Dress shopping!

katecrobertson

I want to make an appointment at a dress shop for our first foray into dress shopping. Have people had good/bad/mediocre experiences with Serendipity or Unbridaled? What's the vibe of these two places? Or is there somewhere else you'd recommend?

chloetutor

I think Unbridaled would be a good place to start.  Their selection isn't overwhelming, but there are lots of pretty dresses to choose from.  I stopped by there right after ordering my dress from another shop to look at their bridesmaid dresses (pricey!) and had to shield my eyes from the pretty wedding dresses they had.  They're pretty laid back and the fitting room is kinda hidden from the main store.

lasaggie08

I went to Balina Bridal and was very happy. Extremely personalized service and my consultant showed me things that i never in a million years thought I would want to try on and they looked fabulous. I also liked that it was a bit of a smaller shop so you werent on a pedestal at the same time as 10 other girls. They only have 2 pedestals. Also, Triana Tailors is downstairs and they are wonderful as well!

http://www.balina.com/
http://www.trianatailors.com/

hildeedee

it really depends on what kind of vibe you feel most comfortable in. serendipity was a lot more "fancy and formal" and unbridaled seems a bit more laid back and fun. i went to both places and enjoyed unbridaled a bit more because i'm pretty laid back, but was glad i went to serendipity too.

jesslainemitch

Serendipity is WAY overpriced and their staff is snooty and rude.  The owner (an older gentleman) was mean to his employees in front of customers and it is obvious that most of them hate working there.  He actually came into my dressing room while I was trying on dresses to take a dress (that I had not tried on yet) to a customer that wanted to buy it off the rack.  I was appalled and furious that he felt he had the right to come into my dressing room.  He didn't even say a word to me when he did it, he just walked in, grabbed the dress and walked out.  I definitely don't recommend Serendipity.  I enjoyed  my dress shopping at David's Bridal North, Blush Bridal and Alfred Angelo.  They all had better pricing than Serendipity too.

SarahPLiz

I went to the sample sale at Unbridaled. I was not impressed with the service or the selection. They have lots of trendy things.

I really enjoyed shopping with Geri at Alexia Gavela. Their fitting room area is softly lit, so it made me feel better about myself than flourescent lighting I've seen in DB.. and Target. They have tons of selection for such a small store, and the service so far has been awesome!

mujerboricua

I hated, hated, hated Balina Bridal. I actually came home in tears after being rushed to try on 6 dresses in 20 minutes. Be sure that I wrote horrible reviews online about them.

I loved Kim at Belle Saison. The store is a bit dated but they have some nice gems there. I wish I had gone to Alexia Gavela after going there to get my dress altered. The service there was pretty stellar.

dapo2004

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_texas-austin_dress-shopping?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:126Discussion:108492c8-ddaf-44c1-83d6-239e23d84e31Post:e7ab52a3-c2f0-40e8-9313-474e52365424">Re: Dress shopping!</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>Serendipity is WAY overpriced and their staff is snooty and rude.</strong>  The owner (an older gentleman) was mean to his employees in front of customers and it is obvious that most of them hate working there.  He actually came into my dressing room while I was trying on dresses to take a dress (that I had not tried on yet) to a customer that wanted to buy it off the rack.  I was appalled and furious that he felt he had the right to come into my dressing room.  He didn't even say a word to me when he did it, he just walked in, grabbed the dress and walked out.  I definitely don't recommend Serendipity.  I enjoyed  my dress shopping at David's Bridal North, Blush Bridal and Alfred Angelo.  They all had better pricing than Serendipity too.
Posted by jesslainemitch@hotmail.com[/QUOTE]

<div>I had the same experience at Serendipity. They seemed inconvenienced by the fact that I was larger than their samples and did not offer any solutions. I'm a size 14, and most samples there were 8-10. Most other places at least helped me get into the dresses and held them in place so I could get an idea of what they would look like. Serendipity was really rude about the fact that I was larger than their samples. Thus, I took my business elsewhere.</div>

Lili316

I think the general point is that people are going to have both good and bad experiences at every store.  I went to both Serendipity and Unbridaled and had good service at both, but the dress selection is very different.  Unbridaled stocks more nontraditional dresses - sleek, simple, very non-ballgown.  They also have fairly low price points on many dresses.  Serendipity has beautiful dresses as well, but it's higher end designers and generally more traditional "bridal-y" dresses. 

MargoH09

I thought Unbridaled's selection was lovely--lots of modern(ish) dresses, along with some more traditional dresses. Service was fine. Maybe a little laid back, but maybe that's just b/c I was expecting a wee bit more hovering at a bridal store.

I too left Serendipity disappointed. Unlike the other stores I've visited, the sales staff didn't help me pull dresses. Even thought I had made an appointment, they just waved me toward the racks and the changing room. They were hard to find when I had questions too and reluctant to pin straps/etc. Would really not recommend.

I also went to the Alfred Angelo on MoPac and had a surprisingly pleasant experience there, given what I've heard before about chain bridal stores...

chocolatemalt

I posted a question like this recently and I got some good suggestions. I liked Blush Bridal lounge a lot--it's in a cute little house and you get to try on gowns in your own private room, with the woman who works there and whoever you bring with you (instead of having the "peacock area"--that's what it's actually called! where you model your dresses in front of the other brides). They seemed to have a nice, though somewhat small, collection. The owner was SO nice and welcoming. I think this would be a great place to start your shopping! I also liked Alexia Gavela a lot, I agree that their lighting is better than in the other stores. It is not as hip as Blush, but they have a lot of dresses, and they seem to be reasonably priced. Plus AG and Blush are right down the block from each other, making it easy to go from one to the other, if you're up for it!

I've also been to Unbridaled a few times (all of this, yet I still haven't found my dress!) and I don't like it as much as the other two. The women who work there are decently friendly, but the store is tiny and has always been crowded when I was there. I hate the dressing room area--hate it! It's brightly lit and they have room for 4 brides at once. I felt so exposed and weird there. When I told them I was looking to spend under $1500 for my dress, they basically told me there wouldn't be much for me in the store, too. Maybe I just had a weird experience, or maybe it's the girl who has helped me every time? I don't know. It doesn't seem as hip. friendly, or affordable as you would think, given its marketing. Anyway that's my two cents! Good luck!

xohxohheather

I only went to one place and that was Signature Bridal Salon in Bee Caves.  I've been to the shop several times and also talked with the girls there on multiple occasions and only had one eh experienece (they use a specific alterations person and I was calling to see if they had sent my petticoat and bra with my dress to her shop, the girl said she would check and call me back.  that was about two hours before my alterations appt.  i didn't receive another call for an hour! i had to call back twice before we got it figured out where my stuff was and i ended up being about 15 mins late to my alterations appt)  other than that though they are nice and accomdating and have a nice selection of dresses! i give them an A- so far.

kelseymw

Serendipity was the first place I tried on dresses. I had no idea what to expect but I was really intimidated and a little uncomfortable because I am not a "fancy" type and it seemed pretty uppity there. I imagined a fun shopping experience (I watch a lot of "Say Yes to the Dress") with laughing and cheeryness... I didn't get that at Serendipity. That's not to say it was awful though. They had some beautiful dresses, though but I will agree their prices were a bit high. I actually found my dress there but bought it from Pearl's Place because it was about $800 cheaper... almost 1/2 the price. [The only other place I went was a David's Bridal that a friend works at because she had just started there and I wanted to give her business. I just knew the dress I found at Serendipity was "the one" though.]

Geri at Alexia Gavela gets rave and after rave on this board. I wish I would've gone there because I really don't feel like I got the fun dress shopping experience, and I'm a little bitter about that 

katecrobertson

These responses are great! I booked an appointment at Unbridaled. I'll see how it goes - and if I don't find what I want, I'll check out Blush and Alexia Gavela. Thanks!

jmsalinas1

I second Signature Bridal in bee caves. It's small, but has a great selection of dresses and had some Amazing ones for under $1000!! I went during the week about 1 o'clock. I was the only bride there and got one-on-one attention from the owner who was very nice, and gave me her email to follow up with at the end of my appointment. If you are on a budget under $1000 but don't want David's Bridal, you should check this place out.

FromPenceToPrice

Another place you might want to check out is Melange on Far West.  They were about as laid back as Unbridaled, but had some of the more traditional bridal gowns like Serendipity.  Their selection is a little smaller than Seredipity or Belle Saison, but larger than Unbridaled (although I haven't been to Unbridaled's new store).  Just thought I'd throw that out there in case you don't find what you want at the other places!

laurenrenee80

I agree with the "Serendipity Experience". I was saving this one as THE place I would find my dress, but I was completely underwhelmed by the service. I, too, had an appointment, but I was barely acknowedged and the women practically threw the dresses on me. She was obviously in a hurry to eat her lunch, cause she kept going in the back to get mouthfuls! Plus, when she wrote down the style numbers of the ones I like, when I looked them up online, it was all incorrect info.
I went to Signature in Bee Caves and had a completely different experience. They were so friendly and helpful. I went on my lunch break on a weekday, so I was the only one in there. I don't know how it is on weekends.
Belle Saison is a little dated in my opinion, but the girl was totally nice and went above and beyond to help us. They definitely have more traditional dresses, where as I usually gravitate toward modern ones. So I may have to try Unbridaled.

azure46137

Hi!
I went to both Mélange and Belle Saison.
In the end, I found my dress at Belle Saison. They have a large store and I wanted a dress that was unusual; I didn't think I'd find it there, but they have some gems tucked away. They also were very reasonably priced, and they have package deals where you can get a discount on the shoes, a free hairpiece, etc. They also seem to mark down their gowns fairly often. The staff is attentive. (I worked with Brianna and recommend her) . They also have quite a selection of bridesmaid dresses.

Mélange is smaller, but they have quite a selection of gowns that are more couture--they carried different French designers and more one-of-a-kind gowns. The staff is great, and they are very attentive. Their prices are a bit higher than Belle Saison (although I think that they can work with you somewhat on the price).

Have fun! Pace yourself!