daria028's reviews

Despite having read some mixed reviews, I checked out Trudy’s anyways and am so glad I did. Trudy’s has a great selection of bridal gowns, and I was lucky to work with a very sweet consultant by the name of Leilani. On my second visit to Trudy’s, I bought my dress!

PROS

- You can take photos -
Despite what I’d heard (and what I’ve experienced at other bridal shops), my bridesmaids and friends were allowed to take ample photos of me trying on bridal gowns. These photos were really useful – it’s hard to remember all the dresses after you’ve tried on more than 10!

- You can visit more than once -
Someone had told me that you could only go to Trudy’s once to try on dresses. But she was clearly wrong, because I visited the store twice, bought my dress on my second visit, and returned a third time for my viewing appointment (where you try on your actual dress once it arrives and play with accessories).

- Super sweet saleslady/consultant -
Leilani was so sweet and patient with me. I really felt that she was trying to give me honest feedback and not just get me to buy a dress. I also spoke briefly with Trudy herself and thought she was really nice! I didn’t speak extensively with anyone else in the store, but I also didn’t have negative interactions with any of the staff.

- Good selection, decent prices -
I tried on a variety of dresses in trumpet/mermaid and A-line silhouettes and was able to get a good idea of what I liked and didn’t like on me. Contrary to some of the reviews I’ve read, I didn’t get any attitude about my desired price range ($1000-1500). Wedding gowns are crazy expensive, but we found one close to my price range that I loved. (I don’t think that Leilani brought me any gowns very much outside my price range, which is good!)

- Found my dress! -
No matter how great the store, it’s fairly useless to you if you don’t find a dress you love. I can’t promise that you’ll find your dress at Trudy’s, but I did and I wasn’t tempted to go shopping again.

CONS (but pretty mild as cons go)

- Cozy, not upscale -
I’ve read some reviews where brides complained that Trudy’s was crowded. I disagree – I had plenty of room to walk around and my bridesmaids/friends had room to sit down and relax. However, I do agree that Trudy’s doesn’t have the same feel or atmosphere as an upscale bridal salon.

- No in-house seamstress -
Instead, Trudy’s provides you with a list of tailoring shops that they have worked with in the past. I had received two independent recommendations for another seamstress (Si Arima, see my separate review for her work), so I did not go with a seamstress that was “approved” by Trudy’s. A bit of extra work on my part, but really not that bad, all things considered.

- Not upfront about designer/model name of dress -
(Not necessarily specific to Trudy’s, as I think this is common practice in all bridal shops.)
I get the feeling that bridal shop consultants are doing their darnedest NOT to tell you the designer and model numbers/names of the dresses. Instead, they tell you that they will write down the name of the dress in your “file”. If you look closely at the tags, there’s a series of cryptic codes in place of useful information. I understand that the shops don’t want to lose your business, but I find the practice sneaky and deceptive. During my first visit to Trudy’s, we did manage to get the names of the designers who made the dresses I liked… I just don’t understand why they can’t be upfront with that information.

FYI, I’ve cross-posted this review on Yelp, WeddingWire, and Project Wedding.