White House Bride — Local services in Readington Township

Sara’s Bridal Boutique was bought by a lovely woman named Stacie and she has been wonderful. I had been looking for my wedding dress and was beginning to get stressed out because I didn’t think I was the kind of person who would feel that “this is the dress moment”. Everything was very pretty or “would be great if I wasn’t doing a destination wedding on a beach in Mexico” or just not me. But when I tried on this one dress, I definitely had a Wow moment and even slightly teary eyed. So this was the dress. Unfortunately, I found this dress at a different store and felt the pressure to get it within the next 48 or I would miss the Trunk Sale price on it. I started panicking and made plans with my sister to go to at least 2 more places. Even though I loved this dress, I still needed to make sure. Sara’s Bridal was on our list, my Maid of Honor had found the website for me and there were a lot of designers and dresses on my list from there. When my sister and I pulled up, Sara’s was not what we expected. It is a stand only shop off of RT 22 and if you don’t know it’s there, you might pass it altogether. It is very small and I was even a bit nervous going in, since we canceled an appointment in Morristown to go there. I just had a feeling about it. When we got there, Stacie greeted us and she was so sweet and easy to talk to. The place is small on the inside as well, but the gowns in there are all gorgeous. Before Stacie bought the place, Sara was focused more on Mother of the Bride and Bridesmaids dresses, so she did not have a ton of wedding gowns. I tried on a few that she had and pulled after I showed her my Pintrest of what I was looking for. A lot we’re very nice but just not the right one. I was stuck on one that I liked almost everything about, but it was a little too sparkly for my taste because of some beadwork and sequins. Stacie said she would have those taken off, no problem, nothing extra. I went home to think about it and the other dress I loved. I called Stacie that night and she said she would have no problem ordering the original dress I fell in love with. So now I had time to decide without the pressure. Unlike most Bridal shops, Sara’s does not charge a flat rate for alterations (which I was quoted between $500 – 600 from other places) the alteration prices are as needed and it’s $25 for a bustle. Skipping ahead, I decided on the dress and to go with Sara’s. My MOH and I went in last week to put down a deposit and to get measured. Stacie greeted us with hugs and smiles. Not only did she have a cute little bedazzled “I said yes to the dress!” sign for us to take a picture with, but she had a bottle of sparkling wine and a little gift bag of goodies for me. It doesn’t matter that this place is tiny, the dresses she has are beautiful and with Stacie I know that I am going to get that personal attention all brides should get and might not if they go somewhere else that is a little too commercialized. And while she is building up her collection, if there is a dress you love, know that Stacie had no problem ordering that special dress for you. I said “Yes to the Dress” and to Sara’s Bridal and I am so happy I did. I can’t wait until my dress comes in so I can gush about...

I was very disappointed on my experience at Sara's Bridal. This was my second time trying on gowns (but my first time at this location) and I drove 2 hours to get there. The first thing I was told when I walked in the door was that I was late, and when I confirmed that I was on time they realized they'd mixed me up with a different client. Despite having spoken with Stacie on the phone twice, explaining my vision and detailing my wedding date both times, I had to reiterate all of this during out face to face. After this, she pulled one dress for me but the dressing rooms were open so we had to wait.

While waiting, we decided to look for bridesmaid gowns. When I asked Stacie for help finding a specific style of dress for the bridesmaids, she said she didn't remember what they had and I'd need to look myself. My sister's tried on a few, but no one helped them with clips to make sure the fit looked good. I understand that the floor sizes are samples, but usually a consultant helps lay the dresses and make sure they're flattering. Instead, my mom had to stand behind them and pull the fabric so we could get an idea about what looked best.

When they were done with dresses, and the fitting room was clear, I told Stacie I was ready to try on dresses. She said she didn't think I'd want to because my wedding was still a year and a half away, but I explained I wanted to find my dress before the end of summer. Throughout the visit, she would make several comment about how I "probably wouldn't buy a dress" because my wedding was "so far away".

I was able to try on two dresses (one I had to pick out on my own). Stacie didn't help get me into the dresses at all, and after I commented on what I liked and didn't like, she didn't choose any other options for me to try on. At this point, I didn't feel like pushing the matter. We had been at the shop for over an hour and a half, in part because we had to wait while a bride tried on her altered gown (I completely understand this, I just think the boutique was a bit understaffed compared to the number of clients who happened to be there at that time).

Since I became engaged, I've done a lot of shopping in preparation for our wedding. This was the first time I was treated like my time wasn't important. I will say that Stacie was willing to come down on the gown I loved, but she also said that the offer would only last a week and she doubted I would take it since my wedding was so far away. Maybe it's just me, but this kind of soured me on the deal.

Basically, if you're looking to have a consultant spend time just with you and focused on your vision, maybe consider looking somewhere else. If you're fine shopping on your own and don't really want any help, then maybe this is the...

Where do I even begin! I can not express the wonderful and incredible experience I had working with both Stacie and Irene to find my wedding dress! If I could give them 10 stars, I would!!

I am getting married July 14, 2023 in Greece and started looking for dresses mid November ‘22 (not realizing some wedding dresses take 10+ months to come in). I was nervous but Stacie offered me assurance that some dress designers take a shorter time than others, and helped me focus on designers within my budget and what would come in on time.

White House Bride Boutique was the first store I visited because my sister actually got her dress from Stacie back in 2017. I spoke to Stacie before my appointment and sent her a range of photos of wedding dress inspirations I loved. On the day of my appt, she had pulled a variety of dresses within my budget based on my taste. I found some that I really liked, but, I wanted to explore other options at other stores and told Stacie and she was totally okay with this, which I sincerely appreciated! Especially knowing my time crunch - she never pressured me once!

I went to 4 other dress locations and ultimately ended up coming back to White House Bride for this one dress that I really liked and ended up saying yes to the Justin Alexander Carlee dress!… But here’s the kicker - I ended up getting the same dress as my best friend! And we are both part of each others wedding. My best friend is so sweet and she said she didn’t mind, but I was embarrassed because she had shown me her dress months earlier and I forgot what it had looked like.

I immediately messaged Stacie and Irene and luckily my order was not placed and they were so accommodating to help me find another dress. I actually found another Justin Alexander dress online and fell in love with it originally, but they didn’t have it any stores driving distance from me. I brought it up to Stacie, and she told me she can order the dress as part of JA’s loaner program, so that is exactly what we did. The dress arrived in 2 weeks for me to try on, and I said yes again to the dress on 12/3/22!

And since Justin Alexander is based out of New Jersey, my dress was in stock and arrived yesterday on 12/28/22, less than 30 days! Just incredible!!!

Stacie and Irene were absolute pros handling me, my mom, and my sisters with our difficult schedules. As well as my mom and I disagreeing on every dress I tried on lol until I said yes to the 2nd dress. Some things happen for a reason I believe, and I am just thankful I was able to go through this experience with Stacie and Irene by my side and helping guide me along the way.

Highly highly recommend them, as they are wonderful ladies with so many options to worth within...