I had a wonderful first experience at Annapolis Formal, the owners Flavia and her mother, Dora, are very knowledgable and professional. My MOH had called a few dress shops in the Annapolis area to set up an appointment for me to just try on a few styles. I was very nervous and anxious to go anywhere because I had no idea what I liked or what would look good on me. After reading some horror stories and reviews from other shops in Annapolis I was glad to see Annapolis Formal had the most consistent reviews.
When we arrived they were having a Black Friday sale all weekend, which they had explained to us on the phone. My MOH and I sorted through some dresses and picked out about 7 that I wanted to try on. Flavia explained the sale to us and also told us she would pick a few for me to try on out of their regular inventory. Flavia was very professional, she told me upfront she would treat me how she would want to be treated in my situation, and she did! I got changed into the dresses in a private fitting room in the back of the shop, Flavia stood outside if the curtain and when i was ready for her she would come in. The dress I fell in love with was one that Flavia had picked based on my reaction to others. Both her and her mom were not pushy at all and answered all my questions. I had said I wanted to come back the next day with my mom to show her the dress before purchasing and they were completely understanding.
After getting the final approval from my mom and the rest of my bridal party I sat down with Flavia and she explained the ordering and payment process. I look forward to working with this shop over the next 10 months and have confidence that I made the right choice in choosing them.

I had a wonderful experience with Annapolis Formal. I found a dress online that I wanted to try on, but no stores carried a sample (it's a short wedding dress, and therefore not very popular). My mom called tons of stores in Virginia and DC and Maryland, and ONLY Annapolis Formal said they would be happy to make some calls and get the sample sent in.

The sample came in quickly (they even did a little extra work to find a sample roughly my size). We went in, I tried it on, I cried b/c I loved it so much, and we ordered on the spot. My dress came in a month early, I had two fittings, and now my dress is at home! I can't wait to wear it on my wedding day!

Both women who work there are kind, helpful, knowledgeable, and not even a tiny bit pushy when it comes to selling their products. They sent us an email with some photographer recommendations (as we had asked them if they had any vendor partners), and I my mom and I both left there feeling very good about where we had ended up getting my dress. We had to drive over an hour each way to get to Annapolis Formal, but it was totally worth it! :)

We live near Annapolis and if you are in the area we would highly recommend this shop. It is owned and run by a mother and daughter and they keep it very personal and make you feel very special. They will work with you and professionally advise and alter your dress/tux/suit to your liking. They were helpful and the quality of service and merchandise was the best.
Carol

I had a great experience with Annapolis Formal. First, I found the dress that I absolutely fell in love with. I also wanted a black sash to go around the waist, tie in the back, and fall downward in the back. When the option I liked turned out to be unavailable, Flavia said that if I liked the sash they had in the store when I tried on the dress then they would sell it to me. It worked perfectly, and was a fraction of the cost that the one from the dress designer would have been! When it came to alterations, they were great. I even asked them to make a reinforced bustle, since I knew how easily they break first hand from two of my friend's weddings earlier. The tie she did stayed put through dancing and a pub crawl afterwards.
I can't tell you how many compliments I got on my dress on our wedding day!

The ladies at Annapolis Formal were such a pleasure to work with. They made me feel comfortable when trying on my dress. I got a gorgeous dress that wasn't overly priced.

I had a wonderful experience at Annapolis Formal working with Flavia and Dora -- it was the one salon I felt instantly comfortable in. I tried on a few dresses I thought I would like, and then Flavia brought in a couple of suggestions, one of which was the dress I ultimately bought. They weren't pushy, and didn't insist on coming in the dressing room with me to put on the dresses, which was a huge bonus in my book. They were incredibly accommodating, especially with last minute alterations, and were on top of orders for the bridesmaids' dresses and groomsmen's tuxes. I didn't worry about anything while working with them, and would highly recommend their shop!

The owners were so easy to work with and everything was beautiful! Thanks!

Felt so welcome and at home at this shop. The mother and daughter team were perfect and great with me and my bridal party. The dress was everything I wanted and it was easy to get alterations done!

I shopped at quite a few stores, this was the first one I visited. The dress I ended up going with, I first found here and this store was the most conveniently located so I returned to purchase from here. Looking back, I do regret this decision and should have purchased from Bridals by Elena. First problem was my dress was due to come in, during the month of April. When I did not hear from them, towards the end of April I started calling to inquire as to it's status. Each time I was told it was not in yet, and it would be in by the end of the month. First or second week of May, I again called, and this time I was told my dress was in and had been in since the beginning of April and they wanted to know why I had not been in to pick it up. I was quite frustrated with this, as I had previously called multiple times inquiring as to its status. Another point I did not like was that when my dress came in, they informed they could not store it, and I would have to take it in its box home and keep it until I got it fitted. At this point, I took my dress and drove it over to Bridals by Elena. In retrospect I should have ordered my dress from Elena. She did a great job altering my dress, and is extremly detail oriented. While the mother/daugther who own the store are very nice, the store is too small and seemingly unorganized.

Annapolis formal was amazing to work with. They were extremely helpful and easy to work with, all the groomsman suits fit perfectly. My dress came in ahead of time, and was altered wonderfully. They are personable and I highly enjoyed the mother daughter duo.

After being burned by several bridal salons it was a relief to find Annapolis Formal and Tuxedos. A mother and daughter own the business. They were incredibly easy to work with and above all, HONEST! Many bridal businesses take advantage of the fact that many people are new to weddings and are incredibly emotional about the process of buying a dress. Salons do not make it easy to be educated consumers. A bridal salon can legally cut out every tag of the dress as long as they add a tag of their own. This means you have no idea what you are buying or what a fair price is. Annapolis bridal was upfront about all of their dresses, even giving out information regarding style numbers. This allowed me to research the products and make an informed decision. They are able to offer discounts in accordance each brand's allowance. Although I ultimately found my dress through www.preownedweddingdresses.com this is THE ONLY shop I recommend to friends and I've been just about everywhere in the Baltimore area.

I am truly surprised that Annapolis Formal is not at the TOP of this list! I visited this charming little shop on Saturday with my cousin who is getting married this summer. This was our first stop of which I assumed would be many... Upon arrival, Flavia had already picked out gowns that matched Kat's request, gowns that fit her beach destination, and gowns that would compliment Kat's figure. The overall mood was insanely comfortable and friendly and it felt as if we were out shopping with our girlfriends! The banter between Flavia and her mom (Dora) was priceless and they both brought such expertise and varying perspectives to the table... Needless to say, Kat picked her dress that day and she is outrageously happy! She said the price point was right on track especially since some of her requests were custom, and can be done right in the shop. Evidently internet orders aren't that accomidating! I could go on for pages, but the experience was way beyond what I had expected... Boutique-y ambiance and Nordstrom service without that nagging feeling that your purchase is padding someone's pay check. Sweet, wonderful Annapolis Formal! You may have just convinced me to get married ;) Thank you! - Drena

While I didn't purchase my gown here, they gladly took me in for some serious alterations. Not only did I need my dress fitted, but I wanted major changes as well, including removing ruffles around the neckline and adding buttons down the back. They did SUCH a fantastic job that I want to wear my dress every day. I wish everything I owned fit me as well as my wedding dress! They were also so nice every time I called or came into the store, and when appointments had to be changed it was no issue. I would HIGHLY recommend! Thank you so much!

I loved Annapolis Formal. During my wedding planning they moved from a great location to a shop that just looks like a basement...pretty shady looking, actually. However, I LOVED them. My dress was perfect. It was the only dress shop that was a relaxed, pleasant experience. The mother/daughter team that runs it is so sweet...buying my dress from them was my favorite part of my wedding planning experience. I'd tell everyone to use them over anyone else in the Annapolis/DC area.

I ordered my dress online, but I originally tried it on at Annapolis Formal. I returned to the store to have it altered and the initial try on process was great. It was every time after that was a little under par. My second fitting had the bra cups sewn in the wrong places and the straps weren't high enough. I needed one more fitting and they said they would call me. This was 10 days out from my wedding so I was a bit anxious. They didn't call and it was now 5 days away. I picked up the dress 3 days from the wedding and was relieved that it was completed in time. I will not return to this bridal shop, but I am thankful for the work they did.

We purchased my bridal gown and five bridesmaid dresses from Annapolis Formal and are very pleased with the way everything turned out. For the most part, we received excellent service, although the shop does not take appointments to try on dresses, which sometimes caused us to have to wait. Alterations went well and all of the dresses came out beautifully.