Dress Shops in the Triangle?

HillShmill

My Mom is in town from NY this weekend for Mother's Day and wants to get some wedding dress shopping done. Where do you all suggest we go? We're going to Carolina Bridal World in Smithfield tomorrow and I've already been to a David's Bridal in NY. Are there any other shops in the area (that carry budget dresses $500 & under) that you'd recommend? Thanks so much!

Kalithia

Try the Bridal Mart out in Burlington, NC.  The have everybody!  My dress was $620 but I got it in Durham not realizing I could have went there!  My bridemaids are getting their dresses from there though.

daydreamzz

Bridal Mart in Burlington was awesome. I didn't expect good service there but the workers were so nice and they had a lot of nice and affordable dresses. I really had trouble in Raleigh finding a dress or even affordable dress shops- I ended up getting mind in Charlotte.

HillShmill

Thanks for the help! I did find a dress I really liked at Carolina Bridal World but I'm so hesitant to make a commitment because I know there are hundreds of dresses out there I haven't tried on! I think I'll try Bridal World and if nothing impresses me more than the dress from Carolina Bridal World, I'm going to say yes to the dress.

NcsuPsych

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_north-carolina_dress-shops-triangle?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:115Discussion:7d19a1c5-aacc-43a6-80e4-ce82afe2e2efPost:53f64dfd-51d1-49cf-af52-a83496cbab5c">Re: Dress Shops in the Triangle?</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks for the help! I did find a dress I really liked at Carolina Bridal World but I'm so hesitant to make a commitment because I know there are hundreds of dresses out there I haven't tried on! I think I'll try Bridal World and if nothing impresses me more than the dress from Carolina Bridal World, I'm going to say yes to the dress.
Posted by HillShmill[/QUOTE]

You've got plenty of time before you need to order. So if you're not feeling like its 'your' dress and that you're ready to stop looking and want to order, I highly suggest to keep looking around.

Good Luck! Dress shopping was one of my most favorite parts of planning :o)

HillShmill

Thanks so much for the advice. And NCSUPsych - you're right, I do have a ton of time before my wedding to dress shop but I am so happy that I found my dress!

Seriously, I hated dress shopping but I am really happy with the dress I ordered last Tuesday. I got it from Bridal World in Burlington. Like others have posted, the dressing area is not ideal. It's a huge area with cubbies to hang dresses but no privacy. I went on Tuesday afternoon and I was the only girl there. I'm not really self-conscious enough to care about getting stripped & dressed in front of strangers but I can see how this freaks a lot of girls out.

That being said, my consultant, Kari, was really nice and had good chemistry with my Mom & sister. We ended up finding the dress I really liked from Carolina Bridal World in Smithfield except it was $350 cheaper at Bridal World. Granted, it's technically a knock-off, but honestly, I think the materials are better quality and the price can't be beat.

If you want an affordable dress, check out Bridal World, but I recommend visiting on a weekday when it isn't a mad house. You may get lucky like I did and have the whole store & every employee to yourself!