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Weddings

About

Belle Atelier is a heritage custom design studio founded in NYC by Giselle Ghofrani the daughter of Chicago's favorite alteration studio The Dress Doctor. Belle specializes in creating the ultimate gown for your wedding day or others in your party. We also carry a curated collection of designers who specialize in customizations or are in the high-end luxury market. Belle is for anyone who is looking to be part of their entire gown creation process, from silhouette to final touches like lace appliqué or embroidery design. Because of Giselle’s experience and connections in New York, we have the ability to provide you with the best pattern-makers, seamstresses, and materials in the industry.

  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

What are your price ranges for full-priced wedding gowns?

$1,000 - $2,499
$2,500 - $3,999
$4,000 - $6,499
$6,500 - $7,999
$8,000+

How do you price dress alterations?

By Piece

Who do you provide services for?

Bride
Bridesmaids
Flower Girls
Mother of the Bride
Mother of the Groom

Which of the following services do you provide?

Alterations
Appointments Only
Full Customization
Rentals
Sample Sales
Trunk Shows

Which of the following items do you offer?

Bridal Belts
Hair Accessories
Jewelry
Plus Size Gowns
Sample Gowns
Undergarments
Veils

What is the average turnaround time for a bridal gown?

Less than 6 months
6-8 months

How often do you receive new bridal gowns?

Annually
Seasonally

What is your return policy?

Final Sales

Reviews of Belle Atelier

Madeline
Madeline Sent on 10/09/2024
5 out of 5 rating

The Best!!

I went to numerous boutiques and this by far had not only the best selection but also the best staff! Everyone was so nice and had a lot of fun with us while we tried on the various dresses. Made the experience great :)
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Sent on 03/09/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Best experience ever

Working with Giselle and Soheila Ghofrani was one of the best parts of my wedding planning.

Some bridal shops were concerned about our relatively short engagement( less than six months), but Giselle was not. Giselle was super supportive of my mom’s idea to wear her vintage Priscilla of Boston dress from the 1960s. After getting the dress professionally cleaned, Soheila altered it beautifully, retaining the dress’s original charm while giving it a slightly more contemporary feel.

Giselle also helped me find a stunning party dress by Varca Bridal for a second lewk; I was thrilled to find a dress made by a fabulous local designer.

I cannot speak more highly of Belle Atelier and The Workroom at Belle!
S
Sara Sent on 01/04/2022
5 out of 5 rating

The absolute best.

In short, Belle Atelier and The Workroom at Belle (for alterations) are INCREDIBLE. There aren't even words. No. doubt. go. to. them. for. everything.

Giselle sourced a sample of my dream reception jumpsuit by Savannah Miller (even though they discontinued it before the trunk show) not once, but TWICE after a dry cleaner ruined the first one. She is the best - generally and at what she does. I didn't visit the Belle Atelier boutique to find my wedding dress initially, which was a huge mistake. When I went to pick up my jumpsuit, I was like WHAAAAAATTTTT in the heck with all of these chic and unique options!? They should have been my one-stop-shop from the very beginning!! The designers, the accessories, the space - *chef's kiss*. Not only do they have style, everyone is supremely lovely and kind. They are an ethereal calm in the wedding storm!

Soheila is a MASTER of alterations. All the garments for my wedding weekend were samples, vintage pieces, or from StillWhite.com. The Workroom graciously took on all of them two months before my wedding, after a comedy of errors with a tailor in Cincinnati (where I live) that I'd started the process with two years earlier. She went above and beyond to TRANSFORM and BRING TO LIFE each ensemble under a tight timeline with few fittings. I was feeling stressed and sad about my wedding gown, and solely because of Soheila, it ended up being everything I'd envisioned and more. Tailoring is truly becoming a lost art, and finding someone who knew exactly what to do and whom we could trust unequivocally, was such a gift. They even replaced the comb on my Mom's veil. For brides outside of Chicago, traveling is so worth it!!
A
Allison Sent on 01/04/2022
5 out of 5 rating

The greatest bridal shop in Chicago

Being a COVID bride, there are many elements to my wedding that I would like to forget, BUT my experience at Belle Bridal is one I want to RELIVE!

Giselle and the entire team at Belle Atelier is outstanding and brilliant at their jobs. The selection of dresses is sublime. This shop is unlike other bridal shops in Chicago because this whole team actually cares to find the right dress for every bride, not to just make a sale. Not once did I ever feel pressed or pushed into trying on a dress, buying an accessory, or anything in between. The other added element that I loved about this shop was the fact that alterations were done in house. Giselle, and the entire team, is highly skilled in alterations, and making sure whatever dress is picked fits the bride perfectly.
Jillian
Jillian Sent on 08/05/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful, personal experience

I had the most wonderful experience at Belle. Giselle and her mother are the kindest, chicest team ever. Alterations were thorough, beautifully-done, and comprehensive. The atelier experience was thoughtful and unique, cannot recommend it enough!
Colleen
Colleen Sent on 07/13/2021
5 out of 5 rating

DREAM Dress Shopping Experience

Giselle & the Belle Team were an absolute DREAM to work with in finding the most perfect bridal ensemble. I've been eyeing the studio since their opening, and I knew I'd find my dress there, but the level of guidance, expertise and kindness experienced during my visit was top notch. So great I didn't even visit a single other store. Can't wait for the big day even more now - thank you, Giselle & Belle!
Nina
Nina Sent on 01/21/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Great for custom dresses

I live in California and reached out to Giselle about a custom wedding dress. We talked about my vision and she sent sketches of possible designs (the sketches even had my hairstyle, which my friends found delightful). Due to a job change, I had to pivot to working with someone locally, but I loved the experience I had with Giselle and would absolutely recommend her for your bridal needs!
M
Mary Sent on 10/15/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Giselle is amazing

Giselle helped me find the most beautiful dress and it was actually affordable, well made, and flattering. As a bigger person shopping can be intimidating, especially for bridal gowns. Giselle was so caring and amazing I walked out with a dress and feeling like a beautiful bride.
Jill
Jill Sent on 10/15/2018
5 out of 5 rating

Dreamy staff, and dreamy environment

If I could rate Belle more than 5 stars I would. Their dress selection is everything a girl could ask for, and MORE. The entire experience was so positive - Giselle and Soheila are literal angels. Both so patient, and professional. They immediately understood my style, and helped me go with my projected budget, which I hadn't experienced at other bridal boutiques. The entire process was seamless - from the scheduling of the appointment, to trying on dresses, and then actually ordering THE dress - it all happened so smoothly. These are true, experienced professionals. I'll forever be truly grateful to have such a positive experience.
K
Katherine Sent on 01/04/2024
1 out of 5 rating

Horrible experience getting my dress tailored here

I used Belle Atelier to tailor my wedding dress, as the shop I purchased my dress from doesn't offer alterations.  Everything was good - I really enjoyed working with their head tailor, who I thought was wonderful - up until what was supposed to be my final fitting, 9 days before my wedding. When I put the dress on, it still had dozens of pins in it. The tailor was confused but then realized, they’d forgotten to finish my dress!  They hadn’t cut or hemmed it, they hadn’t cut or hemmed my veil, etc.  A whole slew of items on the checklist were not checked off.  No problem - she took everything off me and rushed to the back room, saying she’d finish it all right then.  She brought the dress back, and we realized that in her hurry, she had cut an entire layer of my dress significantly too short.  Again, this is 9 days before my wedding… and the dress that I had ordered months prior, that was custom made and then shipped to the US from Israel … is now too short.  Not great! Very thankfully, they did have a bolt of the exact fabric from the designer on hand, so they were able to remove and then replace the entire dress layer, but that was obviously incredibly stressful and meant I spent a lot more time at the tailor than intended.  Instead of apologizing, the staff kept telling me to “trust the process,” and even seemed proud of themselves when the new layer was put in - “see, our tailors work miracles!”  OK, but they shouldn’t have to… the miracle was only required due to multiple errors.  The worst was when I returned the next week, the day before my wedding, to do a “final” dress fitting, for real - the owner didn’t welcome me in with any acknowledgment of what happened, let alone an apology - she just brusquely told me to come in and then to put my dress on.  When I asked her if she was aware of what had happened (given I knew she had been out sick the week before) she snapped that of course she knows everything that happens in her shop, and then she yelled, “what do you want from me?”  An apology and a discount would have been nice! But no, she just yelled at me the day before my wedding… it was such a bad experience that was so unnecessary.
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