Joan Gilbert Bride — Local services in San Francisco

I was never the type of girl who dreamed of my wedding/wedding dress/ring etc. so when I got engaged last year, I thought picking a dress would be a breeze. Turns out that was not the case at all and I was majorly indecisive. I went to so many bridal salons in New York where I used to live, in Charlotte while visiting family, and in SF. I must have tried on 30 or 40 dresses. When I called Joan, I had a vague idea of what I liked - simple and timeless - but still felt like I hadn’t found a dress that checked all the boxes and still felt bridal.

I went to see her and she immediately told me to try on the dress that I ended up selecting. I fell in love and she picked up on my excitement, but, being the indecisive person I am, I left to sleep on it, which she was ok with. I came back a few weeks later and said yes to the dress. There was no fanfare, I had taken zero pictures of the dress, and I had come to Joan’s home alone each time, but I just had the right feeling when I thought about that dress.

All in all, I am so glad I picked it! It was a dream to wear and I felt so glamorous and classy. Thank you Joan!!!!

I’d recommend Joan in a heartbeat to anyone looking for unique and classic dresses that you won’t find...

Joan is amazing! I spent countless hours looking online at wedding dresses and disliked most of them. When I stumbled upon Joan’s site, I loved the timeless classy European dresses she carried. These dresses are a work of art!

My first visit with Joan was a great experience. It’s an extremely individualized process. She let me bring my mom and best friend. The first dress Joan held up to me was the one. She gave me a veil and bouquet to put together the full effect. My mom and best friend cried.

You have to trust the process because very likely the dress will not be the right size to put on. The measurements are so precise and the dress fit me perfectly.

My experience was especially memorable because of Covid. The manufacturing process in Italy shut down right when the material was cut for my dress. I had several months of not knowing what was going to happen. Joan was in communication with me every step of the way and also assisted with slight alterations.

I have a young cousin asking to borrow my dress already. These are dresses that will never go...

Despite the many 5-star reviews praising Joan, my experience was disappointingly different. Joan followed up on my inquiry about wedding dresses. While I believe she was genuinely trying to help in the beginning including noting how close the wedding date is, the conversation turned to an uncomfortable direction for me. After discussing sizes and styles, when I mentioned preferring a lower budget for my small ceremony (despite their $2-5k range) and I’m looking for a second dress for my photo shoot since I already have a dress from a brand I love, she abruptly stated "this is not the place for you" and ended the conversation. This gatekeeping behavior and dismissive response was unprofessional and unwelcoming. A simple redirection to other options would have been more appropriate. Potential customers should be treated with respect regardless of their...