Attire & Accessories Forum

Concerned and feeling discouraged (long)

I went to try on dresses for the first time Saturday. My bridesmaid and I went to David's. Had a bad experience. There was no one to help us because the other bride our saleslady had was very demanding of her time. We were just told "grab what you think you'll like, and don't go beyond this aisle because these are women sizes." (which insulted me. I'm not a woman? I'm knit-picking, I know.) And then she was gone. I felt completely overwhelmed by all the White that I just grabbed random dresses. As I was putting on dresses, I just felt like a machine, completely apathetic to the experience. I was put into a 34D that pushed my boobs up to my neck. It looked so unnatural. Then I was put into a 36C that was way to big around my body - luckily the slip they borrowed me cinched everything in. I had so many questions and there was no one around to answer them. It was like when you try on clothes at a department store.

I just thought that there would be someone to whom I could say "I'd like a simple A-line in Ivory." And they would be able to pull dresses that they thought would work. I guess I've watched too many wedding dress shows. I wasn't expecting a galmorous experience like on Say Yes to the Dress, but I was expecting it to be a little more than just a Target dressing room experience.

Now I'm scared that I'm not going to find a dress that I like. Am I supposed to feel that click that people talk about or is that just hollywood? I'm going to go to some local shops in another two weeks. What should I do to prepare myself, because I was completely unprepared for David's.

Re: Concerned and feeling discouraged (long)

  • Well unfortunately... you will NOT get that personal attention like you are expecting from David's...... If  you are wanting that type of attention (which feels really good)... you may want to check with the salon you are going to to see if that is something they offer.

    Like asking how many brides does each consultant work with at a time.. I went to Davd's for one particular dress, and the same experience happened to me, but since I only wanted that one dress..it was alright, but I knew that I didnt ever want to come back..

    You will definitely find your dress.. It can get overwhelming...Just take a deep breathe and remember to enjoy the whole experience!!!
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  • In Response to Concerned and feeling discouraged (long):

    You might try going again on a different day and different time of day.  I've been to David's Bridal to try on dresses three times and all three had 100% personal attention from the consultants that I had.  My experience has been pretty good so far, and I wasn't expecting much given some of the reviews I've read.

    But I've gone when they've not been very busy - midday or early afternoon on weekdays.

    You might try to get an appt on a less-busy time and make sure you get a different consultant than the one you saw.
  • I understand your frustration. I went to David's and for my dress the rep was wonderful. I made my appointment and I had a rep assigned to just me and she was the oen that found the dress that ended up being the dress. We went back for bridesmaid dresses & had the same experiene you had. Don't be discourage, especially if you are going to another store. Be open minded about styles and when the rep asks you if you like a dress, try to figure out what you like or don't like about the specific dress because it will help them figure out exactley what to bring you, just like on the shows. Good luck & hope your next experience is wonderful.

  • Like PP have said, in some cases, it's just all about timing. my DB experience was decent. The one time I went to try on gowns from there, my sales person, (god bless her) had just finished early with another appointment and took me (a walk in) grasciously. She was helpful, but not just overly so.

    I had a better experience with Alfred Angelo when I went there. I made my appointment for early saturday morning, before anything got really busy and got devoted one-on-one attention. When I went back with my sister to look at BM dresses, we had a pretty poor experience, but I was able to help my sister into the dresses and we had a decent time.

    Try another time during the day or week. You might get very different results.

  • I enjoyed my experience at David's.  It wasn't very busy during my appointment time too, so my consultant was able to give me all her attention and help me find me dress even though I went in not knowing what I wanted.  There was a another bride there trying dresses one as well and her consultant's attention was split between her an a walk-in.  I think that would have been frustrating, particularly as she had gone to the trouble of booking an appointment, like myself.
  • Some David's are awful, some aren't. I'd suggest doing some research on local boutiques-there are many popular lines that are in the same price range as DB's dresses and you would likely have a more pleasant experience.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Did you have an appointment? It doesn't sound like you did, and if that's the case it doesn't surprise me that you didn't get individualized attention. I had a good experience at the DB I went to, but of course they vary because it's a large chain. I made an appointment and my consultant looked at my list of dresses and pulled some of those as well as similar ones for me and brought them about 3 at a time to my dressing room to help me try on.
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  • OP, sorry to hear you had a negative experience. I also had a bad experience the first time I went dress shopping and it was at a David's Bridal. The sales person seemed very inexperienced and although she was pleasant she was not helpful.
    I ended up going to 3 more stores before I found the right dress and the right shop for me. The people at this local shop have been nothing but nice, professional and helpful. They know what they are doing and it shows. Don't be discouraged, just take your business elsewhere!  Good luck!
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Leenie10Leenie10 member
    100 Comments
    edited September 2012
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_concerned-and-feeling-discouraged-long?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:3c80f860-04f8-48fc-8dd9-b1434c95f493Post:4954d21d-55bb-439b-9167-11e766bec78b">Re: Concerned and feeling discouraged (long)</a>:
    [QUOTE]Did you have an appointment? <strong>It doesn't sound like you did, and if that's the case it doesn't surprise me that you didn't get individualized attention.</strong> I had a good experience at the DB I went to, but of course they vary because it's a large chain. I made an appointment and my consultant looked at my list of dresses and pulled some of those as well as similar ones for me and brought them about 3 at a time to my dressing room to help me try on.
    Posted by artbyallie[/QUOTE]

    She may have had an appointment and the store double booked- it wouldn't be the first time this happened. She has never shopped for gowns before and might not know that it isn't the norm to have one consultant helping 2 brides.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_attire-accessories_concerned-and-feeling-discouraged-long?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:15Discussion:3c80f860-04f8-48fc-8dd9-b1434c95f493Post:4954d21d-55bb-439b-9167-11e766bec78b">Re: Concerned and feeling discouraged (long)</a>:
    [QUOTE]<strong>Did you have an appointment?</strong> It doesn't sound like you did, and if that's the case it doesn't surprise me that you didn't get individualized attention. I had a good experience at the DB I went to, but of course they vary because it's a large chain. I made an appointment and my consultant looked at my list of dresses and pulled some of those as well as similar ones for me and brought them about 3 at a time to my dressing room to help me try on.
    Posted by artbyallie[/QUOTE]

    This is what I was thinking as well. I can tell you, even if you do have an appointment, you're better off finding time during the week to go, when it's not as busy. I went on a Saturday and I had a scheduled 2 hour appointment, I had the lady at the salons (not a DB) full attention.
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  • I had an appointment when I went to Davids (three times, two for bridal and one for bridesmaids) and my consultant was always working with at least 2 other brides. 

    OP - DB is hit or miss in the customer service department.  I would maybe try again if you feel like they have dresses that you like in your budget.  But, print pictures from their website, so, they have an idea of what you need. And don't be afraid to be demanding. (not bitchy, just demanding).  It's totally appropriate to say "I have some dresses I'd like to look at, and I need assistance from a sales consultant", and stand there until you get it.

    Also, I would recommend Alfred Angelo stores for budget friendly dresses.  If you find a signature store, you'll have a lot of dress choices.
  • I did make an appointment actually. I made it on a Monday and went the following Saturday. I did know that the consultant would have another bride but what I wasnt expecting was that the other bride would be so demanding. Whenever the consultant was with me, the other bride would call her by name from across the store and she would leave us before I could even form a question. At one point the consultant told me flat out she was just going to ignore her but by that point I was ready to just go home.
  • I'm sorry that you had a bad experience, but it's not typical for most DB stores.(I have noticed that some are especially bad in certain areas, but for the most part they are fairly good).

    I would advise you to call the store and ask to speak with the manager.  Explain exactly what you did to us, minus the "women's sizes" part.  That just makes you sound very weird (really, a woman upset that she WASNT directed to the plus sized dept?).  As long as you stay calm and reasonable,  they are sure to reschedule you without a double-booking.  '

    You'll get your experience, don't get discouraged.
    Don't make me mobilize OffensiveKitten

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    Anniversary

  • My experience there has varied.  I didn't shop for my gown there, but I went with a friend who did and she received more individual attention for her appointment.  I recently had an appointment to look at b'maids dresses for my sister's wedding and although we had the appointment, we pretty much had to help ourselves.  The consultant pulled a couple of the dresses we came in to see but was MIA after that so we pulled what we thought we wanted to try on and helped each other (clips, etc). 
    If you want a more one on one experience I'd suggest making an appointment at a different bridal salon.  Good luck!
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