I went back this weekend to buy my dress. Over the past few weeks, Flavia has answered all my questions via e-mail and even contacted the dress company when she didn't know the answer. She has been extremely accommodating, since my mom was in town for a short time and wanted to be with me when "I said yes to the dress." A few things to note: 1) Unlike many other places, Annapolis Formal and Tuxedo usually does not alter the dresses until a month or two before the wedding. Their reasoning is that most brides gain or lose weight before their wedding, so the closer to the wedding, the better. I absolutely love that I don't have to do 8 different fittings (or some other outrageous number). It just makes solid good sense. 2) Alterations are $380--I'm not sure how that price relates to other places. 3) Appointments only. 4) Flavia and her family members have owned the company for the past 27ish years. They have a lot of experience! read more

My future sister-in-law and I went into this delightful shop planning just to browse and get ideas hands on rather than over the Internet. Flavia and Dora are angels that helped make my wedding day much less stressful. There was a lovely selection of affordable dresses. The one I chose that very day was perfect. Fittings were great and one guest said, "I can't decide which is prettier ... the front or the back of the dress." I told her I felt the same way!!! I am about to return to help my daughter find her wedding dress. I know that Flavia and Dora will work their magic! read more

Annapolis Formal & Tuxedos - Bridal Near Me - Annapolis, Maryland

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I needed a Bridal dress altered that was given to me by a friend for a last minute vow renewal ceremony my husband had planned. I cannot say enough wonderful things about this place. The dress altering was absolutely perfect! Even though it needed extensive altering, she was able to keep all of the detail in the dress and remove the train. I honestly think it looked soo much better after she was done with it. It was just stunning. When I put it on, I almost burst into tears. This is a small shop and if you're looking for the "Say yes to the dress" sales type of experience, this might not be for you but if you want a wonderful, intimate, and personalized experience, I highly recommend this place.You'll want to be a part of the family! read more

I cannot express enough how horrible my experience was here. I did not buy my dress here but had absolutely awful experience here when they altered my wedding dress. I had to take it to someone else less than a week before my wedding who literally said "they destroyed your dress right before your wedding!". My dress was given back to me after several alternation appointments with 2 holes (I told them about them multiple times), a horrible hem job with the underskirt longer and showing under the outer layer of the dress, a ridiculously poofy bustle, and lies about what they had done to the dress. Stay away for wedding dress alterations!! read more

I am SO glad that I found Annapolis Formal and Tuxedo. My wedding dress was not an easy one to alter- I needed the top taken in a LOT, I wanted the neckline to be turned into a sweetheart, and the whole thing was covered in beads and lace. Dora is amazing. She was patient and careful and the dress came out perfectly. They also have a beautiful selection of accessories- I found my veil and a stunning flower/feather hairpiece (both VERY reasonably priced). Dora and Flavia are so kind and they made the entire experience easy and stress-free. read more

Very disappointed would earn 0 stars if possible. Had to have dress taken to another seamstress who undid all that was done and corrected as much as possible days before wedding. Quality of work was shockingly poor since this business has been around for many years. Took many photos of their "finished" alterations & those of other seamstress. Disputed charges with Credit Card. read more

Despite the friendliness of the women helping me, I could not be more disappointed with the outcome of the alterations of my dress. Looking at reviews now, it appears the better reviews are in the years past or regarding Bridal Dress purchases. I would say to buy a dress, this is probably perfectly fine, but for wedding dress alterations I would sincerely recommend another store. My friend had a bad experience here, but I foolishly figured I would give it a second try. My dress required a lot of work, but if it was too complicated or took too much time I would have rather been told honestly so I could look elsewhere. I specifically asking for my strapless dress to be tighter, as it was falling down when I moved. At my final fitting- two days before my wedding, it was still too big and messily tightened. The straps I requested for dancing were at first forgotten and then were oddly placed, the bustle was different than originally planned and I tripped on it constantly while dancing after I said many times we were doing a professional style dance so it needed to accommodate that. The bustle fell out easily throughout the night. The dress was pinched around the sides and falling for pictures. No to mention it was overpriced compared to the competition. Luckily with a good attitude and bridesmaids helped I didn't not let it ruin the fun, but I would say to any bride in the area DO NOT GO HERE FOR ALTERATIONS UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. read more

Although I ended up purchasing my dress from another store, I just needed to say how wonderful this store was and how great the customer service was. Of the 3 stores I went to, Annapolis Formal made me feel the best and were the most attentive by far. Their selection isn't as big as other stores, but their prices are super affordable (my budget was $1,000 and there was lots to choose from in that range!) and I really enjoyed the intimacy of it all. I would recommend this store to any bride to be. read more

Horrible experience! They cut off the ENTIRE train of my dress! I live in Florida and got married in Annapolis. I was really relying on this shop to take care of my alterations without me being able to check in very often. The woman who "helped" me just gestured toward the fitting room- never offered to help me get into my dress. When I needed to put my shoes on, she just stood there so I reached down to do it myself and a button popped off the back of my dress. She was unfriendly, unhelpful, and barely spoke. I showed up for my last fitting just days before my wedding. I put my dress on and the train was completely GONE! I NEVER asked her to cut off the train of my dress, in my mind it looked like a different dress than the one I had bought. It broke my heart! She never apologized, just kept repeating that I had asked her to make this change. My guess is that she confused me with another customer. When I went back to take the dress off, I found the train just sitting in the trash. She admitted she had JUST done the alteration THAT DAY! She clearly worked in a hurry and messed up. She said this had never happened in the 30 years she's been doing this- by reading the other reviews on here, I can tell that's not true! read more

I just picked up my bridesmaids dress after being altered. The ladies were so nice and helpful. The dress was altered quickly and looks great. The price was also very reasonable. One of the few places you can get a great product for a good price. I would recommend them to anyone and I will take anything I need altered in the future, back to Annapolis Formal and Tuxedo. read more

This is the first one star rating I have ever given. I took my dress here for alterations and had an awful experience. I kept asking for them to make my dress more form fitting and to tighten the straps. I am the only one located in Maryland and did not have any local bridesmaids to go with me to my fittings to given an opinion. I would ask for them to tighten the dress more and they kept saying no it looks good the way it is. I kept trying to tell myself after each one I was just being too critical. The day of my wedding I ended up being so unhappy with the outcome of my alterations and now super bummed out with my wedding photos. My straps fell down the entire night (including walking down the aisle) and I kept stepping on my dress in the front due to it not being hemmed enough. I will be taking my dress in somewhere else to get realtered and hope to get new wedding photos taken one day showing what good quality work really is and to have photos I enjoy looking at. They were extremely expensive too and hard to get in touch with, never returning voicemails. Take your dress to someone else. read more

First fitting for my wedding dress. This mother daughter team are nice, friendly and very accommodating. They are very reasonably priced. I would absolutely recommend them again!!!!! read more

Went there within last two months already had a wedding dress made an appointment and Dora could of cared less. She was very rude I guess since I didn't buy my dress there and wanted an idea of how much alterations were going to be, she said $500 and that was pretty much it. I also don't have a date yet and she was bothered by that fact and asked me 3 times when I was going to need. Don't waste your time go to a seamstress that takes their time and cares what a bride will look like. read more

I would suggest NOT bringing your bridal gown here. I had multiple issues with it not being exactly how it was and when I thought it was perfect and brought it home (after 3 final fittings), I took the bustle out to realize there was a pull in the silk underlay of the dress. They did not once mentioned this happened and did not discount the price. I felt rushed every time I tried on the dress and they were forceful in telling me the length was fine the way it was even though it was not what I had asked for. In the addition to the sub par work they did on the dress, they were impossible to get a hold of by phone and their appointment times were very inconvenient. read more

My daughter's friend gave her a dress for a military ball and it needed alterations and straps added to the bodice. I went to several dry cleaners who seemed confused. A friend had tried on wedding dresses at Annapolis Formal & Tuxedos so I stopped by to see if they could help. The seamstress (Flavia?) was wonderful! She understood exactly what we wanted done and found the fabric to make straps that matched the dress. It was done in only a week and fit my daughter perfectly. I was shocked that the price was only $25.00 for excellent quality and service. I will be going to this bridal shop for all formal wear needs from now on. read more

I cannot say enough good things about this small, locally owned business! My son got last minute tickets to the inaugural ball and needed a tux ASAP. Tried a few places in DC, where he now lives and works, but they were overwhelmed with similar situations. Called Annapolis Formal & Tuxedos and Flavia was so helpful. Gave my son phone instructions for getting measurements taken in DC and called in to Annapolis late Thursday evening. Tux arrived on Saturday and son got a 4:00 appointment for fitting/pick up. The store is in a converted house in West Annapolis, convenient street parking and large lot in the rear. Lovely area for shopping. Two balls later, the official ball on Monday and the President's staff ball on Tuesday, my son stuggled to make the Wednesday return date from his job in DC. Another call to the store; they gave him another day and waived the late charge. Seriously, they could not have been more accommodating! My favorite interaction: Flavia to son: "What about shoes, do you want to rent shoes?" Son: "No, I'm okay with shoes." Flavia: "You can't wear boat shoes you know." Son: "Did my mom tell you that?" Flavia: "No, but you're an Annapolitan!" Love it! read more

Great place - the owners are fantastic and you'll find great gowns for brides, bridesmaids, mom's and grroms!

This is a mother and daughter business. And they provide excellent, traditional service. From the moment I walked in, I received personal service however I did not feel pressured in anyway. As a business owner myself, I instantly recognized that their business model was to appreciate the clients needs over and against making a quick buck - very rare these days. I truly appreciated this. If you are longing for the dream dress shopping experience, give Annapolis Formal and Tuxedo a try. They also do alterations and I will definitely be giving this team my business. read more

Flavia and Dora are a dynamic duo. When I first walked in their doors in August 2014, without an appointment, they were so welcoming to browse through their selection of wedding gowns. They asked me to pick out 5 dresses and then would then pick a few they thought would fit me best. After I chose about 9 dresses and went through all my options, I went to their options. The last dress they chose for me was the best dress. I couldn't have been happier with the customer service. Flavia and Dora aren't pushy to buy anything, rather they let the bride choose. I was uncertain between two dresses and I told them I would be back with my maid of honor in a week to decide. When I came back, my maid of honor and I both agreed on the same dress. I had my first fitting in January of this year, and just left my final fitting today. The amount of work Dora put into the dress to make it fit and accommodating my customization of the dress is impeccable. I cannot wait to see everyone's face, including my future husband's when I walk down the aisle. Will updated my review once the wedding is over. I'm keeping the dress a secret from everyone :) Thank you again Flavia and Dora for all of your help!!! You guys are truly amazing and I will recommend Annapolis Formal and Tuxedo to all my friends that are getting married. read more

I want to send a huge thank you to Annapolis Bridal and Tuxedo for altering my wedding dress. I had a bad experience at another bridal shop and was told my dress couldn't be altered. When I arrived at Annapolis Bridal and Tux, the owners were super friendly, honest, and when I left after my first appointment, I felt so confident that they could do the job! When I picked my dress up after my final fitting, I immediately knew I made the right choice. The dress was perfect and everything I had imagined. I recommend this shop to anyone looking for great service and a great shopping experience! read more

Seriously don't even bother with this shop. I walked in and Doris "helped" me by gesturing at the small rack of wedding dresses. Offered no help with choosing dresses. Next she brought the dresses to the dressing room and didn't even help me get into the dress. Then she didn't even clamp me into the dress when I went to look on the pedestal. Zero help at all. I left after one dress because I've had better experiences elsewhere. read more

Worst experience ever. I live out of state and mentioned that when I placed the order for my bridesmaid dress. I told the woman a family member would be picking up the dress for me. My parents were doing me a favor and the woman gave my parents the hardest time and wouldn't let them pick up the dress without "more information." I then called back and the woman argued with me the entire time, talking over me, asking me 21 questions about the dress and hung up on me mid sentence. Either she is a smart ass or is an awful business woman and needs to invest in a better system to retain client information, probably both. If I hadn't already paid for the dress I would have found it through another vendor. This is not how you treat a paying customer. read more

I wish there were two categories in which to rate this store, retail and alterations. Retail I would give this shop a 5+. However, I would not advise ANYONE to take any dress here, especially their wedding dress to be altered. The daughter of the owner was very sweet and helpful when ordering my 5 bridesmaids dresses. We spent a sizeable amount of money in the store and they seemed nice enough, so I had my dress altered there as well. I bought the dress in Towson and thought I should get a place closer to my home for multiple alteration visits for wedding gown. HUGE mistake. The mother is the one who does alterations. She is very easy to get along with until she is wrong. My tip-off should have been when she told me stories of other brides each time I went in. Anyway, it began to go downhill when I called and informed her that I was going to stop in and pick up the lace that was taken from my gown. She said "oh, I already gave it to you." She then said that "oh well, my daughter is here and she said I gave it to you too and two people wouldn't say it and only you say you didn't get it." REALLY!? (Her daughter was not there during my appointments I had by the way). After getting upset with her she said, "look in your bags, you will find it." So I don't have any of the lace from my gown that I was going to use for another project. Then when I went to get the dress with my mom in town as backup (she also didn't listen to me when I went in for other appointments that it needed to be taken in more) my mother told her where the dress wasn't done properly and she argued with her. She did end up altering a buckle in the dress right then and there, but we didn't want any other mistakes made on the dress. Unfortunately, she still ended up chargin us over $400 for a horrible job. DO NOT take your dress here for alterations. It was a head to toe lace dress which IS difficult but the fact that she lied to my face and lost my lace just upset me horribly. read more

This mother-daughter team is amazing. They were attentive and helpful without being overbearing. I had a wonderful experience here and would recommend it to anyone looking for their dream wedding dress. read more

Visited this place for the first time today, and as my first wedding dress-buying experience. Flavia and her mother Dora were truly, very helpful. They listened to things I liked, only showed me things in or under my price point, and encouraged me to try different things. I ended up truly liking something I completely skipped over when I was picking things from the racks myself. They also do not have a high-pressure buying situation. They understood that I was going to look other places, wrote down the designer and number of the dress I ended up liking best, and encouraged me to call back if I decided I wanted to order. The salon is very small, but it seems they only take one appointment at a time, and I had both ladies' help the whole time, and there was plenty of room for the three ladies visiting with me. read more

Unfortunately, I did not find my dress at Annapolis Formal but I had such an wonderful experience here that I had to leave a review. The two women in the shop were so helpful and welcoming, unlike many other wedding dress boutiques I have since visited. The place is very small, but I believe they take only one appointment at a time so you get a very personalized experience. I so wish that Annapolis Formal carried the designer who makes the dress I love, because my experience here was far superior to any of the other shops I have visited and I would feel so much more confident about my alterations and ordering if I were able to do it through Annapolis Formal. I highly recommend this place! read more