Dress Lounge — Local services in Kingston

After expressing myself professionally and privately to a different consultant, and making a comment on my survey, the owner did not contact me about this. My family is not able to travel easily, and will likely only be attending the wedding. I had my maid of honor with me. When the consultant brought me back to look at dresses, she had my MOH wait in the waiting area. it was also busy and crowded, so I understood. I would like to mention I made my appointment months ago, I asked how long appointments were when scheduling, and was told they can sometimes take several hours. I was clear where my budget was. The consultant I was scheduled with, a more senior consultant, was still helping another bride, so I was given someone much less experienced. The woman helping me wouldn’t look at any pictures of dresses I like, to even get close to an idea. I tried pointing to a dress on a maniquin, and she scoffed and told me it was out of budget. I said I just wanted to give her an idea of what I liked. There was a large sample sale happening, but never showed me any new dresses within my budget (my budget was definitely open enough). The first dress or two were great, and I came out in them for my MOH. My MOH started taking a picture, so I could share the experience with my family, but was told she couldn’t! We never had this issue in any other shop, didn’t see this posted anywhere (in store or online), and since my family is not able to attend, this really hit me hard. I immediately started crying. It was just that moment where I was fully aware that my family will never have that moment that so many others get to have when they finally see THE dress. The owner explained that it had to do with the designers, because they had her sign contracts stating that their dresses would not be photographed pre sale. my MOH explained the situation, but took a while before the manager asked if she should call the designers, and only after I got ready to change back into clothes to leave. It took her no more than 5 minutes to make a call and say a limited ok. I took a few moments to calm down, and went back with the consultant. I asked if my MOH could come with me, seeing other family go back with brides, and she said no. I was consistently rushed after only trying on one more dress that I was comfortable coming out in a few minutes later. I tried making small talk with the consultant, but she was snippy. I asked if I could go look through dresses, since she wasn’t bringing anything else over that I was liking. she said they don’t have anything for me. I said ok I’m going to change back in street clothes, and look with my MOH. She walked me to the dresses, but had to ask her to get my MOH three times before she did, and only after I asked why other brides and families were able to shop freely but we couldn’t. We still had 45 min before closing, but she kept mentioning time, so i asked her how long we had, she said 4pm (closing), so I said if we were in her way, we could leave. She stopped after that. the lady asked if we could eliminate dresses before I even tried any on. She wanted to put back one dress because it was high neck and I didn’t like one with a completely different style, so I had her pull that one out before she dashed. She tried putting back dresses she said were out of budget or size, but weren’t, and she made many snide comments. My MOH and I left well before closing, and were not even close to the last customers in the shop. other brides were still there from before we arrived. In addition, any time I needed to leave the room to show a dress, the door was left wide open, with my purse inside, by the consultant. I did find a dress, and love it, but left the store before purchasing because of how upset I was by the general lack of customer service. I went back to try it on again knowing how picky I am, and how long it has taken me to find dresses for less important occasions before. Also, nobody bothered to help me accessorize, look at...

(Had to post on my husbands account!) If you are considering visiting the Dress Lounge, please don’t hesitate on that decision for even a second! As soon as you walk in, plan on being greeted with smiles, and by the cutest bridal assistant, a Golden named Vanna White. The showroom displays beautifully, all of the gorgeous gowns and accessories that any customer could possibly imagine and need for their special occasion. On my first visit to the Boutique, I was shopping for my wedding gown, as well as my bridesmaids dresses. I had heard so many great things about the Dress Lounge prior to this visit, that it was my first choice to visit when it came time to pick out a dress. Knowing Jennifer and her exceptional taste, I knew I was in the right hands! Going in, I actually did not have a vision for myself or my dress, beyond knowing that I wanted something with lace. When I explained this to the girls, they didn’t hesitate for a second on pulling dresses that they thought would be a great fit. And let me tell you, they got the job done! By the third dress, I knew that I had found my wedding dress! Words can not describe how perfect it was for me, and even if I could have envisioned my dress…..this one blew it out of the water. The girls pinned it up nicely so I could truly envision it in the right size. And then came the accessories! I saw an absolutely gorgeous hair accessory, and they completed the look with multiple options for veils. I said yes to the dress, as well as the hairpiece and veil, and saw myself as a bride for the very first time! They swiftly had my measurements, and took care of getting my dress ordered. And in the meantime, was assisting my MOH in finding dresses. They had such a great variety of dresses, and styles that come in so many colors to fit any palette. I knew I wanted lace for the bridesmaids, but beyond that everyone chose their own style. They were all extremely happy with their dresses, and they had the perfect color options to match the theme colors. My Mother-in-law also made an appointment to try on gowns, and wound up with a stunning one for the wedding! She had a hard time even deciding on one because all of the options were amazing. And funny enough, at her appointment, I wound up finding the most stunning red dress to wear for my engagement photos thanks to Jen! So 7 dresses in total, and every single one was absolutely stunning! All of the dresses arrived in the timeframe they were expected! At my final fitting, the dress size chosen worked perfectly with only minor alterations necessary. The girls went above and beyond at every single appointment that we were there. And they even steam cleaned the dress and veil two days before the wedding day to make sure everything was perfect! And it was! I could not recommend Jen and the women a the Dress Lounge more. Start to finish, it was an incredible experience, and I could not be happier or more thankful for their part in making our...

Now that my wedding is over, I feel comfortable sharing my honest experience.

I visited this boutique early on during my wedding dress search. A few people I knew had great experiences here, so despite the 45-minute drive, I was hopeful. When I arrived, the store was very busy — which was totally fine, as I had the entire day free and was excited to browse.

However, I wasn’t greeted upon entering, even as multiple employees walked past me. After a few minutes, I approached the counter myself. A woman looked at me and simply asked, “Do you have an appointment?” I said yes. Without introducing herself, asking my name, or offering any welcome, she immediately asked, “What’s your budget?”

Caught off guard, I responded, “I don’t know, maybe $3,000?” and explained that I was just starting the process and wasn’t sure what average prices were. Her reply? That I’d have a hard time shopping here with that budget. I clarified that I could spend more — I was early in my search and open-minded. Still, it was clear she thought I was wasting her time and began discouraging me from even continuing.

She asked if I had tried on dresses elsewhere. I said yes, and she asked to see a photo. After looking at it, she told me I should just buy that dress; that they didn’t carry anything comparable in style, and that their dresses were more expensive than the $3k number I mentioned. I was stunned. I had brought my mother , who was in the middle of breast cancer treatments , to share this special experience with me, and they were essentially telling me not to bother trying anything on.

Up until this point I had been extremely kind and patient, but I finally said, “This isn’t going well — how about we start over and you tell me your name like a normal customer service interaction, and ask me mine?!?!?!” She apologized, told me her name, and I gave mine. From there, things seemed to shift. We made small talk, and she began showing me dresses. I thought we were moving in a better direction.

But on the way to the dressing room, I’ll never forget what happened: she walked past another employee and gave her a huge eye roll — clearly about me — which the other employee immediately noticed and looked directly at me. It was snobby and completely unprofessional.

I kept my composure just so my mother could see me try on a few dresses. I tried on ONE, and the same woman again told me the dress from my photo was clearly the better choice , confirming she had no real interest in helping me find my dress.

It was obvious: once I mentioned a budget, I was written off. Ironically, I ended up purchasing a $5,000 gown from a different boutique that treated me with kindness and respect.

If you choose to go here, I’d recommend not sharing your budget upfront, or better yet, supporting a shop that treats every bride with warmth and professionalism, regardless of what they think you’re...