- Our first stop was David's Bridal (751 Avenue Of The Americas, New York). (Bride + Bridesmaid Dresses)
It's a Saturday in New York, we expected it to be busy and it was! The store in Manhattan is larger than the others I have visited in Cherry Hill, NJ and Philadelphia, PA. We waited about 5 minutes for our consultant who was extremely pleasant, but her name has escaped my mind. David's Bridal provides 2 seats for each Bride. Brides are given a strapless bra and shoes while trying on dresses. The consultant will first talk with the bride to find out what designers, styles, and her price range before bringing over any dresses. The consultant also had an assistant to help with the dresses. The bride would get dressed in a mirror-less fitting room with help from the consultant. Dresses which are too big are clipped to create the look of what the dress will look like. Consultants also grab veils if the bride requests it. Although we liked the service at David's Bridal - nothing made my friend think "This is the one". When other future brides find "the dress". They get to ring a bell. I forgot to mention that you cannot change the style of the dress, so if you want a real sweetheart neckline and had a straight across neckline - they would not change it.
My friend scheduled a bridesmaid dress appointment following hers. The consultant (who remained with us the whole time) picked out dresses according to the style, material, and sizes of the bridesmaids. She always picked out three of the same dresses though my friend wasn't requiring us to buy the same dress at first. But after seeing the three of us in the same dresses she decided that it would look nicer for us to wear matching dresses. We got lucky because the dress looked great on all of us. We decided not to purchase our dresses right then and there since we still had nearly 9 month until the wedding and we all wanted to wait for a deal. There's currently $20 off coupons if you order the dress online using codes "LOVEMYPRICE" or "20BPDRESS413". Also if your dress is over $99, there is free shipping. David's Bridal will also tell you if the bride orders her dress from them, we receive the $20 off. We forgot to ask how much alterations will be, but I think it's according to what you need done and your location. (They will also give you a strapless bra and shoes to borrow for trying on the dresses).
Personally, I'm used to being able to choose what dresses I want to try on, and when I tried to do this, the consultant immediately rushed over to help me. I appreciate the gesture and I understood that it's Manhattan so their store would be in a mess if everyone did that.
David's Bridal allows you to take pictures! Which is so necessary to really know how you look from all angles and whether the dress photographs well. Fitting rooms had no mirror. There was no platform. It was an okay-sized fitting room, but small with huge bridal gowns.
Macy's
We practically ran from David's Bridal to a quick bite at Starbucks to Macy's in order to be in time for our appointment. But despite our hustling and bustling, we had to wait approximately 15 minutes for our consultant, Andrea. Who was EXTREMELY unhelpful. She basically pointed at what the bride was looking for in our dresses and ran off. We picked up a few dresses where sizes where all huge and the styles weren't anything special. We tried on a bunch of dresses and found one that was a bit different than the one who already which costs like $100 more. Although the dress was beautiful, it definitely was not worth the additional money. We were extremely disappointed in the service. I had higher expectations for Macy's. Anyway we decided to head out a bit early (the lady also made it clear she was done with us) because of the unhelpful service. (No strapless bra or shoes offered). There was ample seating and a platform for the bride to stand on. Fitting rooms were large and contained mirrors.
Macy's does not allow you to take photographs.
- Our final stop was Cymbelline & L'Fay (5E 19th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 1003)
We had a little trouble finding the shop since there is no sign. You also have to call up to the bridal salon for them to open the door. We also figured that since it's only on the 2nd floor we would walk up, but once we got to the 2nd floor there was a sign telling us to use the elevator. So we head back down and got on the elevator pressed 2 and was amazed at what the door opened to. We were greeted by Renee, who was so extremely sweet. She hung up our jackets and let us roam the store for dresses. Once we armed our bride with nearly 7 dresses. Renee helped our friend get into the dresses. My friend came out with her first dress and you could tell how much more beautiful she looked and how she really loved the dresses over David's Bridal dresses. Renee was such a wonderful consultant. She listened, she gave her opinion, and she was upfront with all dress costs. She knew where the dresses came from and what alterations could be done. Renee outfitted my friend with a beautiful matching veil and tiara so my friend would get the full view of what she could look like on her wedding day. Renee also provided shoes for my friend to wear while trying on the dresses. My friend brought her own strapless bra for this appointment. When the decision came down to two dresses, Renee was patient and gave her honesty opinion. In the end, my friend found "the one" and Renee told her about the costs to alter the dress and when it would be ready for her. Alterations will be $495 but it's an unlimited amount of times of fittings. Renee also picked out a perfect matching veil. We loved working with Renee and loved all the dresses here. We highly recommend this location for bridal gown shopping. Also Renee said to take many photos! Fitting rooms contained a mirror and there was ample seating for us. There also was a platform for the bride to stand on.
So what do you need to know when bridal + bridesmaid gown shopping:
- Make an appointment!
- Ask if you need to bring your own strapless bra (or just bring your own anyway)
- If you already have your shoes, bring them.
- Ask how much are alterations
- Ask when is expected delivery of the dress
- Ask for discounts :)
Happy shopping!
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