Brides today face more choices than ever - and it's creating a crisis of confidence. With 1 in 3 buying more than one main wedding dress, the bridal industry is facing its own version of retail bracketing. This blog explores the emotional and financial cost of overconsumption, the rise of the "backup gown," and how Dressit is helping brides shop with intention and confidence again.

Last week, Team Dressit was back at National Bridal Market in Chicago - exactly one year after introducing our platform. We gathered valuable insights from boutique owners and designers, learned what’s working, and discovered where we need to pivot. Here’s what we learned and how we’re moving forward.

There's something powerful about being on the ground, face-to-face with the people whose challenges you're working to solve. Today marked our first day at Chicago Bridal Market, and what we heard reinforced our mission.

Unlike many tech companies that arrive with polished pitches, we came to listen. Conversations with designers and boutique owners revealed consistent pain points: overwhelming designer minimums, consignment as a seemingly "only option" for sample dresses, and designers genuinely wanting to support their boutique partners but lacking the tools to do so effectively.

What became increasingly clear is that the bridal industry isn't resistant to technology itself—it's resistant to technology that doesn't understand its unique culture. Boutiques don't need another generic e-commerce platform. They need an intelligent hub that strengthens their relationships with brides and puts them back in control of their secondary market.

As a former boutique owner who lived these challenges firsthand, I'm more convinced than ever that Dressit is building the solution this industry deserves.