Wedding dress delays: Chicago area brides concerned about supply chain disruptions

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Global supply chain disruptions are causing wedding dress delays.

New samples arrived today at Bridal Boys By Complete Bridal in East Dundee. They will be among the wedding dresses brides try on to order the dress of their dreams. But those dreams may be delayed. These dresses were ordered in January.

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"Calls are coming in every hour on the hour pertaining to shipping," said David Gaffke of Bridal Boys By Complete Bridal. "They are seeing what's going on in the ports. There's an issue. It's time sensitive."

Many wedding dresses are made in China and they are among the goods that can't be unloaded at American ports. Warehouses are packed because there aren't enough people to work in them and drive trucks to deliver the items.

"We are getting this information, no movement, no movement," Gaffke said. "For 14 days, no movement and the package has been sitting in California."

Bride Lindsey Merlo shared her thoughts on the delays.

"I only get really nervous at the last minute when those ports started having delays," Merlo said.

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She was sent the wrong-colored dress. A reorder only got to her with days to spare before the wedding.

"It meant everything in the world to have the dress I fell in love with," Merlo said. "One little mistake can happen and it can really change your timeline and not know if you're walking down in a dress or not."

In addition to the shipping delays, each dress has to be altered after it arrives. With more weddings pushed back due to the pandemic, alterations have been taking longer, too.