Ugh, another day of visiting bridal salons, sifting through dresses, having them shoved over my head, and parading before the mirror. I really hope I find a dress soon, I can't take much more of this.
Reflections on my experience thus far:
Allusions (Bad experience ... sorry to those of you who love it): unprofessional, unfriendly, massive selection, poor customer service, no picturs allowed. From the moment I walked in, I felt claustrophobic and uncomfortable. I was greeted practically at the door, which was nice, but the lady was not very friendly, informing me that they no longer carried the Mori Lee collection, and hadn't for about a month. They had tons of dresses, but they were all hanging in bags I was told to look through and see what I liked (the bags were very staticky). The consultant tried to be friendly, but it seemed forced, and she was so focused on the price that it was annoying ("This is pretty, it looks expensive with all the beads, but the price is really good" -- three or four times with each dress). They even charge you for steam cleaning.
Why I probably will not buy from Allusions:
Me: "I like this dress, but it would be nice if I could see how it would look in my size" (the dress was a 10, I am an 18)
consultant: "Yes, that would be nice, but too bad."
Ferndale (Good experience): professional, friendly, limited selection, great customer service, no pictures allowed 'officially' (unofficially, they let you). There seemed to only be two people working in there, but signed in and looked around for something I liked until there was someone available. The dresses were arranged tastefully around the salon for ease of viewing. I found a couple to try on, and my consultant recommended another one. They didn't have my size, but she was able to fix it so I could at least get a good idea of what it would look like in my size. I tried a sale dress that would need to be altered, and they were very honest about how it could be altered and the price. Steam cleaning and ironing are included in the price of the dress.
Why I might buy from Ferndale:
Beautiful dresses. :o)
David's Bridal in Brea (Good experience): professional, friendly, huge selection, great customer service, pictures allowed. Their 'undergarments' for trying on were in good shape, and they had my size (I didn't realize this was a big deal until I went to the other two places). The dresses were hanging in their plastic bags, but there is enough room between the aisles that it doesn't feel cluttered. They have every dress in just about every size, or at least one that is very close to it. My consultant was awesome, and had fun helping me try dresses on -- she really seemed to enjoy helping me.
Why I will probably buy from David's Bridal in Brea:
Consultant: "We want you to see exactly what you will look like in the dress before you buy it."
Me: "Cool!"
Mary Me Bridal (Good experience): very professional, professionallly friendly, good selection, great customer service, no pictures allowed. This salon was a little on the pricy side. I found two dresses that I REALLY like, but they will end up being around $700 before alterations. Ouch! The atmosphere is very professional, and what I would expect of a bridal salon (you can even view pictures of the salon here.
I might buy from them because I really loved a couple of the dresses. My favorite and a close second. I don't know if the budget can handle it, though, so I might end up back on Ebay. ;o)
8 comments:
When my dad got remarried, I went with my stepmom to do a lot of bridal shopping, particularly since I was one of the "bridesmaids" for the wedding. I distinctly remember our trip to David's Bridal, and they were awesome; a good blend of professionalism and friendliness. My stepmom eventually ended up getting her dress there.
I don't remember where we got our dresses from.
Sorry about Allusions. I forgot to mention the cluttered part. I didn't care about taking pictures and I didn't care if they were nice. I just wanted to find a good dress. I guess price didn't matter as much to me because the dress is probably the most important part of wedding planning.
Funny how people have different reactions to different places though. I hated David's Bridal for its small selection, I didn't like any of their styles, I didn't like their setup, and I didn't really want a consultant who told me I looked good in everything (which was NOT true). I'm glad you found a good consultant and liked your experience there though.
That's just the thing. The lady at Illusions kept going on and on with EACH dress about how pretty it was and how good it looked and how the price was so good. I heard another girl saying similar things to someone else trying on dresses ("You look good in every dress.")
I haven't really fallen in love with any of the David's Bridal dresses, either. I really wish I had the budget to spend money on any dress I like ... but, then again, maybe not. I actually have a hard time spending so much money on a dress I will wear one time and then put in a box.
All-in-all, I think I'm really just too picky. I've tried on 15 dresses, and only one of them really tickled my fancy ... but I don't think I can come up with (or justify) the $800 it would take to get it.
That's still a decent price as far as wedding dresses go. I think mine was around $700. David's bridal prices are a rare exception.
(I was lucky to have a lady at Allusions who would see an ugly dress and say, "No, try another one. That's no good." I think too many bridal salons have that problem.)
I had a very similar experience at Allusions. I'm sorry they were like that to you. I also had a similar experience at the Brea David's.
I recommended Pearls Place in my last pots for that particular dress, but they might be a good place for you to try for any dress. Allusions sold my drtess for $591. I think Pearls Place quoted me a price of about $300, maybe $400.
Wishing you the best of luck in finding the perfect gown!
How did you find out if Allusions had the dress to try on? Did you have to go in, or just call them?
Thanks!
I can't remember. I think I called them and they looked and pulled it for me. I got the designer's style number of the website and gave it to them when I called.
I got my dress at The Dresser, the little bridal shop on the corner of Harbor and Wilshire in Fullerton. You have to make an appointment or they won't give you the time of day upon entering. But once you have an appointment they are very professional, but the owner will tell you when she doesn't like something on you! My dress was $540 and it was a Mori Lee - my future sister in law is actually wearing my dress, but I think it cost like $400 for the alterations for her. I only had it hemmed maybe 1/2 an inch. It's a really small place, so I don't know about what sizes they really have on hand. Anyway, if you are still shopping it might be worth a try.
http://www.thedresseronline.com/about.html
I had similar experiences at Allusions. I bought my prom dress there back when they were at the Brea Mall and it was ok then. Took a bridesmaid dress to them in 2000 and the alteration was crappy. My mom bought a dress off the rack for her wedding last year though, and had an ok experience.
Sorry for the long rambles...
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