I'm writing this review 8 weeks after our visit - because it has truly stayed with me and continues…read moreto bother me. My best friend is getting married next year, and as her maid of honor, I scheduled an appointment for her to try on dresses while she was in town, visiting from across the country. She'd tried on dresses once before and found one she loved, but wanted the experience with her friends, and the opportunity to find a dress she possibly loved even more. Upon arrival to Lucille's, we were not immediately greeted. We went up to the counter where we were told it would be a few minutes, as the preceding appointment was finishing up. This was fine -- but we found it odd that there was nowhere to sit. No water offered. No congratulations to the bride. Just a "feel free to take a look around." 10-15 minutes later, the preceding appointment was finished. A bridesmaid was coming to our appointment as well (so bride + 2 guests) and she was about to arrive. The bride wanted to greet her outside, and after our appointment was pushed back almost 20 minutes on their end already, we were told we "needed to get started." It was a weird vibe. But that's not even what stayed with me most. The discussions between the apparent owner/manager and her sales associate were uncomfortable to witness. The owner, who had been hacking up a lung in the back room, seemed to talk down to her sales associate. It was very awkward. The 2 women tried to feel out if the bride was looking to buy something -- we had put down our deposit for the appointment, and assumed we'd be treated with the same respect as any other client. Of course if the bride had found something she loved, she'd have considered purchasing. But once they heard she had tried on a dress elsewhere that she really liked, they seemed convinced she wasn't "serious" about purchasing and I do believe this tainted our entire experience. I was told I was not allowed in the dressing room. Ok fine - element of surprise when the bride comes out.... Well when she did come out in a dress, as part of her support system, I said, "You're a vision in white!" To which the sales associate responded, "We don't have any white dresses; that's ivory." ...I was dumbfounded. I was attempting to hype up my best friend and I was shot down over a technicality that truly did not matter. It was bizarre. The owner came over and insisted that she knew that the sales associate knew what she was doing, yet she interjected herself into the appointment to insist the bride try on a dress that wasn't at all what she was looking for. She claimed, "This one just came in and I need a model for it." ...what? Bride tried it on to appease the owner, and of course did not like it. Also bizarre -- looking through the dresses, I found one I thought the bride might like, and I was shut down by the owner who said, "Oh she won't like that one. Put that back." ...!!! I think I know MY best friend's style and preferences better than anyone, and let me be clear: I was not at all attempting to take over the appointment. I was gently suggesting a dress and was completely dismissed. After the bride changed back into her clothes, we were forgotten and overlooked. The next appointment had arrived and they were done with us, even though they started with us late. No "thank you," or send off, or acknowledgment. The whole experience was off. Even if she HAD found the dress, she was confident she did not want to be a customer here. This is not how a bridal shopping appointment should go, no matter one's budget.

My experience at this shop completely exceeded my expectations. I had seen a flyer outside the shop…read moreand decided to go inside. That one decision changed my wedding experience into a dream. Not only were there so many gorgeous dresses to choose, I also found the wedding dress I dreamt about all my life!! The staff was so supportive and loving and made this experience the best it could ever be. My daughter felt included and they went above and beyond to find a suit for my son last minute. Staff took the time to ensure my dress was perfect in every way from fitting to accessories. I have been to several bridal shops before but nothing can compare to the experience I had here. They made me feel like a bridal queen from day one! You guys made my 03/23/23 wedding memorable. Thank you.

Update to my review: I ended up buying my wedding dress at Bridal Affection. Mel and Samantha took…read moregreat care of me and alterations were done fabulously. Mel stuck with me throughout the alterations and everything was perfect!

Samantha was great to work with! The process was simple and she was great at helping me figure out…read morewhat I wanted. They carry a great variety of dresses in different prices ranges. I was able to walk out with my dress the same day!

After visiting 4-6 other bridal shops and feeling so discouraged, I can honestly say Savvy Bride…read morewas a breath of fresh air! Erica, the owner, has an incredible personality. she's fun, warm, and instantly makes you feel at ease. The shop is so organized, and full of beautiful, affordable gowns that actually feel special and affordable. I felt excited and confident trying on dresses, and Erica made the whole experience such a joy. Highly recommend Savvy Bride to any bride-to-be it's everything you want in a bridal shopping experience! She has a good eye for what looks good and what works. She even picked a veil and I ended up saying yes to the dress! PLEASE STOP IN!

My experience with The Savvy Bride today inclines me enough to come home, smile with a glow, and…read morewrite this review. As someone who is terrible at making decisions, working with Erica today to find my perfect dress made it seem easy and flawless. First off, booking was easy online and personable. I found an appointment available and got the confirmation quickly. Additionally the questionnaire and personable customer service from Erica all walked me through the process more clearly. Erica even took the time to check what styles I liked, explained some commonly missed facts about bridal size vs street size (I didn't even know either!) and made sure we were within reason for my budget. I was even more floored once we got to the literal dress floor. Hundreds of dresses available and Erica was able to narrow down easily what would work for me. In fact, the inventory changes frequently which means new stuff is added all of the time. I ended up loving all of them in some way shape or form. Ultimately I was able to find a dress that was MY dress. Not only did I feel it but Erica and my sister saw it too. What made the visit most memorable was how Erica was friendly, understanding, knowledgeable, personable, and professional. Unlike other experiences I had, she was there to answer questions, clarify things, and be patient with the fact that I don't know much about weddings as a whole. In fact she asked me the right questions to know and affirm that I will feel confident, comfy, and assured with my decisions. There are so many things I didn't know I wanted or liked and Erica was able to find them for me at the price I was looking for. I couldn't be happier and recommend all brides take a look and visit to The Savvy Bride. Erica is THE savvy one and I couldn't be more grateful that she is. I'll definitely be back to get the accessories and everything I'll need for my big day. Love it and highly recommend.

Ernst and Orange Restoration were wonderful from start to finish. They restored my wedding dress…read morewhich was 35 years old as well as a bolero top from my Mother in laws wedding dress and a pair of silk shoes that I had worn in wet grass all evening and had water stains on them. Everything exceeded my expectations. My mother in laws top in particular went in as yellow as a manilla folder and came back looking like a completely different top. We were so pleased to be able to reuse the lace and buttons to create something new for my daughter to wear for festivities leading up to her wedding. Very lucky to have such a quality service in our community.

in 1985 Orange Labs restored my mother's beautiful wedding dress, which was handmade by my…read moregrandmother in 1954. The dress is organdy, delicate, and unlike any other dress ever. I wore it to my wedding that summer, then Orange labs cleaned it and packed it for storage. It stayed in an attic till 2025, when Orange labs altered and restored it for my eldest daughter who wore it to her wedding. This year, 2026, her sister, my youngest, will wear it to her wedding, too. The four women in the family are very different sizes, but Ernst and Rocia and their excellent tailor were able to fit the dress to each of us, perfectly. Cannot recommend their excellent services more highly.

I reached out to Majorie around the holidays and asked her to do a rush bridal gown job job for me…read more The alterations for a bridal gown were not significant compared to most bridal gown alterations that are needed. I needed her to take up the hem line (one layer of polyester lining) and tule skirt. She also took up the shoulders. The gown was beautifully altered especially considering I gave the gown to her at 7 pm on Dec 23rd and she had it done by Dec 26 at 1 pm. Her price was extremely reasonable.

Kia-Ga-Rika made a suit for me based off a picture I brought in. The quality of the suit was…read moreexcellent. Communication was very good, and staff was very professional.

This is hit or miss. In the beginning his designs were unique but now a bit redundant and a little…read moreweird. The prices are high for what you get.

This is a gem in New Haven and I was so happy to buy my reusable masks from here. They made it so…read moreit molds to the contours of the face and it's comfortable to wear. I always reach for these when I go out. Would love to come back to have some dresses adjusted, they have a beautiful space and the staff is extremely friendly.

I'll never shop for bras in a department store again! This was by far the best bra shopping…read moreexperience I've ever had. I lost a significant amount of weight and bras were just not fitting properly. They would be gaping or I'd fall out of them. I tried on literally every bra in a store and couldn't find one that fit properly so I decided to get a bra fitting at Zar Mi. They accept walk ins for bra fittings and they really take their time to make sure you get a bra that fits you and you are happy with. Jackie was wonderful and so knowledgeable. She was able to determine my exact band size without even using a tape measure. She brought out bras one by one for me to try and based on how they fit, she was able to determine the best bra for my shape and fullness. In fact, Jackie was so knowledgeable that halfway through my fitting, my sister, who did not intend to get measured or buy bras, decided to get a fitting and ended up purchasing several bras! I have large breasts and the styles are often times lacking in color and sexiness, however, that was not the case at Zar Mi. I was able to find many bras in pretty colors and lace patterns in my size. The fit is perfect and I don't worry about double boob or falling out so my clothes look much nicer. One of the reasons I delayed in coming for so long was that I was worried about how expensive bras in a small boutique would be. I was pleasantly surprised that the price was on par with department stores/chain lingerie companies' regular prices. Because I bought quite a few, Jackie discounted some of the pieces and even gifted me a pair of the matching panties! I highly recommend Zar Mi. You will not be disappointed!

Jacqui made me feel welcome and comfortable. She did an amazing job helping me find a new bra after…read morelosing 30 pounds. Highly recommend this shop if you're in the market for a new bra and need to be measured first.

5 stars for Lisa! this was my first time in Julie Allen and it was a wonderful experience. If I…read morehave any advice, please request her. She radiates positivity and was so warm and helpful. Although I did not find my dream dress, she made sure I felt comfortable and happy in each dress I tried on. You can tell she truly loves her job and her knowledge is bountiful. Thank you again Lisa!

I cannot recommend Julie Allen Bridals enough to anyone planning a wedding. They went above and…read morebeyond for me multiple times throughout the year I worked with them. We found that my mother needed to start chemotherapy immediately the week we were going to start dress shopping. We had one weekend to search for a dress before she started treatment during the pandemic and could no longer go out in public, and I refused to go dress shopping without my mom. Our first stop was Julie Allen Bridals. We reached out to them ahead of time and asked if we could have a photographer come and photograph us together in dresses while we shopped since she would be losing her hair, and we wanted to photograph her with her long locks. Not only did they agree to have a photographer come, but they offered to shoot the photos for us with one of their bridal consultants, Erica, who photographs her in her spare time. She refused to take any payment we offered. We found a fantastic dress at that first shop that had amazing sleeves I couldn't stop thinking about it the entire weekend while we kept looking and made the decision to move forward with Julie Allen. They were very accommodating about the alteration requests I had as I wanted to change some underskirt colors and vastly cut back the long train and worked with me every step of the way to get clarity and make sure the dress was exactly what I wanted. Yupa, my seamstress at Julie Allen was so warm and kind. She knew exactly what to do to alter the dress and add little additions here and there to make managing the dress easier. We did try adding some clear strips to the shoulders under the sheer fabric there to stop some redness where the dress rubbed, but it was far too distracting and reflective in the light. The owner herself, Melanie, spent the better part of an hour removing them herself! My mom is officially in remission a year later, and focusing on the wedding gave her something positive to look forward to as she fought. We are so glad we started our dress journey with Julie Allen Bridals, and they will always have a special place in our hearts as we reflect on our wedding planning experience. You won't get a better experience than here at Julie Allen Bridals. I'd come here again, but I'm not planning to get married again soon, so I'll have to recommend them to all my engaged friends instead. :)