Bridals by Lori

msteachme13

Watching the TV show has me thinking...Is it really as good an experience as it looks? Or is that all smoke and mirrors shall we say? Any advice on where to look for a ballgown without having to leave town, either a Amsale, Reem Acra, Kennth Pool, or Judd Waddell.

pokepoke27

Obviously it depends on your budget. I've seen SYTTDA and I personally would never shop anywhere that thinks $2k is low end.

msteachme13

Wow! They judge people based on the budget? That is awful. They should be ashamed of themselves. I have seen BEAUTIFUL dresses for $800.00! Smh....

sdieffe

i had a great experience there and spent less than 2K on my dress! I didn't feel like they judged me at all for my budget--you just have to stick to your guns and not try on uber expensive dresses!

pokepoke27

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_georgia-atlanta_bridals-lori?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:58Discussion:c3b5b54d-2ea0-42a7-a1eb-6c8049724a83Post:ad096917-5506-4c5f-b0ca-3e5d3ad92bd1">Re: Bridals by Lori</a>:
[QUOTE]i had a great experience there and spent less than 2K on my dress! I didn't feel like they judged me at all for my budget--you just have to stick to your guns and not try on uber expensive dresses!
Posted by sdieffe[/QUOTE]

<div>That's not what I've seen on TV. In the episode I am thinking of a mother was adamant that her daughter spend no more than 2K on a dress. The narrator referred to her as "thrifty" "penny-pinching" and "spendthrift". The daughter was having trouble finding a dress, and Lori was shown as saying "When a bride has such a limited budget, she's just not going to get the quality she's hoping for" or something to that effect. They did treat the bride courteously - I never said that you were judged for your budget.</div><div>
</div><div>Now, I know that the staff at Bridals by Lori have nothing to do with what gets shown on TV - but there is just no denying that a bride on a strict low budget just can not shop there. My budget was $800 - and that's not what I told the consultant at DB. Because I thought that they would try to show me dresses above my budget, I decided to tell them my budget was $650 - $700 ish, but that I am slightly flexible. She just smiled and said "That's fine, we have PLENTY of dresses in that price range!". Nothing I tried on even came close to my budget. I ended up spending $600 on my dress. I highly doubt I could go somewhere like Bridal's by Lori and spend that.</div><div>
</div><div>I'm not saying that anyone that DOES spend money for a dress from them is in any way wrong - I'm just stating my personal preferences : )</div>

mrsbrantley

I can't speak for BBL, but I highly recommend Sweet Elegance in Decatur. They have a wide selection of gorgeous gowns, and I tried on a ton. They were very nice and respectful of my budget. The most expensive dress I put on was $2200. My final selection ended up being $1100 and everyone who has seen it had their breath taken away.

msteachme13

Thanks for the suggestion! I have heard of that place from my cousin a few years ago when she went to look for a dress. She wants me to check it out.  But as far as BBL goes, my sorority sister is newly engaged as well. I am thinking of going with her to her appt and just laying low to see how they treat her, and go from there. 

  My mom wants to go to Klienfields in March(haha) but we shall see. It's still super early and I am just getting all my ideas together. She is so excited...This is 6 years in the making after all lol.

@PokePoke- I think I saw that same episode. Didn't the mother break down crying when she told her daughter she could not afford the dress? It broke my heart. 

Soon2BSand

I felt an extreme amount of pressure at Lori's. The experience was nice but I felt overwhelmed at the end having the entire sales team pushing me to get a four thousand dollar gown. I didn't go back but it was more due to the fact that I didn't think the gowns were THAT amazing to warrant spending that much money.

ymw6110

I second Sweet Elegance. Great experience!

tpoole88

I bought my gown at Bridals by Lori, and I thought that it was an amazing experience. My appointment was on a week day evening, which was great because they were not busy.  My consultant was lovely, and I did not feel any pressure to buy the dress.  Also, suprisingly, they seemed genuine and not "fake", as they do seem on the tv show.

soontobereed0508

I recommend New Natalie's, in atlanata, near smryna. I had a great experience, realistic, no smoke and mirrors, no pressure. I tried on 11 dresses and they never once rushed or pressured me. side note, the will be opening a store in Kennesaw near DB, wonder if it will be competition bc the prices are just as good!

dmoro55

I think Bridals by Lori gets a bad rep from the show.  I had a great experience there and felt no pressure at all.  I wanted a Lazaro and I wasn't going to settle for anything else.  I paid for my dress and knew what I was getting into;  I spent a decent amount on it, but don't regret it one bit

pokepoke27

Yeah - I'm sure that most of the exasperation I feel for the salon comes from the show (which is probably all the producers and not the ladies at the salon). I'm sure it's a wonderful place to go if you've got a good amount of money to spend on a dress. 

msteachme13

Thanks ladies for all the advice and suggestions! I am excited to go! We shall see how it turns out.

hatroopes

I got my dress from Bridals by Lori as well. Flo was my consultant (she's on the show as well) and she was really sweet. There was no pressure at all! I told her my budget and she pulled dresses within that range. My overall experience was nice.

I also did shop at New Natalie's. I don't like that there's a limit to the number of dresses you can try (5, I believe). I had an appointment when I went, but still had to wait almost an hour before I could try on dresses. My consultant (Piper) was good though and very helpful.

Crunchy82

I bought my dress from Sweet Elegance and I can't stress enough how wonderful they are. 

I thought they were exaggerating when they told me that Bridals by Lori sells my dress for more than double what they charge.  I called and they were right!  Bridals by Lori not only sells my dress for more than double, they asked me at least 10 times on the phone if I'd like to come in to tape for the show and try it on.  Uh no thanks!

I would have never ever even thought to look at my dress if I were at Bridals by Lori as it would have been waaaay out of my budget.  Must be nice to charge whatever you like!  I guess if people are buying it, more power to em?

Sapphire1002

I too, bought my dress from BBL before the show started to air.   I had a great experience and Flo helped me out.. she was fantastic!!  Never once, did she try to show me dresses over my budget.  I'd recommend girls do their research in regards to designers and pricing before you go in, so you don't expect one thing and get another.  I could be wrong, but I don't think they have many dresses (even on sale) for under $1500.   

Emma2bewed

I shopped several places but found mine at Fabulous Frocks of Atlanta...they have lots of ballgowns and a very low-pressure atmosphere.  I think most of their gowns are on their website if you want to see before making an appointment.  Good luck!

cyllander

I just got my dress from BBL. My consultant was Grace and she was phenomenal! I tried some other places and told consultants what I wanted. They told me to not be so closed minded and that 9 times out of 10 a bride didn't know what she wanted until they put it on her....wow. From the minute I stepped in BBL, it was a different atmosphere. It was all about you. Grace greeted me the minute I stepped onto the bridal room floor and asked how i was, who i brought with me, what i was looking for, and my budget. I called ahead because i was unsure of my budget and they told me that all of their dresses were 1800 and up. Luckily my aunt paid for my dress and gave me a very nice budget. Even though the dress was more than I ever thought I would want to spend on a dress, the customer service I received there was totally worth it. I have an amazing dress and had an amazing experience to go with it. We're also ordering bridesmaid dresses from BBL with a 15% discount.