The Bridal Garden

You «have» to stop by this place when you’re shopping around for a wedding dress. You may get lucky. I’ve never dared to dream to be in a stunning Oscar de la Renta gown on my wedding but thanks to Gina and Julie (best tailor in NYC), I did. The dress was so unique and beautiful that the cake place (Ron Ben Israel) decided to make a cake that looks exactly like it :)
I walked in and was immediately greeted by Gina’s beautiful smile. Few weeks later when I walked out with my perfectly fitted gown I felt that I was saying goodbye to family. That’s how wonderful and cozy the Bridal Garden store feels. Julie is truly a professional in altering wedding gowns. I highly recommend her — she’s very patient, very sweet and has magical hands.
Thank you Gina and Julie — I only had 10 weeks to find a dress and I truly couldn’t have done it without you. you were like my guardian angels :) xoxo

Went to Bridal Garden during their semi-​annual sale. I had a 6:30 appointment, which they graciously gave me even though they were booked up. Even so, I waited 30+ minutes for a stylist to put me in a fitting room. While my friend and I waited, no one checked on us. We decided to look around on our own, and I picked up a dress I would have bought on the spot if it fit. A saleswoman came up to me and said, «What size is that? You know, these dresses run very small. What size are you?» and before I could even answer, she said condescendingly, «It isn’t going to fit you.» Listen, I get it. Bridal sizes are much smaller than street sizes. But the way she spoke to me was so rude! Trying on wedding gowns is supposed to be a happy experience, and I walked away feeling awful. The rest of the appointment was equally depressing. If you wear up to a street size 6, you may find a beautiful dress at a great price and be treated nicely. But if you wear anything larger (heaven forbid!), expect fewer choices and… different customer service.

We found a stunning designer sample dress at less than one-​tenth the price it would have been at the designer’s salon. Yes, really. Gina the manager is caring and super helpful. She has a very good eye. And Xecilia the seamstress works magic. She totally got what a very intricate dress was supposed to look like. The place is never a zoo, no one is hyper, there are individual dressing rooms, and the light is good. It does not look a bit like Kleinfeld, but you know your money is helping underserved kids learn.

I found my wedding dress here — a brand new Oscar de la Renta gown marked down to $ 3500 from what I think was a $ 12,000 retail price. If that isn’t amazing, I don’t know what is.
It is a small salon, pretty crowded when it gets busy, but if you enjoy DIY wedding dress shopping (I do) then you won’t mind it. I went myself, not really expecting to find anything and was about to give up because most of the dresses are size 6 and up (I’m petite), but I saw my dress hanging on a rack and grabbed it on a whim. It was The Dress and I am thrilled that I found it for such a great price (most people who’ve seen photos of the gown think it’s stunning). My advice: make appointments at all the fancy bridal salons, but also make an appointment at Bridal Garden, because you just might find your dream gown. I am going back in April for alterations to be done by Julie; I will update my review then.

This non-​profit bridal salon stocks sample gowns, as well as gently used and donated ones. They’re organized by size, and a stylist will work with you to find a gown based on what you’re looking for. I found my wedding dress on my first try! I worked with Vivien, who was very helpful and assisted me in picking out dresses in the styles I was interested in. Cecelia altered the gown for me, and did a beautiful job. I was also able to get the gown cleaned through the Bridal Garden, and picked it up ready to go the week before my wedding.

They do not help you with anything. They give you a direction of style but they do not help with the direction of what size to get. You get yelled at when you accidentally grab the wrong size because you’re «ruining» the dress for other brides. And if you try on a dress you better remember where you found it because you have to put the dress back.
Customer service rating= 2 (only because they were there and that was it) they were too busy with other brides to even give suggestions or help.
Selection= could be better
Pressure= heck we were practically ignored!
Bring a couple friends so you can put the dresses away!

Yes — I got lucky BUT this is the type of place where you can get lucky and find an amazing dress for a killer price and feel good about it because your purchase helps support a worthy cause.
I recommend starting your search here because you could get lucky like me or try on a bunch of different gowns (they let you go through the racks and pull — which is not typical) to get an idea of what you want.
Because most of the dresses are donated samples it helps to be in that size 0 – 6 range.
Please note, this is a no frills environment. The lighting is terrible, limited seating (no room for entourage) and champagne will not be served. If you are the type that can «see-​through» that foo-​foo crap, then you will probably see the value of this little do-​gooder gem.

Unfortunately updating my review. I was planning to return to buy my own dress, and looked into the Bridal Garden’s nonprofit structure. Very disappointed to learn that «children’s charities» refers to charter schools, and also disappointed to how much the store actually donated in past years to said children’s charity. Their Form 990 is publicly available and anyone considering shopping here should read it.

— Appointment needed: yes
— Photos allowed: yes
— Shipping time: none — you purchase off-​the-​rack
Great deals, IF you manage to find THE dress that is. As low as $ 1000 — $ 2000 for designer brands with good quality fabric, and there was an additional 30% off sale when I visited. The caveat: what’s there is what’s available — no other sizes can be ordered. There were 2 dresses I liked, but they were either way too big or had too many stylistic details that I’d like tailored — both would lead to substantial alteration costs that’d cancel out the original savings.
You get to pick the dresses off the rack and bring to your change room — quite a different experience than most bridal shops … and quite an arm workout. :P Also a good reminder for me to pick something on the lighter side.
Gina & her staff are nice & helpful, but may get busy at times. It’s by appointment only though so it’s never too crowded.

Our wedding was just one month away and after a bad experience at other bridal place, I thought why not check this place out before buying it online.
You need to make an appointment, I did it by email a day before. They don’t have their sign from outside, you have to speak with a guy on the first floor then go up to the 9^th floor.
The place is small and the dress choices are limited from past seasons. It’s clean with good lighting. The staff there was great, they didn’t rush you and let you pick and try the dresses. In the end I found mine here with a nice discount.
Don’t expect the newest style and lots of variety when you come here, the dresses changes depending what they got and if you like one you have to decide that day or it might gone. They can do simple tailoring. No refund. If you are looking for a wedding dress but not willing to buy full price do come here, you might find your dress!

I want to start by saying that I wish I had purchased my wedding dress here. I recently came with my sister, mom, her future MOL and SOL and they were so accommodating to our large group (call ahead to let them know if you will be bringing more than 2 others). The best part about this place is that it is non profit and the money goes to helping children. The second best part is that these are truly designer gowns that are either samples or overstock. The prices are amazing and affordable too. I was so impressed by the organization, bridal boutique feel of the location and the knowledge of the staff. I have actually told all of my engaged friends to go here first because you know what, you never know if they will have something you love and what is better than knowing your money is going to a good cause?
The other part I loved was that the dress my sister picked, which I found, fit perfectly and needs no alterations! Talk about meant to be!

I got my dress at Bridal Garden and had a great experience. I want to review the in-​house seamtress, Julie, because it was hard to find information on the alterations at Bridal Garden and I had a bad experience. I recommend you buy a dress there, and do alterations elsewhere.
Here is what happened: My dress needed to be brought in a few sizes, which was done pretty well, but all the details were bad, and were not fixed until I took the dress to a new place.
1) The pleats on the back of my dress were destroyed when the dress was resized, they went from pleats to messy lumps of fabric — see the photos for evidence. At the second fitting I asked for these to be fixed, Julie said they would be (and seemed annoyed that I brought it up), and then the next time I came in I was handed my dress and not allowed to try it on. (I was to take it to a dry cleaner and then bring it back for cups to be sewn in because it was done) I got home, tried the dress on, and the pleats were still horrible. I called and left a nice message about the pleats, and still have not been called back several weeks later. I have seen a new seamstress who is fixing the pleats by taking apart the bodice at the seams for a few hundred dollars (luckily the dress was cheap or my budget would be destroyed). This caused a lot of stress worrying that I would not have time to fix the problem.
2) The straps on the dress were sewn too short and twisted even though the alterations were complete
3) Julie said that the dress could only be bustled in one rather ugly way (after first saying it could not be bustled at all), but when I went to the second seamstress she immediately said this isn’t how I would bustle it, then bustled it in a much prettier way and said it would take very little time to fix.
Overall the attention to details besides the fit wasn’t there. The details of the dress were actually destroyed, and the straps were actually sewn on twisted. My phone calls about fixing it were never returned, and I had to go to a second seamstress. The experience was stressful, and cost me a few hundred dollars to fix.

I was helping a friend out shop for her bridal dress in one day only and with two weeks until the wedding. We didn’t find anything at David’s Bridal that the bride liked within the budget. As I was checking Unilocal to find other bridal salons, I came across this one and read the reviews.
I called hoping that we would be seen but expecting a «I’m sorry but are booked» but got «I’m sorry but we are fully booked but let me see what I can do for you… a few mins later, if you can come within the next twenty minutes we have a 1pm.» We walked to the location and arrived at 1pm.
There was a small selection for her size but we found a few dresses that were pretty. She tried on a dress that everyone loved but was on the pricey side. They provided a discount for her but with alterations, it was still too much for her. We left the store and went to several different bridal salons and she tried on numerous different dresses.
Once we were all tired, we convinced her to go back and look at the dress one more time. I called once again and asked if we can stop by with less than two hours until closing. They welcomed us back with open arms. She tried the dress on again and fell in love with it.
The staff knew it was her dress and provided her with an additional discount. She ended up buying the dress from here.
The entire experience was pleasant because no one was breathing down our backs, rushing us and getting upset if certain dresses we didn’t like. Overall, it was a great experience. I would recommend this bridal salon to anyone that is looking for a relaxed experience to finding a bridal dress. Great experience!!!

Love this place — Julie is amazing! She turned my Vera wang dress into a masterpiece, redoing the entire gown into lace and making me a jacket and belt to switch up the look from church to reception! Love that the proceeds go to charity! Worth every penny!

I had a great experience at Bridal Garden and ended up finding «the dress» when I went! (I wanted something vintage-​inspired and found the perfect dress marked down to $ 1400 from $ 5000) However, I definitely agree that it’s hit or miss depending on the dress selection for that day. I really liked that I could go through the dresses myself with my mom and MOH, who know me best. Something to note — If you do find your dress there, you need to pay in full on that day.
The staff was also really nice and accommodating. They let my mom take pictures so that we could compare, which was nice. I’d say there are only a few drawbacks to this place:
1 — You need to be quick while searching for dresses if there are other girls in the store because there’s only one of each dress.
2 — If you have a «good one», you might feel like other girls are glancing over, waiting for you to put it in your «no» pile so they can grab it.
3 — While the staff is really nice, they are also pretty pushy with having you use their seamstress/​purchasing a veil. Don’t feel pressured if you already have a go-​to spot, or think you can find a place that might be closer to home.
4– Depending on the condition of the dress, you need to use your imagination. Rembember that with what you’re saving on the price, you can put towards alterations to really make it your own.

I would recommend brides-​to-​be to shop at bridal garden. I got my dress at this first place I shopped, but it really depends on your luck, quick decision making skills, and good bridesmaids (or whoever went shopping with you).
That was my first stop so I didn’t think I would get anything. I wanted to go because the profit goes to charity.
Making an appointment was easy. My appointment was for 5:15 on a weekday and the email said I would have 1 – 1.5 hours. I ended staying for 2 hours and the entire time I saw 3 other brides-​to-​be.
I told the lady I usually wear street size 6 and she told me to get is 8 – 10. I ended up getting a dress in size 6p. It’s a self service kind of place, which I prefer. I don’t like having a salesperson commenting on me and trying to get me to try on or buy something. My bridesmaids and I were super efficient. We picked about 20 dresses and tried on each of them. Over the course of trying them on, I started to see what works and not with my body type and what I like and not. It helps that my bridesmaids are both super experienced and honest. One of them picked a dress that I wouldn’t pick on my own (plus the price was over my budget) I tried on it anyway and loved it. It was a perfect fit and NO ALTERNATION needed! As I was looking in the mirror, a girl told me she was looking something exactly the same. So my tip to wedding dress shopping is to have an open mind.
Pricing: I was told that all wedding dresses need alternation so I had a $ 1000 budget in mind with $ 300 alternation fee later down the road. I wasn’t too hopeful at first as some other reviews said that the store doesn’t have much in that price range. It’s true, but I found some with my size (I tried anything between 6 – 12 under $ 1500). It helps that there happened to be a sale going on. So my Augusta Jones dress was down from $ 1395 to around $ 1000~ It is a truly elegant dress with beads in the middle and lace all through out. I will try to remember to put up a photo after my wedding =)
The condition of my dress is very good. Given that it was a sample and so many people have tried it on, the train has some stain. But overall, you can’t tell from my dress that it’s not new. Some other I tried on was torn and dirty so you really need to pick and choose. The style is not the most updated. I had in mind something like illusion neckline or lace sleeves. They don’t have much of those. But they said that their seamstress can make the look that I want. I ended up buying a lace jacket that matched exactly my dress for around $ 250.
Alternation is $ 400 max and dry cleaning is $ 200 at the place if you are interested. There are veil and accessories to try on, but I would only try it on to see what look I like. I can get it cheaper elsewhere. I kinda regard not spending more time trying on accessories with my dress so that I can find something that matched. But we were there for two hours already so I thought it was time to let my friends eat!
I am happy to find the perfect dress within my budget. Good luck with your dress shopping!

If you’re looking for an affordable dress I would definitely recommend checking out The Bridal Garden.
I fell in love with an Anna Maier Ulla Maija dress that was absolutely stunning and fit me like a glove. Since it was a sample (and the dress was really delicate), it was a bit damaged with a few tears. However, they have a great seamstress (Sara) in house who was able to make it look like new. I was really happy with how it turned out!
One thing to note, however, if you want the full bridal experience (like Say Yes to the Dress) then this might not be the place for you. They do have helpful salespeople who offer honest opinions (like Gina!), but it’s definitely not on the Kleinfeld level.

The concept of this shop is great and even better that proceeds go to charity. However a few things that make me give them a 3star rating:
–The selection is outdated
–The staff is friendly but more judgmental than you would expect from a «lower priced» shop. They assumed my budget was super low and looked at me wide eyed when I said my size. Even bergdorfs and mark Ingram didn’t act that way to me.
–They keep «higher priced» designers (Vera odlr etc) in a secret back closet to only show people who can afford them (but they don’t even ask your budget when you arrive? so I guess it’s based on your appearance).
–You can get your email on a list to be emailed when they get more designers in. Not sure this is very accurate. I went the day after an email blast only to find the same styles in the shop that were there 2 months prior.
All in all, if you’re on a budget and have the time, it’s worth the trip.
You’ll probably be more successful on preowned wedding dress type websites.
Good luck and congrats on your engagement!

I wanted to love this place so badly. I’m the kind of bride who wanted a small wedding, but my fiancé won out and we’re having a big to do. So if I was going to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a dress, the idea of the money going to charity was very attractive.
My appointment at this place lasted less than five minutes. I wanted a non-​strapless lace gown. Other than that, I was pretty open. I’m a street size 8 – 10, so bridal size 12 – 16. They had a single rack for me to look at. There wasn’t a single dress I wanted to try on — they were all very yellowed and/​or brownish in color.
The store itself is small, but very clean. It actually would have been a pleasant experience to try things on, if I could have found anything. It didn’t have the feel of a bustling bridal salon (which I loved) but I think if you’re looking for a less traditional dress (i.e. with straps) or you’re bigger than a size 6, you’re just not going to find anything here.
I probably would have come back here multiple times, but my mother-​in-​law was in from out of town and I wanted her to be there when I found my dress. (I ended up purchasing a dress later that day at a different store.)
Three stars for an amazing concept and clean, bright space, but very, very small inventory.

Great prices, but very much hit or miss.
The store is pretty tight and you have to pick through the dresses yourself. When I went I didnt really get any 1 – 1 attention — there wasnt anyone helping me figure out sizing/​fit/​etc. Granted, you’re saving a ton of money and it goes to charity. Personally, I rather have a new dress a sales person’s attention and spend a bit more.
The selection here changes all the time it seems so it’s luck of the draw. Worth a shot, but you really need to hunt/​luck out to find your dress here.