ATTIRE - BRIDE & BRIDESMAIDS
Alfred Angelo (various U.S. locations)
REVIEW - Danes983: Used Whitehall, PA store. Made an appointment took my girls and they all found dresses they liked. AA has so many to choose from and I know all my girls were happy to pick what they liked and happy with the prices. They go $20 each off their dress since there were so many of them. My MOH ordered a dress and when she got it she wasn’t happy with it bc she felt it didn’t look like the picture. The store let her pick a new dress, returned the old dress and didn’t charge her a rush fee. If you have a lot of girls, I would go here for sure.
Ann Taylor (various U.S. locations)
REVIEW - mbcdefg: Cost of bridesmaids' gowns: $130 each (40% off sale). "Weddings and Parties" line. I found three black silk taffeta
cocktail dresses on AnnTaylor.com during a Cyber Monday sale, and my two
bridesmaids each picked the one they liked best. We had to do a couple
returns and exchanges because of sizing issues, but that all worked out
well. The girls had the dresses altered by local tailors as soon as a
week or two before the wedding. I gave them green Ann Taylor sashes that
I bought from someone online. The bridesmaids said the dresses were
comfortable, they thought that the pockets were a cute feature, and I
thought that they both looked fantastic. They wore the shoes and jewelry
of their choice and it did not make one lick of difference in the
quality of the photos. I hope they can re-use these dresses in the
future.
Arlene's Bridal Salon (Bloomfield, NJ)
REVIEW - philleej: September 2011. A++++
Everyone at Arlene's Bridal was amazing to work with. This was probably the last bridal salon I went to in Northern Jersey and I must have saved the best for last. I couldn't find anything I liked in other stores, I wanted something simple, a line with lace, and affordable. They found me the perfect dress right away. It was so easy. The alterations were a breeze, minus my refusal to have to wear a long line bra, then giving in ( I can be so stubborn!) I also got my veil, earrings and flower pins at their sample sale, and it was all so easy and beautiful.
Everyone at Arlene's Bridal was amazing to work with. This was probably the last bridal salon I went to in Northern Jersey and I must have saved the best for last. I couldn't find anything I liked in other stores, I wanted something simple, a line with lace, and affordable. They found me the perfect dress right away. It was so easy. The alterations were a breeze, minus my refusal to have to wear a long line bra, then giving in ( I can be so stubborn!) I also got my veil, earrings and flower pins at their sample sale, and it was all so easy and beautiful.
REVIEW - gymchick05: June 2011 wedding. I love the staff here. They are so incredibly sweet and always remembered exactly who I was every time I came in. I worked with Allie, Jaime, and Debbie. There was a bit of a misunderstanding when I went for my final fitting and my dress wasn’t actually done, but Debbie the salon owner was fantastic and got my dress finished and ready to go ASAP. My dress was amazing and the price was so reasonable. Everyone thought I spent thousands more then I did. They also have a great selection of dresses available.
REVIEW - N/A: I kind of wish we had gone to Arlene’s for our dresses after how wonderful they and Starlight were will our wedding party attire. We ordered everything at the 11th hour, it all came in with ample time for alterations, they price matched another shop for the bridesmaid dresses, kept track of the two different dress styles for the 6 girls and did the alterations at a fair price for several of the ladies.
Bijou Bridal (Paramus, NJ)
REVIEW - rutgersgirl82: Bijou
came to my rescue just TWO MONTHS before my wedding date. The entire
staff was wonderful and extremely helpful and accommodating. I was able
to get a BRAND new dress in under two months from their exclusive line.
The dress itself was incredible the intricate beadwork was so detailed
and beautiful. They were able to do all of my alterations in under a
week to get me ready for the big day. From the seamstresses to the front
desk it was a pleasure going to the store and working with them. The
store itself was very nice and kept very clean. I would absolutely
recommend going there to look for a dress. I truly believe it was meant
to be and I got an even more incredible dress that I don't regret for
one minute, I loved wearing this dress!!!
Birnbaum and Bullock (New York, NY)
WEBSITE
REVIEW - McJays: November 2011. I had visited several bridal salons in NYC and was starting to feel discouraged when a friend recommended I try Birnbaum and Bullock. I really just wanted a beautiful dress with straps or sleeves that didn't look frumpy. I went to one of their sample sales and really liked how the brides got to talk to the designers directly and did end up finding my dress that day -- an amazing dress with straps. My fittings were very easy and I would recommend the salon to every bride wanting personalized attention.
REVIEW - McJays: November 2011. I had visited several bridal salons in NYC and was starting to feel discouraged when a friend recommended I try Birnbaum and Bullock. I really just wanted a beautiful dress with straps or sleeves that didn't look frumpy. I went to one of their sample sales and really liked how the brides got to talk to the designers directly and did end up finding my dress that day -- an amazing dress with straps. My fittings were very easy and I would recommend the salon to every bride wanting personalized attention.
Bloomingdale's Wedding Shop (various U.S. locations)
Bridals by Roma (Clifton, NJ)
REVIEW: September 2011. I know this place has gotten a lot of mixed reviews but I had a great experience with them. My dress was ready exactly when they said it would and the seamstresses were great. I was diagnosed with an underactive thryoid right after I ordered my dress and went on meds and lost almost 25lbs. They did a great job taking it in and also hand sewing swarovski crystals all over the dress to bling it up. The dress looked amazing and I felt lile a true princess in it.
REVIEW - rutgersgirl82: I
would NEVER EVER recommend going to this salon to anyone. A wedding
dress shopping experience should be pleasant from start to finish. This
started off to be great, they promised me the moon and the stars to get
me to purchase a dress that would be custom. I ordered a halter dress
that was PROMISED to be made into a strapless dress. The store FAILED to
order the fabric with the dress order and ordered it after. First they
did NOTHING with the dress for the first 3 months they had it. Then when
we went back they tried to pass off the 'new' fabric as it matched and
REFUSED to even acknowledge that as the paying customer and bride was
EXTREMELY unhappy with the results. At this point the manager got very
snippy with us and made NO REAL attempt to fix the dress. It
quickly became very clear that this place was NOT interested AT ALL in
customer service. The manager, Joann, was EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL &
RUDE. She insulted my mother and I and called us crazy and told us we
were imagining things and REFUSED to admit that she was wrong and had
made a mistake. We
ultimately removed the dress from the store after they had it for 3
months without fixing it and I was left with a two toned dress. I took
the dress to another bridal store to evaluate it where multiple people
saw it and AGREED with us that the color did not properly match. In
addition they showed us the changs that Bridals by Roma made and had
BLATANTLY lied about to us when we asked them questions about. I
cannot say enough NEGATIVE things about how unpleasant this store was
to work with. It was an EXTREMELY stressful and upsetting process that
caused me and my entire family a great deal of anxiety over something
that should have been one of the best experiences of my wedding. This
company should be out of business for the way that they treat their
customers.
Bridals by Sandra (Nazareth, PA)
REVIEW - Danes983: My mom found this place near her house because they were having a Maggie Sottero trunk show. So we went. I worked with a great sales person and found my dress. I got 10% off for buying during the show and my dress was an amazing price to begin with. Alterations were a breeze. I also got my headpiece and my mom got her dress from there. They gave us discounts on both items. They were a pleasure to work with.
Bride's Best Friends (Englewood, NJ)
REVIEW - Laurms15: April 2010 wedding. My sister had purchased from here before and was happy with the service
but was not thrilled with the alterations. So we decided to purchase
from them and they made it very easy. Bonus for having 5+ girls they all
got a 10% discount on their dresses. Everything was ordered in October
and was in by January for an April wedding. So we were very happy that
things came in so quickly! They also ordered me swatches of the fabric
when I chose the dress and the colors so that we could use them for some
of the other wedding details.
Bridal Fantasy (Avenel, NJ)
REVIEW - lisab711: October 2011. BM Dresses: B
Lucy was very nice to work with and the dresses were great, but several times when my girls showed up for scheduled appointments their dresses were not ready. No biggie-but she could have called to tell them not to come in. Alterations were free, which helped because the dresses were kind of high, but my one cousin came from NY to find out her dress was not ready.
Lucy was very nice to work with and the dresses were great, but several times when my girls showed up for scheduled appointments their dresses were not ready. No biggie-but she could have called to tell them not to come in. Alterations were free, which helped because the dresses were kind of high, but my one cousin came from NY to find out her dress was not ready.
Brides's World (Newark, NJ)
REVIEW: October 2011. (A+) My mother’s dress, MIL’s dress, & sister’s dress were purchased with Maria & she was very sweet & helpful. All alterations were included in the prices of the dresses. I got my dress altered & bustled there as well. They had a great selection & since my sister lives in California, she tried on a dress in Cali & I ordered it at Bride’s World.
Brielle's Boutique (Dumont, NJ)
REVIEW - kristen8040: May 2011 wedding. Finding my dress was a great experience, I worked with two great girls and the owner Claribel, who offered me 30% off the sample, which was a brand new dress that was discontinued. Throughout the year the two girls I worked with disappeared and were replaced with immature high school age girls that had no idea what was going on. The only time I got answers was when the owner was there. My girls' dresses were also from Brielle's and besides one girl's measurements and credit card information getting lost, everything went well. Though to be honest, the brand of the dress, Eden bridesmaid was not the best quality, pretty much on par with david's bridal. Claribel did amazing work with my alterations since it had straps that had to be taken off and the back had to be reconstructed.
Castle Couture (Marlboro, NJ)
Country Way Bridal (Haddonfield, NJ)
The Dain Shoppe - Undergarments (Morristown, NJ)
David's Bridal (various U.S. locations)
REVIEW: November 2011. (Paramus, NJ) I went to David's Bridal on Monday, 11/14 - I picked out a dress off the rack, paid for it and went straight to alterations - they got to work right away on my dress (I had them cut off the train and add a permanent bustle since it was just a civil ceremony). I was able to pick up my dress on Friday, 11/18 with only paying a $25 rush fee on top of the alterations cost. My only complaint is that the woman they had working on my dress while I was there did not speak any english at all so when my mother and I tried to explain what we wanted, we had to get other employees over to translate which was frustrating and resulted in the alterations fitting taking much longer than necessary. I was satisfied with the way my dress came out in the end.
REVIEW - katetw: I went with David's because my bridesmaids were scattered all over the country. Nobody actually had problems ordering the dresses or picking them up.... but David's discontinued the color of the dress WITHOUT LETTING US KNOW, even though some of the girls had ordered the dress, and the color was in their computers in our files, and it was a huge PITA getting them to let the rest of the girls still order the dress after the color was discontinued. So word to the wise: David's definitely has its benefits, but make SURE you know if the color will be discontinued or not, especially if you're picking out the dress/color in advance. (We picked it only 9 months in advance, with the girls ordering a couple weeks later -- that's how quickly they discontinued it.)
REVIEW - flochan07: We went to the Springfield Branch to look for wedding dresses. I had Bianca help me with my consultation. She’s a very patient person having to deal with my inability to pick a dress and my mom’s constant requests for me to change back and forth between different gowns. She even found several more gowns for me to try based on the dresses I had pulled to try on. Even though we ran late and was the last appointment before closing, I didn’t feel rushed one bit. I had a very pleasant experience with this branch. I went to the New Brunswick Branch for my alterations simply because the drive was a mere 15 minutes away from home versus nearly an hour to the Springfield Branch. I had a single point bustle put in by the seamstress which was completed to my satisfaction but that was about it. Since we bought the gown brand new from the Springfield branch and had not altered it at any other location, David’s bridal was obligated to fix any problems with the dress (ie – beading that was beginning to unravel from the border) since the dress was literally straight from the factory. My mother and I had pointed out numerous items to fix but these were never completed. Ultimately, these were fixed by my mom and I since I didn’t have enough time to bring back the dress. I would not recommend this branch for alterations.
REVIEW - N/A: The bm dresses were fine but they did put my wedding date in wrong, making it harder to order the flower girl dresses. Also I went to the Manhattan store around 23rd Streeet. I had a long wait despite having an appointment with my girls. I called about a specific dress in a specific color to which they said sure no problem. When I go to the store, I was told the bm dress wasn't made anymore in that color so for an hour we looked for other stuff - then it turned out that they did make it in that color but there was not even one available to be tried on. The manger went downstaris and found a dress in that color that had been ordered and they showed it to me. In the end, they were okay, just be prepared if you use them.
Delores (Edison, NJ)
REVIEW: RamsKR01: August 2011 wedding. My BP and I looked at a few different places. Someone who had just gotten married suggested Delores's. It was great. The prices were comparable to other stores (I think the styles the girls got - B2 and Belsoie from Jasmine Bridal, but each a different style) were about $10-15 more here, but alterations are included. It doesn't matter how many alterations you need, it is all included. One of the BM went for her dress after alterations and found the straps were a little long, they fixed them right on the spot for her. It's a small little place, but great customer service. They can also order designers even if they don't have them there, so if you find somethnig somewhere else, just mark the designer and style # - they will get it for you.
East West Bridals (Secaucus, NJ)
REVIEW: October 2011. This is the place where I purchased my wedding dress!!! Elyse the owner was such a pleasure to work with! she was very patient and super knowledgable about her work. she gives you her honest opinion and she has a very nice selection of dresses! I felt very comfortable working with her but watch out she has a bridal consultant who works there who can be very nasty, stay far away from her, she is an older woman, short, with glasses. they also have really nice bridesmaid and mother of bride dresses :)
REVIEW - kasabby: August 2011. I only went with the girls to pick out the original dress. I had an idea of what I wanted and they carried the line that I was looking for. It was a pretty easy process the day we all went. They were good with communications-answered emails promptly and voicemails. They don't do alterations on site but have someone in the same building that they can send you to. Most of my girls went to their own tailors for the alterations.
REVIEW - N/A: The dress was very very beautiful and the alterations were good at the end but it was a process. Whatever you do, do not be a moron like me and pick up your dress the day before the wedding - don't do it because you will be regretting it. I had planned to pick it up at 1 go to the hotel and drop off all of my stuff and then head to my rehearsal dinner....instead i was late to my nearby rehearsal at 5 from the dress place and picked it up from the seamstress's house at 10 pm. There is a reason that the Knot tells you to pick it up early. I will say that I would rather have the seamstress take the extra time to fix it than have her give it to me on time but do a bad job.
REVIEW - altimat873: Great selection of gowns, worked with Elyse and Gary and they are so
helpful, easy to get ahold of, quick with responses. I got my dress, the
BM's dresses and MOB dress there. They have a great selection of
wedding gowns and good selection of plus size sample gowns as well. I
love the layout of dresses is sorted by style rather than designer.
Exquisite Bride (Millburn & Secaucus, NJ)
WEBSITE
REVIEW: August 2011. B We went in there on a budget and Sarah pulled only dresses in our price range which was very helpful! She let me try on multiple dresses and I didn't feel pressured or rushed at all. In the end I got a gorgeous Reem Acra dress and couldn't have been happier with it!
REVIEW: August 2011. B We went in there on a budget and Sarah pulled only dresses in our price range which was very helpful! She let me try on multiple dresses and I didn't feel pressured or rushed at all. In the end I got a gorgeous Reem Acra dress and couldn't have been happier with it!
Fine Chinese Clothing (China)
REVIEW - flochan07: I ordered 2 chinese dresses from this company based in China. They have excellent customer service with a decent handle on the English language. Customer service was very helpful from sending me pictures of fabric swatches to helping me around the site. They even sent me a seperate email confirming that they understood that I wanted them to use a different fabric to make the dress than what was offered (they offered to do this at no extra charge). They sent me a tracking number for the package when it was shipped but the link never worked for me. Regardless, I received the package on time as per their shipping guidelines. Prices are very comparable to others and certainly beats getting a custom made dress from Chinatown.
Exquisite Bride (Millburn, NJ & Princeton, NJ)
Group USA (Edison, Elizabeth & Secaucus)
REVIEW - dalmatinka77: I found the perfect dress at Group USA in Secaucus. It was simple and yet not plain, perfect for a girl like me going for the "girl next door" look on my wedding day. I didn't want to spend more than $1,000 on a dress I would wear once. I found the perfect dress at a perfect time because they had a sale when I walked in. $800 later I had a dress that was perfectly altered for my frame. I'm a very petite girl and most dress designers don't make anything small enough for me. The alteration dept. did a great job and the dress looked like it was custom made. I bought my veil and skirt there as well.
Hearts for You (Manalapan, NJ)
REVIEW: September 2011. (Bridesmaids) I LOVE this bridal salon. I am upset that I was unable to purchase my wedding gown from them because I fell in love with one from another bridal store...see review for Rana Bridal. Lisa and her staff make you feel so welcomed and are so nice. No one pressures you into anything, and they truly are an amazing group of women! I ended up having them alter my gown, purchased my veil from them, and paid to have one of their staff members come and bussle my dress. We had no issues with any of the 11 bridesmaid dresses nor the MOB gown. If you are still looking for your gown you must go see the ladies of hearts for you.. I promise you, you will love them too!!!!
Hollywood Bridal (Kenilworth, NJ)
REVIEW-Em72653: October 2011. (A+) Angela and the crew were soooo much fun!!! They really know each individual customer which I loved!! They were always so welcoming with any questions I had about my dress or accessories. My dress fittings were great and the best part is that alterations were free my dress and my bridesmaids dresses!! So glad I went with this salon! :)
REVIEW - cindyn9178: September 2011.(A+) Hollywood had the best price for all of the dresses compared to any other salon that I contacted, and they offer free alterations. Our dresses came arrived exactly when they said they would. The alterations process was smooth and easy. The dresses all fit perfectly and the ladies there are so friendly and nice to work with. I highly recommend them.
REVIEW: August 2011. A+- The ladies at Hollywood are very nice and there is no pressure to buy. I brought a few pictures in of dresses I liked but they didn’t have and every dress they showed me was beautiful and when I saw my dress on, I knew it was the one. Alterations are included but you have to pay for the bustle.
REVIEW - gibribuz: December 2010 wedding. I went to Hollywood Bridal based on the number of recommendations from the
board and it was the second bridal shop I visited. They do not have a
super huge selection but their selection is varied. I found the dress I
wanted and the price was lower than I had budgeted for so I was happy. I
also purchased my shoes and custom length veil there. They were both a
little on the expensive side but I had a difficult time finding both so I
didn’t mind paying a little extra. The ladies there are very friendly and
helpful and made the whole experience relaxing.
REVIEW - rutgersgirl82: I
ordered the bridesmaids and flower girl dresses from Hollywood. The
entire staff was extremely helpful and pleasant, even when they were
busy they made proper time for all of their customers. Even though I had
only gone there a few times they knew me by name when I came in and
also when I called up. Also their prices are FANTASTIC, they had the
cheapest prices on the dress I was looking for and offered FREE
alterations, something I had never heard of before this. They also had a
large selection of flower girl dresses that were much cheaper than I
had seen in other stores. I found a beautiful designer flower girl dress
for only $120 and they had other dresses that were even cheaper. I
would absolutely recommend this store to anyone for their prices,
selection and wonderful customer service.
REVIEW - smw42: October 2010 wedding. Worked with Maria and Angela mainly, but everyone was wonderful. $175 for bridal alterations, $245 or preservation, $175 for BM gowns with alt. I cannot say enough good things about Hollywood Bridal. They saved my
gown and my sanity, as well as keeping the costs down. I reviewed every vendor and this is the only one I could confidently
give a 5 out of 5 on every element. They were wonderful and saved my
wedding gown from the previous shop that damaged it. We purchased 5
bridesmaid dresses there as well as outside alterations on my wedding
gown, Mother of the Bride, Mother of the Groom, and a bridesmaid dress
for a wedding I was in. All were done well and without any problems.
Preservation
(while it did take a while) was seamless and I was very happy with the
end results. Everything was great and I recommend them to everyone.They made us feel comfortable even in uncomfortable situations- such as
my gown not fitting at times and my bridesmaid needing extra fabric
added when she gained weight. We also ordered the tuxedo's through
Hollywood and had superb service. I plan on using them in the future for
any formal wear needs (including my dress preservation) and have
recommended them to many of my friends.
I do, I do (Morristown, NJ)
http://www.idoidobridalstudio.com/
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. I do, I do has been an absolute pleasure to work with from the very beginning. I was looking for a specific Casablanca dress, which they did not have in stock, and they were able to borrow one from the manufacturer so I could try it on.
As soon as you walk in to the shop for your appointment, you are offered tea and cookies while you wait. It is a high end bridal salon experience without the ridiculous prices. Everyone in the shop was a pleasure to work with; I was never made to feel rushed, every appointment I had was a pleasant experience. They had no problem with us taking pictures of the dress I tried on, and even emailed me some they took themselves. I cannot recommend them highly enough!! A+
As soon as you walk in to the shop for your appointment, you are offered tea and cookies while you wait. It is a high end bridal salon experience without the ridiculous prices. Everyone in the shop was a pleasure to work with; I was never made to feel rushed, every appointment I had was a pleasant experience. They had no problem with us taking pictures of the dress I tried on, and even emailed me some they took themselves. I cannot recommend them highly enough!! A+
Jay West Bridal (Haddonfield, NJ)
REVIEW - ev4149: April 2011 wedding. I purchased my gown, veil, headpiece, purse, and shoes at Jay West. Additionally, my bridesmaids got their dresses here, as did my flower girl. Jay West was an AMAZING shop. I worked with Melissa, who was amazing. On my first trip there, I could not decided between 2 dresses. They were having a sale that ended that day, and she told me that I could think about it, come back the next weekend, and still get the sale price. I could not believe how nice she was!! Furthermore, they gave a discount on any accessories (i.e., veil, shoes, etc.) and on the dresses for anyone in the bridal party. They also did in-house alterations, which were very reasonably priced. One comment is that during prom season they get very busy, but they made me a priority and got me in. Their customer service was amazing - I ordered a gown that was hem to hollow, and it was too long. I needed to get shoes that were taller than I had purchased, and they allowed me to exchange the shoes, free of charge, even though they had already been dyed. I can't say enough about my experience there. I would definitely recommend it - it is worth the trip to South Jersey.
REVIEW - RamsKR01: August 2011 wedding. I had already tried on about 50 dresses from 3-4 different stores before I went there and never felt like a bride (as stupid as that sounds). I was super comfortable there. I went there for a designer that was only carried in 2 stores in NJ - far north and far south - I went south just a chance. The dress I went there for I hated! The girl was great working with me and trying on other dresses. The dress I got I originally passed on the rack because I didn't think it was me. After I tried on a few other dresses and she got a feel for what I liked, she brought it over and said to try it. I loved it. I got so many compliments the day of my wedding - and I felt great in it. The designer (Casablanca) I could've gotten at a store closer to me, but the salewomen were great. Also, I went down Memorial Day weekend and the first Friay of June they had a special sale. The girl knew I drove over an hour to get there so she gave me the deal that day ( I was going to drive back to place my order to get it on sale). I ened up getting 20% off the price, which made me happy.
J Crew (various)
REVIEW: August 2011. -J Crew-A-I picked a color that was going to be discontinued so it was somewhat of a rush for my bridesmaids to order the dresses. I let them choose whatever style they wanted in the color I chose. Their dresses were on sale because of the color being discontinued so everyone’s dress was under $100, most were under $70. We took a chance because they would not have been able to return the dresses but everything worked out great.
Review -37butterknives: April 2011 wedding. The hardest part about our experience was getting an appointment! Samples are available of every dress design in almost every size. The saleswoman places the order, and the dresses are quickly delivered to each bridesmaid's home. They also honor e-mail code discounts. What was really nice was that one of my bridesmaids, who was going to be seven months pregnant on my wedding day, was able to order fabric from J.Crew so that she could have a seamstress make a dress for her from scratch.
Yes, J.Crew dresses are more expensive than traditional bridesmaid dresses, but the fabrics are of better quality, and many of them (especially those in the silk chiffon material) can be reworn for other occasions.
While you obviously don't need to go to the boutique to outfit your bridesmaids in J.Crew, it's helpful to see the colors and fabrics on an entire dress, as opposed to a fabric swatch. And it's nice to try on the dresses in a salon setting, instead of ordering a bunch of them and returning what doesn't work to a J.Crew store.
Yes, J.Crew dresses are more expensive than traditional bridesmaid dresses, but the fabrics are of better quality, and many of them (especially those in the silk chiffon material) can be reworn for other occasions.
While you obviously don't need to go to the boutique to outfit your bridesmaids in J.Crew, it's helpful to see the colors and fabrics on an entire dress, as opposed to a fabric swatch. And it's nice to try on the dresses in a salon setting, instead of ordering a bunch of them and returning what doesn't work to a J.Crew store.
Kleinfeld's (New York, NY)
Review -37butterknives: April 2011 wedding. I didn't intend on going to Kleinfeld, especially since so many on the board have ranted about them (and the TV show often doesn't do it many favors). But after my truly frustrating experiences at Pronovias (misleading selection) and Jaehee in Englewood (pushy and manipulative), I figured it couldn't hurt.
Contrary to the horror stories I kept reading on the board, my saleswoman, Ingrid, didn't give me attitude about my under-$2,300 budget, and she listened to my style preferences, including my wish to avoid strapless. Even though you always hear on "Say Yes to the Dress" that they have very few non-strapless styles, I wound up with a Marisa v-neck - $600 below my budget limit! - that was perfect.
I don't regret spending the $595 for alterations, even though they weren't perfect ... my bra straps often showed on my wedding day, even though the seamstress put in multiple lingerie straps to secure them to the dress. However, I'm confident that it was the best possible job anyone could have done - and the rest of the dress fit beautifully. If your dress is strapless, you have nothing to worry about.
It was very difficult to get in touch with them to check on order status, and their alterations department had inconvenient hours for me. I'm also convinced that they don't submit orders to the manufacturers immediately, and instead wait until the point where the dresses will arrive 4-6 weeks before the wedding date. While my mom appreciated not having my boxed dress taking up space in her house for months before the first fitting, what if there's an issue with production?
Of all my vendors, they get the lowest marks. But they weren't a disaster, and I recommend them if you haven't been able to find what you're looking for at smaller or local salons. Just keep in mind that your experience and success here really does hinge on who you get as a consultant.
Contrary to the horror stories I kept reading on the board, my saleswoman, Ingrid, didn't give me attitude about my under-$2,300 budget, and she listened to my style preferences, including my wish to avoid strapless. Even though you always hear on "Say Yes to the Dress" that they have very few non-strapless styles, I wound up with a Marisa v-neck - $600 below my budget limit! - that was perfect.
I don't regret spending the $595 for alterations, even though they weren't perfect ... my bra straps often showed on my wedding day, even though the seamstress put in multiple lingerie straps to secure them to the dress. However, I'm confident that it was the best possible job anyone could have done - and the rest of the dress fit beautifully. If your dress is strapless, you have nothing to worry about.
It was very difficult to get in touch with them to check on order status, and their alterations department had inconvenient hours for me. I'm also convinced that they don't submit orders to the manufacturers immediately, and instead wait until the point where the dresses will arrive 4-6 weeks before the wedding date. While my mom appreciated not having my boxed dress taking up space in her house for months before the first fitting, what if there's an issue with production?
Of all my vendors, they get the lowest marks. But they weren't a disaster, and I recommend them if you haven't been able to find what you're looking for at smaller or local salons. Just keep in mind that your experience and success here really does hinge on who you get as a consultant.
REVIEW - lisab711: October 2011. B+ The only reason I got my dress here was because I could not find it in NJ. They were very nice and Sara was a great consultant. The only problem was how expensive alterations were. It bothered me to spend that kind of money. I planned on getting them done in NJ BUT Kleinfeld's ordered me a dress that was so big, it needed so much work, I was forced to have it done by them. I'm a very petite girl and they ordered me an 8 against my wishes. Oh well...the dress turned out flawless and it was stunning so I guess it was worth the money after all.
REVIEW - NikkiPSU: June 2011 wedding. I had a very good experience for the most part. The sales people and my fitter Ramona were amazing. The only issue I had is there is a lack of communication between the fitters and the seamstresses for alterations. I checked my dress thoroughly before we left when we picked it up but didn't notice the small pin in the hem. They hadn't finished hemming the one side! Thankfully my dress is tulle and my BM fixed it with some scissors. Because the hem was too long my bustle basically ripped out halfway through the reception and my bridesmaids had to pin it back into place.
REVIEW - N/A: June 2011 wedding. Say NO to the Dress!!! I ordered my dress 9 months before my wedding. When it finally came in 5 weeks before my wedding I went to my first fitting and the dress was ivory not white like I ordered. They told me there was nothing they could do. They wanted me to go upstairs and pick from the 20 sample sale gowns they had, which were gross. That totally defeated the whole purpose of ordering my dress 9 months in advance. Well, while I was very upset Pnina Tornai was there. She assured me she could get me one of her dresses in 2 weeks. I found a new dress I loved. Well Kleinfelds made me pay a $1,200 rush fee!! They charged me for their mistake bc they said I could have taken a gown off of the floor. At the time I was so stressed I just paid it in fear I wouldn't be able to find a new dress in 5 weeks. Well it got worse....Alterations were all messed up. They hem was too short and they never did the bustle until the day I came to pick it up. Since they rushed alterations a seam ripped on my butt on the wedding day. Thank goodness you couldn' really see it and with safety pins it was ok. But for $7,000 I shouldn't have to have safety pins holding my dress together. After the honeymoon I am calling the owner. STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
La Belle Boutique (Jersey City, NJ)
REVIEW - kasabby: August 2011. I had a great experience at La Belle. I picked out my dress on the first visit there. I went back for two fittings and had no issues. They were accomodating to my schedule (since I lived out of state) and Virginia was great to work with. My mother also got her dress there and also her jewlery.
REVIEW - smw42: October 2010 wedding. Specifically worked with the owner, Virginia. Paid $1000-15000. I had a terrible experience with La Belle and would never recommend
anyone using them. I purchased my gown through Virginia and it came in
on time. My first fitting wasn't terrible but already the tone was very
unprofessional. We gave the seamstress a button (in a ziploc bag) off of
my late grandmother's wedding gown to be added onto my gown. The only
alteration needed was for the bust area to be taken in. At the end of
the first fitting we were abandoned and left upstairs without anyone to
assist us in taking the gown off or putting it back in the bag. I
requested a french bustle and the response of Virginia was "well that
isn't a La Belle bustle." Doesn't it matter what kind of bustle goes
with my gown and that I'd like- there shouldn't be a standard bustle for
all gowns done by a shop just as an effort to make it easier on the
seamstress. There was much debate and many pins taken in and out and a
huge source of tension during the fitting. I paid extra for the bustle
to be done the way I requested and had to hope for the best. I left with
a great feeling of unease but hoped that the professionals would do
their jobs. However, things were very very unprofessional. When
the second fitting came around things took a turn for the worst. My
button had been lost and the staff was frantic. I tried on my gown to
see that grease was now all over the top of the bust where they had put
the sewing machine foot. When I brought this to Virginia's attention she
kept trying to brush it off like it wasn't anything. I finally insisted
that they remove the grease stains, to later find out that there was a
permanent mark from the damage they had done that was never able to be
removed and was present on my wedding day. Additionally, they had done a
botched job on the alterations and the gown no longer zipped. Virginia
was insistent that it would zip and kept forcing the zipper only to
stress the seams of the fabric until they were ripping (not to mention
how painful it was for me to be squeezed into a gown like this). She
continued to deny any wrong doing and tried to brush things off.
Regarding the bustle, it looked terrible- asymmetrical and would not
stay put. They tried to say that if I didn't move it would look right,
and we just found this even more frustrating as unrealistic and another
excuse. Things turned very sour during the second fitting-
between the botched alterations job, the huge stain from the sewing
machine, the incorrect bustle, the lost button, and most importantly the
unprofessional service displayed by both Virginia the owner and the
non-English speaking frantic seamstresses that we decided to pay for the
gown in full and take it with us to another bridal shop to be
altered/repaired. Virginia argued with us that we couldn't and that her
reputation was on the line- something that she should have taken into
account before ruining my bridal gown. I would never recommend
this shop to any bride or bridesmaid. I went there because they sold the
designer of the gown I wanted to purchase- and regret the decision 100%
to purchase through La Belle. The service was unprofessional and I will
never forget the problems experienced with my wedding gown that could
have been avoided.
Lingerie by Susan - Undergarments (Edison, NJ)
REVIEW - cindyn9178: April 2011. A friend of mine, and a few girls on TK had recommended I check out Lingerie by Susan in Edison, when looking for a bustier. I went with my mom and sister, and it was great! They measured me and found a bustier I loved and fit great, on the 2nd try! (I'm normally a size 38DD). My sister opted for a regular strapless bra, which she always has a hard time finding one that fits right and stays up (she's a 32 c).. But they found her one she loved as well. She also got some spanx. My mom also found a bustier she loves (she had never worn one before and was worried about it).. and she got spanx too. It is great because you can try on all of the spanx there and figure out exactly which ones you want. I didn't buy any Spanx yet, still deciding what I want to do about them.. but I highly recommend the store if you are looking for a bra, bustier, or spanx/shapewear!
REVIEW - maddie7: August 2010. While they did have a vast selection, especially if you are an odd size, or need additional sizes, be warned that Susan does no cash returns, you get a credit in her store. And that was a fight to get! I got stuck having to buy a bathing suit cover-up and a nightgown that I really didnt want. Spanx you can get cheaper with a coupon at Lord and Taylor and its easier to return. Same with the bras, etc. Macys in Woodbridge has a lot of this.
Lingerie and Bridal by Lisa (Parsippany, NJ)
www.bridalbylisa.com
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. My mother got her dress from here (as well as her shoes and bag), and she loved the whole experience. Lisa was incredibly knowledgeable, and really nice to work with. Highly recommended!! A+
www.bridalbylisa.com
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. My mother got her dress from here (as well as her shoes and bag), and she loved the whole experience. Lisa was incredibly knowledgeable, and really nice to work with. Highly recommended!! A+
Mustillo’s Town and Country (Red Bank, NJ)
WEBSITE
REVIEW - liz1113: June 2011. I was married on June 4th, 2011 and I purchased my gown at Mustillo's. I absolutely loved my dress and found the whole process to be an excellent experience. I sincerely appreciate them helping me find the perfect dress for my wedding. Things couldn't have gone smoother and they couldn't have been nicer!
REVIEW - liz1113: June 2011. I was married on June 4th, 2011 and I purchased my gown at Mustillo's. I absolutely loved my dress and found the whole process to be an excellent experience. I sincerely appreciate them helping me find the perfect dress for my wedding. Things couldn't have gone smoother and they couldn't have been nicer!
Park Avenue Bridals (Verona, NJ)
REVIEW - rlavach: April 2012. A I went to Park Ave Bridals back in the summer of 2011. My consultant was very kind & respectful of my budget. She told me that every dress I brought a pic of was out of my budget, but she brought out 6 dresses of similar styles. I found the perfect dress, but still went to David’s Bridal in Springfield to try some less expensive styles. The experience was horrible (rude consultant who didn’t help me get dressed & opened the door while I was half naked), so I ran back to Park Ave Bridals and got my gown. My dress came on time & alterations were done well (bustle, waist and bust). My only gripe was the seamstress telling me that I need to lose another 5lbs for my dress to fit better. She was right, but not so tactful. I lost the weight & the dress was perfect.
REVIEW: August 2011. I got my dress and my Bms dresses here. I was VERY happy with them and their alteration department. My dress fit me like a glove! One of my bridesmaids found out she was pregnant after she had ordered her dress. When the dress came in she was 4 months pregnant and the dress came nowhere close to fitting her. I called Park Avenue up and they put me at ease. They said they would order extra material and make the dress work. After a couple of fittings they were able to alter the dress so that it fit her perfectly.
REVIEW - N/A: Now if I were to be review this based solely on MY experience I’d give them an A. But my wife got her gown there too. First off let me say Patty and Amanda who were our sales women were amazing. We went shopping at the same time, but didn’t want to see each other’s dresses. They ran interference which I’m sure was something new and semi-stressful for them. They have a huge selection of dresses there to try on, even a lot of dresses in plus sizes which I really appreciated. We both found our dresses there after just one visit. Mine was under $1000 and was an Alfred Angelo gown. I have no idea what designer my wife’s was, but I know it was more around the $2000 mark. We both had our alterations done there. I think they charge a lot for alterations ($225 flat fee, plus $95 for bustles, and $135 for beaded straps etc), but my dress was a steal so I didn’t mind and I didn’t get straps, my wife minded lol. Here’s where it gets hairy. Our dresses come in, within a week of each other. All our fittings were attended separately for ours and the shops sanity. Mine were perfectly. One fitting, one round of alterations and my dress was done, fit great, I was happy and bringing it to my parents house to be kept there until the wedding. J’s experience was not so good. One fitting, comes back and it looks like all they did was hem the dress, didn’t do any of the alterations need to the bodice at all (which was quite a bit b/c she’s busty and they had to order a huge size to fit her bust and then take it in at the waist). The seamstress claims “the pins must of fallen out” – really?? Ok. Another pinning and she goes back a week later, the top STILL isn’t completely done. Another pinning and she comes a few days later – now it’s all types of crazy looking in the bodice and the fabric looks overworked. They say to come back tomorrow, J’s mom said “No, take your time, we’ll be back in 3 days, get it done right”. Finally it was right and just needed another pressing and could be taken home – just a week before the wedding. It was kind of stressful!
REVIEW - mbcdefg: Cost of wedding gown + alterations: about $1200. I went to Park Avenue because my local board recommended it as a place
that carried larger samples. Gina helped me on my first shopping trip
and Ginny helped me on my second trip, and both women were very nice and
pulled great dresses for me. I ordered my Maggie Sottero gown from them
and it was there about six months later. I agreed to a flat alterations
fee, and a separate bustle fee, when I signed the contract when I first
purchased my gown ... since the gown was a two-piece corset-backed
gown, the only alteration I wound up needing was the hem, so I really
overpaid for that. It was also annoying to have to drive there for
alterations because I live about 30 minutes away and the route to get
there is usually slammed with traffic (that's not their fault, of
course, but it was just an annoyance on my end). Plus, when I was
getting final fittings done a week before the wedding, they had very
limited appointments available and I had to make arrangements to leave
work early to get there on time. If I had to do it over again, I'd still
shop for and buy the gown at Park Avenue, but I'd get it tailored
locally.
Priscilla of Boston (Short Hills, NJ)
REVIEW - akmackay: May 2010 wedding. Going into two categories:
- Bridal gown and bridesmaid dresses service: B+ - The manager, Dina, was great to work with. She helped me with every step along the way. Everytime I was there for my dress I was treated perfectly, but when we went to look at BM dresses they were not good at all. However, the girl helping us has since been let go. Wonder why… Another problem was that they wanted most of the girls to order a size larger, which I assume was to get them for alterations, which I think is very common. I talked my girls into ordering a size smaller than they were recommending, which ended up being the perfect size for them. I was so happy they did that.
- Alterations: D - What a nightmare. I thought getting it done there was going to be the safest bet. After paying nearly $700, the dress was never right. First, she took it in 2 extra inches, which made me cry the first time I went to try it on after altering it. She said “sometimes we get to talking and mistakes are made”- so she admitted that her chit chat ruined my day, wonderful. I had to go more times than I would have liked, and when I went to pick it up (my final fitting she still did not have everything done, and had not done the bustle yet) I brought my mom and 2 BMs to learn the bustle. I was pretty much scolded for wanting to try on my dress since they had it ready to go, and I told them I was not leaving until I made sure the dress fit and my girls learned the bustle. It was too long, by about an inch, and the top was a bit tight, but since it was 2 days before the wedding I said forget it. Big mistake b/c the day of it dragged and got in the way much more than needed. It was stepped on the whole night When bustled, the back was way too long and the bottom is now literally black. I was extremely disappointed in the alterations department there.
REVIEW - Laurms15: April 2010 wedding. They were great I had no complaints my sales person was very sweet and
took her time with me and my alterations person was fabulous. She paid
attention to any move I made checking to see what needed to be adjusted.
She was very willing to do a third fitting with me and even made an
adjustment or two at that fitting. She put in so many bustle (french
bustle) points that even though one or two tore the dress stayed bustled
because she had so many others. My one complaint with my dress was that
it was nice and tight at the beginning of the day but by the end it had
stretched which I suppose is natural but some of the photos of late in
the evening you can see it falling a bit. I bought my veil and hair
piece here and I was thrilled with both!
Provonias Flagship Store (New York, NY)
REVIEW - golfrgal: May 2011 wedding. I found my dream dress at Pronovias during a sample sale. Even during the chaos of multiple brides in one dressing area, the sales girls kept their calm and were extremely helpful. When I realized that I wanted the Manuel Mota Chalet, but had been trying on one that was too large, one of the sales girls found a sample in my size and scurried over to show me! I was thrilled. My only regret is that I brought my gown to an independent seamstress for alteration....and she wasn't quite sure how to bustle this unique design and fabric....so my bustle kept tumbling down throughout my night....However, I have gotten so many raves about how gorgeous the dress was and how I looked like I stepped off the pages of a vintage era of Vogue Magazine. Loved my couture Pronovias gown!
REVIEW - Reilly626: Wow! What an amazing experience, I had the whole floor
and was treated like a queen. They worked with me until I found my
gown. They were so nice and their dresses really range in price. It was
the princess treatment from start to finish. I did not order it with
them, as Russells Bridal did better and could order it and I wouldnt
have to travel for alterations.
Rana Bridal (Englewood, NJ)
REVIEW: September 2011. Went there because she was the only one in NJ who carried a specific designer... fell in love with a completely different dress. Purchased it, even though I was not in love with Rana because it was THE DRESS. She is hard to understand, does not accomidate any late hours, and when I asked to see some veil(s) she brought me out one! Do not recommend.
RK Bridal (New York, NY)
REVIEW - rr2011: Some people don’t like the service, it was my style. My sales person was able to understand the style that I was looking for, made suggestions, and was very polite. I didn’t have any problems with alterations either. Were very patient with me, made tweaks until I was happy, etc. My tip would be to go during off hours (non-weekend) to get the best service and atmosphere.
REVIEW - SpillerExtraordinaire: My gown was approx. $700 (alterations elsewhere). Aisha was my
consultant. The dress I ended up getting was the 76th dress I tried on
(not all in one day). I knew what I wanted but I just couldn't find
it at that point. Aisha managed to make it appear just when I was
about to give up hope. She was great too because she was more
concerned about me being happy with the dress than the commission
associated with the sale.
Russell's Bridal (Linden, NJ)
REVIEW - jcg98: November 2011. – A I worked primarily with Erica who was fantastic, she zeroed in on THE dress, which was completely different from what I thought I wanted, and absolutely perfect! She is really sweet, always upbeat and positive, and helped talk me off the ledge after a disastrous first fitting. All of the ladies are nice, and I spent a LOT Of time there over the planning process since we ordered my gown, veil and bolero, the MOB gown, and all of the BM dresses, as well as the guys’ tuxes from the tux shop side. They also offer a service where the consultant will come to you on the day of to help everyone get dressed, and it was a bonus to have Erica there to help lace me up on the day.
REVIEW: -cutiepie12702: August 2011.A/D – Honestly, this was the biggest headache of my entire wedding process. I ordered my wedding gown 11 months before my wedding and the bridesmaid dresses 9 months before. When I ordered they told me my dress would take 6-7 months to come in, and the bridesmaids’ would take 3-4 months, but they didn’t actually come in until 2.5 months before my wedding. For my dress, that was fine. HOWEVER, they ordered the incorrect style bridesmaid dresses and as a result my girls had no dresses until the week before my wedding! They literally did not have the dresses finished for my girls until two days before my wedding. At first they wanted them to come back the day before the wedding and I said that was completely unacceptable since the girls all had to work and one of them lives two hours away, plus they had to go to the rehearsal dinner. Then on top of ordering the incorrect style, one of the girls needed her dress taken in and when she went back for it they took it in too much by almost TWO inches(!!!!!!!!!!!) and had to let it back out! How do you manage to take a dress in that much by accident?! They did throw in free alterations for the girls as a result, but honestly – I would have rather had peace of mind in the weeks before my wedding and paid what we were supposed to have paid. While my experience with my dress was perfect (although the veil I received was slightly different than the one I ordered – thankfully I liked it), I honestly couldn’t recommend anyone to go here. I chose this place based on reviews on this board, and I know a lot of girls have great experiences but my experience went terribly wrong in so many ways with them, and on top of it the manager never even apologized when it all happened and she yelled at me and my mother for getting upset. I do have to say though that Sue is an absolute sweetheart and a pleasure to work with. My advice to all brides is to lie about your wedding date. Tell your bridal store that your wedding is one month before, so that way if something does go wrong you bought yourself a little extra time and don’t have to scramble the last minute like I did.
REVIEW - N/A: July 2011 wedding. Russell’s had the dresses that both my bridesmaids and I wanted. It's not the most gorgeous store, but I have no complaints as their prices were the best I could find, the dresses arrived way before they were expected to arrive, and everyone went above and beyond for us. I mostly worked with Erica and she was really great, but the whole staff was always friendly, helpful, and remembered me whenever I called (whenever a vendor remembers who you are without you even giving your wedding date or any information other than your name, it’s a really great feeling). One thing that I’m incredibly grateful for is that I mentioned how I hate the way many wedding gowns look like they’re dragging or getting caught on things in the front when the bride walks down the aisle and they immediately knew what I was talking about and hemmed my dress to the PERFECT length… in fact, my entire dress fit like a glove and I never had to do the thumb-hook to pull up the top of my strapless dress. The bridesmaids dresses also fit perfectly and Russell’s was great in the beginning with them when we found out that the manufacturer was going to stop making the color we wanted. The manager was in constant contact with the manufacturer to make sure we could get the girls’ measurements in before they ran out of their last bit of stock of the color and we wound up having no problems. The only minor snafu that I encountered was that my veil took forever to come in; however, that’s because the manufacturer they ordered it from sent the wrong color (ivory instead of white). Even though it wasn’t Russell’s fault, they felt bad that I had to wait so long to get the veil and made up for it by not charging me for beading that I had added to the veil. Oh, and for anyone interested in going to Russell’s, I can’t remember the exact numbers of how the discounts worked, but I wound up not paying for alterations and getting some percentage off my veil because we got the bridesmaid dresses from there.
REVIEW - katetw: May 2011 wedding. I love this place. They're the best. I actually found my dress somewhere else, but was so appalled with their service (True Love Bridals) that I called Russell's to see if they could order the dress. They ordered it for a lower price, with free alterations! They were always polite, friendly, and running on time for my appointments. Highly, highly recommended.
REVIEW - Reilly626: August 2010 wedding. I worked with Erika a lot. Approximate price paid: $2K with free alterations. I
cannot praise Russells enough. On my first visit I did not find
anything, but as I left they told me if I find a dress elsewhere to call
them and they will do better. I headed into NYC and found my lovely
gown at Pronovias in NYC. I left the salon, and called Russells, they
told me they would call me in an hour, and sure enough they could order
it for me for about $500 less, plus free alterations, and no travel
fees! I also ordered all my girls bridemaids dresses there because
they were only $135 (Alfred Angelo) and were discounted. I was thrilled
with working with them. My dress came in and they altered it
beautifully. They took good care of me and my girls. I would recommend
them to anyone for their reliability and price and friendliness.
REVIEW - Denise91980: I also used Russell's in Linden. Sue was my consultant and she was
amazing. I would definitely give them an A. My dress was a Maggie
Sottero and was $899 with free alterations. My BM dresses were also from
there. They were B2 and came to $140 after 10% off and alterations were
free. They did an awesome job with alterations and I also felt as if
their prices were reasonable. My MOH is also getting her dress from
there.
Sara's 22 (Branchburg, NJ)
REVIEW - flochan07: May 2011 wedding. I used Sara's 22 to purchase my bridesmaid dresses. Sara is extremely responsive via email and a joy to work with in person. Within the first day of contact, we had already placed the order for my dresses and when I stopped by later that day to drop off the payment, Sara already had my order confirmation number waiting for me. She also was very patient with my constant calls when it got within a month and a half before the wedding as I was getting very antsy that the dresses weren't in and possibly needed alterations.
The Wedding Store at Liz Clinton (Andover, NJ) NJhttp://www.myweddingatlizclintons.com/
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. This store has a large selection of bridesmaid and flower girl dresses. We ordered Watters dresses for both the bridesmaids and the flower girl. While I was happy with the selection, I was not so pleased with the attentiveness of the employees at the store. It seemed to be incredibly crowded every time we were in there, and the staff were hard to get a hold of, and not incredibly helpful. We did get our dresses on time and without error. B-
REVIEW - music11: October 2012. This store has a large selection of bridesmaid and flower girl dresses. We ordered Watters dresses for both the bridesmaids and the flower girl. While I was happy with the selection, I was not so pleased with the attentiveness of the employees at the store. It seemed to be incredibly crowded every time we were in there, and the staff were hard to get a hold of, and not incredibly helpful. We did get our dresses on time and without error. B-