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I went to several bridal shops throughout Minnesota (where I am originally from) and Madison, WI (where I currently live) and I personally have to defend Vera's House of Bridal. I ended up getting my dress here after visiting several other shops. I felt that the amount of one-on-one attention and professional insight they provided was unmatched. They really knew how to listen and chose dresses that met your needs. In many other shops I felt like I was so overwhelmed, forced to pick out dresses off racks.. I couldn't even begin to narrow it down. I've gone back several times since purchasing my dress to shop for veils and accessories, and each time they've provided me with a private room and a one-on-one attendant. A close friend of mine who also just got married got her dress from Vera's and also have a very positive experience.
Another really good one is Bonnie's Wedding Center in Viroqua. If you are in the La Crosse, Prairie Du Chien, or Sparta areas, it's totally worth the beautiful drive to get there. I've been in there and brides have been there from well over an hour away because they have said it's so great compared to some others in the area. :)
I went to the Vera's outlet in Janesville. I had a good experience with them. They explained how the rooms were laid out (according to price) and asked what I was looking for ( what type of wedding, formal, beach, etc.) Then left my mom and I to look on our own. It helped me from feeling overwhelmed or pressured. The salesperson checked in a few times to put dresses in the dressing room. Once in the room to try them on, they were attentive with my questions, like if a neckline could be changed slightly or showed me how it would looked bustled, etc.
I had looked at David's a few months before to narrow what I was looking for down. Had I not done that I might have had a different experience. I did end up finding my dress at Vera's outlet ($500) and liked their somewhat hands off approach.
I'll add that I also had a pleasant experience with Vera's Bridal in Madison and bought my dress there. I think their store and the experience you get there is ideal for certain types of brides. I had been to many other stores and was really struggling to narrow down my search, so having someone pick out some gowns based on my criteria was helpful. However, my sister - who knew exactly what she wanted - did not enjoy shopping there.
It probably also depends on the specific employee you're working with; I've had great experiences at bridal stores with certain employees, and terrible experiences at the same store with different ones.
Do not go to Wedding Tree in La Crosse....at least if you are not a millionaire. I went there and found a dressthat I loved, but I couldn't afford it. The girl who helped me (I wont name names) was nice, until I was going to leave without buying the dress. She wanted the comission so bad and it was obvious. She treid every trick in the book. This was a store model also....not even a custom order.
First she said I could put down 60% and I didn't have it. Then she said ok, 55%. I am like, its not gonna happen this week. I will come back next week and put a deposit on it. The she asked me to make an appointment to come back the next day. I was like, I can't afford it this week. She wouldn't take no for an answer. It was like a car salesman. Terrible customer skills and made me feel like I wasn't good enough to shop there.
Then she started trying to scare me into buying it like I was pretending not to have the money... Oh, somone else might buy it, or it might get discontinued. What would you do if that happened. Call your fiance and see if you can buy it. Lets pick out a more expnsive dress and pretend that is the one you really like and then he will go for this one cause its less expensive. I was super pissed that she tried to strong arm me into buying that dress. In front of other customers too. I was embarrassed and angry that I couldn't get it as it was, and she was treating it like I didn't know my own budget.
I went home with intentions of going back to the store when I had the money to get the dress the next week. Two days after I had been in the shop, she sends me a letter in the mail, hand written and with terrible spelling and grammar telling me all the same stuff. It was like wedding store spam in my mail box. I will never go in there, not if they were the last bridal shop on earth. I'd get married in jeans first.
I'm a fan of Edith's Bridal in Fond Du Lac. Very large store, a little out dated and kinda cramped but has a large selection. Everyone was very nice and I worked with Cathy the owner personally. The younger staff memebers seem a little "out to lunch" but the older members were great. I found a wonderful Alfred Angelo plus-size sample dress for $499. Bargain!
I didn't care for Edith's in Fond du Lac at all. The whole store is like stepping back into the 70's, complete with shag carpeting, which wasn't very clean. The staff was definately "out-to-lunch," and was not very helpful.
My best experiences were The Bridal Event in Appleton and Tie the Knot in Green Bay. Both stores had wonderful attendants who were cheerful and helpful. Tie the Knot doesn't have a huge selection, but they have some lines that aren't available at any of the other salons in the area.
Places I have had good experience from is the Mens Warehouse Tux Rental (used to be After Hours before MW bought the chain). I've rented more than 1 tux there for friends weddings, and they have always been excellent.
My fiance found her dress at Heims Bridal in Greenfield. I will suggest you talk to the younger owner, not the older gal that also works in the store. The younger gal was very helpful, knowledgeable, and easy to work with.
There is only one store I will stay away from - Savvy Bride in Brookfield. They botched half of tuxes for my brothers wedding (wrong sizes, torn garments, dirty garments, etc). They are usually understaffed too and have no spot to 'wait', so you end up standing around in the doorway for a long time.
I just found my dress at Brandi's Bridal in New Glarus. I went to Vera's in Madison and Germaine's in Lake Geneva and ultimately find the service and selection at Brandi's to be the best. I loved that I could look at the dresses and select those I wanted to try on ( as opposed to Vera's where the consultant chooses dresses for you from their stock) and their selection was MUCH better than Germaine's. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a good service and a fantastic selection!
I have to third the icky Edith's Bridal. Every one told me to try there until my mom (who is photographer in the wedding industry) told me stories how they purposely sew patches in your dress when it gets in. They call you, you try it on, and WOWZA! It doesn't fit... then they bank $$$ on alterations.
There aren't a ton of places around the Fox Valley area. I went to The Bridal Event as well and their dresses were very overpriced for the look and quality of the dress. Over 60% of their dresses were tie-up corset styles and that was the one look I said I would not buy. Not for me.
I also didn't have a pleasurable experience at Edith's Bridal, a
little outdated IMO. I worked with one lady who was nice though, and
customer service is important.
David's Bridals (anywhere) don't work for me, I find that they
discourage you from looking through dresses for yourself, instead, my
attendant went and found dresses that she thought would look good on
me. When I didn't like something she picked out, I always felt bad and
just tried it on anyway..waste of time.
Had some success at Bridal Event in Appleton, very large selection,
sort their dresses out by style and even have a plus size dress wall.
Erika's Bridal Couture in Neenah has amazing customer service. I found
my BM's dresses online and they were the only store that carried it,
so I really had no choice. But it worked out, they are very sweet
people over there.
Bridal Elegance in Kaukauna also has a large selection, but I found
that the attendants seemed to always have 'something else to do...'
hope this helps a little bit ladies!
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I was wondering what everyone thinks are the best bridal stores in Wisconsin. Where did you find your dress? How was the customer service?
In my opinion, the best bridal store in Wisconsin is Marah's Elegant Bridal in Mt. Horeb. Stumbling upon this store was the best wedding planning experience I've had so far!! Marah the owner is extremely nice and actually cares about all of her brides and their needs. She takes the extra time to work with you, and help you find what you need. Maybe it's the small town atmosphere, but I can't imagine finding my wedding dress anywhere else. If you're in the Madison area, I strongly recommend visiting her shop. You will not be disappointed. (Marah's Elegant Bridal - http://www.marahselegantbridal.com/)
I also went to Brandi's Bridal in New Glarus. They have a large selection, but I didn't find the customer service to be anything special. Actually when we went there to look at bridesmaid dresses, the sales clerks were making fun of my bridesmaids and they didn't really help us even though we had an appointment.
Another store is Vera's Bridal. I did not have a good experience at Vera's. They book you for a two hour appointment, but they rush you through. I tried on about 10 dresses and then they said that was all they had for me. My friends have had similar experiences there. I would not reccomend them.
A good bridesmaid store in Milwaukee is Miss Ruby. Erin the owner is awesome, and can help you get whatever you're looking for! (http://www.missrubyboutique.com/)