Bridal Elegance — Local services in Millcreek Township

I made a last minute appt this morning, but none-the-less, an APPOINTMENT for 3pm today. I showed up 15 minutes early and browsed some of their outrageously over-priced bridesmaid dresses. To give an example, a specific rose gold gown that they have on display for over $200 is nearly the exact same dress that my girls bought on amazon but with more cheaply made material for a whopping $70 plus shipping. But I didni't let this deter me. In stead, I waited for my sales person to come greet me and instead, had my name hollered from the front desk to come back to her. Customer service tip...go up and greet your appointments with a smile and a handshake. I gave some information for the computer and then was told that I should expect to go up 4 dress sizes because that is how it works in bridal. Odd....I am a size 16 and fit perfectly into 14s at David's Bridal, but hey...every place is different, so alright. I then am asked if I have any pictures to depict what it is that I was looking for in a dress. Sure enough, I had three saved from JJsHouse online that I had my eye on and pulled them up. I'm then asked what my budget is because "We definitely can't go that low." Well, you didn't ask me to see prices, you asked me to see pictures. Clearly a boutique is not going to run as low as what I saw online and that was made pretty clear after just looking at your bridesmaid dress prices. At any rate, I explain that I really like a chiffon look and a lace top but was shown quite a few dresses that really didn't match what I was looking for. There were two that I could see myself in that she pulled off of the rack and took back. The entire time, she is quite and not personable whatsoever and just plain awkward. She hands me a a strapless bra and a slip to put on. She helps me into the bra and then leaves me to put on the slip. Didn't fit whatsoever. i explain this to her and rather than grabbing another one that would fit (you can't tell me you don't have slips for plus size brides) she just tells me we wont use one. So I am standing there in my underwear, feeling incredibly self conscious with an already judgy consultant and she puts my first dress on and tell me to step on the platform. nothing. no words of encouragement or yays or nays (keep in mind I went with no family or friends because I am from Pittsburgh and will be getting married back there). I like it but I'm not crazy about it. Into the next dress I go and same thing...it's put on and she stands there awkwardly quiet. These women work on commission right? Horrible sales tactics. At this point I am done which wouldnt have mattered because there was no offer from her to go and pull any other dresses.

Just a words to the wise....bridal gown try-ons should be an experience...something that is fun and charismatic and a good time. The women on the sales floor should empower and have personality.

I will say that when I made the appointment on the phone, I did let them know that I would most likely not be purchasing today because I was wanting to see what they had to offer and compare it to a designer dress that I fell in love with at David's Bridal. I can say that even if they had any decent looking dresses, I would have chosen the David's Bridal path regardless due to the customer service. David's Bridal told me how good I looked and the woman kept running back and forth with different dresses for me to try and their sizes are much more fitting to the US size scale.

We were also going to rent our tuxes from the tuxedo dept but they've also lost that business.

I'd also like to add that going through the reviews and seeing the response to their other negative reviews really increased my distaste. You are in the business of sales and customer service. Therefore, defending yourself to these poor experiences that multiple brides have had in your doors and creating excuses and reasons as to why things were the way they were really speaks volumes to me and should to anyone else. The customer is always right and an apology and resolution...

I have NEVER written a negative review on any company before, but I really felt the need to write this one based on the way I was treated at this store. I went into Bridal Elegance to let the management know that a dress, (which I thought I had only placed on "hold,") was not what I wanted, that I had found another dress my son liked better (his wedding/his choice), and would like to get my deposit back. I had been told earlier that it would only cost me a restocking fee of $20, which I felt was fine and justified. But when I got there, it was a totally different story. I was told that I had actually purchased the dress and they had a no-refund policy. To be honest, I had put money down on the dress in order to prevent it from being sold until I made my decision as to purchase it or not. I used the word "hold" with the staff and so did they. Never had I said that I wanted to buy the dress, but I guess if you let them take money from you, that is indeed a purchase. I didn't know that. Lesson learned the hard way! She did end up refunding me half of what I put down, $60.00, but it wasn't just the money that bothered me, rather it was how I was treated. The manager that I spoke to was very confrontational and rude. She came to the register with a real chip on her shoulder and was very curt, upset, and, for lack of a better word, "snotty." She told me that I had used up her staff time by being there and trying on dresses. Uhm...isn't that what the staff is supposed to do? I'm quite certain that many people go in and try on dresses without making a purchase. Am I supposed to be penalized for that? She also stated that "most people don't look for other dresses once they purchase one." My point exactly....I didn't think I HAD purchased one, rather I had just put it on hold! She berated me for thinking that their store could possibly keep a dress on hold for two months. How could I even think that was possible? Well, that's why I put $120 down and was willing to pay a restocking fee. Obviously, it was a misunderstanding and/or miscommunication between myself and their staff. Had this been handled differently and I had been treated with kinder words and s more respectful tone, I would never be writing this bad review. However, that wasn't the case. I will never go back to this store, and I recommend to those looking for a pleasant experience for your son or daughter's wedding to look...

In the beginning, Bridal Elegance was wonderful. They have SUCH a beautiful variety of wedding gowns for every type of bride and every brides budget. They also have the best selection of bridesmaids dresses I have found in store. I said yes to a dress, and then a few months later changed my mind and they were so wonderful and accommodating and let me change my wedding gown with no headaches. Every bridal consultant I came in contact with was fabulous, but that unfortunately is where my praise ends.

I live an hour and a half away from Erie, and I have a local seamstress at home who I should have gone to, but I decided to get my alterations done at Bridal Elegance because I figured they know their gowns and they've all been so friendly. I should have stuck with my gut, because the alterations experience was an absolute nightmare. I was not in control of my own dress, I was told no when I asked for my dress to be taken in more, and when I went to pick up my dress, which they were kind enough to get it finished early for me, the seamstress didn't even come into the room to see the finished product or ask me if I was happy with how it looked (I was not). I ended up taking my dress to my local seamstress so that my dress could be what I wanted, since my requests were not being fulfilled here, and mind you I already paid for these alterations on my dress that were not what I wanted to begin with, and I expressed this to the seamstress and I was denied my requests.

At the first alterations appointment at Bridal Elegance, the seamstress pricked her finger, which I found blood on one of the buttons after taking my dress home and taking it to my local seamstress. I paid for my dress to be pressed, and after it was pressed, they pinned the train around a hanger, which created creases in my train and now I will need to get it pressed again. I have to get the bustle ties changed because the ones that were put on it will not hold my dress. The seam in front of my dress is uneven, which made the hem uneven. Long story short, I now have to pay an additional $360 to fix what was messed up, and now my wedding dress will finally be what I want, but no thanks to Bridal Elegance.

If you're looking for beautiful gowns, you will definitely find them here, but I highly recommend getting alterations...