Review: Visit to Grace Bridal Boutique

Grace Bridal Boutique- where do I begin? This lovely shop is located in Downtown Excelsior on Lake Minnetonka. The moment you step in the shop you know that a lot of time, thought, and care went into establishing this new shop. As I entered, I expected to be treated that way as well. Upon leaving- I really felt that I had been taken care of and that the special purchase of a bridal gown was treated as sacred and special- not something you rush into.

Grace Bridal Boutique carries wedding gowns, brides maids, mothers dresses, accessories and tuxedos.

Jocelyn is the owner, she greeted me when I entered. Be prepared to take your shoes off when you enter- but with gowns priced between $2000 and $4000 who wouldn't want to help keep the gowns and shop exquisite? The store is very comfortable to navigate, and Jocelyn works with you to filter through the gowns to find exactly what you're looking for. After welcoming me in and explaining the trunk show for Badgley Mischka. Jocelyn asked if I had been dress shopping yet and when I responded yes we dove into what elements and styles I have liked and what I don't like.

There was no limit on the number of dresses I could pull and try on. The fitting rooms are well lit and thoughtfully decorated. Lavish and spacious with seating for 3-4 guests. Per the usual- I went alone so I could sort my likes and dislikes out myself. (You may remember a visit I had to a previous retailer and the number of opinions I had coming at me.... oy. It was simply too much- especially when everyone is a critic and everyone has an opinion. As the bride- it's only your opinion that matters and you need to feel your very best the day you get married.)

Jocelyn told me that I could take photos of the dresses I was interested to help me in making up my mind. This is fabulous- especially since I confided in her that I had thought I had found a gown I loved but then when I saw the photo... it was an oh no! She also said that she understands that brides need to come back maybe three or four times before they make up their mind- since it is such an important purchase.

I plan on returning to Grace Bridal Boutique- this time with my camera. And hopefully the gowns look better in photos than they do in the mirror.

My favorite gowns at this shop were by Eugina (pictured) and Anne Barge (Unable to find photo).

The Rush's Sale I attended....

I went to the Rush's 50% off sale the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. It was disappointing to say the least. I'm an average sized woman- according to survey's the average size of a woman is a 14 these days- and I tend to fall between a 12 and 14 currently.

Since it was a sample sale- all instock gowns 50% off the regular purchase price- not many of the in stock dresses were even close to fitting. Those gowns that were in my size- were the same old same old. Very traditional- which if that's what you like- this would have been great for you. For me though- not so much. There was also lots of a-symmetrical rouching- so if you like that style- again, you missed out.

While I was trying on gowns I could overhear the sales people saying "All but one person has bought a dress today". For me- this was not a point of persuasion. The "everyone else is doing it" persuasion point has not been most effective on me. I was turned off. I left, empty handed and was fine with that.

The other women there seemed to fit more into the gown sample sizes. I was told when I scheduled the appointment that they had dresses of all sizes available. This was somewhat deceitful I feel.

The sales girl helping me- Jennifer- was nice enough. However, I don't think I'll return. It's not because the sale wasn't as fruitful as I had hoped- but more because the viewing area was within your own dressing room and very dark. The selection of gowns was decent but not what I was looking for. Perhaps I would have felt differently about it if I was looking at the gowns based on order-ability and not restricted to size on the rack.

Perhaps.

Recption Possibilities....

After pouring over websites and my Twin Cities Bridal Association Book- I've narrowed down the reception options- now to get the fiance on board. (Too many options can be overwhelming for some to process- hence all the footwork)

Colonial Church- we are members here
Atlas Grill - Downtown Minneapolis - free valet parking, no cake cutting fees- they pride themselves on no hidden costs- and because they're awesome- you can use any of what they have on hand free of charge- no nickel and diming you for every knife, spook, fork, each plate or drinking goblet- awesome
Minnetonka Country Club- they have currently cut the cost of their receptions... I wonder if it's good for reservations made for future months or just this fall- the wording is kind of funny on their webpage.
Elsie's Restaurant, Bar and Bowling Alley- Northeast Minneapolis- There's no room rental charge and the food and drink minimum is only $2500. We'd have to cut our guest list a bit- basically limit the +1s- so it wouldn't be too terribly tragic.
Olympic Hills Country Club- Eden Prairie - it seats enough people- the food and drink minimum for the main dining room - which seats 230- is only $4500 and the rental is only $475. I can stomach those numbers. I may have to speak with them about their confetti restriction... kidding of course.

Review: Visit to Mary Kay Bridal in Richfield

Visiting Mary Kay Bridal was a great experience. I was greeted at the door, and directed to the area with wedding gowns. I was assisted by a young woman around my age. I was offered coffee, water, or cocoa while I looked at the dresses. The dress designers informal styles, and sale racks are clearly labeled so you know exactly what you're looking at. I was assisted in the dressing room- the help with getting on all the dresses was very helpful- all those layers of skirt can be overwhelming! Even though I had gotten there towards the end of the day and they were open for less than an hour by the time I was trying on the gowns- we were able to quickly eliminate what worked for me and my body type and what didn't. We went to the big mirror and viewing area only to see the gowns that I really liked. We agreed that it wasn't worth the time to hem and haw over gowns that I could try to justify liking. We traded general stories of how brides can try to justify liking a gown. I had seen it in my own bridal boutique experiences- many brides go through this- it looks so pretty on the hanger to them but then once its on... disappointment and the attempts to justify. I have to admit as a bride-to-be I went through this myself. Now, I've determined that if it's not it-it's not IT. It was great to work with someone who was on the same wave length as me with that. At the end of the visit, I found 3 really beautiful gowns that I loved. None of them were "well this might be a good dress"- they were all fabulous.

The gowns were:
Demetrios Style 4260
Jasmine Style T180R (no sleeves or ribbon bow)
Jasmine Style T189R (no sleeves)

When I left the fitting room, I was given a bag of wedding information- vendors, catalogues, a Minnepolis St Paul Weddings bridal magazine, information on the store- including current specials they offer.

The gowns Mary Kay carries are for the most part under $1500. Some of the Demetrios styles are more expensive than this - but they are fabulous- I promise.

I loved my visit to this store and how helpful they were. They understood that you might not be able to find THE dress on the first day out. They're also locally owned which is great. They were upfront about what the ordering process is- half down to place the order and the other half due within 30 days of the gown arriving. I was also told that I could make monthly payments if I wanted to in order to pay down the gown balance earlier and as I am able. WOW- fabulous! This makes a higher price tag seem a lot more manageable and justifiable. No pay in full only like at other shops (The Wedding Shoppe I know makes you pay in full at time of order).

Wedding gown designers carried by Mary Kay Bridal are:

Demetrios, Jasmine, Impression, Moonlight, and Alfred Angelo.

Where to Find: Bonny Bridal

Bonny Bridal is a very common bridal gown line popular to carry in many stores.

Glenrose Florals to Formals in Plymouth
Rush's Bridal in Minneapolis
The Wedding Shoppe in St Paul
Pearls and Lace in Burnsville
Napier Bridal and Formalwear in West St Paul
Angeliques in Blaine
North Country Bridal in Forest Lake
Weddings By Deb in Faribault
Aubony in Hutchinson
Bridal Boutique in St Cloud
Carrie Johnson Bridal in St Joseph
Mestad's in Rochester
The Silhouette in Easton
Belles and Beaus in Austin
Arlene's Bridal in Brainerd
Fiancee in Brainerd
Elegant Affair in Fairmont
Blossoms and Bridal in Montevideo
Jackie J's Bridal in Alexandria
Bridal Elegance in Cloquet
Princess Bride in Duluth
Jessica's Bridal in Grand Rapids
Formalities in Bemidji

Where to Find: Azura Bridal

Azura Bridal is a higher end designer (prices on the Wedding Shoppe's webpage range from $2313 to $4,375) Azura also has a veil collection.

In Minnesota, Azura is available only at The Wedding Shoppe in St Paul, MN

Where to Find: Mikaella

Mikaella is available at three retailers in Minnesota:

Mestad's in Rochester
Raffine in Stillwater
The Wedding Shoppe in St Paul