Bridal Shop Horror!

janice0487

Hey girls!
I went shopping for a gown this past Saturday for the first time. I have been looking for a particular Pronovias gown so I made an appointment at Carolina Couture in Columbia about a month in advance. I did not have a very good experience! The place was nice and I did find a gown I liked... but the sales woman was SO inattentive. Is that the way they all are (maybe Say Yes to the Dress has skewed my visions!!!). I picked out the dresses I wanted to try on and she showed me the room and basically handed them to me and said "here you go" - no help getting them on or anything. When I would come out to view in the mirror, she was NEVER anywhere to be found.. because she was helping other girls find prom dresses! SERIOUSLY?? A wedding dress commission trumps prom dresses if you ask me! And, I made this appointment with her a month in advance! I just hope my future experiences will not be like this. I am hoping I find a dress I like better somewhere else because I don't want to feel obligated to give her my $$ Please tell me that this is an isolated incident and that this experience should have been different. Any recommendations for other bridal shops in Columbia that will have better service?

Thanks!
Janice

nfguthrie

I don't know--I would have loved that.  I greatly preferred that the bridal shop employees leave me alone-- I wasn't interested in their help or opinions (that's what my mom and sister were for), so it would have been a huge relief to have them leave me alone.  Just a different perspective. 

futuremrscoachj

I highly recomment Dimitra Designs. Its in Greenville off N. Pleasantburg Drive (take exit 51 off Hwy 85 from Columbia and then take exit 36 (I believe) off of 185.
I would make an appointment. When you do that, your consultant meets you at the door, sits down with you to talk style, size, and budget, then helps you pick out dresses. You hand her the dress, she brings it into your dressing room and also helps you try it on. She is your shadow throughout the whole process and celebrating with her when you have found your dress is so wonderful!

I would recommend Susan... I had her and she is so attentive and even came back from her lunch break to put me BACK in my dress to show my Father who showed up to the store after my Mother and I had bought my dress already and were looking at bridesmaids dresses.

Also, Dimitra has gowns, bridesmaids dresses, shoes, jewelry, tuxes, MOB dresses, invitations, and a salon. Wonderful, professional staff through and through!

acg1

Bella Vista Bridal in Columbia has couture gowns and GREAT service. Very attentive and helpful. You can call and make an appointment. I think they are having a sale too. And when you find the dress, they give you champagne. I hope this helps!

isleofpalmsgal

Bella Vista Bridal in Columbia is great and like the last post mentioned they give you champagne.  What's not to like about that!!!! Good Luck

kayleighe

I went there with no appointment and got great service. They didn't come in th fitting room, but I had a bm with me and wanted her to help me anyway.

I ended up going with Belle Vista and their service was EXCELLENT. I thought I knew what I wanted my dress to be like and had tried on TONS, but Allison talked to me for a minute and then whipped one out that I would have never picked. It was THE dress.

janice0487

I am getting married in Greenville and was up there to check out the venue and went to Dimitra designs.. it was AMAZING! I ended up finding the dress of my dreams and had a great experience! Thanks for the advice!

futuremrscoachj

Aw SO glad I could help! Im glad you found it as wonderful as I did!