I am a pretty non- typical bride and was dreading wedding dress shopping. The first two shops I went to proved my feelings on this to be correct, as they were pushy and I found very few dresses that weren't bedazzled within an inch of their life.
Anna Be was my dream boutique. As soon as I walked in the door I was overjoyed. We showed up early for our appt and they still fit us in and I loved no less than 10 dresses in the store. I don't think there was a rhinestone in site and they had dresses with color in them ( I did not want white) and everything from the very simple and elegant to Disney princess dresses. At the other stores I went to I felt pressured into all of my dresses and ended up weighing the 'merits' of each dress because I did not like them all that much and thought that was just how my wedding experience was going to be. All the dresses at Anna Be made me feel so beautiful and I ended up in the perfect dress for me.
They also have a lot of designers, like Vera Wang and some that you might not have heard of like Tara Latour that are just amazing.
They do not 'sell' the dresses to you. I really dislike being sold and the boutique I went to before them actually insulted the dress I tried on at another boutique and told me it didn't look good on me, on top of being very pushy (It was my top choice, at the time, and looked just fine). They are pretty hands off and do not force anything. The other boutiques I went to had a veil on my head as soon as a dress went on, regardless of whether or not I liked the dress and didn't even ask what kind of veil I wanted. When I found my dress they gave me the exact veil I wanted and asked...they didn't just plunk something on my head to force that "wedding feeling". They could have sold me on the dress I picked that day, but they told me to go home and mull it over for a few days just to be sure.
The fitting areas are also very private and they have everything set up with the proper number of chairs and champagne right when you arrive. The private fitting areas make you feel like you and your bridal party are the only people in the shop. It was important to me that that moment felt very private and only about me and my family. At the first shop I went to everyone was gawking and critiquing other people's dresses, it was uncomfortable.
The only downside is that they do not have a seamstress on site. However, they have several that they recommend and I have complete faith in the process.
I cannot get over how much I love this place. It was such a positive...
Read moreWhen I started looking for wedding dresses I had a bohemian style dress in mind, but going to anna be completely changed that. I fell in love with a Monique Lhuillier lace dress and I couldn't look at any other dress after that. When I received my dress Jessica helped me find a seamstress to get it altered and it was a fairly smooth process. She even offered to keep my dress at anna be at no extra charge because I ordered the dress 7 months in advance. Jessica was great to work from beginning to end. She is cheerful and answered all my questions quickly, and was super attentive to my needs.
We hit a snag (pun not intended) when the seamstress was unable to make some alterations that I requested. I felt she was trying to talk me into the dress as is - and I felt it was fitting me wrong. Joy (stylist/manager at anna be) called me the same day after seeing I was unhappy with the way things were going and she referred me to a different seamstress (Donna Beth Creations) She said they had worked with her in the past and Donna agreed to pick up where the other seamstress left off, and even did the work at no cost - because it was getting so close to my wedding and she had a close relationship with the team at anna be.
Joy met me first thing the next day at Donna Beth and we started the alteration process again. Joy even said she lost sleep because she wanted it to be perfect - which made me feel that she really cared about my happiness. The fact that she came to the fitting meant a lot and showed that their service doesn't end when you buy a dress, they see you all the way through. Donna noticed on the second visit that the dress was just not fitting my body - she even said at one point the way it was fitted looked "frumpy". She pulled the waist in a couple inches and it immediately changed the entire way I looked in the dress. The waist was also dropped too low for my body and she pulled that up to fit my torso. She was a true professional and made me feel like I was in the right place.
I highly recommend anna be. Thanks to Joy and Jessica at anna be, they found me the perfect dress and the perfect seamstress. The quality and selection they have are the best that I saw in my search. They really care about their customers and they treat you like you are the only bride they are...
Read moreThere are not enough stars in the whole sky let alone the internet. 5 is nowhere near enough for this stunning shop and incredible team. Brides- I’m telling you, save yourself the time and energy of looking elsewhere and just go directly to Anna be. I had the pleasure of working with Maddy- who is not only a bridal wizard but is also an absolute ANGEL. I walked in feeling less than optimistic about finding a dress because my style is a bit non-traditional. We were greeted by Maddy, who seriously has the best energy in the world! Both myself and my future sister-in-law loved her immediately. Within a few seconds (no exaggeration!) of vaguely describing my style, Maddy had a specific dress in mind for me to try on. IT WAS THE ONE!! I never would have picked this dress out on my own. Also, due to covid, my mom and future mother-in-law couldn’t join in person, so Maddy happily set up my computer on a stool so they could join the appointment remotely via zoom. My mom is so grateful for how much she included her in the appointment as if she was there in person- talking to the camera and acknowledging her questions etc. Other shops ignored my mom entirely. After I had chosen my dress, Maddy offered to call the other boutique I had an appointment with the cancel for me so I didn’t have to feel awkward doing it which was just above and beyond nice of her! Even after ordering my dress, she still checks in and is still available for any questions. I can’t say enough positive things about my experience with Anna be. This is a team of boss ladies that genuinely love what they do and really care about making the experience amazing for their brides. Not ONCE did I feel pressured to purchase anything, all I felt the whole time was that Maddy wanted me to find the right dress and feel beautiful. They made me feel special throughout the whole process. I can’t thank them or recommend them enough. I can’t wait until my...
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