Bridal Companies Add Tariffs to Something Borrowed and Something Blue

As any bride-to-be or wedding planner knows full well, there are plenty of items on their to-do lists, but tariff watching is not one that most would have planned for.

Bridal manufacturers and designers, however, now find themselves on high alert trying to anticipate how and when they might have to change production to try to keep a lid on costs, due to the Trump administration’s tariff plan. Two weeks ago a few leading manufacturers made an appeal to President Donald Trump seeking exemption for the bridal industry but there has been no response yet. Approximately 90 percent of formalwear garments are manufactured in Asia, including in China, Vietnam, the Philippines, India, Myanmar and other countries that have the skilled labor and infrastructure needed to produce them.

While many bridal resources rely on fabrics, and in some cases production from China, their increased costs are in different degrees. U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports have increased to a 125 percent reciprocal rate and a 20 percent tariff to address the fentanyl crisis. And China has hiked up its duties on U.S. goods to 125 percent. Given that, some companies are already shifting manufacturing and finding alternative resources. After Trump reversed course on subjecting nearly 90 countries to reciprocal tariffs earlier this month, most tariff rates with U.S. trade partners were dropped to 10 percent.

Twelve bridal companies discussed with WWD how they are handling the situation. Others such as Kleinfeld Bridal, House of Gilles, Pnina Tornai, Amsale, Azazie and Ines Di Santo declined to comment.

Mon Cherie Bridal is working “diligently” to bring in all of the gowns that are needed from its factories in China, Vietnam and Myanmar to service brides, prom goers, quinceañera celebrants, mothers of the bride and other wedding guests, according to chief executive officer Steve Lang. “No events will be missed as our ERP system identifies every order with its own unique Zip code-like reference number.  We know where every dress sits in its production life cycle, and we have staff Stateside employees as well as ones in Asia coordinating with all 40 factories,” he said.

All orders that were placed before April 4 will not be subject to tariff-related increases, even though the company has been paying “accelerated” tariffs since January, Lang said. More work is being shifted to “our factories outside of China as fast as humanly possible. And we are bringing in inventory strategically to minimize damage,” he added.

Most concerned about taking care of customers, Lang said he is taking on shrunken margins or outright losses on dresses for orders that were booked before April 4. Equally concerned about how long the trade war will last, Lang said, “How long does the manufacturing/import portion of the supply chain suffer before relief arrives? If this continues, will we see continued erosion of retail and wholesale businesses?”

Lang, president of the American Bridal and Prom Industry Association, said, “If importers do not exist, will the industry lose to direct sellers from other countries?” Taking into account the ancillary businesses tied to the bridal and social occasion industry, such as retailers, florists, bakers, limousine services, tuxedo companies, catering halls, photographers, vacation suppliers, printing services, airlines and more, he estimated that they account for between 600,000 and one million employees.

Others like Pronovias are taking more of a wait-and-see approach. A company spokesperson said, “We’re still exploring what to do with the impact of the new tariffs, and for us it is very important to maintain our current positioning.” 

David’s Bridal, which typically has 300,000 dresses Stateside in its stores and centralized distribution center to serve brides, bridesmaid dresses and prom goers, is better positioned than some. The retailer also has 36 production and design centers globally including in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, the Philippines, and other locales. In anticipation of tariff hikes, the company started shifting production out of China. Instead of having 50 percent of its production in China, there is now between 25 and 30 percent being made there, according to chief executive officer Kelly Cook.

At this point, the chain is not planning to increase prices, although it continually analyzes prices and maintains “demand elasticity models” that are being looked at regularly, according to Cook. “We will continue to evaluate it, depending where Trump lands. David’s Bridal is examining additional expense controls and cost reductions in all of its facilities to see if there are more ways to gain efficiencies,” she said. “Our last resort is to increase prices. We do not want to pass that onto the customer, if we can avoid it.”

Cook noted how she has seen other companies testing out what they are calling a “tariff tax. We may have to, but we want to avoid that,” she said.

Mark Ingram, who runs a namesake atelier in New York City, said he is lucky to rely entirely on Italian-made goods and labor for his signature bridal collection. That has spared his company the greater hardship of larger tariffs that have been levied on other countries. “That is not the case, unfortunately, for the other designers and manufacturers [that are sold at Mark Ingram],” he said.

Having anticipated the tariff increases before this month’s bridal market, some prices were adjusted accordingly, Ingram said. “We feel we are relatively stable until further notice.”

As a bridal designer who sources specialty fabrics globally, Guillermo Pharis has been reviewing his supply chain and pivoting to more domestic suppliers wherever possible. The designer said he values long-term relationships so he will keep purchasing from certain resources and will adjust prices accordingly. “This shift hasn’t been easy, especially when working with materials that are highly specific to our designs, but it’s pushed us to be more agile,” Pharis said. “Our priority remains maintaining the quality and artistry that our brides expect, while navigating these external challenges as thoughtfully and efficiently as possible.”

A high percentage of Pharis’ bridal line is produced in New York’s Garment District and some production is done in Los Angeles, but some use materials that are sourced overseas. “However, this is still an evolving situation that we are working through with overseas production. At the moment I haven’t changed anything with manufacturing,” he said.

With quality being his greatest concern, Pharis said that sourcing domestically “often limits the range and uniqueness of fabrics.” He said, “While there are great local options, domestic doesn’t always mean better, especially when it comes to the specialized materials we use in bridal design. Maintaining the high standards our clients expect is a top priority, and the current restrictions make that more challenging.”

Having started her company in 2017, Harleen Kaur has always produced locally, but the new tariffs are putting a lot of pressure on her margins, due to the added costs of specialty and sustainable fabrics. ”It adds a lot of uncertainty to our sourcing and production planning. I’ve always wanted to operate in an ethical and transparent way. I don’t want to make a decision about where to cut corners. I want to still produce the best quality garment that I can and do that on the local level,” she said.

The designer has decided not to order fabrics from China that she had planned to for the time being. For her last collection, 10 percent of the fabrics that were used came from China. Kaur also expects local suppliers of fabrics to be increasing their prices. “The plan is to delay some of our production timelines, reduce some quantities and get more selective about what we’re offering,” she said. “One saving grace is that we do have a lot of fabrics in stock here.”

To deal with the changing landscape, the company has already had to increase prices for 10 percent of its 2025 collection. Those hikes are between 6 percent and 30 percent depending on the origin of the fabric used.

Andrew Kwon said he is most worried about how the made-to-order production for his signature collection, which is completely produced in New York, will affect costs. He said, “My vision for the future of American fashion requires investing in local craftsmanship, supporting small businesses, and building something meaningful and sustainable.”

Kwon continued, “With tariffs potentially impacting imported fabrics, trims and embellishments, our costs rise before the garments are even cut, draped and sewn. That puts pressure not only on our bottom line, but also on the community of studios and artisans we work with here in New York. We’re now evaluating how we can maintain our quality while also ensuring that our partners, who we feel are our fashion family and include many small businesses, are not adversely affected.”

With a namesake label, Nadia Manjarrez sources most of her fabrics from the U.S., France and Italy — primarily due to quality and craftsmanship. The brand manufactures all of its gowns in Mexico, and thus far has absorbed part of the increased costs tied to tariffs. While most brides usually have ”a little wiggle room” with wedding dress budgets, the company will be challenged to offer the same level of design, craftsmanship, quality and price points if tariffs keep rising, the designer said. “We never want our brides to have to choose between their dream dress and their budget, so we’re keeping a close eye on how to adapt without compromising what makes our gowns special,” Manjarrez said.

Strengthening communication with international vendors, especially raw material suppliers, is key for Katherine Tash. The company remains dedicated to long-standing business partners, including many who have been with the brand since its start. By producing gowns in its Santa Monica atelier, the company has greater control over its production process, the designer said.  

Her greatest concern is that “the sentiment surrounding this issue could trickle down to brides and buyers — and could diminish an experience that should be filled with joy, celebration and lasting memories. A wedding gown is not just a garment, it’s a deeply personal symbol,” Tash said.

Staying “informed, steady and transparent,” Jaclyn White, the Fashion Group International’s 2025 “Rising Star winner” for Bridal, said demand continues to grow in the U.S. for her Toronto-handcrafted gowns that are made from globally sourced fabrics. The cofounder and creative director said her namesake company remains “steady in our commitments to offering brides and partners the Jaclyn Whyte experience without compromising or making any impetuous changes. “

Barak Dvir, CEO of the Israel-based bridal brand Heli Kalkstein, hasn’t changed pricing, due to the 90-day reprieve of Trump’s stiffer tariff plan. “However, we discussed a temporary discount to bridge the tariff difference, something that will hurt our profit, but preserve the price for our clients. We thought about approaching partners in the U.S. to check out options for manufacturing our designs there, but it is too early to move in this direction,” Dvir said.