I visited both Pearl Bridal in Holyoke and Bridal Heirlooms in South Hadley with my mom over this past weekend. Although I don't know if I'll buy a dress at either place (I live in CT and it's far for alterations) I loved both of my experiences at each place. Although I was partial to Bridal Heirlooms.
Pearl Bridal has more top end dresses. They run price wise a bit higher. Dresses seemed to average about $1,600 to more. There were some under $1,600, but not too many. The consultant was nice, but she was younger and a bit less helpful than the consultant I worked with at Bridal Heirlooms. The salon was also busier and seemed less personal. But they had a nice selection. Their location is tough (they are in an old mill). It looked kind of sketchy from the outside but the inside was GORGEOUS.
Bridal Heirlooms had a nice range of dresses. Most seemed around the $1,000 range. I had a great consultant who knew which dresses could be altered in different ways and she really worked to tailor down what I liked about the dresses rather than the dresses themselves. We tried bling, we tried lace, different shapes. Everything. It was an overall great experience and if I was closer, I would probably return to Bridal Heirlooms to find my dress.