David's Bridal is opening a new, higher-end boutique to appeal to Gen Z brides
The first Diamonds & Pearls location opens Thursday in Delray Beach, Florida.
The store is more intimate and elevated compared to a typical David's Bridal, the CEO told BI.
David's Bridal, the largest bridal retailer in the US, is opening a new higher-end boutique catered to Gen Z brides looking for a more luxurious, personalized, and curated experience.
The first Diamonds & Pearls store is set to open on Thursday in Delray Beach, Florida, with another location planned to open later this year. The store is smaller, more curated, and more upscale than the average David's Bridal store, which are typically sprawling, budget-friendly stores.
"It's definitely affordable luxury," Kelly Cook, the CEO of David's Bridal, told Business Insider of the new boutique. "The environment itself is much more refined and elevated. We have champagne, we have hors d'oeuvres, we've got free bags that come with your gowns."
Cook, who took over as CEO in April, said the mission of David's Bridal is to become "the largest AI, retail, media, and planning marketplace for brides." As part of that mission, the company, which in 2023 filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time, is focused on serving all brides, including higher-end ones.
That's where Diamonds & Pearls come in. The gown selection is more curated, with about one-third the number of products as a traditional David's Bridal store. The selling space is also smaller at about 2,000 square feet instead of the 5,500 square feet you'd find at a larger David's Bridal.
It's also the only David's Bridal location where brides can try on couture options from brands like Marchesa and Viola Chan. Though the dresses lean more upscale, Cook said there would still be more affordable options, ranging from $500 to $5,000.
According to the wedding website The Knot, the average cost of a wedding dress in 2025 is around $2,000. The Knot also found that the average cost of a wedding was $33,000.
Overall, the vibe of the store is more similar to an independent bridal boutique than a typical David's Bridal, according to Cook. There's velvet furniture, marble accents, and curtains separating the dressing areas and the back of house.
The store wants to cater to Gen Z's love of luxury as the generation continues to make up a greater share of America's brides, with its oldest members now 28. Gen Z consumers are expected to account for 25% to 30% of luxury market purchases by 2030, according to Bain & Company.
While many independent boutiques sell made-to-order dresses that can take nine to 12 months to receive, Diamonds & Pearls can deliver dresses in a week if needed due to David's Brial's own manufacturing, Cook said. They will also have dresses that brides can take home the same day.
"You're getting the intimacy of the boutique, but the global scale of David's," she said.
The stores also incorporate large, interactive digital screens that brides can use to browse David's Bridal's full selection or ask for suggestions from the company's AI-powered wedding planning tool, Pearl, which can make recommendations based on Pinterest boards.
Cook said that when they tested the store with brides who had previously shopped at David's Bridal, the customers said the shop felt more intimate and like they could get a more personalized experience due to its smaller size.
While only two Diamonds & Pearls are planned for now, Cook said the company has identified up to 100 potential markets for future stores.
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