Kathryn's Bridal & Dress Shop — Local services in McHenry

This was my first time at Kathryn’s looking for my wedding dress. My sister and I went there in April 2019 to look for one. My consultant was very patient, kind and helpful. She allowed us to come back a few days later with my mom and future MIL, to look. At this point, we started to feel pressure to buy. Essentially, we put down a deposit, by the way, which is non-refundable. We went home, and we felt like we rushed the purchase. However, in efforts not to lose the $500 deposit, we just went ahead and continued making payments on it. What is nice about this place is that they do have a variety of wedding dresses, and it was nice that the majority of them actually fit on me. Other places I have been to only would have size 2 dresses, so it was hard to see how it actually looked. Being here, I felt happy and comfortable trying on the dresses. The dresses there are exquisite. My wedding was supposed to be in June 2020. Thanks to Covid, we did push it to June 2021. Back in April of 2020, we went to the alteration ladies house to begin the alteration process. She begin pinning it, it looked amazing, and I was happy. Then she hands us the bill: $420!!! All she owas gonna do was cut the tulle in front, create a bushel, and fix the top so it fitted to my chest more. That is all. We left, then the following week, I called her and the shop to notify we are pushing back the wedding. To my understanding, the dress was going to be returned to Kathryns, so it was being held onto there. I called the first week of February (of 2021) to make the final payment, and to ask if we can pick up the dress. I was told yes, and I was also told that the dress was there at the salon. Yesterday, my mom was supposed to go pick it up. To double-check if it’s ok, I called on Friday, and actually, to my surprise, it was not at the salon, but AT THE ALTERATION LADIES HOUSE, in her basement. The lady said that she will bring it the next morning at 11 for us to pick it up. First, I was upset because I was told the dress was at the salon, so it seems like no one there communicates. Second, why would my dress be hanging at someone’s house for 10 months? My mom was upset. We both go there yesterday to speak with the manager and to voice our concerns. Basically, she did not care about what we had to say. No apology, nothing, but excuses. We asked to see it, and they told us it was steamed and pressed. It definitely was not, based on how wrinkly it all was. Also, it had a bad smell to it, probably from sitting in a basement for almost a year. I was definitely very disappointed. The manager offered to have it steamed and pressed again. The manager said it was a long process and we can come to pick it up tomorrow. Now here’s the thing: my dress came in at 11 the day we came to pick it up. We came it at 1:30... how did it get steamed and pressed that morning if it is such a long process? That clearly was bs. You’d think that if you are spending $2000 on a wedding dress, it would be handled with great care. The manager basically did not care at all, and she then told me that the alteration ladies house was insured under her insurance... I don’t care about that. The fact is my dress was sitting for almost a year at someone’s house (who knows what the conditions are there), instead the salon. I am deeply disappointed in how my dress was handled. I expected better of a salon that came highly recommended and had awards. This place just lacks basic...

I had a lovely shopping experience at Kathryn’s. The staff was very friendly and kind. I did purchase a dress and while my consultant and seamstress were wonderful, I was ultimately disappointed by how my dress turned out.

Originally, I had no plans to buy a wedding gown at a traditional bridal boutique. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to wear white. I’m a first time middle-aged bride and planned to buy a department store dress. But I tried on a dress at Kathryn’s that I ended up loving. The issue is that - the sample dress I tried on was three sizes too small, and while I understand this is very common place in bridal salons (PLEASE stopping putting brides in gowns that don’t FIT THEM), I should have realized that I was taking a risk because the dress ended up looking and feeling very different in my size. I was reassured that the dress would be tailored perfectly to me, and that just didn’t happen.

I’m a curvy girl, and the bust of my dress had way too much fabric, which was something I voiced at my second fitting - my seamstress told me I just needed to “sit up straight”. While I am greatly appreciative for all her hard work… I think we can all agree that if you need to sit and/or stand a certain way for your dress to fit properly… then the problem is the dress, not you.

While the dress was very beautiful (which my consultant picked out) I think I chose the wrong style for my body type. I needed much more chest support, which is evident in photos, especially the bulging of the access fabric. The fabric was just too delicate to hold me up and the bodice needed more boning. I was adjusting it all night, literally digging my hands down the front of my dress and repositioning my chest. It was a real bummer. I wish I had had more feedback/advice from the staff about fabrics/styles for ladies with a large bust.

I plan to get my dress altered again sometime, because the idea of it hanging in my closet knowing it doesn’t fit me right is pretty devastating. The bottom line is, I didn't get the dress the ordered.

So, please learn from my mistakes - advocate for yourself, and try not to fall prey to a group of kind ladies telling you “you look great” when you know something isn’t right. Your opinion is the only one...

I was so excited to go dress shopping here and unfortunately left disappointed. While they do have a high volume of dresses and designers, a majority of them feature the same design elements that were dealbreakers for me – I wanted a classic looking dress that suited my small frame and more casual outdoor summer ceremony (not the huge glitter ball gown that the associate eventually tried to sell me on), no plunge necklines or significant cleavage, and no sheer fabric on parts of the body that are usually covered (an issue because a ton of dresses have sheer illusion panels just below the breasts). Basically, I wanted a gown that I could wear in front of my friends, family, and coworkers that felt beautiful without being overly suggestive or way too elaborate for our setting. We went through the options that fit these criteria in about twenty minutes and then spent the remainder of the appointment in a cold war about what I really wanted in a dress, with the associate telling my mom that “we don’t always get what we want” in reference to me wanting something that would allow me to comfortably go about my evening without worrying that everything was out and showing. At one point, it was implied that it was a hassle to find a dress that didn't "feature" my bust because I "certainly have a lot to work with" and I should just embrace it, despite my repeated statement that I would not be selecting ANY gown that, once properly fitted, would be too revealing for me. It was clearly frustrating to her that I was politely refusing dresses, considering at one point she gave me a bright orange dress that definitely came from their prom section. I wish Lanna (the associate) had been honest with me about their selection rather than continually showing me things that clearly made me uncomfortable to the point where I reflexively covered up in the mirror and had to be told to take my hands away from my chest several times. I hope that Kathryn and team will use this as an opportunity to examine the difference between style preferences and strong personal boundaries in order to make future brides more...