Brides of California

Brides of California was a small shop but had a pretty big selection of dresses. Compared to other salons I would say this one is more of the "self-service" type where you can browse, pick what you want to try on, then try it on yourself. The staff is pretty hands-off in that they don't help you try on the dress and they don't help you fit it. They will pin you though if you ask and they will help you with veils, you just have to ask for it. I didn't really find anything during my trip there but they did have a lot of bridesmaid samples so I might go back when I'm ready for that! Oh and they had really, almost shockingly, affordable prices.

I should say that my visit to their store was back in January 2007 and I have definitely not been back since. I understand that they have a new store (Address: 1445 Marcelina Ave, Torrance, CA 90501) but I have not been to the new store, so I cannot comment on that. Despite that, here's how my experience was with Brides of California:

I found Brides of California online originally. They have a really good website (better than the store, in my opinion) and a wide selection of designers (but be warned that they do not have all of the styles in the store that they show on their website, which is quite frustrating!).

So, my situation was that I was going to be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. My friend was in town for one weekend from across the country to go bridesmaid dress shopping with me (yes, she flew out for this and other wedding-related activities only). We had a list of dresses we wanted to see/try on based on what we found on the website. I made it clear that we had a lot to see and try when I called over a week in advance to schedule an appointment (did I mention my friend was coming from out of town for only this one weekend??). But, no one told me at that time or in a subsequent call that we would only get 45 minutes and a maximum of 10 dresses we could try on. Now, let me just add as a side note here: WHAT THE HECK KIND OF POLICY IS THAT ANYWAY?! But then not to tell people?? But I digress...

So, when we arrived they told us about this policy and despite it being THEIR mistake, they did not offer any solutions to fix the problem, such as giving us another appointment (we asked -- they said they were booked). And, just to be clear, I have been to several other bridal salons (this is not my first bridesmaid gig, ok?) and I have NEVER heard of such policies. And, as if that wasn't bad enough, they weren't even particularly attentive or helpful for the 45 minutes we were allotted.

The store was small and the dresses were packed tightly together so it was really hard to see them or pull them out to look at and many were tangled together. Perhaps we just didn't look like we were going to buy (so wrong!) but I was not impressed with their service in the store, the store itself, or their policies. I would strongly recommend you avoid this place as their prices are not even good enough to justify putting up with all of the other problems.

I truly hope that this is not still how they run their business, but I cannot recommend them since my experience was just that bad.

I visited Brides of California several times looking for bridesmaid dresses. They carry many lines and have ample selections from each designer. The customer service is lacking though. I had to help my girls into the dresses and clip them up- the sales girls were always MIA when we needed help. They also had lower prices than other shops. I recommend coming here to find the style you are looking for as there is much to choose from if you don’t mind helping yourself.

Good service, dresses came in fast, everyone loved the color and design.

This bridal salon is fairly small. I went around picked out the dresses I wanted to try on and got into them myself. Their staff did not help me into the dresses, but they did help put dresses away. They also do not try to sell you or pressure you to buy anything.

The only reason I am giving 4 stars and not 1 is because of the manager Laura. She was amazing.

Before dealing with her, the other employees managed to take down my phone number wrong, take down my actual bridesmaid dress choice wrong and mess up the measurements of one of my girls, who now has a dress 2 sizes too big that she needs to get altered. This is even after I made them read back to me all of the information I gave them - so I have no idea how they could make so many huge mistakes! It was a horrible hassle.

Then Laura took over and made everything all better and saved the day. She kept me updated with everything along the way and even sent me sample colors for free in the mail when I was out of town. The dresses also came in early!

She was so nice about everything and I strongly, strongly, recommend not giving any orders to anyone over the phone other or unless you physically go into the store and watch them take down your order. Even so, I would only deal with Laura.

The dresses did turn out gorgeous though!

Definitely a hidden gem as one of the other reviewers mentioned. They have a huge selection of dresses and also carry men's formal wear in the same store. I was very pleased with my dress and the entire process. I flew out to Los Angeles so that my mom could be there when I found the perfect dress. We cleared our schedule and made this our first stop for the day. Well we ended our search in 30 minutes after finding the perfect dress for under $1000! They have a huge selection of designer gowns, bridesmaids, and mother of the bride dresses, but the prices are much better than what other shops will quote you!

I picked my bridesmaid's dresses at this store--it was a Bill Levkoff dress. The store team was extremely helpful all the way through. They have a great selection of bridesmaids dresses in every color and size. The order came in early and the store was very prompt in letting us know and keeping us informed. They also were able to get me swatches of the dresses. Also, one of the dresses had a zipper defect (scary!) and Laura (store manager) took the time to call the company and send the dress back. It was replaced free of charge and arrived super fast. No issues; everything went super smooth. I did hear from my bridesmaids that alterations were a bit expensive there, but overall they did a wonderful job.

I did choose my bridesmaid's dresses from this store, because they do have a large choice of designers. The assistants were very casual, no pressure, but not extremely helpful either... we found the dress ourselves after the girls said they didn't have anything.
I would have given them a 1 star, but they fixed their mistake: I ordered the dresses far in advance and they came in early! Being excited I picked them up and checked them out only to find that that all of the white trim was missing. When I talked to the manager she explained that I "must not have specified so they did the whole dress in one color." When my BMs found out they were furious and my MOH even came down to the store. The manager said she would talk to the girl that took the dress notes and get back to me. Thank goodness she admitted her mistake and the dresses were fixed in plenty of time. But they did have me in a panic until it was resolved.

Excellent service and top quality. We had a great time every time we visited.

My dress was beautiful. It seems like it takes forever for things to come in, but they came in exactly when they told me it would so I can't complain. It's just so hard to wait for a dress you know is going to be beautiful. The staff is sweet & very helpful. They were just as excited as my daughter & I. My dress was a perfect fit & made me feel just as beautiful as my daughter on her special day!

I really enjoyed the experience of shopping for and buying my wedding gown, and much of that has to do with Laura and the girls at Brides of California in Torrance. I was on a budget when searching for my gown, and wanted to spend less than $1000, which many people said would be impossible in Southern California. Not so! My mom and I contacted and visited many of the popular shops and boutiques around town, but many times there simply weren't any gowns in our price range, unless it was off-the-rack and dirty or missing beads or in need of some serious TLC. Then, we walked into Brides of California.

The shop isn't fancy like some of the other boutiques, but they have a great selection, a variety of gorgeous gowns, a knowledgeable, friendly and helpful staff, and they delivered everything on time. THESE are the qualities I was looking for in a bridal shop.

I loved my gown, it was very "me"...and the staff at BoC ensured that we found the right one! They were also instrumental in ordering the bridesmaids' dresses. My bridesmaids live all over the country, so it was helpful to have the shop handle everything from start to finish. The girls called in with the measurements and the shop took it from there!

So many people have asked where I got my "stunning" and "gorgeous" gown (their words! And mine!), and some of them were the original doubters that to find a beautiful, elegant gown for less than $1000 wasn't possible. I've told them all to tell their friends about Brides of California. I had a really great experience with the shop. I think they are a hidden gem!