David’s Bridal lets shoppers say yes to the dress – at home

The nation’s largest bridal retailer is bringing inventory directly to customers via augmented reality (AR).

In partnership with AR commerce solutions provider Vertebrae, David’s is providing visitors to its website with access to 3D and AR visualizations of its 50-plus best-selling dresses directly from product pages without downloading a separate app. Customers can place life-size dresses in their homes and zoom in on details such as beading, fabric, and trains. 

Full 360-degree angle views enable shoppers to walk around the dresses in their room, see how it will look next to other wedding party outfits, and examine intricate details up-close and personal directly on the website before heading to stores. And brides who already have their gowns can wear them standing side-by-side with virtual bridesmaid dresses to see which colors and prints match best and take a screenshot to refer to at a later date. Following the initial launch, new styles of bridal gowns and bridesmaids' dresses will be added into the 3D & AR assortment on a weekly basis.

This immersive, AR-based experience is the latest virtual shopping feature David’s has offered to customers during 2020. Others include video and virtual styling appointments, as well as a whole new suite of digital wedding planning tools.

"David's Bridal has always relied on the high-touch, personalized experience of visiting a boutique to select just the right dress for the big day," said Lizzy Ellingson, chief digital experience officer at David's Bridal. "With the temporary shutdown of stores in early March, we took the opportunity to reimagine the experience and help bring excitement to shoppers at home. Vertebrae's renderings enable brides to be, and their bridesmaids, the ability to view life-sized digital renderings in fine detail, boosting their confidence to narrow down options and buy online, which is something we know brides are becoming more comfortable with every day. We are excited to be the first bridal retailer to offer this immersive technology. It's an innovative and dynamic way to view our gowns that's unlike any other experience on the web."

David’s Bridal operates more than 300 stores located across the U.S., Canada, U.K., and franchise locations in Mexico.