I visited 4 bridal shops in the CLT area last week. Found nothing to try on at the first 3. Tried on 3 Maggie Sottero dresses at New York Bridal. One was okay, but not exactly what I envisioned.
Spent the past weekend in Baltimore/DC. Went to a bridal salon in Baltimore that was highly recommended by MD knotties (Bridals by Elena). Had a wonderful experience there, but again didn't find the one. I found one that had potential, but it was expensive and if I'm going to spend over $2k on a dress, I would like it to be exactly what I'm looking for. The bridal store owner told me it was going to be very difficult to find what I want because 99% of brides buy strapless dresses.
I want a mermaid style (fit and flare), halter or v-neck top. I didn't realize how frustrating it was going to be to find what I'm looking for. I really wanted something a little different than what I've seen all of my brides wear. I've worked with over 80 brides over the years....trying to find a dress that isn't similar to one of my clients' is definitely a challenge!
Im going to try one more bridal shop in Charlotte (Dar-Lynns) before figuring out an alternative. I may shop around in Atlanta when I have to go there next month.
Did any of you have your dress customized? The dress I liked in MD would be almost perfect if the train was cut off and the back was a corset back instead of tiny buttons all the way down. The salon owner said the back of the dress could be altered, but I imagine it would be very expensive. The designer's website doesn't offer the dress with a corset back as an option.