best wedding dress stores in Orlando area

chloe97

Hi:

I'm coming in from out of town to go dress shopping with my mom. I am looking at a wedding dress budget of about $800 or $1200 with alterations. I have appts with David's Bridal, Minervas, and Carolyn Allens- all based on just wedding wire/word of mouth. I know DB's general pricing, but I know nothing about the other 2 stores. Any other stores that I should be looking at? 

floridabride44

Minerva's was nice but... different. They weren't very up front about the designer & the name of the dress I was trying on. It's like they don't want you to know, so that you can't go somewhere else and buy the same gown. They even sew in their own Minerva's tags on all dresses. I know some places are protective of their dresses and won't let you take photos & such, but I just thought it was odd that they were pretty secretive about giving out information. 

Alfred Angelo in Altamonte Springs has good prices, and was a really great overall dress shopping experience. I didn't find my dress there, but the salon itself had a very "Say Yes to the Dress" vibe to it and my consultant was nice & helpful. 

I'd also recommend the Minerva's Outlet. (near the Florida Mall)  It's hit or miss because they're just selling samples from Minerva's, but if they have what you're looking for you could get a great deal. It's half prom dresses and looks a little sketchy on the outside, but worth taking a look if you're in the area. You don't even have to make an appointment there, just pop in!

chloe97

Thank you! We actually ended up at Minerva's Outlet instead of the actual Minerva's because my google Maps pulled up the wrong location. I'm glad we did because I found my dress there! You are right- it is a bitch sketchy on the outside, but my bridal consultant was phenomenal. I got a $1800 for $750 and I got to take it home that day, I could not be happier!