Laura's Boutique & Bridal — Attraction in Town of Carmel

I'm upset writing this because I had such a great experience at Laura’s when I first got my dress. Let me start by saying I was promised a CUSTOM wedding dress. The "original" dress I based my design off of was completely beaded with spaghetti straps and a low back. I was promised the same beading pattern but a customized completely different top. I wanted a strapless dress and closed back. This dress also had a detailing and scalloping all the way to the bottom so I was told by Laura traditional hemming would be difficult. The customization was the design and sizing (for my height especially). Dress did not come customized in either fashion. Laura's mom ended up telling me they get their dresses made in a factory so the customization to my height could not be made. My custom design wasn't what I asked for/ordered and the dress was still factory length- about 10 inches too long. Laura's mom suggested I wear 10 inch heels to solve the solution and said my arms are too fat to have a strapless dress (I'm a size 4/6 and I'm 5/2"). Had to spend a lot of time and money altering a dress that was deemed "unfixable" by a couple of seamstresses Laura pushed on me before finding a miracle worker. Laura's customer service following this incident has not been great in the slightest, just excuses and no accountability from her mother for what was promised and not delivered. Laura, on the other hand, has no contacted me at all since paying for my dress. She pushed the issues onto her mother who is just trying her best to help her daughter's business. I tried contacting her several times as well as trying to catch her in person at her store because she wasn't answering my phone calls or messages. I simply wanted her support and understanding throughout this process but I was simply avoided. I felt hopeless and so close to my wedding day. She had been no where to be found since I took home the dress. It was a beautiful gown in the end but I certainly do not give full credit to Laura for this dress. I give credit to the wonderful seamstress for actually fulfilling my CUSTOM wedding dress dreams. Do not fall for the custom wedding dress trap they try to set. Only get a dress there if you plan on wearing it exactly as it is and don't forget your 10...

I was forced to provide a one star rating but if it was up to me it would be zero. For something that is supposed to be such a beautiful experience, it was truly toxic. The lack of unprofessionalism and manors made for a terrible experience. I came with a group as a maid of honor for my best friend to find the dress of her dreams, and she left crying. The bride is a size 12 and majority of the sample sizes are a size 2. She was not only body shamed in the dressing room but also around the whole group. When she was trying on dresses she was put in ones that didn’t zip as well as ones that didn’t fit. She was not measured prior and nor did the consultant tell us the sizes of the sections. When we picked out dresses, we liked for the bride to try on and when we brought them to her she said in front of the bride “that’s a size two that definitely won’t fit her, you can ask me next time so you don’t kill yourself bringing the dresses over”. When my friend was able to put a dress on the consultant said “this looks fire! And you can’t even see her lumps and bumps” then looked over to me and said “am I right” I was so livid that she was body shaming her in-front of everyone. For a bridal dress store if you’re going to only sell European sizes you should be descriptive with the customers when they call for an appointment instead of wasting their time and just trying to make a buck. As well as if you’re selling bridal dresses you should make it top priority to make the bride feel great instead of being insulting, dismissive, overbearing and not having enough class of customers service and or manors in general such as complaining that “I can’t do 700 things everyone called out” we barely asked her any questions we truly just wanted to get out of there as fast as we could. If you are looking for a bridal dress avoid this place and try Lambs hill bridal in Beacon they...

I’ve waited a while to write this review to fully reflect on my experience. My first appointment with Laura was lovely — it felt personal, exciting, and full of potential. However, when I returned with my family for a second visit, the experience felt rushed and impersonal. It became clear that the initial warmth was more of a sales tactic than genuine care. It felt like the priority was the money, not the bride. The only reason I stayed was because I fell in love with a dress. For some of the troubles we experienced, we were offered a 10% discount and a veil, which I appreciated — though the veil had missing lace in multiple places and had to be fixed by my seamstress, which was frustrating. Phone communication with the boutique was also poor. It was difficult to get clear answers or feel heard, and as a bride, that just adds more unnecessary stress to an already emotional process. While the dress did come in on time, the overall service and experience were very disappointing. If you don’t fit the stereotypical “model bride” mold, you may not feel very welcomed here. And one last thing that really stood out — I’ve noticed that when others have shared honest but negative reviews, the business has responded with legal threats instead of accountability. Most people write reviews like this one because they had a genuine experience, good or bad. Instead of trying to silence feedback, maybe take a step back and ask how you can improve for future brides. If I could do it all over again, I would have gone somewhere that values all brides equally — not just the ones who fit a specific image or are willing to overlook poor service for the sake of a...