Pearl's vs. DBS vs. RK

[BLUEROSE_01]

I'm having a bit of a delimma -- the three companies have almost the exact same quotes for my gown. I received great assistance at Pearl's when I called (and finally got through), and a quick, very detailed email from a DBS rep. When I called RK, they were just short of ok, although I know others have been extremely satisfied with them. All of their prices are similar, with S&H being about the only difference ($10 or so). I've read great things about Pearl's and RK, but does anyone have experience with DBS? Is it nice to have a local rep vs. long distance calls? Since all of the DBS stuff goes through Baltimore, it's very close to me and might be a bit faster than the others. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Blue

[Karen]

Blue,
My name is Karen Lockwood, and I am a DBS dealer, maybe even the dealer who answered your quote request. There are five of us who handle the quote requests, and though I don't know if that is how you received your quote, I'm going to assume you went through Windsorpeak.com. Having a local representative is great for the bride and for the dealer, especially if the dealer is a seamstress as I am. Not all of us are, but if we don't do alterations ourselves, we have support staff or referals who handle that kind of thing routinely and are very good. Some of us offer more savings for your wedding on things like shoes, slips, jewelry, headpiece/custom veils, invitations and tux rentals. One thing we all are is dedicated to saving you money. Those that don't like to work with brides and their special needs don't last more than a year. I've been altering bridal wear for many years and was recruited by DBS 4 years ago. I can't say it has all been wonderful, but it does energize me and make me look forward to going to my studio every day. Not only do I feel this way, the owners at DBS are just as dedicated. I have known of times during natural disasters like recent floods where they put out the word that any DBS bride whose gown was damaged in a flood could be covered up to $1000 a wedding for another gown. If a bride's gown didn't arrive from the manufacturer to meet our deadlines, they have been known to go out to a local bridal store and buy one outright to send to the bride. I can't say enough about the owners of DBS - we are priviledged to be associated with such fine people. The Service Center staff who help us find out costs and handle our orders for us are dedicated and resourceful. I haven't had a problem that we couldn't do something creative about and make a bride happy. I have a box full of pictures and thank you notes to attest to that very thing.
I handle more e-mail orders than local because Montana, where I live, is a sparsely populated state. In that respect, I'm like Pearl's and RKBridal, working from a distance. To be a bride who can locate her own seamstress and handle invitations, shoes, undergarments, etc on her own is a special kind of bride. She must be informed, have the time to do her own research, and able to make decisions for herself. If you are not that kind of bride, you will not be comfortable with anything less than a person you can see and touch to lead you through the process of outfitting yourself, your attendants, and taking care of other assorted responsibilities that most full service bridal stores provide. There definitely is a place for the bridal shop, but you pay the price for that kind of service. What a local dealer offers is more limited service (depending on what each dealer offers)with big savings on gowns and some accessories. The rest will be up to you. What is your bottom line, money? RK and Pearl's won't be there to advise you on all kinds of things that a local rep for DBS can. Now, after saying all of that, I'm putting in my bid for your confidence and your business. Read my very long letter in the April testimonials on Windsorpeak's bridal site to see how committed we can be to making sure things go the way you hope and expect. If you like what I've said here, you may e-mail me anytime at [email protected]. Karen

[dandori]

My Name is Debra Goldwater and I too am a DBS dealer. In fact I am an Area Director for California. I may have been the one to answer your email also. DBS is a wonderful company!!!! I would be happy to supply referrals for you to check. We have many satisfied brides. DBS has the best inspection process in the business too, so you can be assured that you will get what you order!!!! Please feel free to call me toll free at 877-328-3457. I would be happy to answer any questions or concerns. And the best part about ordering from a DBS dealer is you get HER too. She will be available for you and can also save you money on other wedding related products and services. I look forward to speaking with you, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
Debra

[annepete]

Here's another message from a DBS rep: I am a Philadelphia-area rep, as well as one of DBS' Internet reps, and I am also a previous customer of DBS, so I can tell you it's a wonderful service. We never promise what we can't deliver, and the service is very attentive. I can put you in touch with some of my recent customers if you need any reassurance. My recommendation is to go with the DBS rep that gave you a quote, as long as you feel comfortable with her. And if you have any questions, at any time, you can call me at 877-494-5043. Good luck!
Anne Cerula

[lisarab]

Alan, dco you think it wise to have vendors post replies here. I think this is rather commercial and not in keeping with policies on other "chat group sites." But that is your call. As to all of the online vendors, I am on record of favoring my service and pricing and all at Pearl's Place.

:D

[dandori]

We do not mean to offend anyone. And of course it is the brides decision to go with whomever she is comfortable with. We just have a wonderful service to offer! And we really believe in it.

[seline]

I certainly find myself on record as supporting Pearl's Place. But all of the services are fine. My preference to Pearl's is that you are dealing with a real bridal shop and not with a service, which is what DBS actually is. I also may have a slight problem with posting in a NG by commercial posters. Just my opinion. DBS may be wonderful but they have no real business here. RK and Pearl's Place are real stores, bricks and mortar, as the saying goes and they carry all of the designers that they sell, either in their stores and on the net. Just my 2 cents for what that is worth.

IMHO, Seline

[MEILIN]

I heard about this thread from a rep. I support in the biggest way Pearl's Place. I think they only sell gowns that they have or handle in their store and are a source for most of the higher end designers on the net.

I have a lot of experience with them and love their store. Gret service.

MeiLin

[krista_gragg]

IMHO, I find it comforting to know that a vendor (here, DBS) is reviewing and contributing to a group like this. They have to know that if they promise something and don't deliver, they will be villified here on the site! It is therefore in their best interest to care for their customers and deliver on their promises.

I'm ordering my gown from DBS (from Karen in Montana who posted in this group) and am due to receive it next week. That will be just 5 weeks from when I placed the order! Karen was able to give me advice I hadn't received from other online discounters regarding sizing and delivery suggestions. For example, since my measurements could have fit into two different Mori Lee sizes (considering the style of the dress) she suggested we ask if the size we thought best was in stock, and if not, get the other size (assuming it was in stock). Ordering an in-stock dress reduced the order time by about two-thirds. Since I'm 5'2", I was going to need alterations to the dress anyway - so ordering a size one way or the other isn't going to change much for me as far as price. If you're in a hurry and you can choose a dress that is easy to alter, think about asking for one size up (or down, with some designers) to see if it makes a difference in the shipping time.

BTW, I saved over $300 on my wedding gown using DBS. I also received quotes from Pearl's and RK that were very little over the DBS price. But, with DBS, I had someone with a name that I could call directly or e-mail with any questions or concerns. Karen was very helpful and I would recommend her and DBS. I'll let you know if I think anything different after receiving my dress next week!

Krista

[krista_gragg]

Just wanted to tell you that I recieved my dress yesterday and it is beautiful! There were no problems with the dress and it came via UPS, wrapped in plastic, folded, and surrounded with tissue paper.

BTW, a tip you might try to find a garment bag for your wedding dress - call dry cleaners and ask if they have any spares in the back they could offer you. Most places that press wedding dresses also have spare bags. I offered to pay a few dollars for the trouble, but all of the cleaners here in Boise, Idaho, just offered to give me the bag.

[alyssanar]

Gotta add to this. I just received my gown, it was perfect from Pearls and saved so much. It was a company that some of the others did not have. But I am totally pleased. Now to try and please my FH's sister who has just started to look. I know, I volunteered but cannot imagine why.

Good luck and thanks Pearls

Alyssa