Irma's Bridals

I bought my wedding gown here and got all of my bridesmaids gowns here, as well as the alterations for my wedding gown.First, I'll start with my initial dress-shopping experience, which was done during the week in the early afternoon. I told my saleswoman, Kathy, that I loved Maggie Sottero gowns and she walked away to choose me some gowns based on what I said I loved. While she collected gowns for me, Irma walked up to me, greeted me warmly, looked me up and down once and told me she knew the perfect gown for me, Maggie Sottero's Sabelle gown! I am a skeptic so I didn't believe her, but tried on the gown anyway. lol It was an amazing gown and hugged me in all the right places!! I felt like it was "the one" but did not want to make a hasty decision so I tried on a few more; however, none compared to the one Irma chose for me. I bought the Sabelle gown that day!Because my experience was amazing with my gown, I decided to get my bridesmaids gowns from there too. I loved iridescent taffeta, but since my bridesmaids were all curvy women with different shapes, Kathy suggested chiffon dresses, which I didn't really care for, but she gave me a few designers to look at and told me to browse and find some that I loved. It didn't take me long to find the perfect dresses and in an amazing deep-red Tiffany chiffon! Those gowns were style #L3012 from Belsoie by Jasmine and I immediately knew that I loved them for my gorgeous bridesmaids!!!My dresses came in quickly and all of them were correct. I had no issues at all, thankfully!I must comment on the quality of my alterations and the woman who did them- Angela. Angela was the sweetest woman ever and was so gracious and patient! I loved her immediately and her talent was awesome. For brides with big busts and small waists (like me), you can trust that Angela will make your dress perfect and make sure that your "girls" are in your dress properly and that your dress looks immaculately sewn! I can't say enough good things about my experience with Angela!One thing I must recommend to brides choosing Irma's Bridal as a vendor- stay away on Saturdays unless you have absolutely no other choice!!!!! It is a madhouse in there and quality of service drops all the way down to one star, unfortunately. I went on one Saturday and will never do so again! lolOverall, I had a great experience here and I recommend that brides shop when Irma is present so she can do her magic and pick out a dress or dresses that will make you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world!!

I had a great overall experience with Irma's Bridal. During my initial visit, I got individualized attention, they had a good selection of dresses, they provided a bustier to wear under the gowns I was trying on, and they were able to pin the samples tightly enough where they closely simulated my size. Their prices are significantly lower than other area stores. I actually first tried on my gown at Jay West, but Irma's list price was $350 less. I ordered my gown 7 months before the wedding and it was delivered in 2 months. The alterations/fitting was the most inconvenient aspect. The tailor is not there on the weekends, and is only available on certain weekdays. I live and work in Center City Philadelphia and it wasn't exactly convenient to take off work to do my fittings...but then again, when has wedding planning ever been convenient?! haha The store can get really hectic and I often saw women who showed up for fittings to find that their appointment had never been written down in the store's appointment book (but from what I can tell, the store was always able to squeeze them in), and I often had to wait awhile at the counter to pay a balance, make my next fitting appointment, etc. The staff are all very pleasant but seem a little scatterbrained...I would be there for my fittings and even though I had clearly been there before, spent time with the staff, and had my name written in the appointment book, they would come up to the counter at the end and say..."so what is your name again?" It didn't really bother me that much but that definitely loses them points in the professionalism category. But overall, I was thrilled with the cost of the dress and I had them do custom alterations which turned out beautifully. My advice is to make an appointment, and before you go, look through lots of pictures and identify specific styles (designer AND style #) you are interested in trying. From there, they will suggest additional styles. Don't bring more than 1 or 2 people with you because although the store is big, it can get crowded. And finally, patience is key! Regardless of where you go to look for your dress, you are going to have to wait for one reason or another. Irma's is definitely worth the wait!

I worked with Irma herself to select the perfect dress for my wedding day - she was outstanding - always available and patient. She allowed me to try on as many dresses as I wanted and did not pressure me to purchase right away but allowed me to do so in my own time. She has years and years of fashion and design experience and was extremely helpful in modifying the dress I selected so that I could have a one of a kind gown for my wedding day. My alterations were done there by Angela who was spectacular, too. Would definitely recommend!!

I was a little skeptical shopping at Irma's because I didn't have any personal recommendations of friends that had ever shopped there-- but I am SO GLAD I worked with them to select my wedding dress and my mom's MoB dress! Irma is so friendly, funny, and warm that you feel so welcome-- even on a crazy evening or Saturday during prom season! The seamstress that did my alterations did a flawless job, and my dress looked amazing on my wedding day. I selected a veil only 3-4 weeks before my wedding (not enough time to order the jeweled headpiece that went with it), so Irma ordered a new veil for me and sold me her sample headpiece so that I could have the perfect accessory to match my gown. Thank you to Irma, Ginny and the seamstress (I can't remember her name!) who hugged me when I left with my gown! You made me feel truly beautiful!

I bought a dress and bolero from Irma's and I would say I was basically happy with the service. On the plus side, I came in maybe 3 or 4 times to try on very specific dresses (I needed sleeve/arm coverage for a very religious wedding), and the women at the store always accomodated me and let me try on dresses quite a few times. However, when I was at the store, I was sometimes left to fend for myself a bit in terms of having to wait awhile in between the dresses I was trying on. I also didn't get the best service in terms of being notified when my dress came in, but when it did arrive, it was perfect and exactly what I wanted with the custom changes and everything. Price was also very reasonable and there really wasn't too much mark up. I would probably recommend Irma's just because they really seem to be pretty reasonable with price and they provide relatively decent service.

My initial experience at Irma's was wonderful. I found the perfect dress and the service was incredible. My mom also found her dress there as well. We were happy until we called to find out when the dress was coming in only to find out that the dress was not going to be available until the week of the wedding. Irma forced us to call her the following Monday so Irma would remember to call the dress company to have it shipped early. We were forced to pay for the dress order to be rushed despite buying the dress over five months in advanced. When the dress came, I was getting fitted with a fixed rate and my dress turned out beautiful, but I was sold an undergarment for an extra $75, however, the dress did not fit with the undergarment on. Irma refused our return (that never left the store) because despite her receipt in the book, we did not have the pink slip. My mom's experience was even worse. Her dress arrived on time. She was fitted and at the first fitting, discovered that the dress was fit too short. Irma tried to say the dress fit, despite the obvious. Finally, she agreed to give my mom the sample dress, but still required full price for the dress and fitting. The second dress was then fit too long and my mom couldn't walk in the dress properly.In the end, we both looked beautiful, but it was not worth the headache and constant worry that our dresses wouldn't be ready for the day of the wedding. Keep all receipts if you decide to go there and be sure to get EVERYTHING in writing with a contract or else you will regret the day you walked into the store.

Unfortunately, I had to buy my bridesmaid dress from Irma's because the bride wanted one specific designer and Irma's carried it. I was disgusted from the start. The condition of the store was atrocious! Dresses stuffed to the gills and the personnel did not help us find what we were looking for (I finally found the correct section and began pulling dresses myself). They were horribly tangled with one another! We all chose our dresses and proceeded to the front to pay. The employee measured us in the front of the store by the registers!!! Then of course told us to order 2 sizes bigger than our normal street size. I objected and said I wanted to be re-measured by Irma herself. Well... the dressing rooms were full so I had to change in the bathroom! Then... Irma pulls me into a dressing room that was ALREADY occupied without asking the poor girl inside! (who by-the-way was not dressed and had to cover herself by clutching a bustier to her bare chest). Long story short- I ended up ordering the dress 2 sizes bigger because of the designer's size chart. I'm already gearing up for a fight for when it comes in. Alterations start at $55 regardless of what you have done (I will definitely not use them for that!) Books and binders were strewn about behind the register- the whole salon was gross and did not have enough seating for a 4-person bridal party- Thank god the bride already bought her dress from somewhere else. I don't even want to go back to pick it up!

Irmas was a great place to shop. I found my perfect dress there and at a great price. i didnt like the seamstress they had and my veil took forever to come in. But I planned for it so it was not a problem for me. I think no matter where you go something may happen or it may not so I would go with your gut!

I found a Maggie dress online and called every store in the area to find somewhere that had it in stock- Irma's was the only one so that's where we went. The first time we went, I had an appointment and Irma saw us right away. I put on the dress, loved it, and there wasn't much else. She was very nice and helpful. However, when she asked if I would be getting the alterations done there (which I wasn't planning on), she got a little bit pushy telling me that it was complicated and they were the only ones who could do it correctly. Oh well. She told me the dress would be in 6 months and that they would call me when it was in.After 6 months had passed, I called to see if the dress had come in. Irma said she would check and call me back. I waited a week and she didn't, and I had to call again. Again, she said she would check and call me back. She did that time, and said the dress had come in and was waiting in their store. Well, thanks for letting me know! She told us we didn't need an appointment to pick it up (since I wasn't having alterations done there), but it was pretty crowded and we had to wait a while, so I think it would definitely have helped.All in all, Irma was sweet, friendly, and knows her stuff, but communication was a bit lacking.

I loved working with Irma's Bridals. I received very personalized service everytime I went to look at dresses and for my fittings. They have a good selection of dresses in a decent range of prices. The salespeople are all friendly and the seamstress who did my alterations was wonderful! I loved my dress and would definitely recommend the store.

Irma's has a great selection of wedding dress. Service is great only if you have Irma to help you. The other women aren't as friendly and nice. The prices is reasonable but the alterations are pricey. It gets busy there and there's not enough help so that's the 3 stars for responsiveness and flexibility. I would recommend this place but as I stated before stick with using Irma. She's the owner and tends to be much more friendlier than the other workers there.

Irma looked at me, said "I have the perfect dress," I put it on and I cried! She knows what she is doing, the dress was perfectly priced and I will use her everytime I need a formal gown!

Ladies, Beware!!!
Irma's bridal was quite possibly the worst experience I have ever had in dealing with a shop or a vendor! I took my entire female bridal party to her shop to select and order gowns. My wedding is on March 7, 2009 and the day that we went to the shop, already knowing what gowns we were ordering, was August 23, 2008. The staff was incredibly rude and kept trying to force everyone in the bridal party to order gowns in sizes that were 4 to 6 sizes larger then what they just tried on and fit into. Irma walked past me in the wedding gown I chose and said that it fit perfect and looked like it was made for me and would require nothing but a bustle, but when it came time to order my gown she recommended that I order 4 sizes bigger! After insulting 3 of my bridesmaids by telling them that they were too large for the sizes they requested, we left the shop but I was so clouded by my desire for the perfect looking gowns that I couldn't think straight, when I should have just walked out and never gone back. Irma called me 3 hours later to say that one of the girls had a plus size gown so she should have paid $13 more on her deposit. I told her that she was given $1600.00 in deposits which was more then half of what was required and that she was not to charge any additional funds to the credit card. I was appalled that she would call looking for more money.

Around Thanksgiving, Irma called me to ask me if I wanted a corset back or a zip up back and I was horrified. I asked her why she was just now ordering my gown and she claimed that she ordered it a long time ago but that the manufacturer wanted to know because they were probably getting ready to make it.

In December, the gowns for the mother's arrived. Still no word on the bridesmaids gowns or mine. The shop closed down for the holidays from December 20th to January 5th. It had now been 19 weeks since we ordered the gowns. When I called on January 5th to ask where the gowns were, they said they should be in within the next two weeks. I called again and this time they said the third week of January and that mine was supposed to be in at the end of January. On January 20th I called to ask where the bridesmaids gowns were and they never returned my call. On Monday, I drove to the shop to demand to know where the gowns were. After 30 minutes of standing around, Irma came out and said that the factory closed down that day, and that there would be no bridesmaids gowns! I couldn't believe that it was happening and wanted to know why these gowns that were on order for 22 weeks were not already delivered. A factory that closed that day shouldn't have had anything to do with gowns that were on order for over 5 months!

I raced to David's Bridal to desperately search for replacement gowns and when I returned to Irma's bridal that Friday to pick up the money for the girls gowns, and to find out where my gown was, they informed me that my gown had arrived on Tuesday but they must have forgot to call because they were VERY busy.

I would avoid Irma's at all costs! In this economy, you can not afford to take a chance on a shop that holds your money and doesn't place orders until it is too late.

+. I did not find the dress shopping experience fun at all. I did not grow up with a vision of “the dress”. I would have much rather shopped for jeans and shoes (at least I knew what I liked). Even though the models and other girls at the shops looked so beautiful in their dresses, I felt like they were so heavy, big and they made me feel like I was a mummer. Also, I was disappointed that 80% of the dresses were strapless which is unflattering to my back fat. And most of those dresses were empire waist (which is bad for short torsos). Of all the places that we went, I felt that Irma’s staff was most patient and caring. I knew that I liked the Maggies and they had a huge selection. Just from looking at my frame, they suggested dresses that I would have never taken off the hanger. She was also the first person who suggested the off the shoulder straps to camouflage the area that I was self conscious about. When I picked up the dress before the wedding, I felt like I was saying good-bye to old friends.

Alterations:

They did an amazing job. I lost 30 pounds before the wedding and of course after I ordered my dress, so they had to take in my dress quite a bit. I was concerned the dress would lose its appeal, but it was perfect!

Bridal Gown:

If you are unsure what style will look best on you, just talk to Irma. She has a degree in fashion and she took one look at me and said “I’ll be right back, I have the perfect dress for you” and she was right. Fit me perfectly and that was it!


Bridesmaids' Dresses:

They tend to be slow, so make an appointment. If you can, make the first appointment time they have available so you aren’t waiting. That’s the only thing I hated about Irma’s. They are great otherwise.