This place...is magical.
I had traveled from out of town to visit a specific boutique in TO (not LoversLand), and tacked on two more appointments just to make the day worth while. I found this place by googling "unique bridal boutiques" - I wasn't looking for your standard Maggie Sotterro and Stella York style dresses that I can find locally. My first appointment of the day was kind of lackluster, and LoversLand was my second stop before heading off of to the boutique I planned the trip around.
I showed up for my appointment about 5 minutes early with my sister and 4 bridesmaids in tow. We peeked around the shop and admired all of the lovely things while we waited. Bridal shopping for some girls is something they dream of their entire lives, but for me, it was cause for anxiety more than anything. That's why when after 20 minutes of waiting for the appointment before me to finish, although my crew was starting to lose their patience and ready to storm the bridal tent, I waited patiently, not wanting to rain on the other bride's parade. That said, I would have been just as happy to leave the store without trying anything on since my "main appointment" was an hour and 45 mins later, and I had a specific designer in mind that I knew LoversLand didn't carry. I was checking my watch making sure we were on track to make the third appointment, and was kind of just going through the motions here.
However!!! I'm so glad I didn't leave. Soooooo very glad.
When it was our turn, our consultant Karen made us feel super welcome in the tent, which btw is the most unique bridal space I've ever seen. I don't like to be put on display, and so having the whole space to myself was a huge plus. It felt so intimate and special in there, and I'm actually trying to make my reception space mimic the look and feel. Karen went through each designer, and gave us some clips to pull anything that caught our attention. The designs here are so unique, and unlike anything I'd seen at any other bridal store. The selection isn't huge, but the pieces felt as though they were each carefully selected with purpose. Though this was my first day shopping for myself, I've been in the entourage for several friends and can say without a doubt, if you're looking for something truly unique, this place is a must-visit.
As it turns out, the first dress I tried here was an absolute show stopper. It was nothing AT ALL like what I'd pictured myself in, but it was definitely unique. We all fell in love with it, and although I totally didn't expect it going in, I had that "bridal moment" that I used to roll my eyes thinking about. My sister and bridesmaids were all super emotional which could have been embarrassing had the consultant been anyone other than Karen, who was so lovely and considerate the whole time. She made me feel so comfortable and I honestly can't say enough about her. She was helpful and supportive of my choices, but I never felt like she was pressuring me or pushing me. The whole appointment felt way more experiential than transactional, which is a huge departure from the typical bridal experience.
I was almost certain I had found "the one", but I still tried on a few more dresses at LoversLand, and went to the third appointment to see the dresses from the designer I had been obsessing over. I just had to know - I would have always wondered since I'd been fixated for so long! The third appointment ended up completely tanking though, because nothing could compare to that first dress at LoversLand, and the awesome experience we had in the tent. I went back the next day and bought the dress and veil that we all fell in love with :)
TL;DR:
-this place is so special and unique, both the setting and the dresses
-if you're looking for an inventory of hundreds of dresses, look elsewhere
-if you're looking for a small assortment of carefully chosen special designs, you're at the right spot
-the bridal tent is gorgeous and the shop is super lovely
-you get the whole tent to yourself
-try to go in with an open mind
-Karen is the best
Good to know:
-appointments are booked by the hour and back to back - something to keep in mind if you have appts booked elsewhere (in case the one before you runs late)
-accessories are priced really well - I tried a comparable veil elsewhere that was almost double the price despite lower dress prices
-they let you take photos!
-price point was under 4k from what I noticed
-as you would with anywhere, double check your measurements - there was a small mix up with mine but we caught it before signing the contract
Thank you LoversLand! read more