David's Bridal Wilmington DE — Local services in Brookside

Today is the third anniversary of my marriage to my husband, and with all the good memories around that day and the preparations around our wedding flooding back, I wanted to return to write a belated review on David's Bridal. This was the shop where I found the most beautiful dress I've ever worn. David's Bridal was one of the two wedding dress stores where I scheduled a dress fitting a year prior to my first planned wedding date.

My consultant was a lovely and kind older woman who seemed very experienced, and referenced "Say Yes to the Dress" and bridal expectations, which went right over my head. When she realized this, she stepped back and outlined the structure of the typical bridal appointment, but also gave me freedom to look around the almost empty store to pick dresses to try. I had also seen a very unusual David's Bridal dress online when I'd looked through their catalogue the night before the appointment. A pale gold, ornate, antique looking ballgown had caught my eye. I showed her this dress and even though it had been last year's fashion and was no longer being produced, she was able to immediately recognize it from my picture and brought out the sample dress

I ended up having a lot of fun in what I now know is a rather untraditional bridal appointment, with my sister and I going throughout the store and picking out a wide variety of different silhouettes and styles. I had a budget as a gift from my mom of $1500, which was a very generous budget which stretched far within the David's Bridal store, with only the most expensive models being outside of budget. Within the hour I was allotted, my sister helped me try on over 50 different dresses, everything from mermaid silhouettes to modern simple silk styles, to flowered boho dresses, to a striking art deco sheath dress with glittering beadwork. I liked many of them, but none of them had yet spoken to me as the dress I truly felt I wanted to wear for the wedding.

Last, I put on my favorite dress, the gold gown. It was a high halter, classic ballgown with a long train, and pale, antique gold detailing with ornate metallic thread embroidered into its layers. It was a sample dress on clearance due to being last year's style. As soon as I slipped it on, it fit my body perfectly. The dress was absolutely beautiful, and of all the dresses, it was the one that lingered in my memory. The consultant went through different veils and tried them on, showing me different looks, which was very helpful. I ended up not purchasing the dress yet despite really loving it, because I had a second dress appointment the next day at another bridal boutique.

When I went to the other bridal boutique, I immediately realized how much prices could vary between bridal stores. When I told the consultant my budget, she immediately let me know that the only dresses they carried within the top end of my price range were on the clearance rack, and let me search through these. I tried on the few dresses in the store I could afford, but I knew immediately I wasn't going to find my dress at that boutique. After several days of thought, I decided I wanted the gold dress over any other option. My mother and I were driving in the area nearby when I decided, and it happened to be Black Friday. My dress was still there, and when I tried it on one more time, and knew then that it was the dress I wanted for my wedding day. We went to purchase it, and found that it was massively discounted due to the Black Friday sale on top of its already sample sale discount, bringing it down from an original price of about $1300 to less than $100.

I walked out with an incredibly beautiful dress which I stayed in love with after wedding delays which stretched my wedding out several years later. I'm still in love with it now, every time I remember that day, walking down the aisle, tears already flowing down my cheeks as I see all my family arranged before me, and my husband, crying and grinning as he watched me walk down the grass clearing in our forest wedding in his...

What a trainwreck. From my first dress shopping appointment to my alterations this store was horrible to work with. I try to be patient, understanding, and give grace where it is due, but this was truly a horrible experience. My first shopping appointment was moved because they overbooked the time, I had selected which I made work but then my appointment started late anyways. I shopped for dresses with no assistance. It was just not the experience I had hoped for when shopping for my wedding dress, but I said yes to a dress and the problems continued.

I booked my alteration appointment and received nothing but backlash. I wanted to do my appointment a month earlier than they recommended because I know my body and i know that my body has stayed the same for at least the last 10 years…not to mention its my money if I want to gamble with body changes and the dress not fitting don’t argue.

Alteration appointment went well. The woman I worked with was very sweet. Until it came time to figure out a bustle. I absolutely hated the 2 options they gave me to bustle it and that’s when the manager stepped in to offer an option. Again, I hated it, but I trusted they knew what they were doing, and I said okay.

Month later I go to pick up my dress. I was treated like I was an inconvenience to them. The manager stood against the door frame with her arms crossed and said “so do you like it”. My drape sleeves I added were not sewn on the same way. The dress was cut too short in the front. The back…. Oh lord the back had large PLASTIC buttons, NINE of them, across my ENTIRE back. When the dress was bustled, they were not covered. She said “no one will notice them”. Look at the photos and tell me who wouldn’t be able to see those large buttons. When I said I hated the buttons it went in one ear and out the other. She offered no solutions and blew it off. She attempted to fix the drape sleeve so they were sewn on the same however she pinned it to sew it tighter and I mentioned it didn’t need that because then they would not drape the same… she did it anyways. They didn’t offer me to try the dress on again after the “fixed” it, but my gut told me to try it on when I got home. The sleeve was tightened, not fixed and a whole new issue was created. I cried. This was my wedding gown, and they truly ruined it.

I had to take the dress to another location to get fixed and every worker in the new store was horrified at what they had done to my dress. The dress was supposed to get an under bustle because of the heavy fabric. Those buttons are never to be used unless they are unseen. David’s bridal apparently has a ton of button options that could have been used that would of looked better if they needed to be across the back like that. Every person working in the store that day came to see this dress it was that horrible. I would never recommend shopping at this location. I never want any bride to feel what I had felt going to...

Highly recommend David's Bridal. I went on Sunday for my first time trying wedding gowns on. I had no idea what to expect since it was my first time. Well let me tell you I am so glad I picked to go to David's bridal. Sunday my stylist was Natalie and she was so patient with all our questions, very friendly and knew exactly what I liked or didn't like. Well I ended up finding a dress that I really liked but after trying a bunch on I didn't get a whole lot of time with the dress I really liked not because of Natalie because I had another appointment after with my bridesmaids coming in to try on dresses. I didn't want to pick that dress just yet. Then we had her with the bridesmaids which was a great experience. She ended up finding a dress that I didn't pick but it was the one I picked for my bridesmaids. I still was undecided on the dress for me that I really liked. I wanted to sleep on it. I did then woke up the next morning and wanted to go back to try just that dress on. So me and my mother went with me 2 young children and Natalie was off which was sad but I got Tanasia who was also really great. I was able to try the dress on with cowboy boots which she brought me white pretty ones from the store which I also bought. Different veils which I really do like the one with the dress. Once I had the dress on with the boots I knew it was the one! I said yes to the dress and Tanasia made it so fun. She even said she would take pictures of me my mother and my 2 kids! Both stylists were fabulous and helped me pick this dress which I cant stop looking at pictures of it. As we were checking out we were talking with the store manager who I couldn't thank enough for the lovely staff she has there. Even when we were there on Sunday other stylists jumped over to help with the dresses or veils while Natalie was getting dresses etc. David's bridal made my experience as a bride the best experience! I am so glad I went there first and...