Real Brides | Kelsey’s Wedding Video

Kelsey & Rob: A Tootsie Pop Love from Kevin Schmalandt on Vimeo.

We just received this wonderful video and testimonial from our bride Kelsey. We had such a good time working with Kelsey to make her dream wedding dress a reality. Congratulations and best of luck to you Kelsey!!

“Quit looking elsewhere and visit Alice Padrul Bridal Couture! I rarely give anyone the highest rating possible. However, I really cannot think of one negative thing about my experience with Alice and her team.

I had a very specific idea of what I wanted my wedding dress to be. After visiting what felt like every bridal shop in the Chicago area (I believe I went to 13 shops) and hearing over and over again that what I wanted did not exist, I became quite discouraged. Then I visited Alice. She was the first person who did not look at me like I had three heads when I told her that I wanted (all lace, taupe-colored silk lining, deep/open back, long sleeves). In fact, she kept saying that what I was envisioning would be beautiful! I wish that I had not wasted my time visited traditional bridal shops. Working with Alice was an incredible experience, one I looked forward to every time I flew into Chicago for a fitting. Her and her husband are the sweetest people you will ever meet and never failed to make me smile/laugh. Alice and Sviatlana adjusted my dress as per my requests, even as I went back and forth on some decisions. It was amazing to know who was making my wedding dress in a world where everything is mass-produced by people across the world (and probably under horrible conditions!). Every fitting was incredible- truly.

Films and popular media always portray the wedding dress experience as one that moves every woman to tears when she finds “the” dress. Let it be known that I shed only two tears during my dress search- and they were not a result of the dress itself (this is not to say that my dress was not perfect…I was/am obsessed with my dress- it was everything I wanted and a whole lot more; I am just not one to be moved to tears from a dress experience). Rather, I shed tears when I had to say goodbye to Alice and her husband Gene, for my mom and I will truly miss them (and their kind souls) dearly.”

Real Brides | Shan H.

We just received this gorgeous photo from our recent bride Shan of her wedding in China. She is wearing our Daphne dress and looks stunning! She send us these sweet words about her experience working with us on her dress.

“Just want to take this time to thank you for making the daphne dress for me. I got a lot of compliments during and after the wedding. They said it was unique and made my whole wedding unforgettable. It’s also the first time in the wedding I found out the dress is more beautiful when I was walking. A big surprise! Photo attached to share with you.

A thousand thanks to you and your team!”

Real Brides | Julia W.

We just received these beautiful photos and kind testimonial from our bride Julia W. It was such a pleasure to work with her, congratulations Julia!

“I never dreamed that picking out a wedding dress could be such a special and enjoyable experience, and I feel like such a lucky bride that I found you and your wonderful studio! Your dresses are works of art and I’m so grateful that you were able to work with me, despite my budgetary concerns and time constraints! As you said, you want to help all of your brides, and I’m so glad you were able to fit me in and make me one of your brides.

I started out with a very specific idea of what I wanted, and found a “perfect” dress shortly after becoming engaged. Months before the wedding I started feeling hesitant about the dress style (tea length), and decided to take one last look at dresses on The Knot. I broadened my search to full length dresses and very quickly found a picture of your Sofia dress. I was blown away! I knew immediately that I wanted one of your dresses, and as luck would have it, I discovered that you’re based out of my hometown, Chicago! Your space is so beautiful, warm, welcoming, and removed from the typical chaos that is wedding dress shopping. You were so patient and helpful while I was trying on dresses, and gave me your honest opinion about each one, helping me find the perfect, most flattering dress (The Anita!). Your creativity really comes through in your unique, romantic designs. I love that you customized my dress to make it more my style, and created the most beautiful, over the top veil! Your dresses are not only beautifully detailed, they are superbly made. I can honestly say that I did not see a dress similar to yours anywhere else in my search. Also, the gorgeous fabrics are the highest quality, which makes them SO comfortable!

Throughout my planning, I tried to work with as many local businesses as possible, and I love that you’re here in Chicago making beautiful dresses! I also sincerely appreciate your help in guiding me to other fantastic vendors for my bridal jewelry and shoes, which in turn led me to my wonderful florist! I would recommend your studio to any bride looking for a personal experience and something a little different from the usual wedding fashion suspects.

I felt like the most beautiful girl in the city on my wedding day, and I have you to thank for that!”

The Making of a Gown


choosing ribbons and trims


rough sketchs of the design


inspiration photos


working on the pattern

We’ve just started work on a new project here at the studio and we are very excited about it. One of our brides requested an 18th century gown for her wedding taking place on stage at Chicago’s Symphony Center and she was so gracious as to allow us to share the process on our blog. Right now we are gathering bits of trims and ribbons, pouring over historical fashion books and referring to movies like Marie Antoinette and Dangerous Liaisons for inspiration as well as working on the pattern for the first muslin fitting. We’ll be posting each stage of the process, design, pattern, muslins (which are mock-ups of the dress for fitting purposes) as well as the gown itself and all of the hand work that goes into embellishing it. Stay tuned to see this dress come to life!

Real Brides | Genevieve


[Photography by Jennifer Driscoll]

We just received these gorgeous photos of our bride Genevieve from her photographer Jennifer Driscoll. We were lucky to meet Jennifer when she stopped by our studio recently, she is such a charming and talented lady. She did an outstanding job on these photos and we are excited to work with her in the future! As for the bride, Genevieve was such a pleasure to work with and we had a wonderful time turning her ideas for her dream dress into a reality. Her dress is completely custom and is not part of our regular line, doesn’t she look stunning in it?! Genevieve was kind enough to send us an incredibly sweet note about her experience working with us and we were equally as thrilled to be working with her. Congratulations Genevieve!

“I, like many brides, went to every store in Chicago searching for the perfect dress. I always found something that just wasn’t perfect. After talking to Alice, and seeing her beautifully made dresses, I knew I felt comfortable having her create the dress of my dreams! Her studio is gorgeous and Alice and her husband AND Svetlana are so sweet and so professional. Today was the first fitting after the muslin and my dress is becoming EXACTLY what I was looking for. It’s absolutely stunning. I FINALLY put on what made me feel like a bride. Alice helps tweak everything and puts her creative touch on to help create exactly what I’m asking for. She made the dress I had in my mind even BETTER! The fit is perfect, the fabric is perfect, I cannot say enough! I truely cannot wait until my wedding day! Thank you so much Alice, I will always send future brides your way!” -Genevieve

Sample Sale | November 4th


We are happy to announce our upcoming Sample Sale! We will have select styles up to 50% off on November 4th from 10am-5pm. The Sample Sale is by appointment only, so please call us at 312.455.8094 or send us an email at alice@alicepadrul.com to secure a spot. We don’t offer sample sales very often, this is our first in 3 years, so if you’ve been dreaming of one of our gorgeously designed and expertly crafted gowns, contact us to secure your appointment!

Real Brides | Yuko

Our lovely bride Yuko recently sent us these photos of her Hawaiian wedding. We were blown away by how gorgeous her photos are, the Daphne dress, Sasha headpiece and Victoria veil look wonderful with the light and airy backdrop of her Hawaiian location. Congratulations Yuko!

Real Brides | Natalie

We recently received these beautiful photos from our bride Natalie of her Chicago wedding. Working with Natalie was absolutely wonderful, being an artist herself she had many wonderful ideas to bring to the table to create her one of a kind wedding dress. Natalie is celebrating her one year anniversary as well as the start of her new business venture creating one of a kind wedding invitations here in Chicago at Yellow Paper Bouquet. Congratulations on both accounts Natalie!