If you are over a size 10 DO NOT COME HERE! The dresses that they had did not fit me, and the sales associate that helped us gave my mom a card of a PLUS SIZE STORE where I could be better accommodated. When she also told me that I should go to a plus size store, I was already crying so this did not help. They then told my mom that the girl next door was having the same crying issues, as stick brides are coming out next to us as blushing brides. Your day to find a dress should be perfect and this place will make you feel less than perfect... shame on them. In a culture of women of feeling self conscious for who they are, when they should help women feel beautiful for who they are, this place is # 1 AT MAKING YOU FEEL LESS THAN PERFECT. I found my dress at Vera Wang who makes you feel beautiful no matter what size you are, which is what it should be. Do not settle, and do not let them shake your confidence... beautiful comes in curves and should be appreciated read more

I can't even begin to explain how amazing Brandy was with helping me look at dresses. I unfortunately didn't buy it at Ultimate Bride, but I cannot say enough great things about Brandy. She truly made the experience for my mom and I so lovely. Brandy is so knowledgeable about wedding dresses, she is so refreshingly honest and just a complete pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond to be there the days and times that worked for me and I very much appreciated that. I would highly recommend Brandy and want to thank her for helping me so much! read more

I originally steered way clear of this place in spite of its great reviews, knowing that it is a big (BIG) budget shop. After trying on many dresses, I realized that I fit pretty well into sample sizes so I called Ultimate Bride to see if they had any samples in my price range - they said they had a lot of samples in that range and that I should come on in. Stephanie was so wonderful. She was not at all snide about my budget and was so warm and helpful. She brought dress after dress and she was not at all pushy (kept saying "pretty is not good enough - you have to LOVE it!") When I finally found "the one" she was all smiles and really helped make it happen. I ended up with a GORGEOUS couture gown which I love for under $2K. Very exciting! For girls that are on a lower dress budget, wear a size 4-8, and want a blingy designer dress for Filene's Basement prices, check out the samples at Ultimate Bride! Thanks, Stephanie! read more

What are these people talking about? My experience here was stellar. I worked with Stephanie Mann and she is FABULOUS. She was so patient, brought me about a zillion dresses and only offered advice when I was sick of listening to my mom and step-mom. . They even let me bring my puppy into the salon; she was in the fitting room with me while I tried on my dresses, much more comforting than having your parents in there :) Their selection is incredible, I ended up choosing something by Kenneth Pool but they carry all the big name designers. They rushed my dress, and it came in earlier than I anticipated. They also have a custom veil designer who makes your veil to match your dress perfectly. Yeay for Ultimate Bride! read more

2.5 stars. I had a great experience shopping for dresses here despite my lower budget. But I had a terrible time with alterations. First of all, the appointments never fit with my schedule. Second, they never seemed to learn from their mistakes. I had a huge tulle monstrosity of a dress and yet there was only one person fitting me and she was always overwhelmed. She made multiple attempts to bustle the dress which she then scrapped without telling us, forcing me to come in again for another fitting and waste my dwindling vacation days. For the last fitting, I was called an hour in advance of my appointment to push it to two hours later. They were still working on the dress. They'd had two weeks to work on it, but were working on it then. Not really what you want to experience two weeks before your wedding, and incredibly, incredibly unprofessional for such a reputable shop. I also had to keep track of the dress accessories (a belt and veil) at each fitting because, unless reminded, they would not bring them out. That should not be my job. Lastly, it is so tight in there that you get fitted pretty much on top of another bride. Great way to have self esteem and body issues. In the end the dress looked and felt fantastic, which is why I'm of two minds about this place. But the hell I went through with alterations cast a pall over the rest of the experience. As such, I don't think I can recommend this shop to anyone. read more

Wow! What an amazing experience I had at Ultimate Bride! After looking everywhere in Chicago for a bridal gown, I finally found my perfect dress with the most unbelievable service at Ultimate Bride. This is my first yelp review as I had to join to rave about this boutique! I completely agree with all the other Yelpers that Stephanie was BEYOND the best consultant I have ever worked with. She is so incredibly knowledgeable, patient, sweet, and supportive, and made my dress search so much fun! She sincerely listened to my ideas, brought me such gorgeous options, and didn't stop smiling the entire appointment. My mom who came with me felt so comfortable with her as well and couldn't stop talking about her the whole drive home! Thank you Stephanie and Ultimate Bride for helping me find the wedding gown of my dreams! We will definitely be back to find our mother-of-the-bride dress! read more

Went on a Saturday. Felt like a zoo. Saleswoman was nice. Brought out different options. Had given a nice budget and there were many in that price range. Daughter came out in a beautiful dress and I was warned it was a bit over budget. It was double. A little over budget isn't double. To many other options in the city. Happy to have bought elsewhere. read more

Disclosure: Like another recent reviewer, my fiancee did not purchase her dress with Ultimate Bride, but I was so impressed with their level of customer service I felt compelled to write a review (which I very rarely do). With a very aggressive wedding date just 6 weeks away, my fiancee and I flew to Chicago this past weekend to find the perfect dress. I knew we'd have a difficult time b/c of our timeframe, my fiancee's particular dress preferences, and most importantly, our lack of scheduling any appointments with bridal shops (I know, bridal dress 101). Some saw us (we were grateful), while others turned us away (understandable). When we arrived at Ultimate Bride at the end of our long day, I wasn't expecting we'd even get in the door.... I couldn't have been more surprised. We were greeted by Tina, who did all she could to search her inventory for my fiancee's dress and size preferences (even though they were super busy). B/c my fiancee is very petite and wanted something more off the rack (like size 2), they weren't able to accommodate us. I mean, no one carries anything under a 6 on the rack (for the most part), so we were shooting from the hip anyways. But Tina then went on to call several other bridal shops to see if she could help us (when she could have easily sent us back on our way). I estimate she called over 10 different shops, easily, in and around the Chicago land area. We walked out of the store with 2-3 solid leads, and again, when she didn't have to be invested in us at all (the shop was SUPER busy) Now, I wouldn't recommend showing up without first setting up an appointment. I felt bad for doing so, but given our circumstances, I was running out of options. Despite our "dropping in", Tina and crew did literally all they could in helping us with their inventory, while also calling on literally 10 or so other bridal shops to help us. The dresses here are absolutely beautiful - - - without question your dress is probably here. Because of our special needs, ours unfortunately wasn't. But it's how you will be treated here that should leave you no question Ultimate Bride is the place for you... Thanks Tina, you really made our day. read more

I had been to many bridal shops in New York, before stopping into this place. As soon as I walked in the door I was treated like a princess. I worked with Stephanie who helped me find the perfect Monique Lhuillier dress. No matter how many questions I had, everyone went out of their way to help me. They helped me choose everything from color combinations to hair accessories. The fittings were also really professional and accurate. Something I've never experienced before (even after being a bridesmaid a couple dozen times.) After I had a total bridezilla meltdown after my final fitting (my dress was still too big), they let me choose a handbag for free. The offered to deliver my dress the day before my wedding. I couldn't have hoped for a better experience. read more

After visiting a few places, I quickly learned a lot of success with bridal dress shopping is finding the right person to work with. It took my two attempts at Ultimate before I hit it right, but it was worth it. The first consultant I met with (name fails me) was a lovely woman but slow as molasses and not particularly thoughtful with her selection. I knew I could do better and requested a different consultant. They were very accommodating and paired me with Stephanie, of whom I cannot speak more highly! So Patient, professional, thoughtful with her selections, sensitive to my budget and honest with me - which I must say was refreshing. (Oh and she could not be nicer.) After trying on probably 20-something dresses, ALL of which were stunning, she helped my find "the dress!" I fell in love with the most expensive dress I tried on, of course, but they cut me a deal during the trunk show and capped my alterations, which helped enormously. We're also working around paying the ridiculous city tax by shipping out of state. (Brides take note!) OTHER HELPFUL HINTS: They have veil designers on staff and a great accessory selection. This is not a cheap store - I think prices run from $2K up to some double digit figures I didn't even bother with. If your price point is at this lower end, they have plenty of options (pending on your style) and you won't feel like you're pursuing a lost cause. read more

Update: In the spirit of full disclosure, I was only interested in Monique L'Huillier (spelling?) gowns so maybe I am biased. (UB is the only store in Chicago that carries Monique.) ----------------------- I have to say I disagree with the poor reviews. ( I had my first appointment there earlier today. I tried on dresses for nearly 2 hours straight. In case you are wondering, I have already been to Belle Vie and Dimitra's. Also, in case you are wondering, I was wearing just your regular ol' jeans and a t-shirt to this appointment. No fancy designer bag or sunglasses and even though it was a boutique on Oak Street the didn't give me any sort of judgmental vibe. And I admit it -- I was nervous that they might take one look at me and say 'um, are you lost?") So, let's go back to the beginning.... I called to make an evening appointment about 2 weeks in advance. A week before my appointment, I emailed Ultimate Bride to show them the kinds of dresses I was interested in trying on for my appointment and they emailed me back fairly quickly .... at that point they appointed a sales lady to me (the very energetic and kind Stephanie) and she wrote back with some images of dresses they carry in their store that she would pull aside. I felt very taken care of... for instance, when some of the images didn't come through my email properly, she didn't just throw her hands in the air, she reformatted them and resent them and resent them until I finally was able to open the images. (My work email is rather aggressive with what it perceives to be spam.) For my appointment, I brought in a binder with some dress 'tear-sheets' and Stephanie was very good about looking at the images. She also pulled the exact type of dresses I was looking for. At one point I wanted to be extra thorough and asked if I could look at ALL of the samples in the closet and she happily obliged. Neurotic me wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything in Monique Lhuillier's collection. (I could easily imagine someone saying 'I think you covered it, don't worry honey.') But Stephanie was great... she even gave me a bottle of water before I had to ask... she could just sense I was getting thirsty. At the other places, I had to ask... (Sorry, but those little touches matter.) Stephanie didn't try to push anything on me. I honestly never felt like she was trying to make me fit into any style other than my own. And yet, if something didn't flatter me, she was honest (while being tactful). Ok, so yes... the dresses I tried on were between 4200-6500. That's a lot of money. I guess I want to pick my dress first and then work the rest of the budget around it! ; ) I will write more later after my 2nd experience... but for now, I think they are great!!!! Or at least Stephanie is... so maybe ask for her! P.S. Yes, they use pins instead of clamps.... so be careful! I was so excited to touch the dresses that I stupidly stuck myself -- twice!!! Stephanie was kind enough to get me band-aids and didn't make me feel badly about it at all. P.P.S. I hate to argue with my fellow beloved yelp-ers, but I honestly think that UB asks you about the location of your wedding not to 'size you up' but to get an idea of what type of dress would be appropriate for your venue. What works for an outdoor weddings doesn't necessarily work for an indoor one. read more

Ultimate Bride was the first place I visited in my search for a wedding dress, and as many people have have noted below, set the standards ridiculously high for all consultants that I worked with after. Rachel M. at Ultimate Bride asked about budget, listened to exactly what I thought I wanted / didn't want, and brought me dresses that fit that description... but then also dresses that I wouldn't have normally chosen from the rack. Rachel easily sized me up and put me in dresses I would never have chosen, but flattered my features and were gorgeous.. and at the end of the day, isn't that what you want your bridal consultant to do? They know the dresses better than anyone, and know how they will fit. Rachel was honest, not pushy in the slightest, genuinely nice and SO much fun to work with. She is absolutely fantastic at her job, and although I did not find my dress at Ultimate Bride, it is the first place I will be recommending to all my friends as they get engaged. One already has her appointment scheduled with Rachel after meeting her at my appointment. Thank you Rachel, and Ultimate Bride, for setting the standards so high for bridal consultants. I can't wait to visit again with friends! read more

Aside from loving my dress, Meghan could have convinced me to buy any dress from here. She was so sweet, and nice, and actually listened to what I was looking for. If I didn't like a dress, she didn't try to sell me on ones that were similar, she completely moved on. This was my first appointment, and although I found my dress during that time, I still went to my second appointment. Compared to the service we received from Meghan and the dress selection she showed me, there was such a difference. I actually left in the middle of my second appointment to go back to Ultimate Bride and buy my dress. The alterations were wonderful, my dress fit like a glove, and I/we could not have been happier. Side note: Debra is awesome, too! read more

Me and my friend who is becoming a bride went there and Brandy helped us. She did not offer us any water or Champagne yet other brides to be and friends had received them. In addition, she told my friend she had to keep her mask on ( she was vaccinated) yet other customers did not have them on. She also did not help us keep in our price range even after we told her. We had high expectations for this place but it disappointed us. My friend really loved a dress but because of the service we received, she did not want to buy from there. read more

What a great experience. I had visited Belle Vie and Dimitra's which were both very nice. But Ultimate Bride lives up to its name - the ultimate in service, selection, quality... If you like fashion and have some money to spend this place is fabulous. The service was amazing - the owner even came in, made suggestions, helped pin me up (the pinning makes a big difference - the consultant first pinned me into the dress and then the owner did, and I looked so much better in it after the owner got finished). $5K for the spectacular gown of a lifetime. Even if it's a stretch for your budget it's worth it. If you have even more to spend, by all means spend it here - the high couture stuff is amazing - you will love it. I took note of other people's reviews and wore some great fashion, and that may have influenced how I was treated - shouldn't, ideally, but probably did. read more

My appointment here was really quite alright. They had a large selection, didn't watch the clock, and encourage me try on the things I had said I didn't like- but hadn't actually experienced. I was 99% sure I hated lace, but they stuck me in one and yeah, I hated it, but now I'm 100% sure. I thought that was actually a great thing. And actually, one of the dresses that came out of nowhere I did really like! I knew it wasn't a wedding dress contender, but I really really liked it. But there were a lot of negatives to my appointment. Nothing huge, but a couple things... I inquired about 2 specific Monique Lhuiller dresses. They said one was about of my price limit by a lot so I let it be and tried on the other one. Which I loved and until the end of the day when I found my dress, thought I was going to buy. I digress, later the consultant came back and told me they didn't have the more expensive dress. In the beginning I thought she was lying to me just so I wouldn't be tempted to try it on- which I thought was sweet. But then later in our appointment, she asked if I would like a sample to be ordered so that I could come back and try it on. I found that unprofessional and unnecessary (since I was already in love with a dress)....shouldn't she be respectful of my budget? Not special order me a dress to fall in love and scramble to afford? The other huge negative is the layout of the store. I won't say the space, because they had space that I think they could work better with. There were no 3 way mirror set ups, there was no space for my entourage. Yes I admit, it was a lot of people, but I had an appointment and you knew that in advance. Yet when we show up, you have 2 chairs and situate everyone right outside the elevator. I think my friends were sitting on the floor with all their coats etc piled around them. There was just one pedestal across the room from everyone, that had a full length mirror. The other mirror outside the room and in front of my family was just at midbody height and you couldn't see your head and your feet. Very odd. The only other odd bit was the consultant. She was just didn't have the best 'bed-side' manner. I mean she was fine, she just didn't give a lot of direction. Really didn't help me in and out of dresses, was a little icy. But, overall, I would definitely recommend. Like I said, they have a pretty big selection and give you the time to try on all kinds of dresses without just trying to make the quick sale. Another bonus- there is a lady in-house that makes fascinators! I might be going back to have her create one for me. read more

This store is as good as it gets. I've been to at least half a dozen stores, and I've never received such wonderful service. Courtney was my associate, and she was wonderful. Sweet as an angel! I did not end up purchasing my dress from here, but the store is beautiful, the associates are so helpful and kind, and the dresses are gorgeous. Every bride should go here, just for the experience-- you'll truly feel like royalty, with the way UB treats people! Loved this place! read more

Ultimate Bride is a great place to go if you've got money to spend. I went to the store twice on my search for a unique, gorgeous designer wedding gown. Elise, my consultant, was very friendly and did a great job pulling dresses that I would love. She remembered me and my style in between appointments and interacted well with the others I brought along. I was looking for something non-strapless, and she seemed concerned that she wasn't able to pull me enough dresses because most of what they carry is strapless, but I didn't want to see anything that I knew I wasn't going to wear! The dress selection at Ultimate Bride is fantastic. Like most bridal boutiques, they do not keep all their dresses in the front of the store, so you can't look at all available dresses at once. Some of my favorite designers sold here include Alvina Valenta, Lela Rose, Monique Lhuillier, Badgley MIschka, and Jenny Packham. The dressing rooms here aren't the most spacious that I've encountered, but I found them well-lit. When you make an appointment at Ultimate Bride, they explicitly tell you that most of their dresses are $3,500 and above, so keep this in mind if you are considering shopping here. It is definitely possible, however, to get a dress here for less than that, especially if you're looking for something without a ton of embellishment or you come in for a sample sale or trunk show. I had a great experience at this high-end store with beautiful gowns. read more

Shopping for your wedding dress can be stressful, but the team at Ultimate Bride make it fun! I worked with Nancy, and she was amazing. I called ahead and asked them to pull 5-6 dresses for me, and they had them all ready for me. She also made recommendations that fit both the style that I was looking for and the budget that I had in place. If you are shopping for the dress for your big day, head to Ultimate Bride and ask for Nancy!! read more

-- This is a review for finding and purchasing a dress. Will update once my dress arrives in 7 months -- I purchased my dress from Ultimate Bride during a Monique Lhuillier trunk show last week, and I could not have been happier with the experience. Kate Collyer was the consultant (and life saver!) who helped me find THE DRESS. I have been to many bridal salons, and no other sales consultant comes close to the level of expertise and innate style sense that Ms. Kate has. Not only did she pull the dresses I specifically asked to try, but she also proactively pulled new "wild card" dresses she thought I would like -- of which THE dress was one. She was so amazingly keyed into what I was looking for, and her patience proved tireless over the three appointments it took me to finally say yes to the dress. The staff at the salon is very warm, very casual but still professional -- just not stuffy or pretentious like you might expect. Making appointments was a breeze, and they even offered to put me on the waiting list for overbooked Saturdays! I will say I was a bit underwhelmed with the salon itself. For carrying such expensive gowns, I would expect a more luxurious experience. The space is cramped and crowded, with multiple brides criss-crossing each other in the hallways and awkwardly sharing the same mirrors. Kind of chaotic. We also didn't get any champagne once we decided to purchase, like they do on TV. But I was so euphoric about finding a dress, I didn't really notice anyway. Definitely would recommend Ultimate Bride to friends and fellow Yelpers. And if you can, get an appointment with Kate Collyer! She'll find you the dress of your dreams. read more

Lori is fantastic! She was careful about my budget and picked out dresses I wouldn't have thought of but worked perfectly. I highly recommend her and Ultimate Bride! read more

Well, I LOVE this place. Not only did I find my amazing Kenneth Pool gown here - I got it a jaw-dropping price. Ok, so it is quite expensive here...but hellooo, you are on Oak Street. The nice thing is that when you walk in here, they treat you like a bride with no snootiness. Brandi was very sweet and listened and was good about staying within my budget and actually getting me styles I requested. Luckiness is what led me here as a "walk in" with my besties only to find a trunk sale going on after dreadfully (and speedily) running away from the "running of the brides" sale. Eeeek. Brandi brought my dress over - cautioned me that it was a "off white - champagney silverish" different in color - but that it's beautiful. Boy was she right. I fell in love and so did my besties, mom and aunt. I thought about it for a day or two - it was bigger and needed major tailoring, but I just couldn't let a BRAND new kenneth get away from me at the price that was offered. Brandi helped me save alot of money and I do not regret my decision for one sec. Do NOT let designer prices scare you away and don't hesitate to come here and check it out - you just may find the ONE for a great price. Let ppl think I spent or you spent $10K or whatever - they never have to know...just be sure to let them know of the great service and that they took care of you from start to finish! read more

Carmella is amazing!! She is balling me find the perfect dress. When I saw a Monique that I loved at bridal fashion week, she surprised me and flew it in for me to try (since they did not carry the dress in store). Myself and my mom were both blown away by the experience. Carmella is a true professional and leaves you feeling like you just made a new best friend. I work in the service industry, with high expectations, Carmella truly makes you to feel like the most beautiful girl in the room and the only one! Love this experience, love this place. I even went to the Monique boutique in NYC, it couldn't hold a candle to Ultimate Bride read more

I came to Ultimate Bride after many bad bridal appointments - I'm a size 12-14, and I had multiple experiences at other bridal shops where there were barely any dresses I could try on, or I'd get the "sorry, this is a 4 so you can't try it on" with the pursed lips look (which, fine, but how about finding some options instead of just standing there staring at me like I'm from another planet, not a human woman who happens to be a little bigger than your sample size and needs a wedding dress). Finding a dress became torture, and I was NOT optimistic when I came to Ultimate Bride with only about 6 months until my wedding. LORI WAS AMAZING. She found a bunch of dresses that not only fit, but were so flattering, and she was so nice even though I was being dramatic about how awful dress shopping was. She didn't give me a hard time about only having 6 months to get a dress. Basically, other places made me feel like they were doing me a favor by allowing me to shop there. Ultimate Bride was the opposite - they wanted to help me find something beautiful and I did! read more

I got the dress of my dreams! The staff made me feel very special. Carmella picked out the absolutely perfect dress for me--it wasn't by the designer I initially *thought* I wanted, but she read me like a book and came up with something even better. The incredibly gorgeous dresses here are extremely high-end and get pretty pricey, but the staff will bend over backwards to make you feel beautiful and give you any discount they possibly can. If you are in the market for a couture wedding gown, this is certainly the place to go. read more

Awful awful experience. First place to look for a dress and they made me feel unwelcome and too fat to try on their stock dresses. Went with my mom and even she thought it was traumatizing. After pointing out certain dresses I liked they said they didn't have my size. I'm 5'1" and 130lbs. They put me in these huge dated dresses that were falling off. Worst wedding gown shopping experience ever. Being in the Gold Coast you'd think they'd treat you better. Snobby staff and unhelpful stylist. read more

Lori my bridal stylist was amazing ! She listened and pulled out all the right dresses. I ended up saying yes to the 3rd one ! She worked very well within my budget and was super sweet! Thanks again Lori!!! read more

Not impressed. From the start, I was asked what my budget was. I said I wanted to stay under $5k (and really thought that was a pretty good budget). From there on, I was pigeon-holed into the "low budget" category. Despite showing photos of dress styles that I liked, I was brought dresses that didn't fit the bill at all and were even matronly. When I asked if they had any that were closer to the examples I had, I was told "we do, but not in your price range". Truth be told, could I have gone outside the budget? Sure. If I found a dress that I fell in love with. But I didn't like the treatment and didn't like being pigeonholed so I knew this wasn't the place for me. By the way, they don't let you browse around and see the other dresses, which is just bizarre. You are beholden to what the stylist selects. Also no offer of water, champagne, anything. Not a high end experience in any way shape or form. I ended going to Mira Couture and finding my dress there - it was a night and day difference in terms of experience and selection!!! read more

I initially went to Ultimate Bride to try on a Badgley Mischka gown I adored in a magazine, but completely fell head over heels in love with a Carolina Herrara gown. The service was great. I worked with Elise. They were very reasonable getting the price down. Two days before my wedding I called them needing several bridesmaid dresses steamed & pressed (my bridesmaids lived out of town). Though I had not purchased the dresses there, they gladly pressed and stuffed them for us, for free, all in 1 hour. The biggest advantage of UB is their selection. I have seen lots of to-die for gowns there. The biggest disadvantage is price, but I think you probably get what you pay for. Though I loved the alterations lady, she added darts to my dress that were poking my stomach on my wedding day. My mother claims Carolina Herrara would have died if she saw how they altered my dress, but I'm not a seamstress guru like her so didn't really notice. Great experience overall. read more

This place is so over-rated and way too crowded. I've been to this place 3 times for appointments and they never give you enough time to make decisions - which seems to be the case for other reviewers too. I'm not sure if it's a tactic they use to make you feel "you better buy it now or someone else will." The place is also so very crowded - I brought 3-4 girlfriends each time I went and they all had to either stand and wait around in the front area or only 2 can sit at a time. I really did not like this shopping in a rush for something that's supposed to take time type of atmosphere. I had 1 hour appointments each time and my final appointment was basically to decide between a Rivini dress from there or a Vera Wang dress from Belle Vie down the block. The lady I worked with kept looking at her watch and eventually was becoming very impatient since we were already 10 minutes over my 1 hour appointment. Finally I asked her if they have any promotions or would be willing to offer any discounts because at that time, Vera Wang was already willing to give me 15% off which I was already very surprised with. My lady was very stern and said they don't give any discounts except during trunk shows, which was only a week earlier. I felt she was very un-negotiable and simply didn't care and did not want to make any efforts. In the end I went back to Vera Wang and tried on their dress again - the lady at Vera Wang told me that if I were down to make final decisions, I can come in and try on the dress again and again at any time, no need to make specific appointments. So when I finally went back I spent almost 2 hours there and no one rushed me or my friends - I actually spent about 30 minutes just sitting there in the dress talking to my friends which made me feel very comfortable in the dress. Finally I purchased the Vera Wang gown. It's interesting how different places have different service models - but if you don't like to be rushed, want to enjoy your dress-trying experience, I would not recommend Ultimate Bride. read more

I so very much wanted to love this place. My complaint isnt so much about the young lady who helped me because she was sweet. However, I don't understand how they expect someone who barely knows you to pull dresses you will like after knowing you five minutes. I think its a bad business decision not to let the customers look at the gowns to pick out what they want.. I was willing to spend a lot of money, and walked out empty handed not liking one of the five dresses she showed me. *The only thing I will say is I didn't appreciate the underhanded jabs made about Vera Wang after I said I liked her dresses. It's in poor taste. read more

Initially came off well BUT: unpleasant, hustlers. practically ruined my daughter's dress after first fitting gave wrong head jewerly piece then didn't answer phone(s). Nearly refused to take unused piece back until my wife went berserk in shop; then and only then d id they take it back and with great unpleasantness. VERY expensive to boot. Would NEVER advise using them. read more

This review is long overdue but I had to post something about my awful experience at Ultimate Bride. Full disclosure- I got married a few years ago so I have no clue if these people still even work there but it was bad enough that even years later it still irritates me lol. I made and appt. to come in with my mom to look at wedding dresses. I was looking for three dresses and had no budget so I should have been their dream client. I know a lot of negative reviews focus on how rude they were because some brides wanted to buy less $$ dresses and if they had been willing to spend more they thought UB would have been nicer to them, Well let me tell you- they wouldn't have been! They are rotten whether you have a little or a lot to spend. My first introduction to the showroom was walking in, barely being greeted by the girl sitting at the desk who was too busy texting to look up at us. A young girl ran in behind us really upset and says to the girl at the desk that her bridesmaids dresses have just arrived and they had ordered the wrong colors. The girl looks at her and says rudely, "Well, what do you expect me to do about that?" My mom and i looked at each other in shock- that should have been my first clue I should have run out of that place. Then (20 mins after our scheduled appt) an elderly lady comes out to help me. I explain to her I want 3 dresses. She asks for budget and I tell her we don't have one. She asks what i like/dont like which i explain to her. I am really good about being specific about what i like/dont like (im not one of those wishy washy i dont know what i like types). So first issue is that you can't peruse the dress selection. Its in the back and the stylists pull the dresses so you are at the mercy of whatever they pull so you could very well miss something you might like especially if the salesperson has no clue what they are doing (which was the case with the lady who helped us). She proceeds to bring in dresses that are the EXACT OPPOSITE of what ive asked for. Not only that, they were on the cheaper side (and it showed). Who brings a bride who says I want MULTIPLE dresses and have NO BUDGET and these are the styles i like dresses that are cheap and not what i said i liked? I was as polite as possible given the frustration that she was wasting our time because she either wasn't listening or had no idea what she was doing. Finally, I was a bit more direct and said these are nothing like what i said i liked and stop bringing in dresses covered in cheap itchy tulle. So, I insisted I just find the dresses myself and she let me in the back room to look. Meanwhile, in the background another bride came in for help and from what i overheard she had budget concerns and the sales girl was so rude to her. I couldn't believe it and i felt so bad for her. She wasn't in there for long understandably... I found a few dresses myself in the back which I tried on and they were pretty but after the way we were treated and the utter ineptness of the staff I told my mom even if i found a dress i liked there we would buy it somewhere else even if i had to fly out of state to do so. I would never let my parents spend 10s of thousands in that place after seeing how their staff acts. Needless to say i ended up buying 2 of my dresses down the street on oak at another designer bridal boutique and a third in New York. I can't believe after all these years this place is still in business based on how they treat people (unless its gotten better- which i really hope it has). I think since they have the Chicago exclusive on certain designers brides feel like they have no other choice but to go there and I guess because of that Ultimate Bride figures they can treat customers poorly and it wont matter. read more

When I first started looking for a wedding dress, my mom and I were having terrible experiences at different bridal shops around Chicago. Nothing was fitting me and I felt I was going to have a really hard time finding a dress (I am short and curvy). We decided to go to Ultimate Bride on a whim and what a completely different experience! When we came in, we were greeted right away and was told to just wait till our stylist finished with her previous client. Our stylist was Laura and she was the absolute best! She listened to me and made me feel extremely comfortable. She has a ton of experience and picked the perfect dresses for me to try on. She made me feel beautiful and not hopeless (Like I was feeling at the other places). I also loved that she never pressured me to tell her what I didn't like about dresses that weren't for me. Tons of other bridal shops would continue to ask me what I didn't like about dresses and when I couldn't pin point it, they would get very frustrated. She never chose dresses over budget and always explained what they could do to the dress to make it fit me perfectly. I ended up loving 3 dresses that weekend. My mother in law and aunts were already planning a trip to Chicago that month so I knew after this appointment I wanted them to come to Ultimate Bride. It was very easy making the appointment for that weekend but unfortunately Laura was going to be out of town that weekend. But that wasn't an issue because we had Emily helping us out! Emily was the absolute best as well, making me feel comfortable and beautiful. She listened and grabbed other dresses my family wanted me to try on. She had the best personality and you can tell she really loves her job and cares about her clients. We ended up falling in love with one but decided to go to the other appointments we had scheduled the next day. Because we really loved one dress, Emily allowed us to come back the next day for an appointment even though they were SUPER busy! (Also offered to cancel our other appointments!) We ended up picking the dress at Ultimate Bride and I couldn't be happier. The team is the absolute best and I highly recommend going there for your wedding dress! read more

Horrible experience, was so upset for my daughter. We had filled in a whole form describing what my daughter was interested in and our budget. When we arrived we waited for at least 30 minutes and then the woman assisting us basically told us she never looked at our form. She was totally unprepared and then informed us there was only one dress in our budget as her dresses start at $4000 plus. If that was the case would it not have helped us for someone to call from your shop and tell us that,before we wasted our time with a saleswomen that wanted nothing to do with us because we weren't spending $5000 plus. How arrogant can you get. I was never offered a chair to sit in to view anything my daughter tried on as everyone else in the shop was shown to a seat. I was left to fend for myself. Thanks for the Ultimate Experience Lori! read more

I can't begin to express what a lovely experience I had at Ultimate Bride. I was in Chicago for a work seminar and on my free time decided to go dress shopping. I had already been to all of the high-end dress shops on Oak Street including Vera Wang when I stopped by. Upon entering Ultimate Bride I was greeted with a warm smile. Ultimate Bride has more designers than any other salon I know other than kleinfelds in NY. They also have the latest and greatest from each designer. I saw things as far back as fall 2009 up to even spring 2012! Vera Wang's salon did not even have spring 2012 out yet. Laura was my dress consultant and she is just the most lovely, funny and witty woman I have ever met! Laura is also sneaky and by this I mean VERY good at her job! I only had to try on 2 dresses when she pulled out a Monique lhuillier gown. If you know anything about wedding gowns then you know Monique Lhuillier is to wedding gowns what Bentley is to cars! I was not prepared to spend quite this much money on a gown since I had already done that once before (but that's a box of worms I won't open). I had it in my mind that because this was my second wedding I did not deserve to buy an expensive gown. Laura told me that now that I have the right man I deserve nothing less than to have the right dress. The second I had the dress on I could not take it off. It was as if I had been injected with Oxytocin. You know Oxytocin, the same thing that causes a mother to bond with her newborn baby. All jokes aside I was in the store for 4 hours (three of them in this gown) I am in love! Laura somehow found the dress I could not live without. It was sexy and stylish and AMAZING! Like I said Laura is DAMN good. Now I know that I could find this dress in Arizona or get it shipped to me but the experience I had with Laura made me want to not only buy the gown there in December (a three hour flight away) but fly back at least 2 times for my fittings when the dress comes in. If for whatever reason you are shopping alone for your perfect gown, please see Laura I beseech you to make an appointment with her. Laura is like shopping with your mother & best friend without all the drama! I must have hugged her a million times. Not once during my visit to ultimate bride and seeing all the other brides with their family did I feel alone. Laura really does care and it shows! She also sent me the sweetest letter in the mail. read more

Ultimate Bride was a wonderful dress shopping experience. I'm a little disappointed that I came here first-- I was overwhelmed and didn't know exactly what I wanted. The staff will pin the dress instead of using those awful clamps to fit you into your dress. Once you have a top contender, they are willing to put on a veil and jewelry to help you get a better idea of the full picture. My sales associate was amazing. I can't recall her name but she was wonderful. read more

I am not one to jump to writing a bad review, but the woman who answered the phone was so rude to me, that I chose not to even book an appointment with this bridal salon. I was unaware that a $2000 budget for a wedding dress was worth a snide chuckle... read more

Full disclosure: I did not buy the dress I liked here. So why 5 stars? The service, quality of dresses and non-pushy attitude of the staff. If you're thinking of setting up an appointment (which you SHOULD!), please go to Laura Massie. She is a fantastic person who will be honest, stay within your budget and has 10+ years in the biz. She picks up on what you like very quickly and is extremely helpful if you want to discover what kind of bridal dress you want. She doesn't push you to choose or buy, and she clearly has her brides' best interest at heart. I came out feeling inspired and with 4 dresses to consider buying. Then, in a different bridal shop I came across The dress that I knew was going to be mine. That being said, I was so impressed with Ultimate Bride (aka Laura) and the beautiful dresses I got to try on there that I wanted to write a review for future brides-to-be! Even though I didn't buy a dress there, I'm grateful I got to try on such beautiful, soft and edgy dresses. read more

I had a great experience here-- I even bought a dress! I was nervous to come to Ultimate because of some of the reviews I read on Yelp . . . which leads me to believe that it's all about who helps you. My advice: go with Brandi. She's amazing! The sweetest, cutest person you've ever met. I'm not sure how long she'll be working there though-- she's preggers! read more