The Bridal Boutique — Local services in Columbia

*LONG BUT GLOWING REVIEW ALERT!

sigh where to begin…well first of all, I LOVED the experience I had here. Weirdly enough, although I am actually a bride too (set to marry December 2024), I actually ended up coming with a bride friend of my mine that was coming for her first dress fitting. And I came to help her out, keep her company and show my support of course.

The Atmosphere: But while in there, I was so distracted by the beautiful set up! This place is so lovely! You would not think much of it just driving by on the outside but please GIVE IT A CHANCE!!! It is so beautiful inside! The aesthetic is just so wonderful! The furniture, the order and designer sections, the lighting, the rugs, just everything was fabulous!

Next, the staff. My friend and I were helped by Anna (pronounced “On-Nuh”—like from Disney’s Frozen). She was the sweetest!!!! Literally amazing and so helpful! She provided my friend with different bridal accessory options (each one better than the last), she was super attentive all the way through. But not at all overbearing or pushy. Just patient, helpful and kind. The team worked cohesively together as well. Once the seamstress came out to pin my friend and offer different customization options, it was like everyone knew the plan and communicated effectively. Once one was done, the next staff member just followed up. Every staff member there was knowledgeable and professional. You felt like you were in good hands.

The selection. They had a vast selection of dress, at least 8 different designers not including their private collection. With several items from each collection! And again, the way they organized the designer sections was just great. It calmed the Type A personality I have lol And everything was so neat! Also, they had some reasonable prices and good deals!

Now, for my personal experience. Like I said, I was there with my bride friend so I was mainly focused on her. But during her waiting times, I did some encouraged browsing. I eventually stumbled across this beautiful Morilee sample dress. I initially doubted that I would actually like the dress on me, although the dress on the hanger, was so nice. Well, first, Anna saw me browsing and offered me the opportunity to try the dress on. I wasn’t going to ask but since she offered, I leaped at the chance to just try it on. Coincidentally, the dress was my size too! Well, I tried that dress on and MY GOODNESS the dress was beautiful. At least two other employees commented on how perfect the dress was for me and I must admit…it was stunning! One of the other staff members even brought out champagne as Anna brought out a veil for me and fluffed my dress. They gave me the whole bridal dress experience and I wasn’t even scheduled for one! It was just impromptu. And they treated me like another bride not just a friend of a bride. That alone makes me want to come back!

Anna also shared that the dress I had on was $500 off too because it was a sample dress. I already have a dress, which the staff knew before I put the dress on but I won’t lie, this dress and the experience has me a little torn although I still love my dress. I also loved that NOBODY pressured me. Whether I come back to buy the dress or not, I WILL be retuning to look at accessories and to possibly get my alterations done there since they have an in house seamstress. Also, you can get your alterations and dress preservation done there even if you didn’t buy your dress from there. They handle all services even beyond just bridal dress sales. So truly it is a great place to try if you are a bride looking for her dress, accessories, alterations etc.

The Bridal Boutique of Columbia, is 5 minutes from my house and I hadn’t gotten a chance to stop in there before selecting another dress initially but I am SO happy I got the chance to go in there! I wondered what it was like. I follow them on social media and saw their reels and posts but it doesn’t compare to the actual experience of being there! They are so wonderful! BRIDES AND BRIDES TO BE GIVE THE BRIDAL...

I would absolutely NEVER recommend the Bridal Boutique to anyone and will tell you that whatever you do - DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO MAKE ANY ALTERATIONS TO YOUR DRESS. Though I would not have thought it possible, the staff at the Bridal Boutique ruined my wedding dress beyond repair. This occurred one month before my wedding and the owner of the store absolved herself of any responsibility did absolutely nothing to help me locate a new dress. Planning your wedding is stressful enough, and with a lot of great bridal shops in the Baltimore area, there is NO reason to give your business to the Bridal Boutique.

If you are anything like me, you probably only read the beginning of reviews, but is my story if you want the details: I purchased my dress at the Bridal Boutique and I trusted my dress to their alterations department. Unfortunately, this was a huge mistake. I should have trusted my gut instinct to take my dress elsewhere after my first appointment when, following the fitting, I felt uneasy. However, because I do not sew (and therefore felt that I was not in a position to judge) and I had been required to pay up front and in full for the alternations, I allowed them to move forward. When I returned for my second fitting, the dress did not fit well and a different seamstress pulled out all of the stitching made by the first seamstress.

When I returned for what was supposed to be my final fitting, arranged according to the timeframe they recommended (one month before my wedding), I was absolutely horrified to discover that they COMPLETELY RUINED MY DRESS. They did such a hack job to the lace that it was buckling in odd places, it had uneven and misplaced seams running across the back, and it would no longer button correctly because it was completely crooked.

The owner did not apologize and stated that they should be provided with an opportunity to repair the damage they caused. However, when it became clear became clear just how outrageous the damage actually and that, in fact, the dress could not be repaired, my mom demanded that she refund our money and, after some heated discussion, she reluctantly agreed to do so. However, while the owner also agreed to contact the manufacturer for us to see if another dress was available, she did not follow through, and when my mother spoke with her again, she informed us that she had no responsibility to assist us with the crisis that her shop had created.

As a result, I was left without a wedding dress one month before my wedding because of the Bridal Boutique. Please DO NOT give your business to this store.

PS – After a day of frantic telephone calls, we were lucky to find the found the same dress (way too big but that was okay) several hours away; we also found a local seamstress who was kind enough to squeeze me in as a last minute project. My dress was not ready until the day before my wedding – it turned out beautifully – but the inexcusable actions on the part of the Bridal Boutique created stress and additional expense that no one should have...

If you must buy here, pick something that doesn't need "refurbishing."

At Bridal Boutique, I had a good experience with the staff that helped me try on dresses. The front of the house service seems good at first glance. The woman who helped me try on was sensitive and sweet. However, the owner here is another story.

I don't get any satisfaction from writing a lackluster review. Still, some things must be said. DO NOT go in here thinking that buying an off-the-rack sale dress will work out as you plan, especially if they promise to repair the dress for you AFTER you buy it. They may reneg on that promise, and they did. You will be stuck with a dress you cannot return and a problem you have to sort out on your own (no small feat).

At the time of purchase, my dress was very obviously missing several gems. Regardless, the owner assured me this was no problem. Refurbishing was standard practice, and although there was an additional cost, I could bring the dress back in a few months for a complete restoration. Well, that day came, and I was told they could not and would not replace the gems on the dress for me. In fact, the day I inquired about it in person and brought the dress, the owner dealt with me directly. I waited while she made a few calls. Then, she unceremoniously left the store without saying a word to me, leaving her salesperson to deliver the bad news. It was up to me to fix my dress problem on my own. No refunds.

After that, I spent the next two months scouring the internet for the right size, cut and color of the missing gems. I found suitable things, but I had to order these from around the globe. Worstly, while it took my time to do this, it was mostly because I had to get a crash course in Swarovski crystals before I knew what to buy. It wasn't expensive, just a pain, and the dress shop probably could have done this faster and even more cheaply than I did, but that is NOT the kind of service they offer at Bridal Boutique.

Luckily for me, I took my dress to a completely different seamstress (not this dress shop), and she is a true pro who did alterations and replacement of missing gems using what I ordered--and my positive review and appreciation photo goes to another business.

If you had a good experience with this shop, that's great, but it felt like a bait and switch to me. It could have been so much better. The dress itself was a lovely high-quality brand. The service from the owner was...