Bought my dress!!! I don't know how to attach pics on here, but it is elegant and classy, and I LOVE IT! Here are my salon reviews:
LaRaine's Bridal Salon: Great staff. I had the last appointment of the day on a Friday, so we had the boutique to ourselves - which was good because the dresses are on the second floor of a house and there isn't much mirror/try on room from what I could see. Sarah was fantastic, and I loved that she gave us a tour of dresses, designers, and prices and then left me and my mom alone to browse. They never asked us about price, so there was no pressure since it was all visible. Each dress had a tag on it with a picture of the gown on a model, the price, the fabric, and designer. That was so helpful! I found a dress I really liked here and would have bought it if I hadn't found one later that I liked better.
Brides by Demetrios - I do not recommend. It looks better on the outside then any other salon I visited because it is a chain, but they can afford to have low quality and unentergetic staff for the same reason. The ladies were nice, but not passionate about their work - just waiting for their shift to end. The dresses looked cheaper then anything I saw anywhere else, but the prices were still just as high!!! This place has branding power, but I believe you can get a better quality dress cheaper at most Atlanta boutiques. I tried on a couple of gowns to be nice, but wish I hadn't. They have a 5 dress try on max then ask you to make another appointment if you'd like to try more then that...
Le Dress - This is a consignment store. I didn't find anything here to try on because there was a small selection in my size, but this is a good option for those wanting a designer gown at discount rates. I thought some rates were a little high for used dresses though...
Sweet Elegance - THE BEST. This is a knot pick for a reason. Amiee (sp?) and her daughter are so sweet and energetic. The business is their livelihood, so the women are really devoted to creating the best possible experience for their clients. I had the first appointment of the day and fell in love with two gowns - one picked by me and the other picked by the owner. I came back and decided on the one the owner choose for me. They had a busy afternoon and hadn't eaten yet, but were glad to try the dresses back on me (like 4 times...) and help me decide. From my research I feel that their prices are fair (even alterations and undergarments were quoted cheaper then other places), and the women have a talent for picking dresses.