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Thanks for posting your experiences! I haven't started my dress hunt yet, but I'll plan on checking out D'Anelli's and maybe Encore Bridal if I feel like going up that way. A friend of mine recommended Bea's Bridal Nook in Denver. I might also visit Little White Dress in Castle Rock, simply because it's just a couple of miles from my house.
And with my family and friends being out of state...I am so happy to hear that pictures aren't a problem.
Went to a couple more last weekend....
David's Bridal in Fort Collins was a horrendous. I had gone there a month or so ago just to look at bridesmaids dresses and that was fine because they let us take care of ourselves. I ended up grabbing one wedding dress and trying it on without any troubles. I went back to try it on again and granted, it was a Saturday afternoon, but still. After waiting awhile we were assigned a consultant who brought me one dress at a time and then would disappear leaving me hanging out in a gown that I had absolutely no interest in. I had to ask several times to try on certain dresses so eventually my friend went out to grab a couple. She was asked (in a rather unfriendly manner) if she was working with a consultant and then later the woman (manager?) asked us the same thing because we were just standing around with me in a dress I strongly disliked. Finally we called it quits and I felt bad just leaving everything but I couldn't find our consultant anywhere until I started to walk out and then saw her behind the counter ringing people up. We just left. I wasn't very impressed with the dresses either. I think I might be more interested in them if they were about half price. As it is, I don't believe they're worth what they're asking. I have found higher quality dresses in boutiques for hundreds less.
The Bridal Suite in Windsor was great. It was a bit crowded but it's a pretty shop and, at least last weekend, they were having a pretty good sale. They tell you to just pull the dresses you're interested in out and then they'll put them in a room for you. Other than that, we pretty much did our own thing. I actually think I may have found my dress there! An example of their sale, my dress was normally $749 but the sample was for sale at 50% off. If it hadn't been two sized too big I would have snapped it up! Taking pictures aren't a problem and I think the only reason the sales people were so hands off is because it was rather busy. All the girls working there were really nice though and we all had a very pleasant experience. I would definitely recommend checking them out.
@ Zoekat: I'm glad this helped! And I agree, being able to take pictures is crucial! I have such a horrible memory and I don't like rushing into decisions that I would have a really hard time not having any. (Of course, we didn't get any good pictures of my dress. Go figure! :-) )
I only went two places.
Anna Be, in North Denver, which has a great but limited selection, highly personable sales staff.
Priscilla's in Cherry Creek--I'd heard bad things about the customer service here, but I had an AMAZING experience and loved every dress I tried on. This is where I ended up buying my dress.
I bought my dress at The Bridal Collection, down in the Tech Center. I actually went there b/c D'Anelli and TBC are the only ones who carry Pronovias in the metro area. I hated D'Anelli---I've heard a lot of good a lot of bad about them, so it seems to depend on what day you go and who's there.
The Bridal Collection has a large selection, and were super-nice. Who knew there was a bridal shop down in the tech center?!?!?!
Priscilla's in Cherry Creek has been great to deal with- I've worked with Margo. She's lovely.
I bought my dress from Andrisen Morton (also in Cherry Creek). Sadly they've closed their bridal department (as of a few weeks ago they still had a few dresses left... heavily discounted Carolina Herrera or Vera, anyone?). It's such a shame, I had such a fantastic experience there, and Carol their consultant was incredible. Whatever salon she ends up in will be lucky to have her!
My MOH and I went to Blue (downtown Denver in the Pavilions) to begin our wedding shopping. She had just found an amazing sample sale wedding dress at Blue few weeks before & snapped it up on her first day shopping. It wasn't quite so easy for me. The dresses there were beautiful, but not what I was looking for. Everything in the tiny boutique was very ornate & I wanted something very classic & simple. The service was great, but the dresses just weren't for me.
We headed to D'Anelli's next. I was really skeptical from the outside of the shop, but the dresses were just gorgeous. Their shop was packed with amazing designer dresses and I fell in love with one...until I saw the $4K pricetag. The service was great...we just walked in on a Saturday (!) and they set us up with a consultant right away.
Since I didn't really want to spend $4K on my wedding dress...I went to David's Bridal next. I really thought it would be the equivalent of Walmart for wedding attire, but I was actually surprised. I found several styles that fit my ideal and they were in the middle of their big sale, so that didn't hurt either.
My experience with David's Bridal was mixed, however. The service at the Aurora store was ok ... at first. About halfway through trying on the gowns with my mom & MOH, the consultant just disappeared. When the consultant finally showed up again, she gave us misinformation about the store's policies and the dress availability. I found a beautiful dress, but we eventually just left. The next day we looked for the that same dress at the Park Meadows store & had a wonderful experience. The consultant was great & informed & I found the perfect dress.
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I thought I'd add my experiences, as well.
I tried David's Bridal in Park Meadows and had an awful experience - the sales woman didn't do any actual work - she sent me down the rows and just had me choose anything I wanted to try - she didn't make any recommendations outside of the ones I picked, didn't actually talk to me about the options available for what I tried on, and really made it a hard sell - pressure, pressure, pressure.
I next went to Amanda's Bridal, and I actually had a FANTASTIC experience there. It isn't much to look at, but my saleswoman was fabulous. You pick 5 dresses to start and then they put you in a room. Even though my mom and sister were there, we consciously stepped back and had the consultant do her job, and a good thing, too - she brought me dresses I NEVER would have picked from the hanger and had me try them on based on what I said about the five I picked. My advice - try to go on a non-weekend, and choose 5 dresses that are different to start - the wide range of things you might even consider. And then instead of telling your consultant what you want, tell her what you like and don't like about each thing you try on. My service has been superb from them and my alterations cost about half what I've heard from girls with similar dresses at other places.
My bridesmaid got her dress at Dina's as well, and she had a great experience there, so I'd second that recommendation as well.
Mariel's is where I bought mine -- they import several beautiful and unique dresses, several directly from Europe -- usually in only a few sizes that are sold right out of the store -- keeping the cost way down! It's downtown in Larimer between 14th and 15th. Great place!
I third Dina's. Dina is a really wonderful seamstress. Also, because most of the gowns were a certain percentage off that day, even though mine wasn't one of the included labels, she gave us a discount. She was able to alter my dress (floor sample) in a week and it was gorgeous.
I got my dress at Priscilla of Boston in Cherry Creek as well. LOVE them. So excited for my dress.
I went to Davids park meadows. The experience was NOT at all how i pictured it. Well, first off, i really just went to try on gowns to get an idea of what I liked (before I was officially engaged). Well, the sales gal was OK.. she didn’t really listen to what i liked or not liked. My MOH actually found my dress for me. I tried it on and it was LOVE i couldn’t take it off. So I asked the sales lady, the order time on the dress... Low and behold the dress was on clearance for $199... I was shocked to see that the dress what that cheap. So i did what any rational STB did, i bought it! I wont do my alterations there, since I was not to pleased with the service. I've looked at Priscilla's to just to be sure and for my MOH dress, and sure I found dresses I loved and the service was great! BUTT I do not see my self paying over $1300 for a dress. Anyway.. I guess when you find the dress you love and see your self getting married in it..the whole ideal experiance does not matter. We (MOH & I) had a fun time.
No way would I go to that many dress shops because even if you don't know what you want when you go out and look I feel you know in your gut what you really like and a lot of times it isn't what you pictured. Going to that many stores and trying on that many dresses would only confuse me more, too many options. Now I am not saying to go with the first dress you try on but that would be too overwhelming. I think you have to find a store that really knows their stuff and really knows wedding dresses.
PIXIRAE- I agree with you and letting the staff do their job and help you with dresses and styles. I went to Amanda's also because they had a large selection of Maggie Sottero dresses and wow the sales consultant was so awesome and so patient. I ended up getting a maggie that I would have never tried on by looking at it on the hanger. Sherry was my dress consultant and she was so awesome and she knows her stuff!!!!
There's a store in Fort Collins called Mountain Avenue Bridal. The girls that work there are fantastic. MAB is a high end couture wedding gown store. They sell Pronovias, Manuel Mota, Christos, Jim Hjelm, Carmela Sutera and Kenneth Pool. The selection is great. Dresses start around $1500 and go up to about $8000.
Let them know that Amber Watson Events sent you!
I also went to POB in Cherry Creek - I had a great time, way better than at david's bridal!
I visited a few stores in denver (Blue Bridal, D'anelli's and Bridal collection) and wasn't impressed with the sales staff at any of them. Then I checked out AnnaBe and was SUPER impressed. The selection wasn't huge, but the dresses they have area ALL stunning. I'ved worked with both Anna and Breanna (the owners) and both are an absolute delight! It was such a relaxed, fun experience and I'm THRILLED with the gown I ended up with. I highly recommend checking out AnnaBe!
I went to The Bridal Collection recently. My consultant was nice, but I felt a little uncomfortable when I first arrived. I thought some of the other consultants were staring at me in a funny way, maybe because I was the only bride there who came alone. But maybe they weren't. I'd love to bring my mother and my bridesmaids, but they're all in a different time zone. I found two dresses I love. The service was decent, I didn't have any complaints.
Next week I'm checking out D'Anelli's and Amanda's. I know I want a Maggie Sottero, so I'm just going to places that carry her dresses. I laughed when I got off the phone with D'Anelli's. The woman sounded so snooty, but she was being polite.
I had so much fun dress shopping. I'm ordering my dress in a few weeks when my mother will be visiting me. I want to go to as many places as possible before then!
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Went to d'Anelli and Amanda's today. I had a great experience at d'Anelli...Sarah was a sweetheart! Amanda's was pretty chaotic and full of people for a Tuesday morning. I was left on my own a lot, which I was fine with...the consultant reappeared at the right times when I needed to be laced up. I didn't like the zippered bags on all the dresses. That made it harder for me to judge whether I wanted to try a dress on, and no one was around to answer questions I had about certain dresses. I'd say I much prefer going to places that require appointments.
Zoecat-
I am so sorry that you didn't have a great experience at Amanda's! I can guarantee I was at Amanda's today when you were. I went by there to pay on my account and try to get a fabric swatch. That is too funny. I was there around 12:30ish. I wish I would have known you were going today I would have suggested you ask for Sherry. She helped me and was absolutely wonderful!
Dereksbride, that was right around the time that I left! I'm going back soon with family to look at a dress I liked, so I'll see if I can get Sherry. Thanks!
so besides the one dress that was on amazing clearance for 199, is there anywhere else with decently priced dresses? ok fine, super cheap dresses?? someone said a store started at 1500, um yea, my entire wedding budget is 2k!! not gonna work for me.
Hopefully someone knows of somewhere!
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Next to D'Anelli's there used to be a place called The Bride's Room--basically the samples and discontinued styles from D'Anelli's go there. Prices varied from cheap to around $2000 when I was there.
Have you considered calling consignment shops? They often have gowns. I tried on a lovely one before starting my new dress search.
Lastly, preownedweddingdresses.com... or Nordstrom
Hi all -
I think I had someone other than Sherri at Amanda's, but I'm not sure, as it was a while ago. I'm sorry the ones who didn't have a good experience didn't... :-( In any case, my alterations were beautiful and my dress was done on time and looked fabu.
Amanda's had dresses that ranged from 300+ - In the end my second choice dress was 350... so I think you just have to look. I've heard that Dina's is a little more expensive (but her alterations are supposed to be cheaper).
I'm still debating whether or not I want to sell my dress or not.
Pixi
HouseofJ, it's not a Denver-area recommendation specifically, but do you like any of the white dresses on J. Crew? If you sign up for their coupons and wait for a sale, you can get a really good deal on their website. And then if you hate the dress, you can return it in-store!
Also, keep your eyes peeled for David's $99 sale, I've heard of some people who got lucky there, although I think it's harder if you have a specific vision of "the perfect dress."
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I got my dress from Anna Be and had a fantastic experience!
Oh!! HouseofJ, another great place to look is in bridesmaids' dresses, or even mother of the bride dresses. Some of them do have small trains, and make amazing wedding dresses when purchased in white. A friend of mine got married in a floaty white chiffon v-neck dress with a short train, and I was stunned when she told me it was a mother of the bride dress and it cost $200. (Which sort of begs the question, what kind of mom wears a white dress with a train to her daughter's wedding? But I'm glad it was there for my friend!)
House of J: The Snob Shop, at 2804 6th Ave (in Cherry Creek b/ Filmore and Detroit) has consignment wedding dresses. Not a huge selection---maybe 10 to 15 at any one time, but might be worth a look if you're in town shopping anyway. They are not specifically a bridal consignment store---they are a women's consignment store, and they're picky about what they take (primarily designer labels, no older than one to two seasons).
problem solved!! someone has offered to buy me a dress!! a family member, hooray! So i'm getting a maggie sottero sabelle, woohoo!!
I tried it on at dina's, and by trying to save money found it cheaper at amanda's bridal. They are taking 100 off the price since they don't have it to try on. I've been there before shopping for a dress, but didn't really find anything crazy enough for my taste. they were great help, even though the girl that helped me pretty much called me fat. What a b*tch, but she said it nicely, lol. if thats possible. I don't need the dress altered at all, so im just going with wherever is cheaper. apparently being a size 16 (wedding dress size) you aren't supposed to go with more fitted dresses according to her. I don't even know her name.
David's bridal westminster was nice though. I found a dress there, but like the maggie better. i had a great girl helping me! I can't remember her name though, but it was a good time. Dina's was also good, just found the dress somewhere cheaper.
@HouseofJ, that's wonderful! What a generous family member. Glad to see another Maggie bride too.
I had a great experience at Priscilla of Boston, and I went as a walk-in, without an appt (admittedly, it was midday on a Tuesday or something)...I told them max $2500, and found something FABULOUS within my budget...I thought they were really nice and helpful, not snobby (and I wasn't even going to go there b/c I thought everything would be $4000+. I also went to Felice in Cherry Creek North (almost nothing under $3000 and pretty small selection) and D'Anelli (huge selection, but they kept having me try a bunch of stuff that I didn't really like--I probably should've been more assertive, but I'd already found the POB dress by then and was seeing if I could find anything cheaper). At D'Anelli I found a runner up dress for $1000 less, but sadly, I ended up paying more b/c I had fallen in love with the POB dress. Actually, it was a Vineyard by Melissa Sweet dress--they have several lines there where you can spend, say $1200-1500 for a dress. I didn't even look at sample sales, etc, b/c they all had such small sizes, and I'm a size 14 hips (in regular clothes--of course had to get a 16 wedding dress, and my waist is a size 8!!!! ack...talk about messed up hourglass)
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I'm going here...
Brides Against Breast Cancer Charity Wedding Gown Sale
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Cindaboop, did you have any luck at the charity sale??
I went to DINA'S, and I loved the customer service, but the only issue is since I have 2 kids, theres only a few days a week that I can leave them with family or whomever, and they aren't currently open Sundays or Mondays, and AMANDA'S BRIDAL was, not to mention they were great when I went to Amanda's. Actually my step mom got her dress there, and one of my neighbors from where I grew up at works there too! I get my dress in December! I'm excited for it!
Davids's Bridal in Westminster was pretty good, depends on your sales person though. I had a great one, but another friend had the sales associate from hell!
The Bridal Connection in Longmont, hmm, didn't go there, but did try calling them 2 times, with no callback, so I haven't wasted time going there, funny since they are the closest store to me. I personally will not buy from somewhere that has horrible customer service, so they are kind of on my shit list....
I have to add that Encore Bridal in Ft Collins is amazing. It's mostly consignment dresses, which are a great way to spend money. I got my Christos dress for $900, but there were other options for less. Jessica loves helping brides find the right dress - she never seems to get tired of it.
@Anonymous and a general FYI - Mountain Avenue Bridal in Fort Collins shut down last fall and actually left a few brides in a lurch! Hopefully everything got sorted out but it's gone now.
Here's another shop that no one has mentioned yet - Celestial Bride in Littleton (County Line & University). They advertise as one for more" modest" brides, but they are far from it. They have a decent selection of gowns in the under $1000 budget, with a variety of styles & tastes (I really love modern styles). I worked with the shop owner (Lisa) who is absolutely wonderful & she was more than happy to help me find my dress, after I had visited about 10 different shops in the metro area. I told her my budget was $1000 (although my taste is in the $4000 range!) & wound up finding my dress for $600!!
My experience - avoid Davids Bridal if at all possible. Also avoid Schaeffers (old mean lady). Hope this helps!
I got my dress at the Bridal Collection in the tech center. I had such a great experience there.The sales staff has been excellent to work with.
I would avoid POB. Some have great experiences, but mine was far from it. The saleslady was so rude to me. She told me that the only way I would look good in their dresses is if I lost 10 lbs and got a tan. My father died of skin cancer recently! I'm pale for a reason. Also, I am a size 6 - not big by any standard. The next thing that irritated me (I don't know why we just didn't walk out of there) is that they told us my budget was unreasonable and I would never find a dress within my budget - $5,000! Are you kidding me???
I got my dress at The Bridal Collection in the tech center. My consultant was awesome, and very sensitive to my budget and style preferences. I am plus sized, and also very tall, so it was hard to find things that would work, but we did it!
I can't wait until June when my dress comes in so I can finally try it on!
I've been to two of the stores mentioned in caitlanc's original post; Dina's and Boulder bridal. Great thing about both locations, I never felt pressured to buy a dress or even to try on dresses that I wasn't interested in.
Dina's: somewhat small, most of the stock was on the floor so my group and I were able to look at and pull dresses we wanted to try on. Nicole was helping me in and out of the corset gowns and was eager to help me by pulling dresses that were similar to the styles I liked (in fact my favorite was one of her picks). Good price range, most of the dresses I tried were between 650 and 1200.
Boulder Bridal: I was disturbed when I first walked in by the overwhelming smell of mothballs, I was told their lease is up and they'll be moving soon so I hope this rectifies the odor. I liked the selection, again, most of their dresses are on the floor so my party was able to pull some dresses we liked to get the appointment started. Nadine, the owner, is selective about what lines she carries, she seems to prefer companies that use natural silks and less heavy cumbersome beading. I was also told that she's dropped a couple of bridal lines that were consistently late or had terrible customer service (which was nice to hear since it means she cares about what happens to me and my dress even after the check is cashed). I didn't end up finding my dress here but I did appreciate the selection and service. (prices seemed to be around 800-3000)
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Hey girls!
I've made a few rounds and just thought I'd share my experiences in Denver-area bridal shops with you.
D'Anelli's in Lakewood was my favorite store. It's not much to look at from the outside but all of the girls were extremely nice and they have a pretty good sized collection of some really gorgeous dresses there. And they let you take pictures. I'm not sure what their full range for pricing is, but nobody gave me a horrified look when I said I wanted to stay less than $1000. I loved their Pronovias dresses the most. I was a walk-in both times I went there and still had fantastic service. They also have a large selection of bridesmaids dresses that we had a lot of fun trying on. You should also check out their seperate sample store that's next door. I wasn't floored by any of the dresses in there, but it definitely has potential!
I wasn't very impressed with Amanda's Bridal in Arvada. I don't look good in white strapless A-lines which is what they seem to have the most of so we didn't stay long. Also, I had my mom and two sisters with me so we didn't give the sales lady much of a chance. It's very possible we just didn't scratch the surface there, but I'm not very inclined to go back. Again, pictures were not a problem.
Dina's Bridal in Superior was a lot of fun. Dina was there and did a good job of upholding stereotypes for a little Asian woman. Everything was "Oh! Very pretty!" "Very nice!" and "You do this!" She was great. I was nearly sold on the Casablanca 1831 there (for a VERY good price), but ended up not going with it. Pictures are not a problem there either. They had a pretty good variety of dresses. I tried on some really nice ones.
Boulder Bridal in (suprise!) Boulder was nice. I don't think I would label it "white glove service" like they claim on their website, but they do have some fantastic dresses. When I mentioned my budget I was led over to their (small) destination gowns section. We didn't last long there and I ended up trying on a number of San Patrick's (a division of Pronovias) dresses instead. The women were great and the owner Nadine was there. While I was there I thought they were a little pushy to sell me this one dress that I wasn't really loving THAT much, but looking at the pictures later that week I understand why they were. The dress looked REALLY good and now I want to go back and try it on again. It's not really the place to go looking for a bargain though.
This one's a bit further out of the way, but I have to mention it. Encore Bridal in Fort Collins was opened by a woman who was frustrated by the options for a budget bride when she was getting married so she opened her own shop. She buys samples and dresses from other brides and then sells them. I believe she said she tries to keep everything under $500. It was the first place I really went and so I didn't know what I was doing or looking for. I'll definitely be going back as she's continually bringing in new dresses.
My cousin recommended Schaffer's but haven't gotten the chance to check it out yet. I was really excited about Blue Bridal, but the sample sale advertised on their website already happened. Oh well, still might be worth checking out!
Hope this can help some of you bees! Any places in the Denver area you would either recommend or run away from?