I really wanted to love my experience at BB Bridal, especially because I paid for their top-tier…read morebridal package and brought my mom, aunt, little sister, and best friend with me.
I also chose BB Bridal because this is where my mom got her wedding dress, and her experience had been wonderful. Back then, we didn't pay for the appointment experience and were still served wine in actual wine glasses, so I went in expecting that same warm, celebratory feeling.
Unfortunately, my experience was completely different.
The day before, I had gone to Kate's Cottage, where I immediately felt celebrated. There was a sign congratulating me on my engagement, our consultant welcomed my whole group, poured me wine, explained everything clearly, included my family, gave me privacy while changing, and genuinely seemed excited to help me.
At BB Bridal, the mimosas included with my premium package were sitting there poured and ready, but we were never offered one. From the beginning, the experience just didn't feel special.
I was honest with my consultant that I had tried on dresses the day before and had a better idea of what I liked. She asked to see pictures, and after I showed them to her, the energy of the appointment noticeably changed.
The dresses she brought me were nothing like what I had explained I wanted. By the third dress, I had to be very clear that I wanted sparkle, glitter, and detail, not a simple satin ball gown. Instead, I kept hearing that alterations could add glitter, change things, or fix different parts of the dress.
I wasn't looking for a dress that needed to be transformed into something I loved. I wanted to try on dresses that reflected what I had already explained I wanted.
There were also several uncomfortable interactions. My younger sister asked for a longer veil because she didn't know the term "cathedral veil." When she later excitedly said, "Yes, that's the one," the consultant responded with, "Well, that's what that word means," in a tone that came across as unnecessarily condescending.
She would also ask my family for their opinions, then immediately remind them that it was about how I felt. Even when I personally said something like, "I don't like this neckline," I was told not to focus on individual details and instead think about how I felt in the dress.
But not liking the neckline is part of how I feel in the dress.
The changing process was also extremely uncomfortable. There was a robe hanging in the corner, but it was never offered or explained. The consultant was helping me out of the gowns, so I would be standing there in my underwear covering my chest while waiting for the next dress.
Instead of having me step into dresses whenever possible, she would hold the gown up and have me duck underneath it and push my head through every time, repeatedly messing up my hair. A simple effort to keep me covered and comfortable between dresses would have made a huge difference.
Toward the end, I repeatedly heard comments about wanting to "conserve my energy" and not wanting to waste energy trying certain things. It left me feeling like once it became clear I might not purchase a dress there, the appointment was no longer worth much effort.
What disappointed me even more was the response afterward.
I called and spoke with the owner because I wanted to explain how uncomfortable the appointment had been, especially since I had paid for the premium experience. I was essentially told that I received my allotted appointment time and that once the consultant knew I had really liked another dress, she didn't see a point in "wasting my energy" when they likely couldn't find what I wanted.
If the consultant looked at my pictures and knew BB Bridal didn't carry the style I was looking for, I wish she had simply said that.
Something as simple as, "I don't think we have a dress that will give you the same feeling as these pictures, but you paid for this experience, so how would you like to enjoy the rest of your appointment?" would have completely changed things.
I paid for the experience whether I purchased a gown or not.
Even the gift bag felt like an afterthought. No one told me it was mine until my little sister asked. When I got home, the shirt inside was a 3XL and the robe was a 2XL. I normally wear a small or medium.
I understand every bridal shop carries different designers, and I never expected every store to have my dream dress. My disappointment wasn't simply that I preferred the dresses somewhere else. It was how completely different the experience felt.
At Kate's Cottage, I felt beautiful, celebrated, comfortable, and listened to.
At BB Bridal, I felt uncomfortable, dismissed, and eventually like my appointment was an inconvenience.
Unfortunately, speaking with the owner afterward did not change that feeling.
