louisville, Pittsburgh + Toledo.