Dress Shopping: Where is good, where isn't good

This has been my personal experience so far:

Bridal Reflections in Carl Place with Andrea was awesome. She couldn't be more pleasant. I could tell she was trying to relate to me and find what I was looking for, even though I wasn't entirely sure. She brought out multiple suggestions for me to try on. Andrea gave me a nice pair of shoes and a corset to try on with the dress. I think I accidentally mooned her taking dresses on and off but she didnt complain I ended up finding a dress I love there, and although I want to try more places, I think there is a good chance I'm going back for this particular dress. Andrea even sent me a sweet thank you for coming in card a few weeks later.

Pricilla of Boston in Manhasset with Marlene stunk. I was expecting great service here since the dresses are expensive and online they look so nice. I told Marlene I'm mostly interested in Mermaid style, but I haven't tried on many dresses, so I'd like to try on other styles and have her suggest some. She asked me my budget, I said the most I could spend was around 3-3,500. At this point she shook her head and said 'We don't have many mermaid dresses, and really none in that price range. You're welcome to take a look around but...' First, I wonder if this is really true. I've seen many Melissa Sweet Mermaid dresses. It bothered me that she was ready to close the door instead of making other suggestions. She said 'You're welcome to try on a dress, I'm sure it'll look cute, but it's not going to be 'tight' like you're looking for'. I tried on one dress, Marlene didn't help me put it on. She also didn't give me shoes or a corset. I really just got the feeling like she was looking to get rid of me. So I thought, 'why keep pushing to buy an expensive dress from here when they're not really interested in me anyway?' And I left. On a side note....Marlene sounds like she's been smoking for 30 years, you can hear it when she just breathes.

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Posted by allornil

I wish you lived out near me bc Fantasia bridal in Rocky Point is amazing

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my mom won't shut up about this place! a woman she works with went there with her daughter and said it was phenomenal. i think that's where i'm going to wind up going since mom's paying for the dress. i'm just worried since it's a little bit of a hike from my house.

is it the service or the dress selection that makes this place great?

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Posted by allornil

I wish you lived out near me bc Fantasia bridal in Rocky Point is amazing

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That's very sweet of you. Maybe I'll try there if I'm out there.

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Posted by jilliibabii

I loved VIllage Bridal in Babylon best of all, but they didn't carry the designer I ultimately went with, so I ordered from paradise bridal. Thus far, not a single issue! I have my 2nd fitting next week!

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that's great to hear that you haven't had any problems. that's the closest bridal shop to me but i had heard some bad things about them (and i had a bad experience a few years ago with them for my cousin's wedding). i have to order another BM dress from them in the next few months for my friend's wedding so i hope i have the same experience as you this time around!

i am sorry to hear you didnt have a great experience at POB, that was n of my favorite stores!!

i LOVED babylon village bridal and paradise bridal!!!

my favorite places so far have been Lilette's and Monica's Bridal in Brooklyn (where I am actually going to ordering my dress from).

Gerri at Lillette's was such a sweetheart and if they carried the designer my dress is from I would have ordered through them. But Monica's Bridal is very nice. I worked with Yelena and she was such a sweetheart and let me try on as many dresses as I want and she was very honest with me about what styles she thought were good on me or not. When we go back to order on the 24th she even told us she's going to see what more she can do on the price.

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Posted by futurestevens

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Posted by jilliibabii

I loved VIllage Bridal in Babylon best of all, but they didn't carry the designer I ultimately went with, so I ordered from paradise bridal. Thus far, not a single issue! I have my 2nd fitting next week!

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that's great to hear that you haven't had any problems. that's the closest bridal shop to me but i had heard some bad things about them (and i had a bad experience a few years ago with them for my cousin's wedding). i have to order another BM dress from them in the next few months for my friend's wedding so i hope i have the same experience as you this time around!

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I've been working with Patty and she is really great! The first time I went in, with a group of like 8 people with me, we stayed well after the store closed and Patty never showed any impatience. As soon as I showed up for my fitting, she remembered me and remarked how the time flew! She really made me feel welcome and valued!

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Posted by jilliibabii

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Posted by futurestevens

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Posted by jilliibabii

I loved VIllage Bridal in Babylon best of all, but they didn't carry the designer I ultimately went with, so I ordered from paradise bridal. Thus far, not a single issue! I have my 2nd fitting next week!

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that's great to hear that you haven't had any problems. that's the closest bridal shop to me but i had heard some bad things about them (and i had a bad experience a few years ago with them for my cousin's wedding). i have to order another BM dress from them in the next few months for my friend's wedding so i hope i have the same experience as you this time around!

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I've been working with Patty and she is really great! The first time I went in, with a group of like 8 people with me, we stayed well after the store closed and Patty never showed any impatience. As soon as I showed up for my fitting, she remembered me and remarked how the time flew! She really made me feel welcome and valued!

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wow, thanks for the input jill! i think i might add paradise to my list again. i had read someone's post last week that advised brides-to-be to pick a bridal shop that's close since there's lots of fittings and you don't want to be driving all over creation for them. i'll see if i can request patty when i go there since you've had such a good experience with her. i love when people remember you from one meeting to the next! makes you feel special

Lillettes in Bellmore I believe!

So sweet there

wedding salon of manhasset has been the best so far- i worked with noreen and she is such a sweetheart. they had so much patience with me and let me try on as many dresses as i wanted...they were very accomodating, not pushy at all.

i also had good experiences at Paradise Bridal and Bridal Suite of Bayshore

hated Bridal Reflections in manhasset

didnt care for RK bridal, i felt like i was just another girl in line and they weren't very helpful with helping me find a dress

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Posted by quirkybride

Is wedding salon of manhasset right next to priscilla of boston....like, in the next parking lot? There were two stores in that next parking lot. I did walk over there after, one place was closing but they let me take a look around the salon. It looked very nice but all of the dresses I saw on the racks that I had an interest in were 4,000 or above. Do they have any particularly nice dresses 3,500 or below? Thanks

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yup, it is next door. i think most dresses start around 4K there, but you can always try going to a trunk sale, or seeing if they have any sample sales coming up.

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Posted by Lisalana

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Posted by quirkybride

Is wedding salon of manhasset right next to priscilla of boston....like, in the next parking lot? There were two stores in that next parking lot. I did walk over there after, one place was closing but they let me take a look around the salon. It looked very nice but all of the dresses I saw on the racks that I had an interest in were 4,000 or above. Do they have any particularly nice dresses 3,500 or below? Thanks

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yup, it is next door. i think most dresses start around 4K there, but you can always try going to a trunk sale, or seeing if they have any sample sales coming up.

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Hey there,

You're running the half marathon, that's awesome. I'm considering doing it this year. Did you attend one of their trunk shows or sample sales? Where they willing to negotiate? I saw they had a bunch of sale dresses in the back, but nothing that was particularly attractive to me.

Theresa