No Appointment Needed (RE: dress)

I went to Davids Bridal in Norwalk and Orange CT and hated it. I bought my dress at Marie's Bridal Shoppe in Fairfield, CT. They are super nice and the dresses are pretty affordable. It's a small place, but the customer service is fantastic.

You need an appointment to try on dresses at any shop.

Liz, I went to David's Bridal in Yonkers this weekend and didn't find anything I liked. I will look into Marie's Bridal Shoppe. Was the selection small or just the store? What would you say the dresses start at there? I am not looking to spend a fortune on a dress; although I realize you pay for what you get type thing.

@Sunshinejenn, that isn't true for many stores, some, yes, but not all shoppes require appointments. Walk-in's are welcome, you just have to know where to go.

I've done a good amount of dress shopping, both for myself and others, and I've never seen places that let you walk right in, go through the racks, and try things on. Usually they want a consultant with you, if only so you don't damage the dresses.

I've found that you need an appointment to try on bridal gowns at majority of salons. It's really just so you get personal service/attention and help with the gowns. You don't necessarily have to feel pressured to buy a dress during an appointment. You could just let your consultant know you are just starting to look. They all understand and have heard that plenty of times, I'm sure.

I am not against having a consultant walk through the store with me, and 'help' me; however, I don't want to make an appointment just yet. Unless, the review of the store, from someone I know, or someone here, raves so much about the store, it is a 'must-do', then I have no qualms making an appointment. There are shoppes, that definitely take walk-ins; however I am not familiar with the area, so I am not sure of any. Here's hoping someone on here can recommend one (or two, three).

LOL even DB requires an appointment to come in and try them on. You can go search the racks, but if you want to try them on, you need an appointment.

I've been to a lot of stores and they were all the same, by appointment only.

Call some of the shops you're thinking about going to. Ask if they do welcome walk-ins. Also, while some may offer Walk-in's they'll still assist you. After all depending on the place. It's valuable merchandise!

I'm not sure if it was my date or the actual service, but... I told them my date which was more than a year and a half away. And they were very relaxed and not even the least bit pushy and knew I pretty much wasn't going to buy anything that day. They were helpful but unobtrusive.

I made an appointment at Marie's so I'm not sure what their policy on walk-ins is. Their stock is not huge and I noticed they work with a lot of lacy dresses. Their website mentions the 4 or 5 major designers they carry. I got a Maggie Sottero dress.

You're not likely to try on dresses without an appointment or a consultant. You may be able to walk in and browse the racks, but you'll need a consultant if you want to try anything on. That's expensive merch no matter where you go and they don't want makeup streaks, rips, or tears due to random customers looking to play dress up.

@SunshineJenn, just went to David's Bridal on Sunday, in Yonkers, NY. Didn't have an appointment. Walked in, and yes, there was a consultant there, and yes, she did help me carry the dresses into the dressing room, and even offered to help further. I explained that I wanted to browse the dresses myself, but would ask for assistance if need be. They were okay with it. I tried on 9 dresses; all of which (their policy) is to carry them off the racks to dressing room. I didn't like any of them, so I was looking for a broader selection of stores that do follow this approach.

I appreciate your response @Alice, and you seem on target, as I don't want pushy and obtrusive. I definitely don't mind the help, once I get there, but I am heading out to Long Island in a few weeks and wanted to hit a few stores on the way down. Since I am not sure of which ones, making an appointment was what I wanted to avoid.

I appreciate all the suggestions thus far, thank you, girls!

Interesting, they have always made me make an appointment. Could also be the days I went, but I even made an appointment to pick up my dress when it came in.

Anyway, your best bet IS an appointment so you get some guidance. The consultants are generally really good at what they do and listen well. I went in with very little clue what I wanted....THREE TIMES. My consultant brought me different styles, was completely honest with what worked and what didn't, stayed in my budget. This held true at every store I shopped at.

They won't pressure you usually.