Exclusive Look: SPINA Bride
Welcome to SPINA Bride, the beauty that is one of my favorite bridal salons here in New York City!
Having been a bride that shopped for my own wedding dress in New York City, generally speaking, I don’t highly recommend the bridal shopping experience here. For the most part, and this is just my opinion, the process is a huge disappointment.
Sure, this is New York, I get it. All the best designers in the world can be found here. You have brides from all over the world flying here just to find their perfect wedding dress. I know.
Still, it doesn’t feel great when you are barely acknowledged as you attempt to check-in for your appointment that you had to make months in advance. It also doesn’t feel great when the bridal stylist pressures you to buy a dress right then and there, when you only had a chance to try on 5 dresses in that 1-hour, which is really 45 minutes because the appointment always starts late, you had. Oh yes, you only got to try on 5 dresses because all the dresses were “in the backroom” and the stylist had to go back 5 million times to grab the gowns that they think you will like. Efficient, no doubt.
You know that scene in the movies, when you are in this clean and wonderful bridal salon with your best friend, sipping on champagne and rejoicing saying yes to the dress? Most bridal salons in NYC barely serve you water, even when you ask. Not to mention that most salons cram multiple brides within the same hour, so you can literally hear the other bride’s mom saying how she likes the other dress better, while fighting over the biggest mirror to take a picture. Yes, this even happens at the luxury designer salons! I am not even exaggerating (trust me, I wish I was).
So imagine my delight when I discovered SPINA Bride, a leading bridal salon that’s redefining the luxury bridal shopping experience here in New York City. Let us rejoice!
The experience at SPINA is exactly the opposite of what I described above.
There are 3 easy reasons why SPINA is one of my favorite bridal salons in the city. First, the unique bridal shopping experience. SPINA only takes one bride per hour for the entire salon. This is almost unheard of here in New York City! This means you and your squad get to fully be in the moment while finding your dream wedding dress. No fighting over mirrors. No waiting for the other bride to finish trying on that dress so you can try it. No “I’m so sorry but would you mind moving out of the background so I can take a picture for my friend?”
SPINA’s unique and intimate approach really preserves the essence of what a bridal shopping experience should be. It should be sacred. It should be valued. It should be special.
Here at SPINA, there are also no gowns “hidden in the back.” This means that you, as the bride, get to browse and see everything the bridal salon carries. If you’re like me, a person who needs to go through all her options before making a decision, this is literally a dream. Honestly, how do they expect me to make a choice when I haven’t seen all the choices?
The second reason I love SPINA is their exclusive designers. SPINA has an expertly curated selection of gowns from emerging international designers, including Liz Martinez, Daalarna, A La Robe, Dan Jones, Chana Marelus, Daphne Newman, sahroo, Santos Costura, and J Andreatta. Since they are exclusive to SPINA, you won’t be able to find them anywhere else in the city but here!
I love me some good fashion, and am generally obsessed with bridal gowns (do not tell my husband, but I am basically counting the days until my 10th wedding anniversary so I can wear one again).
To me, SPINA’s gowns are high-fashion, couture, and romantic all in one. No matter if you’re a modern bride, a fairytale bride, or a fashion-forward bride, there’s something at SPINA for everyone. I absolutely adore the bridal style that SPINA puts forth.
SPINA’s gowns range from $3,000- $20,000, with the bulk of them being in the $3,500 - $6,500 range. They also have select bespoke services from $10,000 - $20,500. You can refer to the designer pages on their website to best understand the price ranges of each designer.
Lastly, I love SPINA for the gorgeous boutique itself.
They really thought through the entire bridal experience here at SPINA. It’s not just about the designers. It’s not just about the gowns. It’s about you, the bride, and having you feel as special as you should feel finding your wedding dress.
From the moment you walk into the door and they greet you with a pair of fresh slippers, you know you’re somewhere special. From the music playing in the background, to that green velvet couch, the cozy carpets, and that beautiful dressing room with the skylight… I mean, this is how I want my home to look like! Can I live here?!
Did I mention that SPINA also donates a portion of each sale to VOW to End Child Marriage?
VOW to End Child Marriage is a unique new initiative that gives the wedding industry, companies, couples, and individuals a role to play in ending child marriage around the globe. Funds raised through VOW go directly to grassroots organizations working to end child marriage. These efforts include: educating girls; engaging parents, community leaders, and religious leaders; providing job training; health education; and leadership training.
I love seeing brands give back to the world in a real way, and SPINA’s partnership with VOW is truly the icing on the cake for me.
What are some things to note before your visit to SPINA?
Appointment Required: As mentioned, SPINA is a quaint boutique and specializes in hosting private appointments for their brides. The entire space is booked for you and your close friends and family only. Please use their online scheduler to book an appointment. If you need a later appointment than what you see available in the system please email info@spinabride.com and they will do their best to accommodate you.
3 Guests Maximum: As much as SPINA loves the idea of having all your friends and family be a part of this special moment, they believe that this time should be as intimate as possible. They’ve found that sometimes too many opinions end up overwhelming the bride’s decision, and they don’t wish stressful shopping upon any of their brides. For your sake, SPINA advises keeping your squad under 3.
Look Out for Trunk Shows: A trunk show is an exclusive event where a designer will send their entire new collection for one weekend only. These gowns are often not yet in stores, and you have the opportunity to try all the gowns in their collection as oppose to the ones they have in store. You can see all their upcoming shows on our events page.
What Should You Bring? SPINA recommends bringing nude undies, spanx, nippies, or a strapless bra for the best experience. They will provide shoes, but feel free to bring your own wedding shoes, especially if you have them already. SPINA will serve you tea and water, but if you choose to bring champagne, they would be more than happy to serve that for you, too!
In summary, SPINA is really my dream bridal salon here in the city. If you’re looking for your dream wedding dress, make sure you stop by SPINA.
It’s located right by the High Line, it’s super convenient to get to, and it’s really an experience you really don’t want to miss out on.
SPINA Bride
Address: 132 10th Ave, New York, NY 10011
Hours: wednesday through monday 8:30AM–6:30PM
WEBSITE: www.spinabride.com
Appointments: Book AN APPOINTMENT
EMAIL: info@spinabride.com
Phone: (646) 256-1389
INSTAGRAM: @spinabride