Castle Couture Off The Runway — Attraction in Old Bridge Township

I had the most amazing experience this past weekend at Castle Couture Off The Runway with Cyd and the amazing ladies on staff!

My wedding is in December of this year, and I had already gone to three other stores in search of the perfect dress at a perfect price. I am a bride on a budget, but I also knew I did not want to compromise or settle. Needless to say, I was starting to get anxious about finding THE dress. The sales staff at the stores I had previously gone to were just…okay. I felt like no one really listened to me, or had any real idea what they were doing. In fact, my last experience was actually so downright awful that I was dreading looking for a dress again. It’s supposed to be one of the greatest moments in a woman’s life, and I was avoiding it at all costs.

Then, I heard about Castle Couture Off The Runway. I made plans to go early in the morning with my mom and sister just to give it a try in hopes of finding my dress…and I am so glad that I did! The store was beautiful and clean, the staff were welcoming and genuine, and the dresses were absolutely gorgeous. I felt taken care of from the moment I walked in the door when the lovely Cyd came over and introduced herself. I truly felt like I was a VIP in a high-end boutique and was about to pay thousands for a dress. Ladies, although this is an “off the runway” boutique, they certainly do not treat you any less - I felt pampered and so well-taken care of the entire duration of my visit. Cyd was incredibly sweet and professional and I will honestly remember this woman for the rest of my life because she completely turned my whole dress shopping experience around. She listened to me, asked questions, asked me to show her photos of dresses and styles I loved, and then led me to some racks to select some dresses. She helped me zip them, clip them, and model them while giving her honest opinion. She ventured out a few times to grab others that fit my vision. I completely trusted her. There was no, “go take a look around and take pictures of the tags of the dresses you like” or “sorry, we are only limited to 5 dresses today, your appointment is ending soon”. This woman knew what she was doing! She was like the fairy godmother of wedding gowns who had the patience of a saint. I never felt pressured or rushed.

With Cyd’s expertise, I found the absolute dress of my dreams, for an amazing price, while having the best experience I could ever ask for. I wanted to cry with how extremely kind and genuinely encouraging, helpful, and supportive every member of the staff was in this store. You could tell these women love their job and love making brides feel so special. Oh, and I was also in and out within an hour - and I credit that to Cyd’s ability to truly tune into what I asked for and recommend the styles I had expressed I liked.

I wish I had found this place first; I almost gave up hope because I felt like a burden everywhere else I went prior. CCOTR truly made such a difference and I am still in awe at how special I felt at my appointment. I am still thinking about it a few days later and probably will be for a while. I would recommend this place to any bride who is anxious about finding the right dress, has a budget to work with, and wants an amazing experience. The ladies here will take good care of you and guide you through the process flawlessly!

Thank you so much to Cyd and the entire staff, you truly gave me, my mom and my sister the most memorable experience we will cherish forever. I cannot wait to post pictures (after the wedding, of course!) :)

UPDATED 12/2021: I posted some photos of my dress and will post more once the professional shots come in…but it was so stunning and I was so sad to take it off at the end of the evening! I received so many compliments. It truly fit my body so perfectly, like it was made for me. Thank you SO MUCH again to CCOTR, the second I see/hear someone is engaged, I refer them to...

The location was beautiful and very clean. The selection was decent as well as gorgeous, and the options are so affordable. Long story short: I likely would have purchased a gown as there were two I loved, but I could not make a purchase by someone as rude as my consultant.

Upon arrival, we were kindly greeted by a very nice woman at the front desk. She was able to quickly introduce us to our consultant, Janis. We said hello, and I noticed Janis was wearing a mask. I asked her if she would like for myself and our group to wear masks as well. We were more than happy to do so if that was her preference. She stared at me as if she didn't hear me and the front desk woman jumped in and said it's not necessary. Cool.

From then, the interactions just got colder. Janis made me feel like I couldn't ask questions without judgement. Everything about her responses were negative or flat. It was extremely uncomfortable. She rushed our appointment and I was jumping in/out of dresses fast. Still, that's no problem.

Everyone felt her negative energy. My sister picked up a beaded shaw and wanted me to try it with the dress I was currently wearing. She snipped at her and said "no, that would not fit her". To which, my sister responded " how would it not fit? It does not have arm holes". My sister then laid the shaw across my shoulder and that clearly rubbed her the wrong way.

I ended up loving two of the dresses but I had two more appointments. I live in Brooklyn and I knew that they were closing in about an hour. So, I went to ask Janis if I could call and order my choice if I was ready to move forward. I couldn't even get the question about before she cut me off and said "We close at 5pm". I responded, "I know, but if I.." and again, she cut me off to say "We cannot guarantee these will be in stock".

At this point, I was beyond frustrated. My sister chimed in and said "You're not letting her ask. What she is trying to ask is if she calls, and the dress is in fact in stock, does she have the option to pay and secure the dress from over the phone or does she need to come back in physically."

Janis then responded "We don't open back up until Friday". This was Sunday. So... Janis.. you are telling me that you close in one hour, I'm the only bride here and you don't open up for 5 more days and you won't have this dress in stock? Sure, there is a slim possibility but it doesn't require the rude attitude or cutting me off when trying to speak.

Before leaving, as I was getting dressed, I last asked my sister if she could take a picture of the back details side by side of the two dresses I liked and ask she was doing so, Janis literally came intro the dressing room, attempting to put her hand in front of the camera saying "I cannot allow you to take pictures...

I first went to Castle Couture Off The Runway through a reference from a friend to look for a bridal gown. As it is a walk-in place where one can get their gowns on the same day, I decided to visit on a Monday. However, I found the place closed as they open on Thursdays through Sunday. I went the following Saturday, alone, and I had the most wonderful experience. Right from the reception, I was welcomed warmly and advised that I would be assigned to a bridal consultant shortly.

Barbara V my bridal consultant was the very best! She was friendly, patient and very insightful. She made the whole experience so smooth and I wonna say enjoyable. One is usually assigned an hour with the consultant and although I did not spend the whole hour, I was able to try on as many gowns as I liked. Barbara patiently and meticulously buttoned up several gowns, laced up others and zipped up the rest. Ever with a smile, she made me start to feel like the bride I want to be. I found 4 gowns that were possible and ranked them in my head. I told Barbara that I would visit the following day with my children (two young adults) to get their views on the 4 dresses.

On Sunday, we were lucky to have Barbara available for us after only a short wait. My children also loved the gowns I had chosen but suggested that I should try on some more. I prefer straight tight fitting, corset bodice or mermaid styles but my children challenged me to try A-lines and even ballgowns. After several trials of different types and with Barbara's patience and meticulous hands, my children ended up choosing my first-choice gown. I said "I do" to my gown and the bell rang and when I left there, I felt like it was an experience that I would like to repeat....of course without repeating the wedding hopefully....

I liked several things about Castle Couture Off The Runway: It’s a walk in place, lots and lots of gowns in different styles and colors (even black!), value for money (they had a sale going on and even though I wasn't able to find my preference in the sales rack, I was still happy with the price I paid for my gown), great bridal consultants (Barbara was the best!), welcoming staff, lots of parking and great location. I highly recommend Castle Couture...