I started my wedding dress search this past December and what could be an other wise overwhelming experience, it is the bridal salon/your consultant who should be making you feel beautiful, educating you as you go along, and above helping hold your hand during this process considering they're the experts. It's an exciting time being a bride and bridal boutiques are a huge part of the process.
Having been to two previous bridal boutiques (back home in Los Angeles) every experience there was above and beyond so I was expecting nothing less going to a boutique and of all places, in Birmingham.
Upon walking in, I was greeted by friendly faces, and then told that what's out on the floor is everything they have. From there they told me to have at it, to skim through, and they'll pull whatever I liked. Thankfully this boutique is somewhat on the smaller side, and I could manage flipping through all the dresses without burning through my allotted appointment time.
The upside of this was that this was not my first rodeo and I knew what silhouettes looked best on me and gravitated to those. If this was my first go at trying on dresses I would have been overwhelmed considering there are a lot of different shapes and styles and above all, price points. You NEVER want a bride to fall in love with something that turns out being over their price point so this is a dangerous tactic.
After finding a few that I loved on the hanger and some that I loved that were out of my price point, I did find a few that I really liked. Nancy my consultant/stylist was great. She made me feel comfortable, gave me honest feedback, and was really sweet which made the process all the better. So while this whole experience with them was not a total bust, here's why I docked 2 stars.
Know your Inventory.
It might cut down on some of that thumbing through of the dresses. In this day and age every bride has a pinterest board or screenshots of silhouettes they gravitate to, so it's your job to be able to gauge what you think would look best based off their photos and from there, angle the appointment. I only say this because this is exactly how every other appointment I had went. The whole upfront consultation was not there so from the get go she didn't get to see the dresses I previously tried on and liked/disliked, or some of the ones I was hoping to see while at the trunk show. I think it's those small details that were missing for me, and while this isn't the consultant's fault, it's more of a management flaw because this isn't protocol.
It's a special occasion and a big deal, where's the hospitality?
Okay, I get it. I'm a sucker for a mimosa errrr alcohol. But that aside, while trying on dresses at other boutiques I was offered a beverage. Whether it was champagne or water, it was always a great gesture and set the tone for the appointments because trying on a million dresses sometimes works up a thirst and this is a celebration! I was a bit thrown off by this because I was in Birmingham, not some random hole in the wall, but Birmingham. I know from personal experience it gets me excited to cheers with my close friends and family whether it's my first or third time trying on dresses. While I don't know if it's prohibited to do so here in michigan, it wouldn't kill you to offer water or hey, sparkling cider..you get the gist.
Guest limit.
Okay, maybe bringing five close friends was a stretch, but I was never told there was a cap or asked how many people were coming so how was I supposed to know there was one? I only know this because once my whole group arrived I overheard someone at the front desk complain about it while I was walking past which kind of made me feel uncomfortable. So maybe give your brides a heads-up upon calling to make an appointment versus talking behind their backs.
Attitude Adjustment
Like I said, my consultant was great! So this whole review takes her out of the equation. But there was a worker who just seemed upset? She took dresses that I disliked out of the room and while she did so I was standing there in a wedding dress and said 'thank you' and she didn't even acknowledge me. Then upon leaving I asked when the next trunk show was for the designer I like and the same grumpy lady responds, "your wedding will be over by then!" it took my consultant to correct her and let her know when the date was. Maybe she was having a bad morning, I get it. But she needs to put that in check considering the industry she works in.
Like I said, my one-on-one time with my consultant was great, but everything else was just o-k. They have great trunk sales which is always a plus especially if you're looking at saving some money. All in all I couldn't say I had a bad experience, but it was the best either, and shopping for a wedding dress is such a personal experience so I'm sure everyone's opinions on this boutique varies. While I didn't end up purchasing a dress, I unfortunately don't think I'll be going back either. read more
