Dress experiences

sarahgoldfarb

Hi,
   Although I don't post on here, I've been lurking for some time. I live in Delaware, but am having my wedding in New York, where I grew up.  However, I plan on going wedding dress shopping around here. I'd love to hear all of your experiences with dress shopping in the northern Delaware/Philadelphia area.
   What stores would you recommend or stay away from? I prefer a place with a large selection, because I have no idea what I want.

wicked_faery

I got my dress at DB (i didn't have a very big budget & still went $200 over to get the dress of my dreams) on kirkwood HWY in wilmington. they were great for me & i got to take my dress home that day.

& yes i know there's going to be some bashing on DB so u can try them, or not. it's up to u.

Ms.BriarRose

No need to be rude, Wicked.  Everyone here is nice enough without rudeness.  It's called an opinion- we are allowed to have each our own.

What's your budget?  That right there is going to par down your stores drastically.  I included stores that are "normal" budget ($1k or less), and high end stores ($3k and up). 

First, the stores I would recommend.  In DE, check out Brides and Grooms and Bridal and Tuxedo Outlet, both in Newark.  Simon's in Dover has a decent reputation as well.  If you are looking for highend (think Kleinfeld's in DE), check out Jennifer's in Hockessin, they have a great rep for high end gowns.  If you want a regularly priced gown but are on a really small budget, check out The Resale Shop on Philadelphia Pike- they are known for having an okay selection of gently used or new gowns marked down dramatically.  Claire's on Philly Pike is expensive, but has really nice hair accessories and jewelry.

In PA, I would recommend checking out Alfred Angelo in Lancaster.  There is also The Wedding Shoppe and Pricilla of Boston, both very high end, but if you catch a sample sale (esp at POB), you can do really well- both are located in the Wayne area.  In Philly, Country Bride and Gent gets recommended a LOT on the Philly board, as does Sabrina Ann (Sabrina Ann's is a second hand/consignment bridal shop for gently used, new, or sample dresses- if you have a cocktail taste on a beer budget, head here for sure!).

For stores to stay away from, at least in DE, would be three- Irini's does not have that good of a reputation (I have only ever seen one good review about them; they are famous for cutting the tags out and not telling you the designer), Fantasia on 202 is famous for the same and for not helping out plus size brides as well as just being overall rude, and Davids Bridal has a pretty bad reputation as well.  I have personal experience, twice, with that one, so feel free to ask for more details and I will be happy to provide

As for shops to avoid in PA/Philly, I know David's gets a bad rap up there as well.  As for other shops, I can't speak, but if you post on the Philly board, the girls there are really helpful and can tell you where to head and steer clear on.

Remember, tho, that you will pay tax in PA.  If you want more options, and are willing to head to NJ, I would check with the SNJ board, since NJ doesn't tax wedding gowns.  Another thing to remember, is don't be pressured into alterations at the salon- some of them don't have the best reputation, and most are known for overcharging.  Depending on where in DE you need alterations, the girls can help with recs for that as well.  Keep in mind that wherever you go, many places will give your girls a discount on their dresses if you buy there (for example, my girls got 15% off at Brides and Grooms in Newark because I bought there).  Finally, remember that you don't have to get your veil/headpiece at the same dress shop you got your dress- shop around for both items (and keep in mind The Resale Shop for your veil/crinoline, as they sell brand new of those items for a lot lot less than other places), and don't settle if it's not what you want.  Finally, you can get basics (underwear, bras, crinolines, and other items) at any place, so shop around for the best price instead of paying a ton. 

To give you an example of where to get items randomly, I got my dress at Brides and Grooms (Alfred Angelo $520), my veil at The Resale Shop ($100 versus the $300 for the same thing at Claire's), my comb at Claire's ($85, a little more than I wanted to spend, but I had searched high and low and it was the only thing I fell in love with), my crinoline at David's Bridal ($50, I should have saved my money and time and gone to the Resale Shop), my bra actually belongs to a close friend who is the same size as me (I know, TMI, sorry) but I was going to get it at Bare Essentials on 202, and my shoes are Crocs (not kidding); my alterations are being done by Sophia on 202.

Hope that helped you out some!  Let me know if you need more help, and let us know how the experience goes and where you end up getting your dress (pics are always appreciated too!!).  Sorry it was so long, I wanted to give you as much info as possible

dibsontop

I only shopped at two DE stores while looking for my dress, Fantasia and Brides and Grooms.  I ended up getting my dress at Fantasia, the first place I went to.  They were so wonderful there. 

I went to Fantasia on a Saturday, with no appointment, and got the undivided attention of the girl working there that afternoon.  She had me pick out about 5 dresses to begin with and suggested trying different styles even if I didn't think I'd like them.  She helped me put them on and show them to my group and gave her input on what she thought looked good.  She really listened to what I liked about each dress and from that information, was able to pull another dress she thought I'd like as it turns out, it was the one!

As MBR mentioned, they will not tell you who a designer is, however they do give you plenty of hints that make it easy to figure out.  My sister and I went home, hit the links on their website and found it within 10 minutes.  So no problems there, and I understand why they do it.

Once I figured out what the dress was, I called Brides and Grooms to find out their price on it.  They refused to tell me the price unless I came in and tried the dress on.  I told them I already tried it on, but just wanted to know their pricing.  They said they couldn't give me that information without trying it on.  I don't know why that is, but it seems to me like they just want to get you in the store, try on "the dress" get your emotions running and decide to buy it right there regardless of the price.  I live in MD and didn't want to drive up to DE to try on the same dress again, so they lost my business right there.

I called a few places in MD and found that Fantasia still had the best price so I went with them.  The dress took about 6 months to come in (about a month earlier than I was told).  Generally, Fantasia doesn't allow dress pickups on Saturdays so that they can devote their attention to shoppers, however they were great and worked with me so that I could come up from MD to get it.  I felt no pressures at all to have my dress altered there.  Also, my dress had many custom options including hollow to hem (length) and they told me in the store when I ordered it that I didn't need it (I was the right height for the standard dress length) and they were right.  They could have tried to upsell me many times, but didn't.  It was a great experience shopping at Fantasia and I'd recommend them to anyone.

RecoveringActor

I went to The Bridal and Tuxedo Shoppe in Newark on Kirkwood Highway... and they were AWESOME.  I called beforehand and told them that I did have a budget for my dress, and the woman I spoke to (Heather, I think) said that the most expensive dress they had was around $1600, but that most of what they have is less than $1000, and after looking at a bajillion dresses, she was right.

They also have a $99 rack.  It's all discontinued styles, and its the sample dress.  I tried one of those on.... and it was beautiful.  Not the dress I ended up picking, but still a beautiful dress.  Because they are the samples of discontinued styles, they can't order a size... so if you go on that rack, pick one that fits you perfect or pick one that is slightly big so they can alter it (because they CAN alter the dresses) but if it's too small, or if it's humungous, don't try it on.

jennyfur28

I'm normally on here under paprika28... but the knot won't recognize any of my info from my work computer. Grr.

I went to a bunch of places. Davids Bridal was okay... but there was a lot of pressure there. They had a decent selection of dresses, but after trying dresses on at a different (read; not chain) store, they just felt stiff... mass produced. I'm not saying anything is wrong with that... but the one in kirkwood highway has a very persnickity ASM who is all about 'saying yes to the dress' (insainly annoying...)

I also tried Brides and grooms in Newark... they were nice, but I just didn't fall in love with anything.

I ended up buying my dress at the Bridal and tuxedo shoppe in Newark on kirkwood highway. They were so sweet, and the young girl who helped me gave me her full attention, even with my cranky 18 month old. She pulled all the dresses with any sort of detail that I had mentioned, and even a few that I hadn't. They do have a clearance rack, as one of the pp mentioned... that's where I got my last season maggie dress from. For $500.00... marked down from 1399.99. *phew!*

I would recommend staying away from Alfred Angelo in Lancaster... three friends now have had nothing but problems with them ordering the wrong sizes and then blaming it on the girls. (Wedding dress came in too small... blamed it on the bride, MOH dress, came in too small, told the bride that the MOH must have gained weight. She's a size 2. Yeah. Right. BM dresses came in, 2 pc dresses, mis labeled, and the wrong sizes for the wrong girls.) They don't like to take the blame....

Good luck though! Oh, there is one in Kennett Square that is great, unless you're larger than a size 8... Forever Formals. The girls there are so nice, and willing to help without acting like they're on commission.

JayElleJayCee

I got my dress at Irinis Originals and I could not have had a better experience. Nykki who works there is wonderful. She is so nice and makes you feel like you've known her forever!  I've been in a few times. She worked with me as far as payment and everytime I was there she made me feel like I was the only bride in the store. I didn't see one dress over $2000. She told me every designer I tried on so I don't know what's with the "not telling you the designer thing". That hasn't happened to me. She is keeping the dress for me there so I don't have to worry about bringing it home or storing it somewhere (to me that was a blessing). I know they will match any store's pricing too. I would definately recommend going there.

I have also been to to Fantasia's and I wasn't too crazy about that place. It was wayyy to cramped in there. The woman was nice though. I was looking for a dress they didn't carry anymore but she got online and started showing me dresses while I was at the store which was nice of her. I didn't go with them though obviously lol.

I have also been to Davids Bridal. I just didn't like the feel (Prices Corner). It was way to busy in there and not that personal. That's not to say anything about the dresses though. If you are on a budget it's definately a good place to check out.

Mattsbride10

I am orignally from NY and getting married there as well. Babylon to be exact. What part are you from? And where in DE do you reside and for how long?I'm in Wilmington and I moved here almost 2 yrs ago.

And to answer your question about salons...I actually found my dress at The Bridal Emporium in Elizabethtown, PA(but didn't buy it there). The drive was about an hour and a half which was worth it to me because I knew they carried this dress that I was dying to try on that no one here in DE had. It's mother/daughter owned and  they were absolutely wonderful  to deal with. The selection was awesome too. They had all different designers and styles. I know you didn't ask for a salon almost 2 hours away but if you're not having much luck around here they might be worth checking out.

Santorini2011

I agree with most pp.  visit B&T shoppe, DB, B&G.  Everyone has different experiences and one of those will prob be what you are looking for since they cover diff styles. (DB-mass, B&G-cramped but stocked, etc)

I went to all plus many others.  Bridal Emp in E-town was good but once again it depends on your taste.  I went to DB to figure out my style since they have so much to choose from.  Granted, I got the run around and despite having an appointment, I waited 30 min before pulling the dresses and letting myself into a room...and that was  a weeknight with 2 customers in the store...but at least I got a taste for what I wanted so I could see what stores would suite me better.

Either way-Bring a strapless bra, heels, and wear cute underwear LOL

sarahgoldfarb

Thank you all for the advice! What a warm first reception. I'm so happy I got detailed descriptions. Sounds like everyone had different experiences, which gives me a lot of variety. I'm going to try to keep below $1,000 -- but I have no set budget.

I'll be sure to let you know where I end up going. And when the time gets closer, I'm sure I'll have other questions.

Ms.BriarRose

FYI, stay away from BridalTown (you know, the one advertised during SYTTD).  This guy (yes, guy) on the Philly board, he is getting married on October 2 (same as me) and STILL doesn't have the dress (which was ordered oh, over a year ago).

http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_pennsylvania-philadelphia_dress-still-not-here

Rhoyal_1

I post on this board infrequently, but read it more often.  Just wanted to chime in.... I purchased my gown at Brides and Groom and LOVE the staff.  Very good experience!  My BMs, flowergirl, Mommy, and FI's mom purchased gowns here.  FYI- The store is expanding and I believe they should be completed within the next few weeks.  So, the cramped store we all have seen will no longer be...cramped!

Rhoyal_1

Oh...D&B in Plymouth Meeting, PA.  Really bad experience...to sum it up..I had to call corporate to speak with someone and ended receiving my dress deposit back.. that's right, D&B cut me a check..the cancellation fee (minimal in comparison) was given "back to me" as a credit...I bought my Mommy a purse for the wedding and purchased Spanx..what to do with the last few dollars...  HTH

Ms.BriarRose

Rhoyal, who did you use?  Faith, Marie or Susan? 

For those who used Susan, she's expecting!  We saw her today (she measured my dad for his tux) and she said she has 6 weeks left, due October 15th!