Attire Reviews:
Amelishan Bridal -Hubertus A
I got my dress here, as well as my bridesmaid dresses and groomsman gifts. I have no complaints, everyone is very nice and helpful, and they have a great selection of fairly inexepensive dresses, as well as lots of sales and special events. They do rip tags though, which doesn't bother me but I can definitely see why it would annoy others. Also they offer a discount if you buy the dress on your first vist, which is nice if you are lucky like me and find THE dress on your first visit (I was aware of the discount and went there last) but it does kind of put on the pressure. All in all though, I loved working with them. (newmrsdayton)
Amelishan Bridal: A
Found my dress there after also trying Savvy Bridal, Stone Manor, Bridal Sweet and Kay Bridal. I tried on 65 dresses before knowing #64 was it. Amelishan is one of those places that cuts tags, but it didn't bother me and once I put my deposit down, they didn't hesitate to tell me who the maker was and to let me take all the pictures I wanted. Also, buying the dress on my first visit there put me in their "reward club", which did end up saving me quite a bit. Mother of the Bride dress was also purchased here. (lovey1111)
Apollo Bridal (Mitchell St- Milwaukee) They have a limited supply of samples. The lady was very sweet and helpful and didn't pressure me. (KatoNorway)
Bella Bianca Bridal (Oakbrook, IL) - A++
I love this bridal salon. All the girls are wonderful there and they always made me feel special and beautiful while picking out my dress and during my fittings. Their alterations person, Brenda, is amazing. I just couldn't have been happier with my experience here. (eshaufle)
Beratti Bridal; Germantown, WI We ordered BM dresses from B2. They were fairly priced, and came in in the timeframe we were told they would. My SIL's dress was supposed to have extra length, and when her dress came in there was no extra length on it even though it was marked that there was. Beratti re-ordered the dress and rushed it, and it was here in more than enough time for the wedding. (SwwetCharade)
Beratti Bridal - A
The staff at Beratti were great, and I found a dress that I loved! I didn't feel pressured into buying my dress that day (in fact, I didn't...I slept on it and came back the next morning to order) and my dress came in in a very reasonable amount of time (ordered in December, came in in May, I believe). We also got our bridesmaid dresses from Beratti. I'd definitely recommend them! (Jenmurray2)
Bliss Bridal (Brookfield) - A
Arrived at this bridal store at 10AM on a Saturday when it opened. Had the entire place to ourselves. The consultant stays in the room with you while you change and helps you in/out of each dress. The store had a small selection of dresses, and some had obviously been well loved, but overall most were in good condition. They ask you your budget and then show to the section of dresses that you can afford. From there you pick out the ones you like best and want to try on. The consultant will also pull one or two that they think will suit your body type. They place feels very modern and a bit "cold" (this is possibly because we were the only ones there). It was big and had a lot of changing rooms and mirrors. I was able to try on several dresses and my consultant was very friendly. At the end of the appointment, the consultant wrote down the designer and style of the dress I really liked, so I could take it with me. They were not pushy at all about purchasing a dress and did not rip price tags. (swtheart1685)
Brandi's Bridal: A
So I did not realize that you are suppose to make appt. when dress shopping but Brandi's was more than OK with my walk-in but it was a Thursday. I told them my price range and they let us go through the dresses. I tried on about 5 dresses there and it was a great time. They let you take pictures of the dresses and don't rip tags. I loved one of the dresses I tried on but my Mom and BM told me to look at more dresses. I ended up not getting dress there. (beckster5551)
Brandi’s Bridal Galleria: A
Brandi's was the last shop in a series of five or six that I went to for dress shopping. I wanted to find the nicest dress at the best price and don't particularly like looking for girly clothes, so it was an adventure. This shop was excellent at listening to what I was looking for, letting me browse, and making an effort to keep prices low (reducing alterations that weren't necessary). The dress was absolutely gorgeous, fit perfectly (needed no major alterations, just hem and french bustle loops) and was a decent price. (mdlorenz)BRIDAL EVENT - D
I got my first dress here. Unfortunately, I was not planning on wearing the dress after I bought it. The service is terrible. There weren't many friendly people there and many times you get ingored and not helped for a really long time. I thought that they were really pushy when I was first trying on gowns.
When I went to pick up the dress (in plans of reselling it) there were pulls in the embroidery that I wanted fixed. When I asked them to fix the pulls they just cut off all the threads, making the dress unravel even more. (ottecl)
The Bridal Event in Appleton- A
Not a problem at all with them. They helped me find my dress, took payments whenever, and all the bridesmaids dresses were done perfectly! (KatieD212)
BRIDAL ELEGANCE - B
I got my dress and all my bridesmaids dresses here. I thought the service was good, but my bridesmaids all said they got really crappy service and that the sales people were actually snotty to them.
The alterations were done by Nancy and it was amazing! The dress fit perfectly! I even had custom work done to lower the back! It was gorgeous! (ottecl)
Brides by Demetrios (Schaumburg, IL) As a plus-size bride I was incredibly doubtful that I would find anything at this boutique store, but I called ahead and they had around 30 samples to try on, and there were about 10-20 in my price range of under $1,000. My consultant Lori was phenomenal about being patient with me and letting me decide which dress was right for me. I ended up with a strapless ivory dress with a sweetheart neckline and a handkerchief chiffon hemline. I've never seen anything like it from another store or magazine and I positively loved it! (Jennya.esq)
Brides'N'Bells- Reedsburg= A
I ended up purchasing the first dress I tried on but I also went back 3 times to try on dress, twice without appointments and they were great to work with. (samanthajeremy)
Dress: David's Bridal ~ B ---- Alterations: David's Bridal~ F-
Greenfield, WI
The dress, I loved...though it took a long time to get there. I have a size 20 body with a 5 foot frame. David's Bridal had the selection in my size to try on in the store, rather than trying on a size 8 and trying to imagine what it would look like. However, DO NOT GET YOUR ALTERATIONS DONE AT DAVID'S BRIDAL! I paid $200 for alterations and steaming and had a heartbreaking time to get it right...and I was working with the alterations manager. They said they could pull the hem into the pick ups to avoid taking length off the dress (about 6 inches). Though they said they could do it...they clearly don't know what they are capable of. The way the alterations manager pined was wrong...the people who sew it did it the opposite way they should have but it was backwards from what was supposed to happen. After re-pining it, we came back and had them just hem it. But by then they had taken out all the pick ups and couldn't put them back. I lost a huge design element in the dress. I was heartbroken and still am a little. I paid extra for them to steam the slip and when I came to pick it up I had to wait for them to do it because they forgot.
There are so many great "mom and pop" places to go for alterations, where that is all they do, they know their stuff and they communicate. My only regret is that I didn't research that part of the process and just lay my trust in the company I got my dress from.
David's Bridal (Greenfield, WI and Eau Claire, WI) - B and D-
Wedding dress, MOB dress, and FG dressGreenfield - B:
I had to experiences with DB one was to test dresses with my mom and one for my mom to pick a dress. The woman helping me try on the dresses I picked was extremely helpful - I never felt rushed. Although some dresses were similar she pulled them and showed what was the same or different and if I didn't like a style she mentioned which ones I might want to nix.
I ended up being stuck between two dresses and the staff (at this point I had the manager and the alterations manager) helping me look between the two. I walked in not wanting to buy a dress that day, but I did. That is just me when I know what I like I am done and it wasn’t because I felt pressured I just had my mind made up so no more searching.
When we went back to look at dresses for my mom the girl helping us was also extremely helpful. I told her right off the bat NO mother of the bride dresses they were not my mom’s style and she completely agreed and geared us towards the bridesmaid dress styles.
My mom had a few dresses she wanted to try that were ok…the girl ended up pulling a dress that my mom LOVED. She also gave my mom some suggestions on colors if she wasn’t sure what would go with my wedding colors. I was so happy she listened to me and to my mom it made the shopping experience so much easier – 5 dresses were tried on and my mom felt gorgeous with the one she picked…mission accomplished!
Eau Claire – D-
Where to begin this train wreck of visit? We made a girls weekend to go with my flower girl and her mother to check out the dress I was thinking of having the FG wear. We were on time for our appointment and were forced to wait. When we were tended to the clerk acted like she had better things to do which was extremely annoying when she ditched us to help a walk in appointment look for veils and we had a scheduled appointment.
We had to hunt down our saleslady several times. I had asked the question at the beginning of our appointment if the dress I liked would fit a size 2 and a size 8 in kids….she threw my flower girl in the dress without answering my question. Thankfully it did come in the sizes that fit both (the website didn’t have that detail) because the girl she put it in was obsessed with the dress. After 15 min of waiting we interrupted her walk in appointment to have her double check the fit of the dress on my flower girl…she said it would fit and disappeared again. (My fg mom put her in the dress the clerk handed to her and then the clerk vanished.)
The three of us went to the register to try and check out – this took us another 20 minutes because the woman helping us bailed so we had to wait for someone at the register to help us order the dress and check out. That is when I found out that dress would take 8 weeks to deliver (so they say) – NO ONE at DB contacted me. That meant ordering that day the dress was due in the day before the wedding…yeah slightly stressed me out! Thankfully DB delivers early but that goes to show you even with an open order and several calls to follow up on lead time – it changes and there is no good way for DB to communicate with brides. (jelenny)
Davids Bridal: A.I
didn't go in having a specific idea of what I wanted, so I think that helped keeping an open mind. I went right away when we got engaged a year ago, and the second time I went I found the dress. The women I worked with were so sincere and helpful and made us all feel so very comfortable. I knew the color that I wanted for the bridesmaids right away, so that same day their staff started picking out styles that would compliment not only the color of the dress, but the body types of the bridesmaids. (emelizabeth85)
David's Bridal (74th St- Greenfield) The consultant rolled her eyes at me, when I told her that I didn't have an appointment. I only returned to look at the hairpieces and veils. Which, if your on a budget- go with ebay. You will save money! (katoNorway)
David's Bridal - B-
I mean the dresses turned out fine, but you definitely lack the 1 on 1 attention here during the try-on phase. The also only called like one of my girls when all the dresses were in. It was kind of confusing. (eshaufle)
Ediths Bridal of Fond Du Lac, WI: A-
THey were more than wonderful - I initially had some torubles with my dress but they fixed it up so it was perfect for the big day! Everyone - including myself - ended up loving it. The only downfall was it took a long time for my dress to get in... between 6-7months so it was a lot of waiting and good thing I looked early! (bonniejwilliams123)
Elegant Occasions - Wausau, WI
The process of getting my dress and picking out the bridesmaid dresses went pretty smooth. I bought my dress right off of the rack one sale before they moved into their new location. The biggest problem we had was getting my girls to call their measurements in! I got my shoes from DSW and they were sneakers - because i needed comfort (and because I really have flat feet!)
Eva's Bridal-C
I wasn't as impressed with Eva's Bridal. Finding the bridesmaid's dresses wasn't difficult but tracking them down became a chore. We purchased the dresses in late July and they did not come in until late-December..and there were only 3 bridesmaids. Everytime you called you seemed to talk to a teenager who didn't quite have the answers. When I asked about the status of the dresses several times I was told that they would put a trace on them if they didn't have them by early January. When they finally did come in, one of my bridesmaids was told that she would be charged a rush fee for alterations even though she would have made the alterations appointment at the same time the dresses came in. Overall, not very impressed. (cgrzona)
Eva's Bridal A+
I saw my dress at another bridal dress store in the area, but ended up ordering it from Eva's because of their competitive pricing. They were very nice, helpful, and friendly. I also had alterations done there and they turned out beautifully.
Eva's Bridal, Oak Creek, WI: A-
Great prices, but they do tag rip. They did have good discounts and dresses came in very timely. My matron of honor bought her dress after the rest of the bridesmaids because she was pregnant, and they still honored the discount they had going when the rest of the bridesmaids bought their dresses. Overall very pleased. (gadragonetti)
Evas bridal B When I went to Evas Bridal to get my dress no one really helped me. I was given a dress and kind of left to hang out by myself. Then when I finally decided to order the dress the woman insisted that I get an size 8. I said no I want a size 6 and she looked at me and goes 'Well you better not gain any weight in your boobs or your butt or youre screwed'. I thought that was pretty rude. I also had to sign something that said I wanted the 6. Well once it came in I could put it on and it'd drop to the floor it was so big... (navybride11)
Eva's (Howell Ave- Oak Creek) A The lady helped me try on 5 different dresses. She didn't mind that I asked to try on one that I thought was absolutely ridiculous looking. (She had to take it off the mannequin.) And surprisingly, enough the dress really didn't look bad once it was on. I just thought it was nice that she let me have my fun. She didn't pressure me into any certain dress. (KatoNorway)
Hallelujah Fashion (Mitchell St- Milwaukee) A I was weary of going to this store after the google reviews, but I ended up buying my dress here. But nothing went wrong on their end. The consultant was able to work with me a little on price (basically, it worked out that the money she discounted covered the taxes...) She let me try on multiple dresses. I went back an additional 2 times, before I finally bought the dress.
Heim's Bridal (74th St- Greenfield) They have a nice supply of sample dresses. The lady was very sweet and helpful and didn't pressure me into trying on something just for the sake of trying something on. (KatoNorway)
Jay's Bridal Online; Gainsville, FL
I found a dress that I loved at a local salon here in WI, but had a horrible experience at the appointment and didn't want to give that shop my money. Because I knew the style # of my dress, and what size I would need to order, I took a chance and ordered my dress (and veil, tiara, and earrings) online. I saved huge amounts of money by ordering it online, and everything was in perfect condition and the dress fit perfect. (SweetCharade)
Kay Bridal (Wauwatosa) - B
Arrived at this bridal store a half an hour before my appointment, because travel time was less than assumed. The store seemed annoyed that we were early, even though we offered to wait outside. Ultimately I was able to get started with a consultant right away, since another bride had finished early. At Kay, they give you a book to look through that includes the pictures/prices of all the dress they have in the store. You put a sticky note next to the dresses you want to try on. I was told that this is done to help brides see the shape/style of each dress more easily and to keep brides from touching the dresses, so that they stay in higher quality condition longer, because the store will sell their samples. However, the majority of the dresses I tried on were in the worst condition I've yet to see at a bridal store. Beads were completely missing, zippers were broken, seams were ripped to the point that the skirt was disconnected from the top, stains were on the dress, etc.. It made it diffcult to truly envision what each dress would look like. I was told that the dresses I had chosen were "popular" and "well loved", but I still was unhappy with the quality of the samples. The consultant allows you to put on the dress by yourself and then comes in to zip/lace you up. If you request, the consultant can stay in the room while you change and help you in/out of each dress. The changing rooms are only closed by a curtain, rather than a door, so for a self-conscious girl, you may not be comfortable, as it's possible that other costumers may walk by and have a sneak peak through the cracks. There were several brides at this small store, while I was there, and unfortunately they only had 2 mirrors. Each bride had to share a mirror with someone else, which was not timed well and led to brides standing there waiting for someone else to get done. This really cuts down on the amount of time you have to try on dresses. They also did not have a platform to stand on, but instead use a very small wooden footstool (not bolted to the ground). This makes it hard to really move around and see the whole dress in the mirror, since I was afraid that if I moved I'd fall off. The store has a lot of dresses to choose from, but they run a bit higher than I would have liked (most at or above $1100). They are good about sticking to your budget though and will not pull dresses that you cannot afford. I was able to find 7 dresses in my style/price range. They place feels very cozy and bright. There is not a parking lot though, so one must find street parking (we parked less than a block away). They allow you to take pictures and do not rip tags. At the end of the appointment, the consultant wrote down the designer and style of the dress I really liked on a sheet of paper, but did not let me take it with me. They keep it on file in case you come back, so they can remember what you liked. They were not pushy at all about purchasing a dress, but did emphasize several times that you should purchase your dress no less than 8-6 months before the wedding. (swtheart1685
)Kay Bridal = A
This Wauwatosa bridal shop is tiny, but superb. It carries a great line of gowns, and the owner, Lisa, is so helpful and sweet! The shop is so small that she literally takes one appointment at a time and locks up the shop so it's just you and your party in there. Makes you feel pretty VIP. She keeps her sample gowns in PRISTINE condition, so much so that when I found my dream dress several hundred dollars over my budget, she sold the sample to me at half price. The sample was in great condition, only needed the zipper replaced and the size taken from a 10 down to a 6. Total steal! Which brings me to..(noonandj04)
Mahin's Bridal, D-
The women who own's the shop is really rude and doesn't listen to what you say. I told her my price range and she didn't pull a single dress at or below that price, all dresses were out of my price range. She rips tags and doesn't allow pictures. However, there was a beautiful dress that my BM spotted and I fell in love with it! The owner lied about the designer of the dress, twice, ordered it a size up from what I wanted and charged a lot of fees. She also told me it would take at least 6 months for it to come it, it took 6 weeks. I do not recommend shopping here! (beckster5551)
Mara's Elegant Bridal -Mt. Horeb, WI A+++
I bought my dress and jewelry (MEG) here. Mara the owner is awesome and so is Rachel the woman that helped me find my dress. The customer service is out of this world and made it well worth the drive (I live in Pewaukee and didn't think twice about the trips to Mt. Horeb). Mara must have responded to a dozen emails from me before I decided to check out her shop and it was that kind of thoughful and responsive help that she gave that made me want to patronize her shop! The shop is beautiful, the atmosphere is fun and the prices are totally reasonable. It was a really fun and memorable experience that I shared with my Mom and will treasure! I will actually miss Mara and Rachel. (alessner)
Savvy Bride: LOVED this bridal salon! I went here the very first time I decided to go try on wedding dresses and had a wonderful experience. Savvy has a great selection and the consultants are a friendly and welcoming. I was nervous about the whole process of dress shopping (not a fan of being the center of attention), but the girls at Savvy made me feel really comfortable. My consultant, Andrea, took the time to really understand what I was looking for in a dress and made sure her attention was focused entirely on me for my 1 1/2 hour appointment. They were not pushy at all, when it came to buying a dress, and even suggested taking time to look at other bridal salons who have the same designers, because Savvy will price match. They do NOT rip tags, and are more than willing to write down the designer name, dress style and prices of the dresses you tried on (they'll even star the one or two that you really liked). I would definitely recommend going here! (swtheart1685)
The Saavy Bride, Brookfield: A+
I absolutely loved this place! I felt special from the moment I walked in the door. I filled out a questionnaire, and then it was off to choosing dresses. Our consultant was really cheerful, friendly, and enthusiastic, and really helped in picking out dresses in the style I wanted...and my price range. We were allowed to take all the pictures we wanted, and all dresses were clearly labeled with the designer. The best part? I found THE dress here! I can't wait to go back and try it on again. I'll us another post to put up some pics. :) (gpapale1)
Savvy Bride - A
I got my dress at a great price, and the girls knew what worked with what dress. I loved my wedding dress and so did my husband! (varsity714)
Savvy Bride A
gosavvybride.com
The ladies who work at Savvy Bride are awesome. They were super helpful in every respect. The day of the wedding we realized we were a tie short, and the manager offered to drive an extra tie downtown before the ceremony even though it was US who had misplaced the tie and it wasn't their mistake. I would def. recommend them. (MissBnicole)
Stone Manor Bridal-- A
The team at Stone Manor was great to work with. Very responsive and helped me to find the perfect dress after what seemed to be hours of looking. Easy to deal with, fast alterations, and great service. (cgrzona)
Tidebuy.com- F (dress knock-off company in China). After 2 weeks of placing the order, they sent me an email stating that they could not find the same flowers that my dress had, so they went ahead and made substitutions. They asked that I confirm that the substitutions were okay before they continued. Well, they sent me 2 photos. Mind you, I prepared myself that this might happen (it's common to substitute beading and material with these knock-off sites.) What I was taken back by was the shoddy construction of the dress. Granted they were still making the dress, but it looked like a complete different dress. Anyway, I told them to cancel my order give me my refund. This is where things got tricky. They then told me the dress was finished and wanted to send it to me. If I wasn't happy, I could ask for a refund. I didn't trust this, so I kept asking them just to cancel my order. After the 3rd runaround email I got from them, I went through PayPal resolution dispute to get my money back. Since I never received the dress, PayPal was able to find in my favor and credit my account within a week (KatoNorway)
Tres Chic, Menomonee Falls: D
I had an appointment and arrived right on time. The woman at the front desk was helping a kid with his prom tux and said she would be with me in a minute. Another prom kid walked in and she started to help him before me, even though I was already waiting. My friend Melissa (one of my BMs) and I went upstairs to look through the gowns, and it took 10 minutes for a different employee to ask us if we needed help. I finally got to the point of trying on dresses, and was told I couldn't take any pictures. NONE of the dresses had the designer tags in them, which I've always thought was a shady practice. The only reason I'm not giving this place an F is because the dresses were all really affordable (all the ones I tried on were in the $400-800 price range). Other than that, customer service was really lacking (and that's something super important to me). (gpapale1)
Vera's Bridal- I ended up purchasing my wedding dress from Vera's. Of all the bridal stores I've been to, this one had the largest selection of dresses. The consultants were incredibly welcoming, patient, and professional. My mom lives in Racine and I'm in Madison. She was running a half hour late due to construction/traffic, and Vera's was able to switch my appointment to a half hour later, so that I wouldn't lose time trying on dresses. T
I got my dress here, as well as my bridesmaid dresses and groomsman gifts. I have no complaints, everyone is very nice and helpful, and they have a great selection of fairly inexepensive dresses, as well as lots of sales and special events. They do rip tags though, which doesn't bother me but I can definitely see why it would annoy others. Also they offer a discount if you buy the dress on your first vist, which is nice if you are lucky like me and find THE dress on your first visit (I was aware of the discount and went there last) but it does kind of put on the pressure. All in all though, I loved working with them. (newmrsdayton)
Amelishan Bridal: A
Found my dress there after also trying Savvy Bridal, Stone Manor, Bridal Sweet and Kay Bridal. I tried on 65 dresses before knowing #64 was it. Amelishan is one of those places that cuts tags, but it didn't bother me and once I put my deposit down, they didn't hesitate to tell me who the maker was and to let me take all the pictures I wanted. Also, buying the dress on my first visit there put me in their "reward club", which did end up saving me quite a bit. Mother of the Bride dress was also purchased here. (lovey1111)
Apollo Bridal (Mitchell St- Milwaukee) They have a limited supply of samples. The lady was very sweet and helpful and didn't pressure me. (KatoNorway)
Bella Bianca Bridal (Oakbrook, IL) - A++
I love this bridal salon. All the girls are wonderful there and they always made me feel special and beautiful while picking out my dress and during my fittings. Their alterations person, Brenda, is amazing. I just couldn't have been happier with my experience here. (eshaufle)
Beratti Bridal; Germantown, WI We ordered BM dresses from B2. They were fairly priced, and came in in the timeframe we were told they would. My SIL's dress was supposed to have extra length, and when her dress came in there was no extra length on it even though it was marked that there was. Beratti re-ordered the dress and rushed it, and it was here in more than enough time for the wedding. (SwwetCharade)
Beratti Bridal - A
The staff at Beratti were great, and I found a dress that I loved! I didn't feel pressured into buying my dress that day (in fact, I didn't...I slept on it and came back the next morning to order) and my dress came in in a very reasonable amount of time (ordered in December, came in in May, I believe). We also got our bridesmaid dresses from Beratti. I'd definitely recommend them! (Jenmurray2)
Bliss Bridal (Brookfield) - A
Arrived at this bridal store at 10AM on a Saturday when it opened. Had the entire place to ourselves. The consultant stays in the room with you while you change and helps you in/out of each dress. The store had a small selection of dresses, and some had obviously been well loved, but overall most were in good condition. They ask you your budget and then show to the section of dresses that you can afford. From there you pick out the ones you like best and want to try on. The consultant will also pull one or two that they think will suit your body type. They place feels very modern and a bit "cold" (this is possibly because we were the only ones there). It was big and had a lot of changing rooms and mirrors. I was able to try on several dresses and my consultant was very friendly. At the end of the appointment, the consultant wrote down the designer and style of the dress I really liked, so I could take it with me. They were not pushy at all about purchasing a dress and did not rip price tags. (swtheart1685)
Brandi's Bridal: A
So I did not realize that you are suppose to make appt. when dress shopping but Brandi's was more than OK with my walk-in but it was a Thursday. I told them my price range and they let us go through the dresses. I tried on about 5 dresses there and it was a great time. They let you take pictures of the dresses and don't rip tags. I loved one of the dresses I tried on but my Mom and BM told me to look at more dresses. I ended up not getting dress there. (beckster5551)
Brandi’s Bridal Galleria: A
Brandi's was the last shop in a series of five or six that I went to for dress shopping. I wanted to find the nicest dress at the best price and don't particularly like looking for girly clothes, so it was an adventure. This shop was excellent at listening to what I was looking for, letting me browse, and making an effort to keep prices low (reducing alterations that weren't necessary). The dress was absolutely gorgeous, fit perfectly (needed no major alterations, just hem and french bustle loops) and was a decent price. (mdlorenz)BRIDAL EVENT - D
I got my first dress here. Unfortunately, I was not planning on wearing the dress after I bought it. The service is terrible. There weren't many friendly people there and many times you get ingored and not helped for a really long time. I thought that they were really pushy when I was first trying on gowns.
When I went to pick up the dress (in plans of reselling it) there were pulls in the embroidery that I wanted fixed. When I asked them to fix the pulls they just cut off all the threads, making the dress unravel even more. (ottecl)
The Bridal Event in Appleton- A
Not a problem at all with them. They helped me find my dress, took payments whenever, and all the bridesmaids dresses were done perfectly! (KatieD212)
BRIDAL ELEGANCE - B
I got my dress and all my bridesmaids dresses here. I thought the service was good, but my bridesmaids all said they got really crappy service and that the sales people were actually snotty to them.
The alterations were done by Nancy and it was amazing! The dress fit perfectly! I even had custom work done to lower the back! It was gorgeous! (ottecl)
Brides by Demetrios (Schaumburg, IL) As a plus-size bride I was incredibly doubtful that I would find anything at this boutique store, but I called ahead and they had around 30 samples to try on, and there were about 10-20 in my price range of under $1,000. My consultant Lori was phenomenal about being patient with me and letting me decide which dress was right for me. I ended up with a strapless ivory dress with a sweetheart neckline and a handkerchief chiffon hemline. I've never seen anything like it from another store or magazine and I positively loved it! (Jennya.esq)
Brides'N'Bells- Reedsburg= A
I ended up purchasing the first dress I tried on but I also went back 3 times to try on dress, twice without appointments and they were great to work with. (samanthajeremy)
Dress: David's Bridal ~ B ---- Alterations: David's Bridal~ F-
Greenfield, WI
The dress, I loved...though it took a long time to get there. I have a size 20 body with a 5 foot frame. David's Bridal had the selection in my size to try on in the store, rather than trying on a size 8 and trying to imagine what it would look like. However, DO NOT GET YOUR ALTERATIONS DONE AT DAVID'S BRIDAL! I paid $200 for alterations and steaming and had a heartbreaking time to get it right...and I was working with the alterations manager. They said they could pull the hem into the pick ups to avoid taking length off the dress (about 6 inches). Though they said they could do it...they clearly don't know what they are capable of. The way the alterations manager pined was wrong...the people who sew it did it the opposite way they should have but it was backwards from what was supposed to happen. After re-pining it, we came back and had them just hem it. But by then they had taken out all the pick ups and couldn't put them back. I lost a huge design element in the dress. I was heartbroken and still am a little. I paid extra for them to steam the slip and when I came to pick it up I had to wait for them to do it because they forgot.
There are so many great "mom and pop" places to go for alterations, where that is all they do, they know their stuff and they communicate. My only regret is that I didn't research that part of the process and just lay my trust in the company I got my dress from.
David's Bridal (Greenfield, WI and Eau Claire, WI) - B and D-
Wedding dress, MOB dress, and FG dressGreenfield - B:
I had to experiences with DB one was to test dresses with my mom and one for my mom to pick a dress. The woman helping me try on the dresses I picked was extremely helpful - I never felt rushed. Although some dresses were similar she pulled them and showed what was the same or different and if I didn't like a style she mentioned which ones I might want to nix.
I ended up being stuck between two dresses and the staff (at this point I had the manager and the alterations manager) helping me look between the two. I walked in not wanting to buy a dress that day, but I did. That is just me when I know what I like I am done and it wasn’t because I felt pressured I just had my mind made up so no more searching.
When we went back to look at dresses for my mom the girl helping us was also extremely helpful. I told her right off the bat NO mother of the bride dresses they were not my mom’s style and she completely agreed and geared us towards the bridesmaid dress styles.
My mom had a few dresses she wanted to try that were ok…the girl ended up pulling a dress that my mom LOVED. She also gave my mom some suggestions on colors if she wasn’t sure what would go with my wedding colors. I was so happy she listened to me and to my mom it made the shopping experience so much easier – 5 dresses were tried on and my mom felt gorgeous with the one she picked…mission accomplished!
Eau Claire – D-
Where to begin this train wreck of visit? We made a girls weekend to go with my flower girl and her mother to check out the dress I was thinking of having the FG wear. We were on time for our appointment and were forced to wait. When we were tended to the clerk acted like she had better things to do which was extremely annoying when she ditched us to help a walk in appointment look for veils and we had a scheduled appointment.
We had to hunt down our saleslady several times. I had asked the question at the beginning of our appointment if the dress I liked would fit a size 2 and a size 8 in kids….she threw my flower girl in the dress without answering my question. Thankfully it did come in the sizes that fit both (the website didn’t have that detail) because the girl she put it in was obsessed with the dress. After 15 min of waiting we interrupted her walk in appointment to have her double check the fit of the dress on my flower girl…she said it would fit and disappeared again. (My fg mom put her in the dress the clerk handed to her and then the clerk vanished.)
The three of us went to the register to try and check out – this took us another 20 minutes because the woman helping us bailed so we had to wait for someone at the register to help us order the dress and check out. That is when I found out that dress would take 8 weeks to deliver (so they say) – NO ONE at DB contacted me. That meant ordering that day the dress was due in the day before the wedding…yeah slightly stressed me out! Thankfully DB delivers early but that goes to show you even with an open order and several calls to follow up on lead time – it changes and there is no good way for DB to communicate with brides. (jelenny)
Davids Bridal: A.I
didn't go in having a specific idea of what I wanted, so I think that helped keeping an open mind. I went right away when we got engaged a year ago, and the second time I went I found the dress. The women I worked with were so sincere and helpful and made us all feel so very comfortable. I knew the color that I wanted for the bridesmaids right away, so that same day their staff started picking out styles that would compliment not only the color of the dress, but the body types of the bridesmaids. (emelizabeth85)
David's Bridal (74th St- Greenfield) The consultant rolled her eyes at me, when I told her that I didn't have an appointment. I only returned to look at the hairpieces and veils. Which, if your on a budget- go with ebay. You will save money! (katoNorway)
David's Bridal - B-
I mean the dresses turned out fine, but you definitely lack the 1 on 1 attention here during the try-on phase. The also only called like one of my girls when all the dresses were in. It was kind of confusing. (eshaufle)
Ediths Bridal of Fond Du Lac, WI: A-
THey were more than wonderful - I initially had some torubles with my dress but they fixed it up so it was perfect for the big day! Everyone - including myself - ended up loving it. The only downfall was it took a long time for my dress to get in... between 6-7months so it was a lot of waiting and good thing I looked early! (bonniejwilliams123)
Elegant Occasions - Wausau, WI
The process of getting my dress and picking out the bridesmaid dresses went pretty smooth. I bought my dress right off of the rack one sale before they moved into their new location. The biggest problem we had was getting my girls to call their measurements in! I got my shoes from DSW and they were sneakers - because i needed comfort (and because I really have flat feet!)
Eva's Bridal-C
I wasn't as impressed with Eva's Bridal. Finding the bridesmaid's dresses wasn't difficult but tracking them down became a chore. We purchased the dresses in late July and they did not come in until late-December..and there were only 3 bridesmaids. Everytime you called you seemed to talk to a teenager who didn't quite have the answers. When I asked about the status of the dresses several times I was told that they would put a trace on them if they didn't have them by early January. When they finally did come in, one of my bridesmaids was told that she would be charged a rush fee for alterations even though she would have made the alterations appointment at the same time the dresses came in. Overall, not very impressed. (cgrzona)
Eva's Bridal A+
I saw my dress at another bridal dress store in the area, but ended up ordering it from Eva's because of their competitive pricing. They were very nice, helpful, and friendly. I also had alterations done there and they turned out beautifully.
Eva's Bridal, Oak Creek, WI: A-
Great prices, but they do tag rip. They did have good discounts and dresses came in very timely. My matron of honor bought her dress after the rest of the bridesmaids because she was pregnant, and they still honored the discount they had going when the rest of the bridesmaids bought their dresses. Overall very pleased. (gadragonetti)
Evas bridal B When I went to Evas Bridal to get my dress no one really helped me. I was given a dress and kind of left to hang out by myself. Then when I finally decided to order the dress the woman insisted that I get an size 8. I said no I want a size 6 and she looked at me and goes 'Well you better not gain any weight in your boobs or your butt or youre screwed'. I thought that was pretty rude. I also had to sign something that said I wanted the 6. Well once it came in I could put it on and it'd drop to the floor it was so big... (navybride11)
Eva's (Howell Ave- Oak Creek) A The lady helped me try on 5 different dresses. She didn't mind that I asked to try on one that I thought was absolutely ridiculous looking. (She had to take it off the mannequin.) And surprisingly, enough the dress really didn't look bad once it was on. I just thought it was nice that she let me have my fun. She didn't pressure me into any certain dress. (KatoNorway)
Hallelujah Fashion (Mitchell St- Milwaukee) A I was weary of going to this store after the google reviews, but I ended up buying my dress here. But nothing went wrong on their end. The consultant was able to work with me a little on price (basically, it worked out that the money she discounted covered the taxes...) She let me try on multiple dresses. I went back an additional 2 times, before I finally bought the dress.
Heim's Bridal (74th St- Greenfield) They have a nice supply of sample dresses. The lady was very sweet and helpful and didn't pressure me into trying on something just for the sake of trying something on. (KatoNorway)
Jay's Bridal Online; Gainsville, FL
I found a dress that I loved at a local salon here in WI, but had a horrible experience at the appointment and didn't want to give that shop my money. Because I knew the style # of my dress, and what size I would need to order, I took a chance and ordered my dress (and veil, tiara, and earrings) online. I saved huge amounts of money by ordering it online, and everything was in perfect condition and the dress fit perfect. (SweetCharade)
Kay Bridal (Wauwatosa) - B
Arrived at this bridal store a half an hour before my appointment, because travel time was less than assumed. The store seemed annoyed that we were early, even though we offered to wait outside. Ultimately I was able to get started with a consultant right away, since another bride had finished early. At Kay, they give you a book to look through that includes the pictures/prices of all the dress they have in the store. You put a sticky note next to the dresses you want to try on. I was told that this is done to help brides see the shape/style of each dress more easily and to keep brides from touching the dresses, so that they stay in higher quality condition longer, because the store will sell their samples. However, the majority of the dresses I tried on were in the worst condition I've yet to see at a bridal store. Beads were completely missing, zippers were broken, seams were ripped to the point that the skirt was disconnected from the top, stains were on the dress, etc.. It made it diffcult to truly envision what each dress would look like. I was told that the dresses I had chosen were "popular" and "well loved", but I still was unhappy with the quality of the samples. The consultant allows you to put on the dress by yourself and then comes in to zip/lace you up. If you request, the consultant can stay in the room while you change and help you in/out of each dress. The changing rooms are only closed by a curtain, rather than a door, so for a self-conscious girl, you may not be comfortable, as it's possible that other costumers may walk by and have a sneak peak through the cracks. There were several brides at this small store, while I was there, and unfortunately they only had 2 mirrors. Each bride had to share a mirror with someone else, which was not timed well and led to brides standing there waiting for someone else to get done. This really cuts down on the amount of time you have to try on dresses. They also did not have a platform to stand on, but instead use a very small wooden footstool (not bolted to the ground). This makes it hard to really move around and see the whole dress in the mirror, since I was afraid that if I moved I'd fall off. The store has a lot of dresses to choose from, but they run a bit higher than I would have liked (most at or above $1100). They are good about sticking to your budget though and will not pull dresses that you cannot afford. I was able to find 7 dresses in my style/price range. They place feels very cozy and bright. There is not a parking lot though, so one must find street parking (we parked less than a block away). They allow you to take pictures and do not rip tags. At the end of the appointment, the consultant wrote down the designer and style of the dress I really liked on a sheet of paper, but did not let me take it with me. They keep it on file in case you come back, so they can remember what you liked. They were not pushy at all about purchasing a dress, but did emphasize several times that you should purchase your dress no less than 8-6 months before the wedding. (swtheart1685
)Kay Bridal = A
This Wauwatosa bridal shop is tiny, but superb. It carries a great line of gowns, and the owner, Lisa, is so helpful and sweet! The shop is so small that she literally takes one appointment at a time and locks up the shop so it's just you and your party in there. Makes you feel pretty VIP. She keeps her sample gowns in PRISTINE condition, so much so that when I found my dream dress several hundred dollars over my budget, she sold the sample to me at half price. The sample was in great condition, only needed the zipper replaced and the size taken from a 10 down to a 6. Total steal! Which brings me to..(noonandj04)
Mahin's Bridal, D-
The women who own's the shop is really rude and doesn't listen to what you say. I told her my price range and she didn't pull a single dress at or below that price, all dresses were out of my price range. She rips tags and doesn't allow pictures. However, there was a beautiful dress that my BM spotted and I fell in love with it! The owner lied about the designer of the dress, twice, ordered it a size up from what I wanted and charged a lot of fees. She also told me it would take at least 6 months for it to come it, it took 6 weeks. I do not recommend shopping here! (beckster5551)
Mara's Elegant Bridal -Mt. Horeb, WI A+++
I bought my dress and jewelry (MEG) here. Mara the owner is awesome and so is Rachel the woman that helped me find my dress. The customer service is out of this world and made it well worth the drive (I live in Pewaukee and didn't think twice about the trips to Mt. Horeb). Mara must have responded to a dozen emails from me before I decided to check out her shop and it was that kind of thoughful and responsive help that she gave that made me want to patronize her shop! The shop is beautiful, the atmosphere is fun and the prices are totally reasonable. It was a really fun and memorable experience that I shared with my Mom and will treasure! I will actually miss Mara and Rachel. (alessner)
Savvy Bride: LOVED this bridal salon! I went here the very first time I decided to go try on wedding dresses and had a wonderful experience. Savvy has a great selection and the consultants are a friendly and welcoming. I was nervous about the whole process of dress shopping (not a fan of being the center of attention), but the girls at Savvy made me feel really comfortable. My consultant, Andrea, took the time to really understand what I was looking for in a dress and made sure her attention was focused entirely on me for my 1 1/2 hour appointment. They were not pushy at all, when it came to buying a dress, and even suggested taking time to look at other bridal salons who have the same designers, because Savvy will price match. They do NOT rip tags, and are more than willing to write down the designer name, dress style and prices of the dresses you tried on (they'll even star the one or two that you really liked). I would definitely recommend going here! (swtheart1685)
The Saavy Bride, Brookfield: A+
I absolutely loved this place! I felt special from the moment I walked in the door. I filled out a questionnaire, and then it was off to choosing dresses. Our consultant was really cheerful, friendly, and enthusiastic, and really helped in picking out dresses in the style I wanted...and my price range. We were allowed to take all the pictures we wanted, and all dresses were clearly labeled with the designer. The best part? I found THE dress here! I can't wait to go back and try it on again. I'll us another post to put up some pics. :) (gpapale1)
Savvy Bride - A
I got my dress at a great price, and the girls knew what worked with what dress. I loved my wedding dress and so did my husband! (varsity714)
Savvy Bride A
gosavvybride.com
The ladies who work at Savvy Bride are awesome. They were super helpful in every respect. The day of the wedding we realized we were a tie short, and the manager offered to drive an extra tie downtown before the ceremony even though it was US who had misplaced the tie and it wasn't their mistake. I would def. recommend them. (MissBnicole)
Stone Manor Bridal-- A
The team at Stone Manor was great to work with. Very responsive and helped me to find the perfect dress after what seemed to be hours of looking. Easy to deal with, fast alterations, and great service. (cgrzona)
Tidebuy.com- F (dress knock-off company in China). After 2 weeks of placing the order, they sent me an email stating that they could not find the same flowers that my dress had, so they went ahead and made substitutions. They asked that I confirm that the substitutions were okay before they continued. Well, they sent me 2 photos. Mind you, I prepared myself that this might happen (it's common to substitute beading and material with these knock-off sites.) What I was taken back by was the shoddy construction of the dress. Granted they were still making the dress, but it looked like a complete different dress. Anyway, I told them to cancel my order give me my refund. This is where things got tricky. They then told me the dress was finished and wanted to send it to me. If I wasn't happy, I could ask for a refund. I didn't trust this, so I kept asking them just to cancel my order. After the 3rd runaround email I got from them, I went through PayPal resolution dispute to get my money back. Since I never received the dress, PayPal was able to find in my favor and credit my account within a week (KatoNorway)
Tres Chic, Menomonee Falls: D
I had an appointment and arrived right on time. The woman at the front desk was helping a kid with his prom tux and said she would be with me in a minute. Another prom kid walked in and she started to help him before me, even though I was already waiting. My friend Melissa (one of my BMs) and I went upstairs to look through the gowns, and it took 10 minutes for a different employee to ask us if we needed help. I finally got to the point of trying on dresses, and was told I couldn't take any pictures. NONE of the dresses had the designer tags in them, which I've always thought was a shady practice. The only reason I'm not giving this place an F is because the dresses were all really affordable (all the ones I tried on were in the $400-800 price range). Other than that, customer service was really lacking (and that's something super important to me). (gpapale1)
Vera's Bridal- I ended up purchasing my wedding dress from Vera's. Of all the bridal stores I've been to, this one had the largest selection of dresses. The consultants were incredibly welcoming, patient, and professional. My mom lives in Racine and I'm in Madison. She was running a half hour late due to construction/traffic, and Vera's was able to switch my appointment to a half hour later, so that I wouldn't lose time trying on dresses. T