Always Elegant Bridal — Attraction in Chico

I recently had to move my wedding date because my dad is fighting stage 4 lung cancer and things aren't looking too good for him. We Decided to push the dates up to his birthday (to honor him) this February which means I had to find a dress like yesterday. Having him with us for our special day is the most important thing to us. Ladies, do yourself a favor and make an appointment here. This is the most incredible and caring group of women I have ever met. After having a horrible experience at a different bridal store in Redding - I called Always Elegant in Chico to see if they could possibly get me in that day. I explained to them ahead of time what my situation was and that I understood some dresses would not be an option if they needed to be ordered as they can take months to make. They were super accommodating over the phone and told us to come in that day. My Best Friend and I drove from Redding not really knowing what to expect. When we arrived Brianna and two other lovely ladies greeted us warmly. Brianna had already pulled 6-7 dressed that could be ordered in enough time for our wedding. They took my measurements right away and she helped me into dresses. I am short which means I had to keep in mind that the bottom would have to be altered so lace designs were a little intimidating for me. Brianna eased my worries and explained how each dress would be altered which I know seems like no big deal, but this is HUGE ! After she helped me into a few dresses I walked around the store to look at a few different styles. One in particular caught my eye as it looked different from anything I had seen before. She checked their database before I tried it on to make sure they could get it in time and it was a go! I tried it on and was shocked at how I looked. This was an incredible dress. It looked perfect on my body! She opened the curtain and my best friend looked at me in awe and cried! One of the other ladies in the store even teared up! I was so nervous and emotional - this was that moment I was suppose to have. Even with all the sadness in my families heart and my heart with my dads battle with cancer, these ladies helped me have "my dress moment". It was indescribable and I honestly didn't know I could have that bride moment - but they made it happen! Not only that but they could order the dress in my size and have it there in less than 10 days! I already made an appointment with a wonderful tailor that they personally recommended. She met me in their store to go over the alterations and set up my 1st fitting appointment on the 11th. The owner reached out to me to personally congratulate me and I even received a touching thank you card from Brianna today. These ladies go above and beyond. I cannot express my gratitude enough to them all. They have completely taken a very stressful and emotional situation and turned it into a dreamy and exciting experience. Thank you all for your hard work and commitment to helping...

AE bridal in Chico was an incredible experience from the moment I stumbled upon this shop unexpectedly and walked through those doors to saying YES to my dream dress! It was overwhelmingly peaceful, warm, and joyful. Zoe was amazing to work with and I feel as though she is my new "bridal bestie." I am from Oregon and I was in Chico visiting my mom who resides there. We were going to have a girls day, paid for parking, but the original store we were going to check out was closed that day. With already having our parking paid for we walked around the corner and stumbled upon the most lovely bridal shop. I had no intentions of trying on gowns, or buying a dress while here visiting. I have been in love with a specific Maggie Sottero gown for a couple of years and have had the stock photos saved in my phone. In the weeks prior I had called at least a half a dozen bridal shops to see if they had this gown or could get it in, the answer was always No . I had asked Zoe if they carried Maggie Sottero, specifically the style I was looking for. She said Yes, they did carry Maggie Sottero gowns but did not have that specific dress in as a sample that I could try. Without hesitation Zoe got on her computer and much to my surprise, it had not been discontinued yet as it is from fall 2023 collection. With excitement in her voice she said she could have a sample delivered tomorrow afternoon for me to try. It gave me chills. I have never seen this dress in person but have only ever dreamed of it. Less than 24 hours later it arrived and I had an appointment that evening to try it on. When I arrived, Zoe had my room set up with personal touches, we talked and laughed. She pulled a few gowns for me to try so I could get a feel for different silhouettes. They were some of the most beautiful gowns I've ever seen. Then I put on THE dress, I knew instantly it was the one. These moments and experience felt so special, sacred, intimate, and warm. I said YES to my dream dress! Even better, the size I needed had an overstock making it 30% off with one remaining nationwide, it was meant to be! I cant say enough how amazing my experience was working with Zoe. It was one of the best days of my life. With just my mom who is my very best friend It was more than I could have ever dreamed of or imagined. I had no intentions of buying a dress while down there, let alone finding THE one. It was simply meant to be!! Thank you Zoe for going above and beyond and making my experience better than I could have dreamed of. She is extremely gifted at what she does. Every dress she hand selected for me to try was stunning and complimented my style, personality, and body shape. Thank you Zoe!! Cant wait to have my official try on with you next time I'm down there! I would recommend Always Elegant to anyone, and if you are out of state, its worth...

I had a great experience picking out my wedding dress here with the help of Cherie!

When I called to set up my first appointment ever to try on dresses, Cherie not only helped me book, she asked for details about my wedding (inspirations, colors, styles I like and don't like) and was excited about the 'theme.' She asked for a Pinterest board if I had one, looked at several different dresses I liked, and booked my appointment all within the first phone call.

When I arrived for my appointment with two guests, Cherie (along with the other staff) was welcoming and made us feel comfortable right away. The store is beautiful, clean, and I liked the selection of different styles of dresses. The changing room was set up nicely with a hand written card, fresh water, a sweet treat, comfortable robe, a large mirror and nice lighting.

The first dress Cherie pulled was one I mentioned on our phone call and it was 'The One.' Although the first dress was perfect and I could have left then, Cherie encouraged me to get the most out of my appointment and try on some other dresses so I wouldn't feel any regret later. She pulled 4 more dresses that were different from each other but clearly inspired by my taste and the description I had given her for the wedding. She made friendly banter with my guests, listened about the things I didn't like, and adjusted her picks accordingly. At the end, she helped me back into the first dress and helped me to pull my hair up and pick/place a veil as well. I ended up purchasing the first dress I tried on - a dress by the brand Watters, which I absolutely love. Cherie even volunteered to take pictures of me in my dress with my guests! AND THEY WERE GOOD PICTURES!

Going into my appointment I was nervous that I might not find a 'wedding dress' that would fit my style and I expressed this. I never once felt rushed, pressured, or judged by Cherie to pick a dress - it just felt like having another friend there who was unbiased. She was positive, encouraging, and also spoke up for me when it was needed during the appointment.

We recently returned for a fitting when my dress arrived just a month after ordering (!!!!) and again Cherie helped our group. She had the exact same energy as the first appointment, and was patient and accommodating when one of my guests arrived late to see the dress. She totally hyped me up and was so gentle with my dress.

Cherie was the perfect person to help throughout this process and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to try on dresses for the first time! She has been communicative about any questions and provided all of the information I asked for and more.

Thank you so much...