Marah's Bridal — Local services in Mount Horeb

Had the audacity to walk in on a week day at 330pm to look at the inventory (I was in Mt.Horeb for business, so I figured I would walk in and gauge my treatment to determine their raved about classy service... I noticed most of the five star reviews were for day of service...). I entered the interesting building and had high hopes. I am an alternative bride and love old buildings repurposed. Very lush modern interior. There was a sign saying to remove my shoes to protect the dresses, and the woman at the desk (the owner) eyeballed me. I asked if I am supposed to take my shoes off to even come in at all (the desk is smashed right up to the doorway), and she said yes. So I stood awkwardly in my socks, trying to not get them wet on the floor. She asked me if she could help me... um. yes. Told her I am looking at wedding dresses, and wanted to see her shop. She very quickly informed me I needed an appointment, and that she MIIIIIGHT have time for a "half" appointment.... I declined. She then bombarded me with WHEN IS YOUR WEDDING, WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET. I proceeded to explain next march, and that I didn't want to spend more than $500 (you're not worthy of my actual budget... your loss can remain a mystery)... She very quickly made an "oooh" wince and told me I would not find anything here for that. Maybe for like 1700... And she had some "off the floor." She quickly told me it's ok to look around. And I told her I wasn't going to look at dresses I didn't intend to buy. And she then just looked at me, conversation done. So I just went yeah, thanks. And that was my experience. Blows my mind how someone can be so rude in an initial conversation. Firstly, a bridal shop in a small town should have manners! I could expect couture sass if I was actually in a metropolitan shop... Not Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin. Secondly, it is incredible to me that a shop located so closely to Epic (it's just a major medical software company 10 minutes away that relocates thousands of young people who then meet people and get married, with unlimited budgets because they get paid well right out of college...... no big deal). Thirdly, how dare you. I shouldn't have to respond to militant questioning before you are willing to help or not. Your dresses were gorgeous and exactly what I had been shopping for, but I'll be damned if I will support a local business that treats me like that because I am wearing jeans and a winter coat, and LOOK and sound like I might not have a budget that meets your criteria. that shop lost a sale, and as she so eloquently pointed out, it was a big one. Highly encourage you ladies to go in with a casual attitude and see how nasty she is, before she sees the dollar signs! I grew up with not a lot of money, and I know that sometimes people will treat you poorly for that. For something like a wedding dress, your budget shouldn't determine the treatment you get as a customer sharing her special day. If I really had been financially limited to a $500 dress, Marah's shop would have made me feel dirty, insignificant and...

I felt the most unwelcome and like a burden here of anywhere I went during my dress shopping experience.

My MOH and I are both getting married, and are both each other's MOHs. She was in town for the weekend to try to make some progress on dresses. We had an appointment at 3 PM on a Saturday to look at bridesmaids dresses for both of our weddings at Marah's, and I still needed a gown when we arrived.

When we walked in, the entrance was blocked off by a mannequin and kind of hard to get through, so it was awkward, like they were trying to look closed and prevent people from entering. When asked what we needed, I honestly couldn't remember if I had a gown appointment or just bridesmaids since I didn't have my gown yet and I'd scheduled a couple of appointments that weekend of different mixes based on what the shop had available when we schedule a couple of months in advance, but we did figure out we just scheduled bridesmaids, so totally fair that there was some confusion and figuring out what to do, mostly on my part, with that time. They close at 4, there just wouldn't have been time to do everything or gowns at all since we only had an hour at that point.

In the end, the staff let us loose to look at bridesmaid dresses, which are in the back of the store in a dark area, mushed together on a rack where you can't really see the style or color of the dresses without digging. We were most struggling at trying to find uniform colors for my friend's day since she needed to see things in person and hadn't found anywhere with a clear selection of available colors and materials on offer. This made me think apparently when you only want to look at bridesmaid dresses you just shouldn't expect any help, appointment or not.

We left after probably 10-15 minutes without trying anything on and feeling like the staff were uninterested in helping us.

We had an excellent and incredibly helpful bridesmaid's appointment elsewhere that taught us the type of help we...

UPDATE 9 months later.

If anyone tells you during your appointment that you can just take this part you like of one dress and it’ll be “so easy” to put it on your other dress in alterations, don’t give them a single penny until you have spoken with a seamstress who knows bridal. Karley told me it would be no problem at all for a seamstress to attach the sleeves of an Essence gown onto a Paloma gown. I didn’t love either dress as is, so she suggested I take the sleeves I loved and easy peasy lemon squeezy my seamstress could attach to the dress whose bodice I loved.. Wrong. I never would have spent $4000 on a dress had I known she has no business telling anyone what can and can’t be done to a dress and I would be taking a gamble on it working out.

And now to think she got a $200 tip because I was caught off guard by being asked to tip on a $4k dress I panic hit a button. It’s in such poor taste to have that there. The person who deserves that tip and then some is the highly skilled seamstress trying to make the vision I was sold possible.

So what is below is kind of true. I did go in looking for something and left with something else. And that something else is a giant headache and remorse. Don’t be like me. Bridal consultants are sales people and they don’t sew. Don’t let them talk you into anything or tell you what is/isn’t possible in alterations until you’ve spoken with a seamstress.

++++++ original review++++++ Karley is amazing! I came in wanting to try a dress that I thought would be beautiful for my elopement in the Redwoods, but wasn’t 100% sold on. I left with a custom Paloma Blanca that combined the elements of the original dress I liked with others I didn’t even know I wanted into a one-of-a-kind gown that brought tears to my eyes every time I looked in the mirror. I could not be happier and cannot wait to put it on again! Thank...