Bridal Shops.....Lots of Questions...

[Sueil33]

I tried on a Maggie Sottero Aurelie dress today and I loved it!! Now I have realized that finding a dress might not be the hardest part of picking a wedding gown. Can anyone give me any ideas on how to assess the quality of a bridal shop you are dealing with? I am particularly concerned about the quality of the alterations department, I think that the bustle on Aurelie is going to be a challenge.

Since we can't all go to NYC and shop at Kleinfeld's how do I find a great shop in greater Baltimore??

Thanks for your help.

 

[PrincessShea]

Well, the best thing to do is talk to other people have bought wedding dresses in the area. But if you don't know anyone, I recommend the website yelp.com It's my go-to place for reviews.

 

[lurkyloo]

I would also recommend checking out a copy of "Bridal Bargains" by Denise & Alan Fields at your local library and reading the chapter on wedding gowns. They tell you how to avoid a whole host of bridal boutique scams and what to look for. The scariest thing I remember was a boutique that added extra items to a customer's order without her knowing it and then refused to let her return them because all sales were final.

As for alterations, I found an independent seamstress on my local Knot board because I'd heard about boutiques overcharging and hiring less-than-competent tailors.

 

[Sueil33]

Thanks Carrie, I have that book. Need to read through the whole chapter. I was very surprised to see their rating for Maggie Sottero - they give them a "D" in quality, value and design...the lowest in the book, and I loved their dresses. I am wondering what it is that I am missing on the quality of the dresses. WOW this is hard.

Sue

 

[lurkyloo]

The Fields seem to be kinda nutty about fabric and finishings, I've noticed - if it has a zipper rather than hooks or is polyester (or anything other than silk, it seems), they consider it low quality. Now I agree with them when you're talking about a Kirstie Kelley dress that costs thousands of dollars but is mass-produced in synthetic material. But Maggie Sottero dresses are designed to be cheap. So to me, as long as I'm being charged less than $1,000 for one, it doesn't bother me. I probably wouldn't have paid more than $500 for a Maggie Sottero, using eBay).

 

[lastminutemom]

One of the biggest issues is to make sure the store will still be there. In this economy, bridal stores are going out of business right and left. If you have to put money down to order it, you need to make sure it will arrive within 60 days and you need to use a credit card so you have protections if the store closes and your deposit goes with them.

Finding a good local seamstress is not a bad idea.

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

I second the Bridal Bargains book. I have 2 dresses...and 2 ceremonies. The first bridal shop we went to was...hmmm...ok.
The second was great with service, they were not all about the WOW! They waited for it. I got my Maggie dress from them and loved it more when I picked it up then when I tried it on!
The third place we went was David's Bridal. I was shocked that they were so laid back the BB Book made them sound like attack monkeys.-Even friends of mine that have been there before have had terrible experiences. My experience was totally different. The dress is low quality...but it's just for our legal ceremony...So, I figure as long as I have the style of the dress and it was a good price I was good with it.

The differences between where I got my Maggie and DB
-The service. While DB wasn't all over me...They left me to wander almost a bit too long. Where I got my Maggie dress had the right amount of being right there and not.
-The dress bag...To get one from DB cost me $10 and smelled like plastic...b/c it was...but I needed something to get it home with. Where I got my Maggie Dress: I got a nice breath-able bag-FREE!
-Where I got my Maggie Dress will mark 20% off anything I purchase at the store that they have in stock...Yeah..get DB to do that!
-Where I got my Maggie Dress was in contact with me every step of the way...From the moment she put the order in to when I called hysterical b/c of the need to make it legal...She knew where my dress was every step of the way. I worked directly with the owner and she was on top of everything!

I love both of my dresses! Each one is very particular to the event that they were purchased for. The service was very different. The dress bag was huge...the DB bag is cheap...and they made me pay for it...and it smells! But it's a necessity...the one last thing they get you for before you leave.

Those are my experiences HTH's

 

[Sueil33]

Thanks for all the great advice. I think that I am going to go with the fact that I love the Maggie dresses and not worry about the Bridal Bargain's review. I do like the idea of talking to a local seamstress instead of going with the salon. I will explore that some more. I am also going to make appointments at a few more local bridal stores to get a better feel for what they have to offer.

Sue

 

[Beep]

I thought the Maggie dresses were great quality compared to some of the others.

I had a bad experience with a bridal shop and wouldn't have gone back there - TBH I would have chosen a different dress if they were the only stockists of the one I fell in love with I had such a bad time with them.

The one i eventually went with is brilliant. They have made me feel like I am the only bride and most important person to ever enter the shop. I went to have a look at the dress i wanted and there was a bride trying hers on after they had done alterations. Obviously I didn't see the dress beforehand, or go and inspect the workmanship lol, but the bride was thrilled with the dress and it fitted her perfectly.