this is the code for the render ad
California-San Diego

Dress Shops?

Hi Ladies, I'm a Monterey resident, but I'm originally from SD...my family is still there and my wedding will be at the Admiral Kidd Club next July. I'm going to be in town at the end of the month and want to go dress shopping, but need some suggestions of places that have affordable gowns...under $1,000 is what I'm looking for. I know about Davids...would rather not go there if possible. I've been to Here Comes the Bride and they're on the high end, so probably won't find anything there. Been to Demetrios but haven't found anything there that I like and isn't over my budget. Also been to Alfred Angelo, but that's just another Davids. Are there any other shops in town that you know of? TIA!

Re: Dress Shops?

  • edited December 2011
    Check out Bridal and Veil in Mission Valley.  I got my dress there, under 900 and its beautiful!
  • edited December 2011
    One place that I do NOT recommend is A Nite on the Town. That was the first place I went to and they were awful! They did not help with anything unless one of my girlfriends went to get them. They were flaky about prices, ordering, and even scheduling an appointment. The woman that were working there were also very rude to my girlfriends when I was in the dressing room. All around, and awful experience. I was lucky that one of the dresses I tried on there, I fell in love with, then found the exact same one being sold on sellyourweddingdress.com for 1/4 the price from a girl in OC. I went to Alfred Angelo on Clairemont Mesa for the bridesmaids dresses and was very impressed (ask for Matt). I also had a bad experience at David's Bridal (Fashion Valley), so I would not recommend that.
    ~Margaret (and Nick)~
    Post-Wedding Life Blog!
    A10 Siggy Challenge: Next Vacation Destination: San Francisco!
    image
    image
  • edited December 2011
    I would recommend Brides By Susanti in Escondido.  They don't quite have the atmosphere or attentiveness of a "Here Comes the Bride", but they have a very large selection of dresses under 1K.  I tried on about 10-12 dresses there and maybe one of them was over $1000.  They also had a sales rack, where you can buy the samples of discontinued dresses (although some are a little shopworn looking).I didn't end up getting my dress there so I can't vouch for the service after puchase though.
  • edited December 2011
    Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I also went to a Night on the Town. You're right, they were horrible! My mom had to help me put the dress on and pin it to fit...the woman just sat there and stared at us trying to figure it out! Not until my mom asked for help did she even acknowledge us! NEVER GO THERE!
  • edited December 2011
    You should check out Prevue in Grossmont Mall off the 8 freeway. They have a lot of dresses under 1K that you can try on. They offer other types of formal dresses like prom etc.. so its not necessarily a bridal shop only. But they have a good selection. I recommend going in the morning or early afternoon to avoid the rush of girls looking for the other types of formal dresses they offer. You can also call to make an appt to get one on one service.
  • LeAnna&TomLeAnna&Tom member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    When I was doing pageants a Nite on the Town was terrible tried to sell me a dress with beads missing and overpriced. I have gotten lots of dresses at Prevue and they are so nice.  I was in Pa visitng my brother and soon to be Sister in Law, we went to an Alfred Angelo and they were great.  I had a terrible experience at David's in Grossmont, afterwards I called Alfred Angelo in Clairmont. My apt was much more relaxed, I told them about my bad experience at David's. Monica and Matt are wonderful so helpful with all of my 8 girls.  I found my dress and can't be more pleased with it and the service.  
  • edited December 2011
    I went to a town of bridal salons in San Diego (you can probably search the topics for one of my replies with the whole review), but I ended up buying my dress from Tour of Elegance. Saundra is awesome and she even price matched. Her salon is by appointment only so you get full attention from her. I know a lot of brides who have purchased from Tour of Elegance. Bridals by Susanti was great as well. Both locations have a number of dresses under $1000. Bridal and Veil was fine, but customer service is hit or miss there. Ivon is awesome there though. You can also get a 10% discount if you sign up on their site.
  • wendysandiegowendysandiego member
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I got my dress at Bridals by Susanti also. I LOVED it there. I went 3 times before I found my dress, but they have a great selection, and were super helpful. Almost every dress I tried on was under $1k.
  • edited December 2011
    I guess I'm the only one who had a good experience at A Nite on the Town.  The lady who helped me was really nice and I ended up finding THE dress there.  I didn't go to a *whole* lot of other places, so I don't have a ton of experiene.  Overall I'd recommend a Nite on the Town (although during prom season it's probably a nightmare in there!).
  • jesssince83jesssince83 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I highly recommend checking out 2000 Dreams in Kearny Mesa. Don't be scared by the shop, the tacky carpet or the old couch... you're paying for the dress, not the store. Low rent = low overhead costs = steal for a dress. I got a La Sposa dress there for under $900 -- even though The Knot says it goes for $1500-$3000. They have a lot more dresses than you would expect, and the workers are all very helpful.
  • shrugoffloveshrugofflove member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    2000 Dreams is not a dream bridal store, but soo helpful. They had my 2nd choice dress, which was so much cheaper than anywhere else. But I did order my bridesmaid dresses there.I ended up getting my dress from Isis. You have the whole store to yourself, which was really fun if you like prancing around in the dresses like I do ;)
  • edited December 2011
    I had a good experience at A Nite on the Town.  They ended up having my top 3 picks and I was finally able to narrow down my search (after trying on probably 100 dresses!).  I negotiated the price and ended up getting a Maggie Sotero for $800 with the shipping and bussels for free!And, everything there - bridal gowns, veils and bridesmaids dresses are available for rent - so ask about that to save if you're interested.So, don't be shy to ask for discounts or negotiate prices!  You can also get discounts if your bridesmaids get their dresses there.  
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards