Hi, November 2025 bride looking to make some bridal appointments in the next couple of months! I’ve done some light browsing and have a good idea of what I like and what I don’t, but every shop I look at is way out of my price range. I’m hoping to spend no more than $6000, but I could be flexible for the perfect dress. Does anyone have any recommendations?

More info: I love the Vivienne Westwood look, Sept @ Sarah Seven, Lee Petra Grebenau.

I wanted to share my experiences doing bridal dress shopping around NYC with this thread that has been so helpful to me! My reviews are of the ateliers and not a review of the dresses themselves. In short, I found that the experience of trying on the dress was really important and definitely influenced what I thought of the dresses.

My style is modern/minimalist and I had a budget of up to $5000, but was hoping to spend closer to $2k-$3k. I am a very indecisive person and probably tried on 50 dresses, so I covered quite a bit of ground...I went to these bridal boutiques in this order:

The One Bridal Brooklyn:

9/10

I had a great experience here. It is one big, industrial style room with dresses lining the walls. The appointments are one at a time, so I had the full attention of the sales person/stylist and the entire space. I tried on about 10 dresses during my hour-long appointment and loved one of the New White dresses (didn’t end up picking it, but it was my top choice!). My only complaint would be that the selection is small.

Amsale Studio:

3/10

The space is huge and instead of looking through the dresses and picking out ones to try on, the stylist put me in a room and then went to find dresses that matched the photos I screenshot or what I described I was looking for. The samples were in bad shape and the stylist/salesperson would disappear helping other clients and I would wait a long time between dresses. It may have just been an understaffed day, but I only tried on 3-4 here because of the long wait times and didn’t love any of them.

Elizabeth Fillmore Atelier:

8/10

A beautiful space and Elizabeth Fillmore herself helped me look at styles and try on dresses. She was lovely and obviously in love with her craft. The dresses are absolutely GORGEOUS and she was telling me exactly how she would customize it to flatter me, etc. Which brings me to the cons–I didn’t feel like the styles flattered me because I couldn’t fit into any of them. I am a street size 6 and I couldn’t fit into any samples in this store, which must have all been 2s. I felt out of place and trying to squeeze into tiny dresses made me feel pretty terrible. I did fit into some of her pants and absolutely loved them, but left the place never wanting to try on bridal clothes again. I feel like her styles are made for the "waifs" of the world and I would get all my bridal clothes here if I was a size 2 bride looking for something customizable.

Sarah Seven:

1/10

Honestly, the dresses are lovely–simple and flattering, but my experience here was terrible. The space is wide open with 3-4 other brides all trying on dresses next to each other. The stylist was sooo pushy. She kept trying to hard sell me on every dress with lines like "this is definitely THE ONE" (after every dress) and “you need to choose TODAY if we are going to have enough time!” She asked where else I was looking and when I told her, she started bashing them. Even though I liked the dresses, the idea of having to deal with this salesperson turned me off immediately. I couldn't get out fast enough.

Danielle Frankel:

9/10

I almost didn’t go here because it is so popular and I didn't like the idea of having the same dress as every other bride. Also, it just seemed a bit too cool for me, but she is popular for a reason–the dresses are so gorgeous. The experience here made every other place feel like trying on clothes at a Target. The store is so beautiful. I wanted to live in the huge, beautifully decorated dressing room, and the stylist/salesperson was a top-notch professional. She was kind and supportive, but wasn’t offering unsolicited opinions or any pressure whatsoever. I ended up buying my dress here and I think it was due only in small part to the dress (which is stunning) and mostly because of how serene the experience was (especially coming here right after Sarah Seven). The cost of an appointment is the biggest con, but it did end up going towards the dress.

Kinfolk Bridal (Philadelphia):

10/10

I ended up coming here during a trip to Philadelphia and it was absolutely beautiful. The woman who runs it is an absolute gem of a human. They carry New White (which I loved) and even a local Philadelphia-based designer that as great. I was able to try on a lot of dresses at my leisure and felt taken care of. It was the definition of good vibes.

That is all! I hope it is a little helpful!

I’ll be trying on dresses at the following places (below) and was wondering which places had the best vibe, offer a private experience for your family & friends, offer drinks, great customer service etc? I also have a budget of $2k so don’t want to deal with any boutiques that are snooty or not respectful of my budget. Let me know what ya’ll think.

• Lovely Bride

• The White Gown

• Spina Bride

• Wona

• Lotus Bridal

• Designer Loft Bridal

UPDATE: Thank you all so much for the feedback and suggestions on this thread! I ended up going dress shopping with just my mom and we went to Lotus Bridal Manhattan, Designer Loft, The White Gown and New York City Bride located in Brooklyn. At each of the bridal shops the ladies were sooo sweet and attentive, and I felt like they really understood my vision for my dress. They were also all respectful of my budget and stayed within the budget or would at least let me know if a dress was going to be a bit above budget. They also did not pressure me into buying any dress.

For my budget of under $2k without alterations, there were many options at these stores (I tried on 6-8 at each) but I found the most beautiful dress options for wayyy under $2k at New York City Bride in Brooklyn. My fav dresses there were $1600 and $1900.

I’ll be returning to New York City Bride with 2 of my friends to “say yes” to the dress as they offer champagne and chocolates and it’s a cute space. Thanks again for helping me with my search ☺️

Recently engaged and looking to compile a list of wedding dress boutiques / stores (Manhattan ideally) to try on dresses. Ideally want to spend under $2K on the dress, but closer to $1K would be ideal.

Was going to start at Anthropologie as seems they have solid options but would love other suggestions!

Hi there - I’m recently engaged and planning a wedding for Nov 1, 2025 (!). I’ve already spent $200 on appointments and haven’t found anything I love, these have been my bridal boutiques experiences:

1. Lovely bride: First stop, tried on a lot of different styles but didn’t find the one, considering going back since it’s free.

2. The White Gown: Lots of lower price options but the dress I liked was 5 sizes too big so hard to envision.

3. Jaxon James: Thought I’d get a luxe experience in Tribeca but honestly it was horrible. Limited assortment and the sales rep was cold/short.

I also have The One in Industry City booked for two weeks from now.

Considering going to Khya (although I just missed their 20% off sale), does anyone have thoughts on this?

I’m looking for a strapless dress, corset with a basque waist and fitted skirt at about $4-$5k before alterations.

Are there any boutiques you’d recommend I check out over the next two weeks?

Thank you♥️♥️

Budget 2000-3000. I have 6.5 months before the wedding. Any recs???

Hi!

I am just about to begin shopping around for wedding dresses for my wedding in 2025. I’m getting married in a villa in Rome, the venue is quite large and beautiful so I have been looking online for stores that carry big princess-y type dresses but I am finding more of the slim fit look.

Has anyone had experience with finding wedding dress boutiques/stores in NYC that carry more luxury wedding gowns like Ellie Saab or Zuhair Murad?

Hello friends of Reddit! Wondering if anyone has a good recommendation for me? I have one day in New York to go dress shopping, and I would ideally love to go to one or two shops that carry a big variety of luxury/designer dresses. Think Vera Wang, Monique Lhullier, Danielle Frenkel, etc. i'd strongly prefer not to go to shops of individual designers because I haven't zeroed in on any in that way. Really appreciate any help or recs

Any stores that people recommend for the first time trying on dresses when you want to try on different styles to get a sense of what you like? I do have a specific style in mind that I *think* I'll love (romantic, A-line with tulle, deep v neckline, lace or bead details) that I'd like to try on, but want to try some others to compare. Budget is ~$5K-$7K ish

I have visited over 10 bridal shops (Kleinfeld, White Gown, Anthropologie, Pronovias to name a few) in NYC and still can’t find a wedding dress I like that is affordable. Any recommendations? (budget is 2,000).

I wanted to share my experience dress shopping in NYC. I relied a lot on reddit reviews to make my appointments, so hopefully my post is helpful to someone else! My budget for the dress itself was ~$12K, and I was looking for an a-line or ball gown dress with something "unique" about it - either florals, 3D appliques, etc. I didn't want a dress or style that was overdone; I was really going for something out of the box.

• Lotus Bridal - this was my first appointment. They have a huge selection, so it is a good place to start to get a sense of your taste, but they do not have very quality dresses. I enjoyed the appointment solely because it was my first stop, but if it was my third or fourth, and I actually knew what to expect out of a wedding gown, I would have been pretty disappointed given their selection. As I was shopping, I noticed a lot of their dresses were in the $2-$3K range, if that gives you a sense of the types of dresses they carry. The shop itself is beautiful, and they allow you to sift through their gowns. They only see like 3 or 4 brides at once and each bride is in her own area, so it feels very private. The stylist was very knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive. I think we put a card down and would only get charged $50 if we missed the appointment. Rating: 7/10

• Amsale - We made a last minute appointment here because I saw a gown on instagram that I really wanted to try on. The entire appointment was amazing - they made me feel like a princess. You have a totally private area to try on gowns. They make you feel really special. The whole appointment is very upscale. They also allow you to look through the dresses on the rack. I almost ended up saying yes to the dress here!! You put a card down here and you only get charged if you don’t show up. Rating: 9/10

• Kleinfelds - So many people questioned why I was going to Kleinfelds, and I wish I had listened to them. Kleinfelds is soooo chaotic and not worth going to in my personal opinion. Basically the process here is the stylist takes you to your dressing room (which could be pretty far away from where you actually show your guests the dress aka the viewing area), and you chat with the stylist about the dress you want for like ~20 minutes. Then the stylist leaves to go find dresses for you based on your conversation. She brings like 5 dresses at a time. You try them on, and then walk a fairly long way to where your guests are sitting. There are DOZENS of girls trying on dresses in the viewing area, and you even have to share a mirror sometimes. It is not private or intimate at all, which I knew going into it, but it was even more chaotic than I imagined. Also, I really didn’t like that we weren’t able to sift through dresses - at all the other stores, a lot of the dresses I ended up trying on were dresses I found by sifting through the racks, so I felt like I missed out on finding dresses I could have actually liked. If you are looking for a more intimate private experience, I would definitely avoid Kleinfelds. We (regrettably) paid $125 to come here on a weekend - if you buy a dress, it goes towards the dress. If you don’t buy a dress, you loose the money. Rating: 2/10

• Jaxon James: Booked an appointment after seeing another reddit user suggest this store. We had an amazing experience here. You are able to sift through the dresses. The stylists are all very knowledgeable. I found a dress I really liked here that I wanted to partially customize, and they were willing to reach out to the designer on the spot and ask if he was able to accommodate my requests. They greet you with champagne and a cute sign with your name on it. If you want to go here, I would just research the designers they carry beforehand. All their designers have a very specific style - beaded, lacey, sparkles, lots of bustiers, and corsets, etc. The selection definitely isn’t for everyone, but the experience was great. They definitely made me feel special and accommodated. You pay a $50 styling fee. The styling fee will be credited to any purchase made. Rating: 8/10

• Bridal Reflections: I saw online they carried a lot of designers that I was interested in, but to my disappointment, their website doesn’t distinguish which designers are at which store, and a lot of the designers I was interested in happened to be in their Long Island location as opposed to their Manhattan location. The staff is very kind there and helpful. They were very accommodating and left the store open for us 30 minutes past closing. The one (minor) thing that really bothered me about this store is that the stylists uses pins to make the dress fit as opposed to bridal fitting clips; since they are using pins, it literally takes like ~5-10 minutes to get into a dress. Using pins really really slowed down the process, and since they had to unpin you from the dress too, you had to wait for the stylist to help you out of the dress. I ultimately didn’t find many dresses I wanted to try on here, which was pretty disappointing because you have to pay $150 for the appointment. I personally just didn’t love their selection for what I was looking for. Overall, the experience / stylists were very friendly, but I just wasn’t a fan of their options and the usage of pins really annoyed me. Rating 6/10

• Wedding Atelier: I called on a Friday and begged them for a last minute appointment for that weekend, and thankfully they were able to accommodate me! They had a great variety of gowns, and I found a lot I wanted to try on. The dressing rooms themselves are pretty dark, but the mirror / viewing area is big and spacious. The stylists were great and super accommodating. They only have space for like 3 brides at a time and each bride has her own area, so it felt pretty private and intimate. I really liked their selection and designers. They also have their own label (which a lot of stores do), so that added to the overall number of pieces available to try on. I also appreciated that you were able to sift through the dresses yourself / with your stylist and actually pick out what you wanted to try on. I think it was $75 to come on a weekend. Rating: 7.5/10

• L’Fay Bridal: Best experience I had!! I called on Saturday night after not having luck at other stores and begged them to fit me in on Sunday (the next day). They called me back the next morning and offered me an afternoon appointment. Turns out they are actually closed on Sundays, but they so kindly accommodated me and came in just for me!! I was the only one in the store, so it felt very private and special. I loved the designers they carried, and the stylist spent a lot of time walking me through every designer’s section and explaining the different types of styles / designs. I ultimately found a ton of dresses I wanted to try on, and then found one I ultimately loved!! I wanted to make some customizations, so the stylist had the on-site tailor come out and explain to me what is and isn’t possible. I ultimately ended up saying yes to the dress here at my final stop of the weekend!! An amazing experience and would definitely recommend for high-end and unique designers that aren’t carried at every other store around the city! Rating: 10/10

Hopefully these summaries of my experience help a future bride! My biggest suggestion would be to do your research and understand each store’s selection. If needed, even call and find out if they have the dresses you are interested in, in stock - a lot of times I went to a store looking for a specific dress because they showed it on their website, but they didn’t actually have it in store. The other stores I considered but ultimately didn’t go to because I found the one: Spina Bride, Mark Ingram, Bergdorfs bridal, Wona Bridal.

Hello Weddit!

I recently made a post of my dress shopping woes, but as of today I said yes to the dress! I went to 5 different stores across 6 separate occasions and probably tried on at least 50 different dresses before I was able to commit. Here is my experience shopping at each store, roughly in the order in which I shopped:

David's Bridal: This one was on Long Island. My budget was $3k, so this was really mostly just to rip off the band-aid since I was absolutely dreading the dress shopping experience. I knew I wasn't going to purchase, but there were styles/silhouettes I wanted to see myself in. I liked the feature when I booked the appointment online that allowed me to share their own dress styles to try on, and things I did not like. Unfortunately, the consultant I was paired with gave zero f*cks about my wants and, if I may be so bold, gave zero f*cks about her job. She was 15 minutes late so my one hour appointment turned into 45 minutes. Not only did she pull things that I explicitly said both to her and the online questionnaire that I hated/did not want, she did not listen to what I actually wanted. One advantage of shopping at DB that was unique to the other shops I'd tried was that they have samples in a variety of sizes. However, they do not have every single dress in every single size, and my consultant refused to put me in anything that was not "my size" just so I could see myself in it. There was also a display photo of a dress that I wanted to try on that she said they didn't carry in store that I saw on a mannequin on our way out.

Kleinfeld's: I came here twice, my first time was for a sample sale. It was a really fun way to try on dresses that I otherwise wouldn't be able to afford, but the sizes and quality varied and were not really so much for me. I would definitely recommend going to a sample sale if you're working with a lower budget and still want the Kleinfeld's experience, just know that you will not be able to see anything in their regular stock if you go during a sample sale. I did not feel pressured to buy anything at either the sample sale or regular appointment, but apparently that has a lot to do with the consultant. I was paired with Mindy both times and she got a very quick understanding of my style, didn't give me any grief for setting the record for "most dresses tried on in a single appointment" and ended up pulling what was the perfect dress. Unfortunately for me (and Kleinfeld's, and the rest of us) Mindy is no longer working there as of next week! I was not ready to commit at the time because there were still stlyes and colors I wanted to see myself in that they did not carry at all or did not have in my budget.

BHLDN: Came here off the recommendation from this sub and my experience was very positive! My consultant, whose name I sadly cannot remember, listened to me very well. There was no push to buy, and I found a couple things that I liked. I did go in with the intention to try on and not buy between my Kleinfeld's sample sale and regular appointment to get a better idea of what I was looking for. They had the smallest selection of all the stores I visited that weren't really my style or bridal style, but I think for a more boho bride, this would be a great place to shop!

RK Bridal: I had a better idea of what I wanted to try on and what worked for me at the time of this appointment, as well as very specific things I wanted to see myself in color and style-wise. They had more dress options within my budget so I thought this would be the deciding appointment for me. Nope! The consultant I was paired with did not allow us to browse the racks ourselves because "we don't know it like she does." I don't know if this is an RK policy or for that particular consultant, but it definitely rubbed me the wrong way. I can appreciate how an experienced consultant knows what works for others' body types and can pull flattering things their clients may not have otherwise considered, but it felt like I was not being listened to even though I told her I would try on whatever she pulled for me off the bat. I had to BEG before she put me in a black dress I saw on the rack, which was the primary reason I booked - they're one of the few places I knew that carried black wedding dresses. The icing on the cake for me, though, was when I was changing back into my clothes after the appointment, the consultant barged in and held the curtain wide open while she was speaking with a colleague. I asked her to close the curtain and she said "Don't worry, there's nothing I haven't already seen." I said it wasn't about her, I was uncomfortable! There was another group of guests sitting with a perfect view into my fitting room who saw EVERYTHING! Total waste of my $25 booking fee, but at least I got a t-shirt out of it. They do offer a 5% discount if you can commit that day.

The White Gown: Also a $25 appointment fee, but they carried my #1 dress from Kleinfeld's as well as as one with a rainbow sequin overlay that I really wanted to try on. I also really appreciated that they had the designers and the starting price points of their dresses listed on their website. My consultant, Elizabeth, affirmed all my wants/choices, and was super respectful the entire time. There was more of a variety of dresses there within my price point, and being a smaller boutique, it felt very intimate and comfortable. The other fitting room was far away from mine, so no concern about another group of guests seeing me naked. After pulling all the dresses I'd requested and some based on what I said I'd like to try, it was very clear my #1 was the dress for me. Elizabeth pinned the neckline to look more like what the dress would be in my size - a first in my shopping experience - and it was extremely helpful for seeing how I was likely to look when my dress finally came. I didn't feel any pressure from her to commit that day, but... I cried! It was the emotional reaction I'd been chasing after! If Mindy were not leaving Kleinfeld's, I would have bought from her because she spent so much time working with me to find thee dress, but I didn't need more time to think about it at this point. Plus, both the dress and alteration fees at The White Gown cost $100 less than at Kleinfeld's (so at least $200 savings), and we were given a discount for dress preservation that is already a lower price than what Kleinfeld's charges (so we were told). We were also offered champagne after I said yes, and Elizabeth had zero issue taking as many photos as I wanted. I can't wait to see my dress when it comes in!

semi-recently engaged and ISO of bridal shops/showrooms for a wedding dress.. I’ve got a Pinterest board full of inspo but not quite sure where to start in terms of actually trying dresses on. i like designs from danielle frankel + wed studio, so mainly seeking out showrooms with minimalist gowns that might have unique attributes (drop waist, draping, scarf, etc).

budget is TBD but open to any and all suggestions from former brides, brides-to-be, or anyone else in the know <3 I’ll be doing many own research too but trying to get firsthand recommendations - wanting to avoid predatory pricing tactics ive heard are common with some showrooms…

Hi! I'm beginning to think about dress shopping and could use some advice. For a number of reasons, a white dress isn't what I'm going for - I'd like to find something elegant but in a color other than white/ivory. My mom and mother-in-law totally get it, but also have hinted that they'd love to have the experience of dress shopping with me.

So - does anyone know of bridal stores (or just stores that tend to sell dresses/gowns that aren't bridal) in NYC or close by that have more of a varied dress selection?

Hi! So, I locked down a date yesterday for the end of September 2025 for my upcoming wedding (in the Hudson Valley area), which I know is cutting it a little tight. I wanted to lock down a venue before deep diving into the dress.

I’m hoping to get a dress this month…the latest next month, mid November. I’m reading conflicting information, but is that enough time to get it in (if it’s not off the rack), and have the alterations done by? How many months should I leave for alterations?

Also, I’m looking into getting an affordable dress (I know NYC…how lol). My budget is base price $1,500.00 as I want to factor in alterations. Is that somewhat realistic? I’m looking into Designer Loft, New York City Bride, and BHLDN (do they have more options in store?). I’m located in Queens, but am open to going to North Jersey and Long Island.

Online is an option as well, but I don’t know my current measurements so I would like to at least try some on in person anyways. Thank you so much 🙏🏻

We are still at the beginning of wedding planning, but are hoping to get married Sept 2023. As the title says, where did you go wedding dress shopping?!

I need help/opinions! I am going to NYC in May to try on dresses and trying to figure out where to go. I’ve read so many mixed reviews. I’m getting married in April 2026 in Florida on the Beach. Sperry Tent reception with flooring. I’m planning on going shopping over two days, spending one night. I haven’t tried dresses on yet so not positive what I am looking for.

I definitely plan on going to Galia Lahav and Berta. I’ve read so many mixed reviews on all of the stores though. -Bridal Reflections: I think I want to try on Kim Kassas -Mark Ingram: I’ve read so many mixed reviews -Danielle Frankel: I’ve heard amazing things about customer service -Bergdorfs: Should I not go here bc small selection? Or should I go here instead of Danielle Frankel bc they carry some of her things. -Jaxon James: I’ve heard great things -Vivienne Westwood -ODLR? The dresses are beautiful but not sure I love any?

As you can see I feel like I’m all over the place. Could I go to 6-8 shops over the two days? I will be with my mom, aunt, and possibly other aunt and cousin.

I’m looking for everyone’s opinions and recommendations. Also open to other stores! No strict budget but was thinking $10,000-15,000 maybe?

Also attaching vibes of the wedding to you can see the aesthetic.

I am far from even a clue as to where I am supposed to go and how much is “normal” to spend. What are the places to dress shop in NYC or LI and approx how much do the dresses go for at these places. I also need a petite dress as I am 5’. I am NOT looking to spend >$3000, ideally $1000 max but again, is that even realistic?? Please HELPPP!!!

I already have an appointment at kleinfeld next month but I was wondering if anyone could recommend any other bridal boutiques in case I don’t find a dress at Kleinfeld.

Also, if anyone has any tips for my kleinfeld appointment I’d love to hear them! Makes me a little nervous the appointment is only 90 minutes. How many dresses can you try on in that timeframe?

Hi everyone, I’m new to the page. I’m looking for recommendations for bridal salons that carry wedding dresses under $2000. I know many online boutiques offer this but I still want that special try on experience with family and friends. I’m based on Long Island but absolutely willing to travel to NYC and even Hudson Valley area if need be!

I love the idea of some sort of train and have absolutely no idea what silhouette yet. (Not sure if those details are helpful)