another woohoo!Booked another trip to NYC

[bee*]

So excited-my dad is taking our family away to NY for a few nights as our last family holiday altogether! While there, my mother and my sisters and I are going wedding dress shopping for me and bridesmaid dress shopping for the two sisters. I cannot wait to go. Any tips on where to shop in NY for wedding dresses? I have RK bridal on my list and Kleinfelds,but not sure where else?

 

[Skippy123]

I don't have any tips but it sounds like an exciting trip!!! YAY!

 

[beebrisk]

There''s always the BIG one...Vera Wang!
The salon is on Madison Avenue.

 

[bee*]

oooh I think I''d be a bit intimidated going into Vera Wang! I would love to see the dresses though!

 

[pennquaker09]

Monique Lhullier is an absolute must. And Amsale.

 

[scarlet16]

I just bought my dress on Friday at Mark Ingram's Bridal Atelier. Ask for Kelsey (tell her her Badgley bride sent you)! She was honestly one of the NICEST people I've ever met (not just salespeople). Mark Ingram's carries all of the lines that everyone brought up (except maybe Vera). The salon itself is FANTASTIC and probably the nicest of all the ones in the city. They only carry super high quality dresses so they're price points are a little higher (I'd say $1500+), but the dresses are sooooo gorgeous!!! I'd suggest it if you're looking something a little different.

Wedding Atelier was also great. They have a fantastic selection as well.

Before I bought my dress I went to 9 other salons (including Kleinfeld's and RK Bridal) and tried on 65+ dresses, so I consider myself somewhat of an "expert" on the metro-area salons.

A few tips
If you're going to Kleinfeld's make sure to request a "good consultant" because it can really make a difference. I had a miserable experience there with a new consultant who didn't really know what she was doing, and was very rude to me. I've heard great things about Audrey. Try to go on a weekday.

Going in, know your budget & the type of dress you're going to be looking at. For example, you're not going to find a "haute" dress at RK Bridal. While they were very nice, there was a noticeable difference in the quality.

Also, so long as you're good about not blowing a budget, you should try on several different price points. I thought I would never spend more than $1,000 on a dress but after trying on some designer dresses, I knew why they cost so much more. The fabric, cut, workmanship and design really are superior. And while that may be important to me, cost may be a bigger factor to others.

Don't feel pressured to buy something! It's a lot of money and a big decision.

Make sure to try on a full "range" of dress styles. You never know unless you see a little of everything.

If you have any questions, let me know. HTH!

 

[bee*]

thanks a million for all your help girls!!
Wow Scarlet-you''ve tried on a huge amount of dresses! I''m not sure if I''m going to wait until I get home and order one over from the states, or if I will purchase it while I''m there. I just can''t wait to try them on! With the euro being so high at the moment also I can afford to get something a little bit pricier hopefully.

 

[blushingbride]

I live in NYC and went dress shopping here. Don''t be scared of Vera Wang - I was there twice and had wonderful experiences at the salon. My assistant was named Ana and I thought she was great. I actually ended up getting my dress at Vera Wang''s annual sample sale which is usually the first week in December (my friend works at Vera Wang and got me in a hour earlier than everyone else so I had a great selection). What weekend are you coming?

Definitely try Mark Ingram''s Bridal Atelier and Amsale. I wouldn''t bother going to Saks, Barney''s, etc...they don''t have much of a selection.

I also had a bad experience at Kleinfeld''s with the woman who helped me - she was rude and extremely pushy. However, there are a lot of girls who had good experiences there so, it all depends. My advice is go to the big salons first and then if you find a dress you really love and Kleinfeld''s happens to sell that designer, then buy it there (you get 12% off at Kleinfelds). This way, you don''t have to go through the hassle of a pushy sales person working off commission if you know exactly what you are looking for.

Have fun!!!!

 

[bee*]

thanks for the info blushingbride!

 

[april diamonds]

I didn''t go to these shops beacuse I found my dress before I made an appt. But I have heard that Adrienne''s and The Bridal Garden are excellent places to check out.

The Bridal Garden sells preowned and donated (from designers) dresses at a big discount apparently. Part of the funds go to charity so it''s a pretty neat idea. Might be worth stopping by. There''s also Priscilla of Boston which I have heard has a huge selection as well.

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 11/7/2007 9:25:51 AM
Author: April Diamonds
I didn''t go to these shops beacuse I found my dress before I made an appt. But I have heard that Adrienne''s and The Bridal Garden are excellent places to check out.


The Bridal Garden sells preowned and donated (from designers) dresses at a big discount apparently. Part of the funds go to charity so it''s a pretty neat idea. Might be worth stopping by. There''s also Priscilla of Boston which I have heard has a huge selection as well.

Bridal Garden is a fantastic concept, and I think if you have some idea of what you''re looking for, it''s a great place to go. It''s no frills, and the dresses are samples from the designers. When I went they seemed to mostly have ballgowns, some a-line and very few of anything else. Also, the styles tended to be more on the simple side. They do constantly get in new stuff so it may be worth a visit. The prices are FANTASTIC though (ie. originally $5000+ designer dresses for less than half that amount).

 

[bee*]

thanks april and scarlet again!! I cannot wait to go dress shopping now

Roll on NY

 

[repartee]

I''m going to have to second (or third) the recommendation for Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier. I went to Kleinfeld''s, too, and it was just a little too much. Bridal Atelier is a bit calmer environment and the staff there is wonderful from the front desk to the seamstress. They carry a lot of brands (I went with a Monique Lhuillier). I''m convinced they have skinny mirrors, though .

Good luck!

Grace

 

[bee*]

Thanks for that grace! Sounds like I'll definitely have to go there. Has anyone had any dealings with lotus bridal store out in Brooklyn-they have a dress there that I'm dying to try on.

 

[bee*]

here''s a pic of it