FAQ: Your Ultimate Dress Shopping Guide

We advise that most brides start looking for their dream wedding dress around a year before their wedding. It gives enough time for the gown to be ordered and any custom alterations to be made. While you can shop for your dress whenever you please, starting early will ensure you do not need to rush or compromise on your dream dress for your big day.

Wedding dresses take up to 8 months to arrive. You should also leave at least 10 weeks for bridal alterations. If you find your dress at 14 months out, we say go for it, as styles can be discontinued without warning, and prices may increase each season due to the increasing cost of fabrics and other factors in the industry. With all this in mind, saying “Yes to the dress is never too soon!”

Evening gowns take up to 6 months to arrive. Alterations for evening dresses can take up to 8 weeks. 

RUSH orders and alterations are available upon request and are subject to an extra fee. 

Deep breaths! You do have options. Our first recommendation is to purchase a sample wedding dress or evening gown. That means:
 

• Great deal
• No waiting for Production
• Instant delivery

Alternatively, we offer rush orders with additional fees from $100 to $500 for jumping to the front of the production queue and express shipment. Ask for details at your appointment!

Papilio Boutique does not carry every style displayed on the website. To check our in-stock availability of samples, please CONTACT US directly.
 

Although we do not stock samples of every style, you can always try similar silhouettes, review lookbooks, and check fabric swatches and colours before making your order. We often carry ~150-200 samples on site in Toronto. It is possible that we will have the dress you are looking for, but not the right sizing or colour. Many brides find it is still beneficial to see the variety of dresses and try similar dresses before they make a decision.

Absolutely! We have a great selection of samples that are available for sale and can be taken home the same day.

Yes! We operate by appointment only and do not accommodate walk-ins. 

Buying a wedding dress or a special occasion gown is an exciting time, and we ensure that your experience is one to remember. Our knowledgeable stylists are here to guide you every step of the way and make sure you find the dream dress that makes you feel your absolute best.

We exclusively offer paid in-person consultations tailored to meet your individual needs. To select the most suitable consultation for you, we encourage you to thoroughly review the descriptions for each Appointment Type or reach out to us for further guidance.

Please note:

• The fee for your appointment will be fully credited towards any purchase you make within 30 days of your initial consultation.
• Please be aware that appointment fees are non-refundable, regardless of circumstances such as finding your dress elsewhere or not attending the scheduled appointment.

Please make your appointment via our online booking system: BOOK APPOINTMENT. 

Please note that we do not book appointments over the phone or by email.

At our boutique, we recognize that each client deserves our undivided attention. Because of this, we do not offer shared appointments. If you and your friend or partner wish to have an appointment on the same day, we kindly ask that you book two separate appointments, though they may be back-to-back if our schedule allows.

At your first appointment, you will have either 45 minutes or 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on the type of appointment you booked. This gives you enough time to try on anywhere from 3 to 10 gowns and even retry your favourites at the end of your appointment. To make the most of your time, do your research beforehand, look through our collections online, and be selective when choosing the gowns you want to try on.

Though we have a great selection in stock, if you don’t find your size or colour, we will show you lookbooks, colours, and fabric swatches, take your measurements, and help you process an order.

Our boutique has seating for up to 4 guests in the bridal area and up to 3 guests in the evening fashion area. If you have more people you’d like to include, we can set you up with all kinds of virtual options to include them from a distance and ensure they don’t miss out. 

For your appointment, bring your wedding inspirations, a list of gowns you’ve seen on our website or social media, nude underwear, and minimal make up. Additionally, come with an open mind; many brides fall in love with a dress that is totally different than expected. Don’t be shocked if you find the perfect dress during your first visit!

We want to ensure that our gorgeous gowns remain in mint condition, so we kindly ask that no outside food or drinks be brought into the boutique.

 
Please note we have a lot of cute places that are close by, to go celebrate with your group afterwards!

Once you’ve made a purchase, you are welcome to take pictures of your gown. However, before that, we have a NO PHOTO policy due to the designer’s copyright protection. If you would like to show the dress you like to family or friends who cannot be present at your appointment, you can Facetime or Skype them from the boutique.

Our wedding dresses range from $850 to $3,500+, with an average price of $2,000. Evening gowns start from $650 and go up to $1,500+, depending on the fabric and embellishments.

Our Sample Sale dresses are from $350-$1,500.

Our gowns range from size 2 to 20, with most of the selection from size 6 to 14. Not to worry, we have the tools to adjust each dress to mimic the size you’ll be ordering. 

We can place orders up to size 22 (size 54 European) at our boutique. Custom sizing is available upon request.

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Debit or Cash. 

We require full payment for both our made-to-order gowns and off-the-rack dresses. However, we understand how expensive the wedding process can be, and our compassionate consultants can offer flexible payment plans that can suit any bride’s budget.

All sales are final. Sample Gowns are sold ‘as is’. We do not offer refunds or exchanges. We have a sales contract that you are required to sign before making your purchase and it is important that you are confident in your purchase and you take the time to read and understand our policies.

Alterations are necessary to ensure a perfect fit for all wedding dresses and evening gowns. We have recommended seamstresses/tailors for all our clients.

No, we do not rent out any of our gowns. However, if you would like a wedding dress at a fraction of the price, please book an appointment to check our sample sale selection.

If you are driving, there is paid parking on St Clair Ave. There are also two Green P parking lots around within a 1-3 min walk. 
 

• Green P: 791 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6C 1B7
• Green P: 700 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6C 1B3

Our closest streetcar/bus station is St. Clair & Arlington (St Clair Ave West at Arlington Ave), 1 min walk to our boutique.

We have many clients who confidently order their gowns through our Online Shop without visiting a boutique. 
 

Have you found your dream dress online but still have questions? CONTACT US to book your virtual/phone consultation with our fashion stylists to guide you through shopping on our website while sharing insights, tips on measuring yourself, delivery timeframes, and more.

For any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@papilioboutique.ca.