eff saying yes to the dress....

 

Dear ESB,

I had an horrifically awful experience wedding dress shopping this past weekend. I actually wrote about it extensively in my absolute sheer and utter rage immediately after the fact, thinking I would send an email to the management of the store. While I still fully intend to do this, I thought I would write to you - see if you had any interest in bringing this up on your blog. I feel like it might save a trip to NYC for many a bride hoping to find their dream dress at that bullshit shop from that bullshit t.v. show on lame ass TLC.

That's right.  I went to Kleinfeld to buy my wedding dress. I didn't go because of their t.v. show.  I didn't really know they had one until after I made the appointment. I live in LA and found the dress I wanted to buy.  It was actually the 3rd dress I tried on in the first store I went in to. Long story short, my grandmother really wanted to be with me when I bought the dress. The only store I could find it in on the east coast relatively close to her was Kleinfeld.  

Never mind that its basically a glorified warehouse, the saleswoman that helped us (who incidentally looked like the "caseworker" from beetlejuice) could not have been more rude. First problem? My budget was too small (when, by the way, did $2000 become an insignificant figure?). Second problem?  The friend I brought with me was too opinionated. Really? That's a nice to thing to say to a complete stranger. Third problem? My grandmother had the AUDACITY to go to the bathroom during my appointment. The saleswoman literally tracked her down and basically told her off. Umm, she's 88? Fourth problem? My boobs are too big. They were going to have to charge me $150 to "open the cup size" of ANY dress I tried on (and bought). Really? But I fit in the sample sizes (more on this later). I never did get an answer if it was $150 for the set or each! 

I could actually go on about how awful an experience it was, but to cut to the chase, the woman had no interest whatsoever in selling me the dress I knew I wanted from the start. The store's employees seem to actually believe that they are bona fide celebrities. Ummm... it's a reality show. About wedding dress shopping. Sorry sister, that's a pretty niche audience.

The woman tried to rush out of the store faster than anything I've ever experienced. 35 minutes into my 65 minute appointment she told me she didn't have anything else for me to try on. Leaving the store I felt like a deflated, sad, hippo with too-big boobs. Not wanting to leave for home with that as my grandmother's lasting memory of our fun time wedding dress shopping, I called another store (Priscilla of Boston if you're interested). They could squeeze me in. It was heaven. The woman who helped us could not have been sweeter. She even showed me a rack of sale dresses! I pulled one off and said I'd like to try it. She gladly obliged and this funny thing happened. My grandmother's face LIT UP. She was so excited - I was so excited - the saleswoman was so excited. The dress not only fit like a glove, it was gorgeous. Super romantic and frankly, not so different from the other one I'd flown across the country to show my grandmother. I bought the dress. Off the rack. With plenty of room for my boobs. Thank you very much. 

A happy ending for sure (let's hope this keeps up). The reason I wanted to email you though, was because I am fairly certain a lot of girls make the journey to Kleinfeld - as some kind of pilgrimage. Whether they believe the hype of buying a dress 9 months to a year ahead of time, HAVING to have 3 + fittings, that there really does exist THE dress (one dress really?) I don't know. But what I do know is that I am glad I wasn't that invested in having a "Kleinfeld experience" as the girls who were literally taking pictures of themselves while walking in to what has now become another NY tourist attraction. If I could give one piece of advice to girls shopping for a wedding dress it would be that it is just a dress. There are a hundred that will make you look beautiful. There are another hundred that will make you feel great about yourself. You won't be able to find it unless the situation is right, and for me, it most certainly was not right at Kleinfeld. 

-R 

(Image from Vogue Paris via tobacco and leather)