I searched out various shops and reviews when starting to look for my daughter's prom dress, and we're sure glad we ended up here! My daughter went with her godmother as part of a surprise party delay tactic and Sandy and the ladies were on board with not only helping Sarah find her actual dress BUT also try on others so that the godmother had no clue what was going to happen after the appointment was over. Then the ladies there got us another time for me to come back and visit, and then worked to find the actual color dress we wanted (calling the factory)! And the alterations were not only reasonable but the expert seamstress they have made it a perfect fit. Definitely call ahead for Sat appointments! read more

Bella's Bridal Boutique - Jovani halter beaded gown from Bella's - Bridal Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

I cannot say enough positive things about this bridal boutique! I got my wedding dress from there last year and it was truly a lovely experience. I went to 3 other bridal boutiques and no place compared to Bella's. I did not feel any pressure to buy something I didn't like. They really take care of you and make you feel special! The seamstress and owner, Sue, is wonderful as well. read more

I was in desperate need for a mother of the groom dress. I had been to so many stores and I could not find that special dress. Bella's was so accommodating and professional. I cannot express my gratefulness to them for being able to pick the perfect gown. I received more compliments on the wedding day than I would have ever imagined. Thank you Bella's- I will be back for my other son's wedding in the spring! Denise G read more

I purchased my dress here from Sandy back in January of this year. Sandy was amazing, and really helped me to find the dress of my dreams. She was very patient, and also very good at her job. i would have never imagined that I could look amazing in the dresses that she picked out for me. Needless to say, I bought the dress a week later. When I didn't purchase on the day I was there, there was NO pressure to commit! I just went back in today to try my dress on and help my mom find something for the wedding as well! Sandy again helped us (with another girls who's name i did not catch but was just as amazing). She was very patient with my mom, who is very picky about what she wears. She brought her out of her comfort zone and made her feel beautiful in a gown, that she thought she would never be able to wear! Thanks to the great staff here and i can't wait to see you again in September for my first fitting! read more

Lousy service, expensive dresses. I went with a friend. We ended up leaving after only trying on a few dresses- the saleswoman was incredibly rude and kept making comments about the bride-to-be's weight. (WAY out of line, lady!) She had a certain budget, and the saleswoman kept trying to convince her to spend more. She used the whole "it's your special day, it only comes once..." argument. She kept showing my friend dresses that were out of her price range. The store was nice, though- large selection, very clean, and the decorating was gorgeous. read more

I had an absolutely fabulous experience at Pronuptia a few weeks ago!! Here's my little backstory: My wedding is in early September of 2011. I purchased a dress at David's Bridal back in October which ended up being a big mistake. I bought it while under pressure from friends and the sales staff who convinced me it was perfect, and since the price was decent I thought what the heck I'll get it, one less thing to worry about. Boy was I wrong! Anyway.... fast forward to May and me standing in front of my full length mirror at home, trying the David's dress on for the first time since I bought it 5 months ago. I was practically in tears. Maybe I had been watching one too many episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" but I was 100% sure I made a mistake, and I there's no way in hell I wanted to look back at my wedding photos wearing THAT. On Monday morning I called and made appointments at 3 bridal shops for that Saturday (Pronuptia, Loren's, and Platinum Bridal Boutique). This time around I brought just one person, my sister. Too many people is too many opinions and you'll probably second guess yourself, which I unfortunately learned at David's Bridal. Saturday arrives, first stop: Pronuptia. We arrived right on time, and since we were the first appointment of the day it was completely dead, score! My consultant, Nancy, immediately greeted us and we chatted for about 5 minutes about my wedding, the date, colors, and styles I had in mind. She reassured me that even with only 4 months until the wedding that I would definitely be able to order something in time, or just buy off the rack which I ended up doing. The store itself isn't huge, but it's not uncomfortably small either. They have a variety of dresses in different sizes. I am a size 16, so I was limited to looking at gowns that were sizes 14 and up, which is about one third of their inventory. Nancy was so helpful in that she pulled dresses based on what I said I liked, but she also let my sister and I have free reign and grab as many dresses as we wanted to bring into the fitting room. There are only 2 fitting rooms and one main area where you come out to showcase yourself on the elevated block. I'd imagine it could be frustrating if multiple brides were there, but since I was the only one it didn't matter. Nancy was an absolute dream to work with. She was very attentive without being bothersome, she didn't try to force her opinions on me, she was genuinely concerned with my happiness, didn't care about my lower budget, and she was accepting of the fact that I didn't want to try on any veils or extra jewelry. Basically my experience was not about her making a sale, but simply making sure I was happy. So I ended up falling in love with the first dress I tried on there. It was one that Nancy picked out. It was a new sample, and the price was about $875.... awesome! I was honest with her and said that I had 2 more appointments that day at other bridal shops, and she was totally cool and said she'd hold the dress for me until Monday. My sister and I continued on our journey, where I had a not so good experience at Loren's, and a great experience at Platinum. At the end of the day I knew that first dress Nancy chose for me was THE ONE.... I couldn't get it out of my head! On Monday morning I called Pronuptia and purchased the dress over the phone. Unlike David's Bridal, they actually hold on to the dress for you, so you don't have to worry about bringing it home until right before your wedding after the final fitting. I should also mention I found a dress I loved almost as much at Loren's, but because of the awkward experience there I decided I would not be supporting their business no matter how much I liked a dress. My advice for anyone looking to buy a wedding gown is SHOP AROUND. You really shouldn't purchase anything until you've visited multiple locations and tried on various styles, even styles you think you won't like. Pronuptia happened to have the dress for me, and I am happy to say that I was thrilled with my experience there, and I highly recommend working with Nancy! read more

I have no complaints about my experience at Bella's. I called earlier the morning of my visit to see if I needed an appointment. Sue, the owner, told me it would be best, but to come by anyway. I arrived at the boutique and was immediately greeted briefly but warmly by a consultant who was attending another bride-to-be. I explained the situation and was shown where I could begin looking for gowns. She was occupied so I definitely expected to go through the search mostly by myself. However Sue came out a short while later and began helping me pull dresses of interest. At this point it would seem that the likelihood of me finding a dress, since the visit was arranged so haphazardly on my part, would be slim to none. Nevertheless, Sue continued to help me and provide suggestions. And then I stepped into my dress. It wasn't even zipped up yet, but I knew. It was beautiful but over my budget. Sue went to the office and came back and offered me a significant discount. She was never pushy, but she seemed to realize how much I loved the dress. I said yes to the dress, and the process afterwards was efficient and in the end Sue hugged me and seemed genuinely excited for me. I still have to go back for my fittings and alterations, but I'm confident the process will be just as warm and professional. Thank you Bella's Bridal! read more

As bridal shops go, I really liked this one. I was on a mission with my future daughter-in-law and her posse to find the dress that would wow my son...not to mention the whole wedding crowd. They succeeded amazingly. For such a small shop they had a good selection. I have recently been to other mega bridal stores and it can make you dizzy with so much WHITE and fluff...not to mention all the bling. This shop had half of what the other had but when you find the "one" you don't need miles and miles of dresses to be confused over. It's "just a meant to be" thing. The service was very good. The sales reps were engaging, friendly but not overbearing. They suggested different undergarments, shoes and veils but didn't try to sell you these extras even though all of them were available. I like that. They also had stuffed racks of bridal party dresses, Mom's dresses all mixed in. Like I said before...not all styles were there but they had a good selection of most. The down side...not enough areas for the brides to come out and see the gown individually. There was really only 1..ok maybe 2 areas for brides to come and do the showing. That's not enough with the number of dressing rooms there were. The lighting was a little low in that area also. Not so bad..just a little frustrating waiting for the mirrors. I would recommend them but would caution going at a quiet time. read more

I've visited a number of bridal and retails shops over the last month looking for a Mother of the Groom dress for my son's upcoming wedding. Yesterday I had an appointment at Bella's Bridal Boutique in Worcester MA and had a WONDERFUL experience. Chloe greeted us when we arrived and immediately invited us to get started even though we were 15 minutes early. I tried on a number of options and she was tremendously helpful with each one, clipping to help adjust the size and offering great input along the way. Everyone was friendly, helpful and eager to assist with any and all questions. At the end of an hour I chose "THE DRESS" and it is now on order. If you are looking for a high end, low pressure, tremendously professional Bridal Boutique I would strongly recommend making an appointment at Bella's Bridal Boutique. In contrast, I had the WORST experience at David's Bridal in Natick. I'd never recommend visiting David's. here are plenty of other Bridal Boutiques like Bella's that offer a professional shopping experience for your very special wedding day; wedding gowns, bridesmaid, or mother of the bride/groom dresses. read more

I visited the salon with a small group to find the dress of my dreams. From the moment we walked in, Nancy was amazing. I didn't have a perfectly defined imagine in my brain of what I wanted, so Nancy pulled dresses to gain ideas of what I'd like. In the end, I said yes to the dress of my dreams! She helped me through the process with expertise, patience and reassurance. She was even able to provide input on things that I didn't think of such as lighting, angles, alterations, etc. She even picked the most perfect veil to compliment my dress. I am extremely happy with my purchase! Thank you Nancy! read more

I haven't ordered my bridesmaids dresses here yet however I love Bella's Bridal so far! Sandra has been very welcoming and informative. They also allow outside wedding dresses to be altered by them. I plan on bringing my wedding dress. I bought my jr prom dress at this store in 2008 and loved it. So glad to be back! read more

This was the first place that I went to try on wedding dresses. The woman who was helping me didn't ask me about what types of dresses I liked/disliked. I went to the bathroom and she had already pulled one that she thought would "look great" on me and it was a mermaid style dress. I normally can't stand mermaid style dresses but with an attempt at being open-minded, I tried it on. The dress was SO heavy and I hated it. My "woman parts" were literally falling out of the sides and I felt so uncomfortable in it. It also had WAY too much beading and I don't like a lot of beading (she would've known this if she had asked me before pulling dresses). She pulled 2 more dresses but I didn't like any of them. I felt like she really didn't get a feel for my style and, honestly, I got the impression that she didn't really care. I felt rushed for some reason but maybe it was just because our personalities weren't "jiving". They only had 3 dresses that I could try on (since I was buying off of the rack) and 2 of them wouldn't fit. I asked if she had any more dresses that I could see and she told me that they didn't because I was buying off of the rack and the designers only send them the "smaller" dress sizes. I don't think I am that big (size 10/12 pants) so I didn't understand why they could not find a dress that would fit me. Plus, all of the dresses that she showed me were $200-300 over my max budget. IMHO, I had a much better experience at Elegance by Carbonneau and would not recommend Pronuptia to my friends. read more

I worked with Sandy to find my dress. Everyone at Bella's was very accommodating. I scheduled two appointments to make sure my dress was the one, and came back later the same day with my mother-in-law, and they managed to fit us in. I came in looking for Maggie Sottero, and ended up with the Rebecca Ingram Sandra. I purchased my dress during a designer event--no tax! I ordered my dress six months before the wedding, and had it in plenty of time, including alterations (I added custom straps.) I had compliments all day long and know everyone would be shocked to know how affordable my dress actually was. read more

See all

Amazing work on alterations. My Pronovias Atelier Vicenta dress had an illusion bodice with lace overlay and they were able to take off the overlay, shorten the mesh straps and replace the lace. It did not look like it was altered at all! The cost of the alterations was very reasonable ($150). The ladies who work here are so nice and helpful. I did not buy my dress here, but I felt very well taken care of. read more

Bella's Bridal Boutique - Bridal Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

We come here for all of our bridesmaid dresses when our friends & family get married. They have an excellent selection. But I do want to talk about an amazing experience I had today. I came in to pick up my bridesmaid dress for a friends wedding from alterations, and while here I asked if the seamstress was available to pin my own dress for my bridal shower which is tomorrow! I had just tried it on today, to find that it was too big. The seamstress wasn't available, but Nancy, who is a sewer herself, was kind enough to pin it for me so that my future mother in law can sew it tonight. Thank you, Nancy! read more

I love Pronuptia Bridal!! I searched for my bridal gown at about 8 different stores in the Boston area, North Shore, and South Shore--and Pronuptia was better than the other stores by far: better prices, bigger dressing rooms, friendly staff who never rush you (Susan is the best! She did an awesome seamstress job on my gown). My wife and I had 11 bridesmaids, and Pronuptia did all the ordering of the gowns--and everything went perfectly! read more

All in all my bridal party and I had a wonderful experience here! Sandy, one of the sales women was the one to help me with everything. She had a great sense of humor and was extremely helpful. I went there with one of my bridesmaids first on a random day to look at bridesmaids dresses. We didnt make an appt and luckily they were not busy. We went through everything just trying them on to get a sense of what we liked. Sandy asked if I had bought my dress yet and I said NOPE I am waiting a little bit.... I wanted to have fun with the whole experience for a while! After we found a few likes, Sandy wrote them down and we left... I wanted to find my dress first! Finally my Mom and I went there on Saturday and went through probably 20 dresses... and you know, the first one I tried on was it! I absolotely LOVED LOVED LOVED IT! It was everything I had dreamed of! Sold! Sandy was great and helped me get the dresses on and off (mind you I was practically naked and she didnt even seem to notice!!! which was relieving!!!) Then I brought my girls back to look for dresses... and you know what... first shot, loved them! AGAIN the staff was GREAT! So accomodating and even though we found one that we loved they didnt mind us going through all the racks just to make sure. We made the choice and they only required 50% down for the for the Bridesmaids dresses. PLUS the girls all got 10% off since I bought my dress there... I even ended up buying a dress for myself for the many weddings I have coming up!!! Then it came to alterations... My dress had arrived and I was nervous. I had heard horor stories about places ordering you a dress too big just so that they could rob you blind on alterations... NOPE... I swear my dress was made for me! They didnt even have to take up the hem! It was the perfect fit!!! All they had to do was the bustle... .This is where I made the choice only to give them 4 stars.... I loved the dress but as they started to bustle it, I HATED IT! Then when I asked them to change it, they were a bit hessitant. My mom and I looked at each other and were like, NO WAY!! We had to push a little bit but they did change it and it was MUCH better! Then at the end of the alteration visit, someone from the showroom came up and interupted the seamstress and asked when we were going to be done because the next apt was there... That was a little rude, especially since we weren't even over our alotment. But everything was beautiful in the end. My dress and the bridesmaids. I would recommend ANYONE to go there! Just know what you want and dont be afraid to speak up ;) read more

I went here in August to purchase a wedding gown. I had my heart set on an Essence of Australia gown, but sadly most of the dresses I wanted to see where unavailable. Luckily my saleslady Sandy was there to help. She let mom, me and my maid of honor pull a few and then I proceeded to play dress up. It was going just okay until we stumbled across two Sottero & Midgley dresses that everyone loved. Both fit perfect and it was a difficult choice. She let us take pictures of each and told us we could come back tomorrow. It was great not to be pressured to make a purchase. I came back and purchased my gown the next day. Dress came in mid December and they notified me right away. They have been very accommodating for my fittings and my mother's as well. They even helped talk my mom off a fashion cliff when she saw that her dress color ( an iridescent gold) was not as she envisioned it. They had her walk over to the bridal "staging area" so she could see the gown in a more realistic light, not under crazy fluorescent lighting. She instantly loved it again. read more

Great experience shopping for dresses today! I had been to a shop in Chicago where I felt like they were doing me a favor for being there. Patty made me feel so comfortable and even found me the two top contenders so far for my wedding day. I would highly recommend anyone looking for a dress to come here ". You will not be disappointed read more

Their dress selection and service sets them apart - nothing short of amazing!! I went to 5 bridal shops before stepping foot in Bella's Bridal Boutique. Let me just say, since that first moment, I have been nothing but impressed with this shop. They definitely stand out from the others. I explained to the consultant what I was looking for and she immediately knew the dress for me. I saw it, tried it on, and teared up instantly. I knew right away it was my dress. My mom and step-mom also purchased their dresses here. Again, they stepped into the shop, described what they liked, and the consultant found exactly what they were looking for. But more importantly, the consultants and the owners genuinely CARE. The pride they take in making sure their brides/bridal parties feel comfortable and at ease is unlike any of the other bridal shops I went to. They have all been so nice to work with! I can't wait til my other family members get married so we can go back again! Lastly, their selection of dresses was very different from any of the other shops in the area which was amazing. 10/10 highly recommend!! read more

I was in Mass visiting family, and looking for a wedding dress. I had gone to a few stores before; there was one dress I was considering, but not 100% sure yet. I decided to stop here because it was close to where I was staying, and they had a specific designer I wanted to see. I didn't have an appointment, but thought I would stop in to look (it was getting down to crunch time to get a dress because at the time the wedding was 8 months away). The ladies here for wonderful. I worked with Ashley, and since it was early in the day they let me try on dresses without an appointment. I was waiting for my family to arrive (which literally took forever), and decided to weed out the ones I didn't like since I had the time. I tried on a bunch of dresses, and had a few I wanted to show the fam, and found a few more while waiting. I didn't want to pick to many dresses to try on before my family got there, because they did not limit you to the # of dresses you could try on at a time. I even told Ashley that I would wait to add any more to my selection of dresses, because I didn't want to limit anyone else choices. Ultimately I went to the dress shop I had been to the day before, and decided to get the dress I was thinking about because it cost $800 less than my top pick at Pronuptia Bridal (I did feel bad since they were so nice, and patient here, but $800 is a lot of money when on a tight budget). The ladies here were fantastic, especially Ashley. I would highly recommend this place. Also there selection is pretty impressive considering the size of the store. read more

I had the best bridal experience here. Nancy and Sandy were both extremely helpful! I told them my initial price range was $1500. We started looking through the dresses and I wasn't finding anything I liked. My mom finally found a Paloma Blanca dress, but the saleswomen warned her it was over the initial budget and asked my mom if she was okay with that (since she paid for the dress). It was nice to have people who were concerned about sticking to the budget rather than push a sale. My wedding dress fit like a glove, and the alterations department was very accommodating to my requests...both for my dress, and my bridesmaids dresses! Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I would definitely recommend Pronuptia to every bride wanting a fabulous dress shopping experience. I had gone to Elegance by Carboneau with a friend to get her dress, and honestly, Pronuptia definitely topped that salon by a mile! read more

My daughter became engaged in 2018 and was married a year ago. This review is long over due. The entire process of getting married can be over whelming. I wanted my daughter to love every bit of it and the biggest worry I had was the dress buying. I wanted to have this mother daughter moment that would last in her memory for ever. We went to Bella Bridal and it started out as if they had been waiting for us. They ushered 5 of us into a room and my daughter got to be Princess as they brought out dress after dress... even though we all knew the first one was the one... They made this a fun filled memory and even took a picture that she had found her dress. This was not our first bridal shop but it was certainly the best and the most amount of dresses in every size . The alterations then became the next events and they let us all be there. They even had her practice walking in the dress to make sure she was able to and comfortable ..Bella Bridals read more

I came to Pronuptia while dress shopping for my wedding; I received a catalogue from a bridal expo, and it's close to my work, so I figured I'd give it a shot. The first thing the woman asked me was, of course, what my budget was. When I told her, she literally laughed out loud, then said (with a smirk on her face) "Well, THAT'LL be difficult to do". She then proceeded to show me dresses that were all at least $250 more than what I said (which I expected). They were pretty enough, but not at all what I was looking for. I kept trying to emphasize that I wanted something slim (I'm very petite so a full dress looks funny on me) and simple. She kept trying to change my mind, saying that I needed it to be more princess-y and have "at least a little bling". It was infuriating! Needless to say, I left that shop and found my dream dress for $50 under budget. Pronuptia may work for some people - they did have a decent selection, but it was certainly not for me. read more

I went to Bella this weekend to try on bridesmaid dresses with my sister-in-law. She made an appointment (which I highly recommend, especially on the weekends), and the staff who helped us were very courteous. Like all bridesmaid dress boutiques, they only had each dress in one color (which I totally expected) but was disappointed that they didn't have a single dress in a couple of the colors my sister-in-law liked. We had to judge the color by the 1 inch by 1 inch swatch from the book. She is still in-between dresses, so we left with the prices and style ideas she liked. Since we live all over and might want to purchase separately, we've tried calling boutiques in Connecticut and Boston only to find the exact same dresses $50-$80 less in other stores. My suggestion, if you're in the Worcester area, is to start at Bella with their great selection, but definitely shop around before purchasing. read more

Horrible experience. Seemed fine enough at first, but long story short our dresses were the wrong color and not the same color they told us it would be. We were livid. Simply unacceptable. 100% would not recommend anyone coming here. I don't write negative reviews almost ever, but this was really truly disappointing. read more

I went to Bella's a couple weeks ago to look for my wedding dress. While I did not find my dress there I still wanted to say what an amazing experience I had. Nancy was the stylist assigned to me and I cannot say enough positive things about her. She was so sweet, patient and helpful. She didn't rush me or pressure me into making any decisions. They have a great selection for people with a conservative budget and I highly recommend it! read more

I manage a bridesmaids boutique in Boston, so I am very familiar with the industry. I went to 6 or 7 places looking for my wedding dress, and I must say that while I didn't find my dress at Bella's, I had a very pleasant experience. I scheduled a last minute appointment (I recommend always making an appointment anywhere to ensure you aren't rushed), and the sales associate, I think her name was Patty, was incredibly helpful. She listened to what I was looking for and made knowledgable selections based on my preferences. She was very patient, not at ALL pushy, and seemed genuinely dedicated to making sure I left happy. They have a nice selection of dresses at very reasonable prices, and while I ultimately found my dress elsewhere, I was impressed enough by their service and facility to write the review, so give them a chance! read more

I had a great experience at Pronuptia. Sue is the sweetest lady; she is all about making the bride happy. The only downside of Pronuptia is that they have a fairly limited selection of dresses from the four designers they carry. This didn't matter to me, as I fell in love with one of the first dresses I tried! I would definitely recommend Pronuptia for a personalized and professional dress-shopping experience. read more

Pronuptia was the second place I went to try on gowns. At first I was a little apprehensive about them. I felt like they were rushing me and bit pushy, but after we talked about my budget and what kind of dress I wanted, the process went much better. I tried on a bunch of different dresses and found a few that I really liked. Before I was ready to call it a day Sandy pulled the most beautiful dress off the rack and I tried it on! When i came out my mom and friend started crying! I loved the dress so much I put it on everytime I went into the store :) We also go the bridesmaids dresses there. They offer you a discount. I got rave reviews on my dress and my bridesmaid dresses at the wedding. The prices seemed reasonable enough. Everyone that works there I found to be very friendly and professional. Try to make the first appointment of the day because it gets crazy in there when there are a ton of brides all looking for the perfect dress. The only qualm I have is that in the end I think the top of my dress was a tad to big. But I'm a perfectionist! read more

I was very happy with the service here! There was no pressure to buy and they cared more about finding what I wanted. It was my first time/place going to so I was not sure what I was looking for. The only reason I give this 4 stars is because I wish there were more of the style I was looking for. I also understand I am more picky than I thought I would be! Although I didn't find "the one", if there is any place I would want to give my money to, it would be here. read more

I went to pronuptia in August to try on wedding dresses. It was my second shop I went dress shopping at. The lady who was helping me with my appointment was anything but helpful. She almost scared me. She asked me some questions about what I liked and what my price range was. I told her I didn't want to spend much more than 1,000 and she basically laughed at me and told me I wouldn't find "anything nice" in my price range. She brought out 2, only 2, dresses for me to try on. I did love one of them but I refused to buy it because of the customer service I recieved. She made me feel cheap! The first place I went treated me wonderfully and had me try on close to 15 dresses all within my price range that was beautiful! Let me say though, I do have a friend who went here to look for dresses and loved the shop. She told them her budget was around 1,000 also and they found her about 20 dresses. I think it was just the salesperson I had! read more

I said "yes to the dress" after heading to Pronuptia after a horrible experience at another local store. I had called Pronuptia in the parking lot of that store as I was leaving, feeling super disappointed. I asked the woman who answered the phone, Sandy, if she had a particular dress in stock that I could try on and she did. She said she would squeeze me in between appointments if we could get over there quick. I was elated that I could go see the dress I was dreaming about but a little nervous I was going to be rushed. When my mom and I got there, Sandy gave us the same service I am sure she gives to women that book appointments way in advance. She was kind and patient and empathetic to my situation. I tried on the dress and loved it. I was about to "say yes" when something told me that I needed to sleep on it for a night. Sandy didn't flinch and totally understood. I made a real appointment to go back and try the dress on again a week or so later and met with Sandy again. This time, she had a couple of more options for me to try on and I fell in love with one of those. Sandy's personality and patience really made me feel comfortable and at ease. I can't wait until my dress comes in so I can go back. I would give the store a 5 star rating, except I would recommend that they carry a few more dresses in plus size. I wear a size 16 street clothes and felt I was very limited to my options to try on. Good thing the options they did have were beautiful!!!! read more