Questions and Comments about Bridal Shops in the DC/Baltimore Metro Area

[rebeccashamm]

I am a bride still looking for a wedding dress in the Balimore/DC metro area, but I have been to a number of stores already and have both comments and questions for other brides.

David's Bridal in Rockville, MD - In a word, pushy. The saleswoman insisted that I try I dresses that I didn't like and KNEW I wouldn't like. My advice is, don't bother.

Betsy Robinson's in Baltimore, MD - The store is very pretty and comfortable, and they seem to have a lot of dresses to try on. The only problem - if you're bigger than a size 8 (regularly), forget it. The saleswoman informed me they only stock dresses in a size 10, and said "perhaps your friend here could try on the dresses for you?". Thanks but no thanks. I also mentioned to the saleswoman that my price range was under $1000, and that I wanted a sleeveless, but not strapless dress. She told me they didn't have much, and proceeded to show me a "lovely" strapless dress for $1300.

Martin's Bridal in Baltimore, MD - The store is nothing spectacular, but they have many dresses, from many designers, to try on in every size you can imagine. I told one of the saleswomen, Susan, what I was looking for, and she found a bunch of dresses for me to try on THAT MATCHED THE DESCRIPTION I GAVE HER. Wow, what a relief.

But here I have some questions:

Martin's Bridal in Baltimore, MD - does anyone know anything about them? Are they on the up and up? I got a style number from the Saleswoman for the dress I loved, but I can't match the style number she gave me to anything on the internet by the same designer. Makes me nervous. Has anyone had any experiences with them? If so, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected], and let me know what you know.

Another question - does anyone know of other bridal shops in the DC metro are that has dresses for a plus-sized bride (say, a size 18) to actually try on in the store? Again, if you know of any, please e-mail at the above address.

Thanks, and happy wedding planning!

[mommy of bride]

If you haven't gone by Mary's in Annapolis, MD, give it a look. They carry every designer plus Mary is a designer herself and will custom make a gown for you.

I was a little hesitant about going there because I thought they were too expensive. But when we went for our appointment we found out that the price is all-inclusive. All alterations are part of the price and they will take in a gown as much as necessary if you lose weight before your big day (a must for us since my daughter had a baby 8 weeks ago and still has a lot of her weight to lose).

The service was fabulous and my daughter found the perfect gown for her with the second dress she tried on. It was exactly what she had in mind. It is one of Mary's own designs so there will have to be 5 fittings (normally 7, I believe but we only have 8 months). The attention to detail is amazing, and I can't believe that we can get a custom made gown for the same price it would cost for a nice off the rack gown with alterations. Mary made some recommendations about changing the cut of the dress to better suit my daughter's figure - bringing down the back a little to show off her well-defined shoulder blades, using a different shade of white to compliment her complexion, etc. She didn't just rattle off these bits of advice, she demonstrated how these changes would look. It's amazing how subtle little differences can really improve the look of a dress - I didn't realize there were so many shades of white.

The fabric is really nice, too, not the polyester fabrics that so many stores sell. It is pure silk and is very light weight. The only adornments are a band of tiny Swarovski crystals sewn onto the fabric around the top of the bodice and two bands down the length of the train. I can't wait to see how those crystals will pick up the candlelight at an evening ceremony. BTW, the total price for the gown was $1495.00. The veil she picked out is a two-tiered, silk edged with the same fabric as her gown. It is a proportional veil and will be cut to my daughter's exact measurements. The veil was $200.

In addition to being so helpful in picking out the right dress, Mary spent lots of time giving us information on other bridal services that she knows of. She recommended a location for the reception which we didn't even know about and it looks like it will be an excellent choice for what we want.

All in all, this has been a very rewarding experience so far. I know my daughter will have a beautiful gown that will fit her perfectly and will be unlike anyone else's. If you are interested in more information let me know.

Laurie

[mommy of bride]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Mary spent 3 1/2 hours with us for that first appointment. The shop closed, all employees went home and she was still taking measurements, giving advice, and taking pictures. Pretty good customer service, IMO.

Laurie