The Wedding Dress

So Today I said Yes! to the dress. It started on Friday with two appointments at two bridal shops: Pronovias and Kleinfelds. The two bridal boutiques were worlds apart in customer service, atmosphere and selection.

First, book your appointment as it could take a few weeks before you are able to get one.

Next, do browse online so you have an idea of what you like or what you want. Also, if you are having an orthodox wedding, keep in mind you will need to cover up. I have to say I loved Ivanka's dress - it was classic, modest and simply beautiful.

Also, remember, the dress is NOT why you are getting married. Ladies, you are getting married to a man who loves you. Don't make him regret his decision as you walk down the aisle with a spectacle of a dress.

Also, keep a budget in mind and stick to it. It's not worth breaking the bank on a dress that I guarantee you will only wear once in your life.

I walked into Pronovias off of 5th avenue. My salesperson was Caitlin- she was cute, young and someone I could trust. She got me and my style and brought me things that fit the bill. When I tried on the third dress, my mom started crying and I knew it felt like the dress that suited me and the type of wedding I wanted: traditional and romantic.

Caitlin gave me a card with all the details, outlined the prices and costs and stapled it to her card. It was not a pushy sell, but she did mention that if I made a decision by the end of the day there was a discount (they are after all salespeople). But truly the experience was calm and not aggressive.

Kleinfelds was another story. When Renee, my salesperson, introduced herself I knew it was not going to go well. Renee was middle aged with bad hair and bad makeup. This was someone I would not trust to make any type of fashion recommendation or let alone dole out advice on what to wear on my wedding day. She was pushy and aggressive, and even though I gave her a budget, she brought me dresses $2k over what I had intended to spend.

She didn't listen to what I liked and didn't bring me anything that suited my style. In addition, when I said I needed to cover up, she was like "oh we can put tulle around your shoulders like a donut!" What??? I don't think I will be having a donut with my dress today!

The girls trying on dresses at Kleinfelds were even more embarrassing - 1 girl convincing her parents to get her a $10k dress that she looked disastrous in and 1 girl had 5 of her bridesmaids surrounding her and gushing. Please get me out of this bridge and tunnel hell!!

I called Pronovias back and told them to ring it up. I was done with my search. I had tried on plenty of dresses and I always think you come back to that first dress anyway. Why go through the motions of seeing more. I did it with the venue and decided not to with the dress.

At the end, customer service is what made the deciding factor. You want to feel special and not as though you are just another client. It is a big purchase no matter what the price tag is and should be treated as such. It is your wedding day, and you want to feel and look beautiful. Good Luck!