Brides & Belles of Tyler — Local services in Tyler

If I could give ZERO, I would. My bridal party and I went at the end of February to try on and purchase dresses.

Finding the dresses - EASY! Checking out - EASY!

I’m kicking myself for not taking a picture of the sign on the checkout counter that said “IF YOU ORDER BY TODAY, YOU WILL HAVE YOUR DRESS BY APRIL 15”. For an end of June wedding, that’s tons of time!

We went out for drinks right after and they were calling us before we could finish our first round asking us to reconsider not purchasing the Rush Fee because the dresses might be in sometime in May. (Still fine for an end of June wedding.) My girls all said no - because they called each one individually while we were still at the table.

That Monday, I’m getting texts from my girls first thing in the morning that Brides and Belles is calling them AGAIN saying now they HAVE TO HAVE the rush fee because the dresses won’t be in until June 15 at the earliest.

So, I (the bride) call Brides and Belles and they immediately transfer me to JoAnne - the owner. She explains to me that they don’t make the dresses in house, the woman that helped us isn’t knowledgeable of their system, and that she gave my girls $25 off their dresses without us having to ask so “isn’t it only fair” that we pay the rush fee. She then asks me “did you understand what I’m telling you?”.

I tell her not to call my bridesmaids again and that I will pay the fee - JoAnne said it would be $10 per dress. I had 4 girls that needed Rush. 4x$10=$40... Now, lesson learned on my part, I gave her my card info over the phone to pay the Rush. I get THREE notifications from my bank. Brides and Belles $100, Brides and Belles $100, Brides and Belles $40.

I call back. I ask for JoAnne. I ask her why did she charge me $240 for the Rush fee. She tells me point blank “I DIDN’T.” I tell her about the notifications from my bank. She then tells me “Well, I was going to call you about that. Normal Rush fee is $25 per dress. I charged you $100 for the four dresses BUT I voided it.” I tell her she did NOT void the $100 but had charged me $100 again. JoAnne says “No. I voided it. Can I help you with anything else?”. Needless to say, I had to fill out a dispute with my bank over these “voided” payments.

Fast Forward to mid-May when the dresses were supposed to be in now that they are Rushed. My girls call Brides and Belles multiple times only to be told “let me look into it and call you back” only to never be called back.

When the dresses finally came in, my fiancé went in to pick up a dress for one of my girls and they no questions asked handed him her dress. Never took his name or had him sign. So, apparently anyone who knows you ordered a dress from there can walk out with your dress!

This place seems too easy and it is. They are rude, mismanaged and condescending AFTER you pay them....

I was really excited to be getting my wedding dress from Brides and Belles because my sister purchased her dress from them for her wedding and they were great! Overall, I was pleased with the customer service received when picking out my dress and there after. All of the ladies are really sweet and helpful, and even the owner, Joanne, was very friendly. However, that has changed. My wedding was supposed to be in December, but due to financial hardship brought on by COVID-19 we have had to cancel without certainty as to when it will be rescheduled. I called and spoke with Joanne to explain my situation, and see what my options were, only to be told that I could either keep making payments on the dress or lose all of what I have already paid which is almost half of the total cost, and she would sell my dress to someone else for what’s left. I even tried to see if I could trade the dress (which has not be altered or customized) for an evening gown to take pictures in (to commemorate our wedding day) & she refused. Either I keep paying for a dress I may never be able to use or lose my money and dress. I’m on the phone hysterical and pleading for more options and Joanne tells me to ask family for the money. I, unfortunately, don’t have any family to rely on for such and considering the circumstance I expected a little more understanding and compassion. The young lady that answered the phone even agreed that I had paid quite a bit already so exchanging shouldn’t be la problem. Might I add, I was wanting to exchange for a dress MUCH CHEAPER than what I have already paid, meaning they would still get to keep some money for nothing. I have had no issues with any of my other vendors surrounding this wedding and am truly disappointed with the lack of care or compassion Joanne expressed, I even had my bridesmaids set up to be getting their dresses from B&B but after today that has changed. I have no issues abiding by contracts that I have signed but during an unprecedented time, I expected more from such a highly rated business. Definitely appear to only be about the money and those that fall in line with the same privilege as theirs. Thank you for so carelessly hanging up on me as well, Joanne. My...

As soon as I walked in I was immediately judged by the thin manikin that did not represent my body type. I am 4’11” on a good day, have size 40 HH bust, and dress size 24, once again, that is IF I fully relieve myself, not eat McDonald’s for breakfast and lunch, AND run around my bedroom (0.002 miles!). I was a little deterred but decided to take those first few steps in and fill out the form at the front desk to the left of the sofa on the right. It was hard to see some of the beautiful brides, but I love to judge, so I knew I was representing brides of today and squashing 21st Century stereotypes that society places on women. (Happy International Women’s Month ESPECIALLY TO MY PLUS-SIZED QUEENS). Anyways, there was surprisingly a great selection of gowns. Due to my body proportions, I knew a sheer, mermaid, strapless, some lace, and sparkly dress would be perfect. My consultant was amazing. I felt super comfortable in the dressing room and they had plenty of fabric to cover my back as many dresses did not close completely. Don’t get me wrong, I still felt empowered. That WAS until I realized I was wearing a size 26 gown. I am NOT a size 26!!! 24 is the biggest I have EVER BEEN and that was the period of my life when I WAS PREGNANT and had FREQUENT PANIC ATTACKS. I was insulted and belittled. The consultant kept informing me that “bridal runs small.” I don’t think so hun. I went on the Keto diet for Lent so back off!!!!!!!! Well, I am going to give Brides and Belles of Tyler 1 star because I felt people were making fun of me for my...