What are your opinions of David's Bridal?

Mapper71

I had planned on getting my dress at David's but a majority of the reviews are just horrible. I don't want to spend much on my dress so I thought this place would be perfect, but reviews of all different stores say the consultants are rude, the store is dirty, the material is cheap. I also thought this would be perfect for my bridesmaids to get their dresses too, since they are spread around the country. After reading reviews, I am getting nervous about going there.

Brie2010

Every franchise is different.  Some are great, some are not.I went there to look at bridesmaid's dresses.  While the dresses themselves were fine, I decided against them when I realized that every single wedding album I looked at on FB had the exact same cookie cutter DB dresses.  I wanted something different and a little more unique so I didn't go with them.I didn't shop there for wedding dresses--I looked at them online and they just didn't look like there was anything I would like there.  Also, do not give them your e-mail address or phone number.  They will spam the crap out of you.  It's really, really annoying.

eskiimobby

It depends on the area. The David's Bridal in Orlando was amazing customer service wise, and the one in West Palm sucked big time. However, I never thought a store was dirty, nor did I think their dresses looked cheap. Most of them are mock dresses from Maggie Sottero, Alfred Angelo, etc. just cheaper. I did order my dress from there, it came in 3 weeks BEFORE they said, and I had zero problems. Part of the reason why I liked shopping there was because they had almost every dress in every size, so I could actually try on dresses that were MY size, and not the one token size 8 that a small boutique carried. I think it's DEFINITELY worth the trip in, just so you know what it's like. Reviews are going to be mostly bad because people who didn't have a problem won't take the time to write how wonderful it is. Everyone's experiences are going to be different, and I would hate to have any "what if's" about my wedding dress just because of someone else's reviews. (And my email doesn't get spammed.)

betysmarie5

I had a horrible experience with David's Bridal.  Just BEWARE if you have any girl in your bridal party taller than 5'9", the dress will not look right on them!  David's Bridal ONLY cuts dresses at 5'9".  No matter, what size, or how much you beg them to just add an extra inch or two to the bottom of the dress, the tallest person their dresses fit is 5'9".  They conveniently told me this 4 months after my 2 hour consultation with TWO managers, where my 5'11" and 6'1" bridesmaids were with me but didn't try on any dresses.  This was in February, had all my dresses set, these were the ones I was getting, and then in June, when my girls went to get fitted, that's when we found out they do not offer extra length and only cut to 5'9".  I ended up having to scramble and find dresses else where within a week.  Luckily since pretty much every single designer, except David's Bridal, offers extra length, or cuts the dresses to fit taller women, I was able to find something quickly.  Good luck

Vikki2pay

There are 3 DB in my area, 2 were awesome, 1 was just ok, and the only reason I say that, is everytime I went in the consultant I was working with just quit.  But I got my dress, there and loved it.   I can't say it was cheaply made, it was very well made IMO.  The stores were never dirty and everyone was very friendly.Like PP said, it really depends on the store.Good luck, and go see you may be pleasantly surprised.

liashke

"Part of the reason why I liked shopping there was because they had almost every dress in every size, so I could actually try on dresses that were MY size, and not the one token size 8 that a small boutique carried."^^ This is very true and a very nice thing about David's.I've had good luck with them (I've been to three different stores now).  When I was a bridesmaid, my dress came from there.  None of us had any problems.  I did my initial shopping there as a bride, and it's probable my scattered across the country bridesmaids will get their dresses there.  I did end up finding something I like better for my dress elsewhere, but I still don't think David's is bad.  I've seen some people say that David's is overdone... and I'm sure that's true in the overall wedding sense, but are the people who attend your wedding going to be thinking of that?  I'm pretty sure none of my friends would bother to.I've seen David's be insanely crowded and that's the worst experience I've had.  Making an appointment is a good idea.  And watch out for pricey accessories you could get elsewhere for much less (veils, tiaras, etc).  As with most bridal salons, they're going to want to accessorize you and make you fall in love with the whole ensemble.I think it will highly depend on the store for your experience.  Why not go and take a look around?  See if it's dirty.  Eavesdrop and find out how the consultants are treating their customers.  No, you won't be able to vet every store for your bridesmaids, but you might feel more comfortable with the idea.  You could also see if there are Alfred Angelo stores near all your bridesmaids... that didn't work for me, but it'd give you another option.  And also, even if you do get your dress there, you're not stuck with doing alterations or anything else with them.Anyway, good luck with wherever you decide to go.

Lovelasts4ever

If you are going to order bridesmaids dresses, MAKE SURE, they measure you and get the correct size. DO NOT LET them make you get a bigger size because the prices for alterations are ridiculous. The cost was almost the same price as the dress.

cherryT87

My friend and I went there looking for a wedding dress for her and BM dresses for my wedding I was not happy with the service we got or the quality of the dresses for the prices they are charging. We had better luck with a locally owned shop. I got a great dress that I absolutely love for 99$ because it was last years style.  So just keep your eyes opened and you'll find the right place with the perfect dress

mbcdefg

Ask your local board to suggest some good DB locations in your state. As is the case with any chain store, some locations are great and some are awful. I would've gone there to check out some dresses had I not found my dress at a local salon. We may look there for BM dresses if we can't find anything in the department stores. One tip I've heard from pretty much every DB bride, whether she liked her experience there or not, was to get an independent seamstress to do your alterations, because DB's are overpriced.

britab

I had great service there. I got my dress, BM dresses, and alterations done there. I have no complaints...people on theknot like to complain. I would go to the store and see how you feel about it all. GL!

goldgold

I went there to try dresses. I found them pretty pushy sales-wise. The consultant was bringing up financing the dress, and other things when I hadn't even tried one dress I liked!The store was clean, and they had all the dresses I wanted to try. I also got put on a mailing/phone list. I'd say go look. There's no hurt in trying!

KappaUCF20

It totally depends on the store.  Go to your local board and ask for reviews for your closest David's location.  I bought my dress from them and had a wonderful experience, but our store here has a great reputation.  I went to small boutiques that had horrible customer service in comparison.   

KappaUCF20

By the way, I find that most wedding dresses nowadays are very cookie cutter regardless of where they're purchased from (most people I know have worn the typical white poofy ballgown which basically all look the same to me... no offense to anyone lol).  Even at David's Bridal, you can manage to find non-cookie cutter gowns.  Just choose a less popular style (that's what I did). 

swim1011

I didn't try on dresses at DB, but I did BM dresses there, and my bff tried on wedding dresses there.  Like a PP said, it really depends on location.  The one we went to wasn't awful, but the attendant wasn't very helpful.  She didn't pay attention until the MOB had to go in and help my bff put on the dresses, then got angry at the mom.  As a funny side note, we were doing BM dress marathon, bc everyone was from scattered areas, and the bride was only in town for a couple days.  We borrowed a phone book to look up a couple other places to visit, and they had torn out the bridal section in the yellow pages!

thedrval

DB was the first place I went to for my wedding dress.  I did find a dress that I loved but it was to expensive when you included the alterations I would have to get done.  I kept looking and eventually found my dream dress from Casablanca on sale! Anyways I had a positive experience and am going there tomorrow with my BM to try and find their dresses.  GL

stina93446

Ick! I used to work in a mom and pops bridal shop so I am partial to never stepping foot into a david's bridal. And after all the crap I've read about peoples' sales associates being unhelpful or the alterations department sucking, yep, it furthers my point. However, like pp said, each store is different.

sgold

I definitely suggest making an appointment on a weekday if you go.I walked in on a Saturday and the store I went too was completely chaotic. It was very crowded, seemed unorganized, and I felt very uncomfortable coming out to show my dresses.At a different bridal store I went to the same day, I had one on one attention from a saleswoman. At David's Bridal she dropped off the dresses in the fitting room and walked away. I only saw her once more, when I was all done, and she tried to pressure me into placing an order now by saying that it might not be delivered in time if I order it later. (and I'm not getting married until June!)I'm sure like pp have said, every store itself is different, but I really recommend not going on a Saturday without an appointment.Good luck!

michelle142

Your experience will depend on the location and the staff. Every location is different.I had a decent experience at DB. I have a review in my Married Bio under Vendor Reviews.You can get designer dresses on a budget (such as Mori Lee or Alfred Angelo), so don't let your budget constrain you to DB.

mrs*macklin

I got my dress from DB, as well as BM (pics in bio). I had a great experience. I had a sales girl working with me from start to finish. She helped me in and out of EVERY dress. I love my dress and managed to stick to my budget of $600. I am getting my alterations done elsewhere though, as I heard they were expensive, although mine might end up costing me just the same! My dress came in within 7 weeks and my girl's dresses starting coming in 1 1/2 weeks after they were ordered!

taraboo22

i went to david's and had the experience of a life time. the store was great, my consultant was amazing! They had every type of dress i wanted and listen to everything i had to say. the prices were amazing and i did not think anything looked cheap at all. i loved it and have told everyone i know about david's and since then 3 of my friends have gone and had the same experience as me. thanks for making my SPECIAL DAY even that more great! don't listen to everything you read. cause most of it is crap. i went to like 6 other places, cause my dream was to be able to go to klienfields in new york. well not a reality of mine and davids treated me like i was at klienfields, except &10,000 cheaper!

Mojo2b

Just like any store, your experience will vary depending on the staff they have. I've been to the one in Westminster, CO twice as a BM and almost once as a bride, but their staff at a bridal show ended up being so pushy, I decided to go elsewhere for my dress. They have a great selection of dresses, clean store and some really nice staff. One thing I would recommend is finding someone else to alter your dresses - they charge a ridiculous amount compared to a lot of other smaller shops. Also, if you sign up on their website for updates, they will send something 3-4 times a week.

aerinpegadrak

I found a lovely, unusual dress that came in under my tiny budget at David's.  A few caveats:- In the name of all that is holy, don't go in on a Saturday.  Even if you have an appointment.  It's just... no.  Go on a Sunday morning if you can't do a weekday.- If you need time to think, take it.  They'll try to tell you that the dress can be discontinued at any time and if you wait, you might not be able to buy it.  Bull.  My dress had already been discontinued, I just had to call around to find a store that had it in my size in stock.  It's not that big a deal, unless you have special requirements and absolutely must get it from the manufacturer.- Take advantage of their free "bead and press" service, where they'll press your gown and make sure that there's no damage to the embellishments.  However, they can't do this if the dress has been altered, so if you're going elsewhere for your alterations, give yourself time to get this done first.- Do a little bit of research and find the location in your area that's best for you.You may not end up finding your dress there, but I find it's a good place to start because they tend to have a much wider selection than smaller boutiques.  You can try a bunch of stuff on and narrow your preferences, even if you ultimately plan on buying someplace else.

Lanyer

I knew I did not want to get my dress there but I went just to look at flowergirl dresses and even those were a mess. My step-sister was with me (her daughter is my flower girl). She agreed that the dresses all looked alike and that they were very poorly made. Even my flower girl noticed the poor  quality of the dresses and she is eight!

KappaUCF20

She agreed that the dresses all looked alike and that they were very poorly made.This isn't true at all, sorry.  I can tell you that none of the other dresses in the store looked like the one I picked out.  Also, I chose an Oleg Cassini which was actually very well made.  One of the reasons why I bought it is that I was specifically looking for a lace dress, and the quality was better than any of the other designers I tried on in my price range (I went to an independent seamstress, and she said the same thing).  Don't overgeneralize.  I saw just as many crappy gowns at boutique stores... lol.

meaganbrand

i never wanted to go to DB but after searching the internet for what I was looking for, and only finding 1 designer option, I went to DB because they had ONE dress close to what I wanted. I went in just for that dress, and made a point to tell the consultant that is all I was there for. I ended up LOVING it and bought it that day. The funniest part.. she had wanted me to try on the bridal bra and bridal slip.. and when i came out without it on.. she didnt even notice. she just assumed i put it on! i feel like all bridal places are pushy. you just have to be stronger than they are.

Laura&Kieran

DB was the only place I was going to shop at b/c I just don't see the point in paying thousands of dollars on a dress.  Not knocking anyone who does but its not for me.  I've heard reviews on both sides.  For me our first outting was GREAT!  Second time there I ordered my dress and also found out that none of the girls info was in the computer system like it was supposed to be.  Third time was HORRIBLE.  The sales girl put us in dressing rooms and was never to be seen again.  Thankfully I came across a GREAT sales girl in my roaming of the store.  Your best bet is to post on your local board for opinions - opinions of the specific stores.  And if someone had a great experience with a certain salesperson then request her.  Good luck!

sassifras626

DB does offer extra length on many of their styles.  It does cost extra, but you get four more inches of dress.  I am 5'11" and a little over 6' with my heels.  My dress was the perfect length.

Bridgeebabee

No matter where you decide to buy your dress, make sure you have an experience in a bridal salon.  The individual attention makes you feel like a princess, something you won't necessarily get at DB.  (You're also likely to get more 1:1 attention if you go during the week rather than a busy Saturday).  I went to DB and my experience was okay.  I didn't purchase my dress there though. 

karenvaiden

I agree with most on here.  I went to Davids first because if you find what you want at a cheaper price then why pay more?  It was my first time trying on dresses and was a disaster, I thought it would be a nice experience with my mom and sister.  I wanted to cry.  There were not many people in there but still two girls trying on BM dresses were put on either side of me with their mom and a child just outside the dressing rooms.  They were walking in front of me... I was the one with an appointment and the one in a wedding dress!  I lost it and ended up yelling at my sister because I was so frustrated.  My saleswomen was no help at all.  Left up to her I would have tried on 3 dresses.  When I asked about other dresses similar to the ones I was trying, she said there weren't any others.  Then she dissapeared for long lengths of time.  Another salesperson saw I was in need and came over to help.  She did more for me in 5 minutes that the other woman did in the hour and a-half I was there...     Also the email spam is horrible - and now i get it form JP Penney too.  They sold it to them.

lizziemoopsc

I had a wonderful experience, like many PP have said it depends on the store. One of the things I liked is that they do have the dresses in so many sizes for you to try on. Also, I found that with both my wedding dress and the two bridesmaid dresses I have purchased from there, I have never needed any alterations. at 5'9" and a size ten, that's pretty awesome . I wouldn't rule it out until you've seen it for yourself. Good luck and enjoy dress shopping!!

SarahSmile23

reviews of all different stores say the consultants are rude, the store is dirty, the material is cheap.This pretty much sums up my experience there.