David's Bridal (Durham, NC)

I really, really didn't like David's Bridal dresses. I found them to be overpriced, of a poor quality, and not very flattering. I went in with my daughter with different expectations, perhaps higher expectations, and was disappointed. I also didn't like the whole interview process, of how they asked me so many questions about the wedding plans before I tried on my dress. The main reason why I disliked the interview was because the sales person who asked me all these questions didn't remember anything I asked. I was there for an hour trying on dresses and still found nothing I liked for the prices of the dresses. Then when I finally suggested that maybe I could walk around and look at what they had in stock and see if I could find something, I 'discovered' the whole lane with heavily discounted dress ($1000 dresses for $350, $350 dresses for $199). There were dresses in styles similar to the ones I tried on, only much less expensive. Since I had asked to try on dresses that were on sale, I couldn't help but wonder why I wasn't shown this area.

I had originally bought a short vintage white dress during a shopping trip in Chicago. It was lace and short and really sweet. When my husband to be told me that he would be wearing a tux, that's when I knew I was going to have to get something a bit more fancy. I saved the vintage dress for the rehearsal dinner, and went shopping for a bridal dress. I had gone to the Wedding Show with my best friend and we had so many cards and places to chose from. She was actually the person who had won a $100 gift card at David's Bridal, so we went there first. As they suggested, we called, made an appointment, and went there the following Wednesday after work. They took down all my information, and then asked me what kind of style of dress I was thinking about. After two hours, I went from wanting something short to something long and elegant without straps! I looked like a beautiful sparkling mermaid! I loved it. They put the dress aside, and let me make an appointment for the following Saturday (which was not easy because they were so book) so that I could show the dress to my mom. It wasn't that expensive. Even with the alterations, the dress cost less than $750, which I felt was really good for a dress

Alterations:

This was fine! They took in my mermaid dress at the sides, and then the hemmed all the dresses. It wasn't expensive, although it was strange that I had to wait four months for my dress to arrive in China. I would have taken the dress off the rack if they would have let me. I had taken pictures of the dress (which they don't really allow) just to make sure that I got the right dress. I've watched too many episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" and was worried that the wrong dress would arrive. Mike, my husband, compared my buying of a dress of that to getting winter tires for a specialty car: it just takes longer for it to come in.

They are not the greatest vendor in terms of supplying high quality or unique dresses, but they are convenient. Since I had bridesmaids from several different states, this was the easiest vendor for each of them to go to and try dresses at. I have had problems in the past with their alterations, so even if you do end up getting a dress from there I would recommend finding someone else to alter it for you. Otherwise, we had no problems with them.

David's Bridal is a great place for you to purchase bridesmaid dresses if you have bridesmaid in different locations. I had one bridesmaid in a different state and others just in different cities. However, their systems are pretty well connected and they can order from any store but get the bridesmaid dresses all cut from the same fabric so the dresses will have the same color shade. The customer service is not the best here. You can’t just walk in and expect help. Many times you have to schedule an appointment unless it’s a slow day. The price is good because you can get a good looking dress for a rather decent price. However – Buyers Beware, there is usually a no return policy. Also, if you purchase your dresses a few months ahead of time (which you should) and your girl’s dress doesn’t fit, it will be hard for them to find another dress in that size because of the seasonal stocking. More in likely, they will have to buy a second dress or pay twice the amount of the dress to alter it.

David's Bridal is exactly what you would expect. They offer great dresses for not too expensive. If you are looking for great customer service, I would not necessarily suggest a chain, but if you are looking for an inexpensive dress, then this is the place for you! When you go in, they will set you up with a specific salesperson who will pick out dresses for you and bring them over to you while you try them on. Definitely bring someone with you to try on dresses, as you will probably need someone to give you their honest opinion. The David's Bridal salespeople seemed a bit too eager to say that everything looked great.

David's Bridal is a place to look for your wedding dress if you go in there knowing what you want. I knew the exact kind of dress that I wanted so I was able to tell them that and they brought me numerous options. If I hadn't know what I wanted I would have felt a little overwhelmed with the size of the store and the people that worked there weren't the friendliest. I did love my wedding dress and was so happy with it on my wedding day which is what ultimately matters.