The Dress Matters — Local services in Springfield Township

I am currently on the search for a wedding dress and wanted to try out local boutiques first, wanting to support a local business vs David's Bridal. I read very positive things online, and was happy they had a good range of prices.

My budget was 1000, and as stated on their website their wedding dresses ranged from 399-1999. So I was excited to go in and see what I could find. I also had high expectations since I had just visited another local boutique and had a great experience, so I figured all of these local places would all be great and not 'corporate-y'.

The consultant, Monica, that we had was polite and offered my mom and I something to drink after she showed us to the room. I filled out a small form with contact info and budget. While I was filling out the form I talked about what dress styles I liked, what I didn't like, and what kind of things I wanted to try on. To my surprise, after I told her that information, she just showed us to the dresses and just told us to look through them ourselves.

Now, my thought/expectation when working with a consultant is that you tell them your style and budget, and they pull the dresses accordingly. Not the case here. My mom and I struggled to sift through the dresses since they are heavy and just generally awkward to move around on a rack. We could not be too gentle since I wanted to look at them and also check out the price tags. Meanwhile the consultant was standing behind us, watching us struggle, not offering any help until we picked out a dress that she then put in the dressing room.

She offered no advice, no real help. If she had not been there, it would have made no difference My mom could have done everything she did - helping me zip/button the dresses up. After a first pass through the dresses, we went back again. Again, no offer to help us with the dresses or make suggestions.

I overall felt somewhat unwelcome and that I was an inconvenience to her time. The only positive thing I can say about the experience was that she was polite, the store was clean, and we were offered something to drink. Other than that, it was awful. Had I ended up actually liking a dress, I would not have bought it there so I wouldn't have to deal...

I went to at least 5 wedding dress shops (big & small stores). I had a feeling The Dress Matters would be my saving grace so I saved this one for last, and I am so glad I did. I heard about this place from another friend who got her wedding dress here. My appointment was the day after Thanksgiving and the owner herself opened the shop and was my consultant. Sorry I forgot her name! She was so nice! I think she opened the shop just for me, because I was the only one there that day. By the time I arrived here, I already tried on close to 40 dresses, so I knew what type and style of dress I want. I told the owner what I am looking for and she immediately pulled out dresses for me. As I tried the dresses on, she listened to what I liked and what I don't like, offering her opinion when asked. Then pulled out some more dresses based on my preferences. I think I tried on 5-7 dresses. Ultimately, I choose the last dress she pulled out! It was everything I was looking for and more! Most importantly it fits my budget. The owner was so great for working with my tight budget and we came to agree on a price that we were both comfortable with. I did not use their alteration service because I live far from them, but I did store my dress there for a 2 month before it needed to be altered. Can't recommend them more! Their places can't be beat! Thank you for allowing me to find the perfect dress for my...

I ordered a bridesmaid dress from The Dress Matters at the end of February. When I finally received the dress in September, I went to take it in and get it altered, as it was a one-shoulder dress and the shoulder strap was too tight. My tailor immediately pointed out that he could tell that the dress had already been altered. The stitches on the shoulder strap are a mess with frayed pieces sticking out, and there is no additional fabric left to work with. I was very obviously sold a dress that had already had alterations made to it. When I spoke with Debbie, the store owner, she was completely unwilling to give me a refund or help me in any way. Her response was, "The designer runs small," which doesn't solve the problem as the rest of the dress fits perfectly. That information would have been really nice to know when her employees took my measurements when I originally ordered the dress. I asked for the suppliers contact information so that I may take this issue up with the dress supplier and have yet to hear from her. I would never recommend this boutique. Thank god this only happened to a bridesmaid dress and not a bridal gown. I've ordered bridesmaid dresses several times in the past and have been a bride myself, and I've never run into an issue like this. Terrible customer service, shady owner, all around bad experience and...