Once you get engaged the wedding planning process starts! There is the ceremony and reception locations as well as the DJ, wedding cake, photographer, invitations, officiant as well as a million other little details. But none of these details is as important or fun for the bride as picking out the perfect dress that will make the bride feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. The question is how should she go about this important task? The first step would be to start trying on some dresses to figure out what type of dress you like and then you can narrow down your choices from there until you have picked out your dream dress. So where does a bride living in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area go to start trying on wedding dresses? There are several shops in the area and I will review your choices in the next few paragraphs.
I do not think there is a bride out there that has not heard of David’s Bridal. It is the most popular bridal chain store and there is at least one in every state. They offer a huge selection of dresses in every different style available. They offer a huge range of sizes in the dresses that are available to try on too so it does not matter what size you are they probably have the dress you want to try on in a size that you can actually fit into. They do require you have an appointment to try on dresses and they do not let you have your own time to look at dresses. They are pretty much there the entire time, which is good if you want constant attention but it can be a bit irritating if you like to look at dresses and try on dresses by yourself and only require assistance every once in a while. Many brides have also said that they felt a lot of pressure to buy a dress the same day they tried it on so that is something to consider if you are looking for a relaxed experience. David’s Bridal also offers a line of bridesmaids dresses as well as tuxedos. They also have some wedding accessories such as unity candles and ring bear pillows.
Another bridal shop in Grand Rapids is Kim Kriners bridal. It is a locally owed single chain store. The store has a pretty big inventory of dresses and a big range of sizes. The store itself is not as nice and fancy as the David’s Bridal stores but the selection is as good and the staff is extremely helpful and they allow you to have time to yourself while still being helpful when you need it. They carry several different designers such as Davinci Bridal and Venus Bridal which tend to be less expensive designers. They also have a selection of bridesmaid dresses and mother of the bride dresses. They have shoes and tiaras available in the store as well. They also have a tailor right in the store so you can get your dress altered by them if you choose.
Right around the corner is Bridal Gallery. This store is a little bit fancier than the previous store and the dress selection is just as good. They have sizes ranging from 2 to 32 so any bride can try on dresses there. They do allow walk-ins and the staff gives you the amount of help you require. They carry designers such as Mori Lee, Maggie Sottero and Alfred Angelo. They also carry some bridesmaids dresses but their in store selection is not a big as the other shops. From what I have seen their prices seem to be a bit higher than other bridal shops in the area for the same dress. They also do alterations at the store but again these prices tend to be a bit higher than the average.
Finally there is Bridal Elegance. This is a very classy store and they are so protective of their dresses they require you to remove your shoes while dress shopping. They do not have a very big selection in my opinion and what they do have tends to be the more expensive dresses, meaning over $1000. They allow walk-ins but frown on them. They do require you to pay $5 to even try on dresses which, in my opinion, is absolutely ridiculous. I have never heard of charging to try on dresses and I certainly will not pay to try on a dress I am going to buy from a store. They do have a wide range of dresses and sizes for the small number of dresses they actually have in their store. They also have bridesmaid’s dresses but again not as big a selection as other stores. They have the tuxedos and bridal accessories as well.
As you can see Grand Rapids has several different bridal shops in which to find your perfect dress. They all pretty much carry the same lines it just depends on which styles they actually carry in the store. Prices are a little different from store to store as well but your experience in the store will likely reflect those price differences. Make sure you go to a few different shops while searching for the perfect dress so you know you are getting a variety of designers, styles and experiences.
