Bridal Elegance by Darlene

ing financial remarks on how to afford the dress as if my budget was a joke. Every time I made comments about a dress, the staff was dismissive and pushy about why I should like it. Wedding dress shopping should be a special occasion but I left the store in tears. While I loved many of the dresses, I will never give them my business and I will find a dress elsewhere.

redibly helpful in finding me an array of dresses to try, sticking to my budget, and making me feel like a bride. When I finally found the dress that I loved and bought, they did not rush me out of it, helped me to accessorize it, and allowed me the time to take in such a special moment. Being able to make payments on my dress has also been incredibly helpful. I have loved my entire experience with these ladies and am excited to be a bride wearing a dress from them!

d headpiece from there and it was all so gorgeous! I actually forgot that I needed some minor alterations to my wedding dress and was able to take it in and have an under a week turn around! I would highly recommend this bridal shop.

me based off my previous comments and wishes from other dresses we were showing my family. My experience was positive and amazing. The whole staff greats you with a smile. Come see Darlene and the crew to find your dress!!

third one I tried on. We were able to alter the length when we ordered by dress. I am still soo in love with my dress.

nielle and we were also helped by Darlene. We were unsure of the dress, but went back later to try on others. Danielle was not working on any of the days we went into the shop. The person who helped us was only going through the motions and was rude. My daughter decided to purchase her dress anyway and paid extra to have it perfectly fitted to her measurements. She also paid extra to have it expedited. Once the purchase was made, they could care less about anything. My daughter ordered cap sleeves to add to her dress, but we were never told we had to pay more to have those expedited as well. We called to find out if the dress was in, and were told it was, but the cap sleeves were not and we would need to pay more to expedite them. Once the dress and cap sleeves were in, we did a fitting. The dress was so big; it had to be taken in quite a bit. Darlene pinned the dress where it needed altering, but she was very rude and we felt like we were bothering her. When we did a final fitting, the dress was so tight on top, but very big on the bottom. Also the cap sleeves were sewn on so poorly, the thread was unravelling and the cap sleeves were coming off. This should have been a perfectly fitted dress, but it looked like a gunnysack on my daughter. When I saw the look on my daughter’s face, it broke my heart. We left the shop without a word because I didn’t want them touching my daughters dress again and it was only 1 week before her wedding. She said mom, “I will just wear it like that because we have already paid so much for this dress.” I put her and the dress in my car and drove Irma’s Bridal. I explained our situation and asked if the dress could be altered in time for her wedding. Irma was wonderful and gracious, and said she would make it perfect. We went to pick up the dress 2 days before the wedding and it was absolutely perfect. My daughter tried on her wedding dress and cried for the first time since she ordered it. She said mom, it’s absolutely perfect. I cannot express my gratitude and appreciation to Irma for the wonderful job she did with such short notice. She is amazing and if anyone wants a perfect fitting wedding gown or any other alterations, they should not waste their time elsewhere. I also had my dress altered by Irma and it was perfect as well. Thank you Irma for making my daughter’s wedding dress and wedding day perfect and unforgettable. She looked stunning.

that we went to Bridal Elegance they were awesome and the very first dress I tried on it was the one I had tried it on two different times and it was perfect they helped me find the perfect dress!

lped me find the perfect dress and not only that but they were able to order it in my exact size. Her prices are unbeatable too. And I personally really appreciated their openness with their prices (other places don't like to tell you the price) and they had no problem staying within my budget. Highly recommended! Don't waste your time at David's bridal (too commercialized) or Ann Mathews (outrageously expensive).

was still under my price point. I ended up ordering a dress the same day I tried it on! My bridesmaids also picked out a dress that same day, but we decided to think about it and come back later. They finally ordered the dresses a few months later and one of the employees told us the dresses would be in a week or two later. Apparently the time the dresses were ordered was "slow season." We were shocked by the timeline, but perfectly happy because it meant everyone would have plenty of time to get alterations done. Needless to say, this timeline was completely false and nearly FOUR months later the dresses finally came in. One had to be rushed to an overseas bridesmaid who barely had time to get changes in. If we had been given an accurate timeline for when the bridesmaids dresses were going to be done, we would have gone somewhere else.

I really should have left a review MUCH earlier but better late than never! Darlene and her staff are the best! They all eventually knew me and my mother by name ( and sisters by face which was incredibly useful because they picked up the dress whedn I didn't have time to!) and they had no problem making last minute alterations so long as I was as happy as can be(which I was!). Darlene and her staff are fabulous at reading people, knowing what they want and getting EXACTLY that plus what looks best. I got started dress shopping late and they worked with me even though I was essentially last minute shopping. They were the best friendliest shop I could have hoped for. Thanks Darlene's!!!

ho was helping me. We ended up finding me a perfect dress and for an AMAZING price and she even gave us options when it came to getting it altered! I would recommend this store to everyone

the bridal salons we went to!

dress through this awesome, local shop! The staff is great. The dresses are perfection!

to try Bridal Elegance. I hadn't made it over there yet but had found a short dress online that I finally liked and it said it was sold at their store. I went over there and told them about the dress---they didn't have it in store! No problem though, they put me in a few dresses that were similar and helped me picture what the one I liked would look like. Everyone was SO nice. I ordered the dress I liked and when it came in, they had got my measurements perfect! The only alteration it needed was to cut a little shorter. I also ordered my veil from them. All in all, I was very satisfied with the staff and how my dress came out. I would highly recommend them to anyone!

elf and beautiful dresses for my wedding party and mother.

el in love with the very first one. They stayed within my price range and didn't have me try anything that was not in my budget. They even did last minute alterations 3 days before the wedding. I loved my dress, I couldn't imagine anything better.

great many dresses iny size to try on. Danielle made sure that I had my privacy and quickly laced, zipped and buttoned me into several dresses. Each time, taking me to the front of the shop and fanning the dress out in front of the mirror. Her and Darlene became my bridal entourage. They made me feel beauiful in each and every dress. There was one dress hanging that I really wanted to try on, but they didn't have it in my size. I decided to take a leap of faith and order the dress without seeing it on my body. Danielle measured me and placed the order. When the dress arrived, I was a little nervous. I put the dress on and was instantly relieved. It not only fit, but was perfect. I needed only a bustle and a small alteration in the front of the boddice. There was another girl there when I went to try it on gor the first time, I wish I could remember her name. She was so frienfly and helpful also. I am so glad that I found Bridal Elegance by Darlene! They made me a beautiful bride!!!! If I could, I would give them 10 stars!

to get all of my services through them--alterations and steaming included. The staff was really good about calling me and reminding me of appointments and keeping me up-to-date concerning my dress. I really appreciated the assurance and peace of mind I got from working with the ladies at Bridal Elegance.

. They really listen to what you want and how much you are looking to spend!!! Wonderful people!

ooked stunning on my wedding day!! This place is incredible! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!

e saleswomen were focused on me the whole time I was there. They are knowledgeable and excellent listeners. They really helped me find dresses to help narrow down my search and really determine what I wanted. I actually tried on the dress I ended up choosing on the first day, but it was much too large of a size and I was distracted by that. After trying on my dress at another shop in Santa Fe in my size, I went back to Bridal Elegance and told them that the dress was less expensive at the other store and they honored that same price. Through the entire process of ordering my dress, trying it on for alterations and the final finishes with pressing and prep, everything was seamless. Darlene and her staff are very professional and really want to make sure you have a great experience. I highly recommend Bridal Elegance by Darlene!

rify my appointment time and they had just moved my appointment to the next day, without telling me, and even after adjusting everything didn't apologize for the inconvenience. When I was trying on gowns they seemed uninterested in me and didn't even offer suggestions. When I asked the consultant for an option that would be "fashion forward" and "not-so-bridal" style she brought me a traditional ball gown, really? When I finally found a dress I loved (my best friend picked it out) I was about 4 inches smaller than the size 16 sample that I tried on. I was fully dedicated to losing weight and was already in the process. In the process of paying they thanked me and were ready to walk me out the door and the size of the dress was not even discussed. I had to ask what size they were going to order, she then proceeded to show me the size chart where she told me that they would order a size 22! I knew my level of dedication to weight loss and I told them I would sign off that I would order a 16. When the dress came in the dress was a bit too large, even though I had lost weight I knew I hadn't lost that much, but it was falling off. I asked my friend to see what size it was and we noticed that the size tag had been cut out. I brought it to their attention and said that I wanted the size I ordered. They gave me a song and dance about size charts that was ridiculous (I used to work at a bridal store so this was just amusing), because based on the fact I tried on a smaller size that I was ordering I should have been able to fit into it at this point not have it falling off me. They ordered me the right size and it came in fine. However, even in the end they were going to have me pay for a zipper bag for my gown. Just really unimpressed with the service. I loved my dress but what I had to go through to get it was just silly.

to create the dress of my dreams. It is so perfect I want to wear it every day!

s before. I was in and out of the shop multiple times up to the day before my wedding and it still never looked the way I wanted it to. The service is great, the selection is great, but not being 100% confident in my dress on my big day was not.

nto my dress until the following week until I could go purchase it. They forgot to give me the satin rattail strings for my corset in my Maggie Sottero dress, but when I called to ask them about this, they had it ready for me to pick up the same day at no charge to me. I was able to purchase the sample dress for half off, and the dress was the perfect size and style that I wanted. Great place with very beautiful dresses!

stomer service! They were very helpful, professional, and friendly! My dress was perfect!

ng you say and only push you toward the priciest dresses. Melissa, the attendant, was great. She genuinely listened to me, and her recommendations were spot on. When the dress came, however, the bodice's shaping was all wrong. The straps wouldn't lay correctly, and the seamstress assured me that they were meant to sit on the point of the shoulders (which is not true, judging by the photographs on the designer's website). I took it to my own tailor, and it took her quite a bit of work to set it right. Ultimately the dress turned out beautifully, but I was a little frustrated with it at first. Darlene's is a nice shop if you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the 'wedding industrial complex' a little and pay a more reasonable price, but just be sure to try on the dress and diagnose any issues early.

nt and helpful.

htly disappointed when I saw how the dress had been altered because there were strigs that were left down the line of cutting which caused the beading to fall off. It was nothing major but throughout the night I could hear beads hitting the floor. Great staff and very friendly.

e any other shop in town