Bridal and Special Times

Went here with my mom today and I must say Lori is the best I told her how much I wanted to spend I picked out A dress and she went over all the alterations with me and when it’s done it’s going to be beautiful I would recommend this bridal store to anyone that is looking for a bridal gownshe has beautiful stuff and her prices are great Thank you Lori your so sweet

I consider myself an honest and fair person and I’d hate to give a bad review, but due to the panic and unpleasant experience I had here just 2 weeks before my wedding, I’d like to share my story to give a fair warning to any bride who comes into this shop of the bad customer service and alterations scare I received here. I apologize ahead of time for the long review.
Let me point out the «pros» first:
— Lori was initially nice and willing to find my dress (she didn’t carry the designer dress, Enzoani, that I wanted but assured me she can get it from a friend)
— she quoted me cheaper than the initial quote that I received from a high end bridal boutique, though later I found it cheaper elsewhere for a few hundred less
— I ended up getting another dress elsewhere afterwards and she was willing to apply the alteration charges to the new dress instead of the original that I purchased with her. It would have been less work for her anyways
NOW THE CONS:
— bad customer service and passive aggressive attitude
— wouldn’t listen to my concerns regarding altering my dress and Lori’s tone and demeanor changed negatively towards me
— became defensive and put words in my mouth multiple times saying that I don’t trust her and her alterations skills when I never once mentioned I don’t trust her skills, I just simply wanted to hear my options
— free veil didn’t come out as I explained how I wanted it and was useless. Ended up buying a veil last minute elsewhere
Let me break it down:
Customer service went on a downward spiral the moment I voiced concerns about HOW she was going to shorten my dress. My dress was a fit & flare /​mermaid dress and the flare began almost to my knees, when the flare should sit higher up around the mid/​upper thigh in order to look proportionate to my body. I came in for my first alterations appt 2.5 weeks before my wedding to pin the dress and asked her about my options to shorten the dress. She insisted that it would be fine and that she would cut the tulle from the bottom portion, leaving the flare as-​is beginning at my knees. I asked if there was an option to raise the entire bottom potion up and she said no – I was a little concerned but didn’t want to question her too much, after all she is the «specialist».
However, as soon as I got home I researched forums regarding my specific dress, and there were some unhappy brides who shortened their dress (the way Lori described she would do it) and it looked completely disproportionate and the beautiful bottom of the dress looked butchered and actually made the bride look short. This was exactly what I was afraid of as I am short myself standing at 5’2″. I called the original shop I bought the dress from and asked what ways I am able to shorten the dress, and she explained all of my options to shorten this specific dress, WHICH INCLUDED raising the entire bottom portion higher without cutting off any of the tulle so that the flare sits higher up on my thigh and looks proportionate to my body type.
Right away I called Lori and voiced my concerns again. She sighed and sounded agitated that I was even asking what my options were and said, «Emma, you don’t trust me. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and no one has complained about the alterations.» Firstly, I never said I didn’t trust her or questioned her skills, I was simply ASKING if I had other options to bring the dress up, since she only explained one option (apparently the easier option which was to chop off tulle of my dress). Secondly, there ARE complaints here on Unilocal of unhappy customers who had their dress altered with her.
Lori, who has ALWAYS been quick and great at responding to my text msgs, was now ignoring my calls & texts when I told her to put a hold on alterations until I can come in person. I was worried because they were starting alterations on Monday so I called/​texted that Sun and Mon morning to hold off alterations but I never received a response. I panicked, as any bride-​to-​be would, and drove to the shop and lo and behold I see my dress being altered. Of course the ladies there were able to easily reach Lori over the phone to discuss the issue. Lori finally called me back, AND AGAIN, points out that «I don’t trust her and it’s better I take the dress and it would be less work for them anyways.» By now of course the trust relationship between us was broken and there was no way I was going to trust her with my dress. They were halfway done working on the bodice and I didn’t want to take it half way done, so I agreed to come back the next day and stressed to them not to touch the bottom.
I came back the next day to try on the dress and the bodice was INCREDIBLY TIGHT and there were lumps and bumps down the side of the dress as well as the front. I signed the paperwork to take my dress as-​is because I just wanted my dress OUT OF THERE.
Royal Accesories in DTLA SAVED my dress last minute and fixed the damage done to the bodice.
Bottom line: LOOK ELSEWHERE!

I recommend this bridal shop for any new brides
She has a variety of bridal gowns as well as brides maid dresses.

Lori at Bridal and Special Times is amazing!
She offered me the dress of my dreams at a very affordable price. She was so patient with me and allowed me to try on numerous dresses, sashes, and veils until I found the look that I was happiest with. After my dress arrived, I came in several times to try it on, and Lori was always so friendly and accommodating. Lori and her crew also did an excellent job altering my dress and making me the perfect veil.
Definitely recommend Lori and Bridal & Special Times! Thank you Lori for everything!

Great customer service! Went to a place in Temple City on Las Tunas, pretty cold reception and no attempt to help us. Maybe because we spoke english! Next stop was Bridal and Special Times. Warm reception, and a willingness to help us find what we were looking for, and offered to custom make the veil we wanted. We were in and out in 45 min., picking up the custom veil in 3 days! I don’t care how fancy the shop is, is the customer service sucks, the shop sucks!

I got married November 2015. I found this place online and I was attracted to this place because of the different brands they carry. I’m so happy I came here to find my wedding dress. Lori is really helpful, patient & kind. They will work with any budget. I ended up going with a Pronovias wedding dress. She custom made a lace jacket and belt to go with it. I LOVED IT! And more importantly my husband loved it too!!! Thank you Lori for making my dream wedding dress! I highly recommend this place.

I just have to say that Bridal and Special Times gave me the best experience! I recently got married January 8^th, 2016 and Lori and Anna did an amazing job helping me from beginning to end. Lori helped me get all my bridesmaids dresses ordered and worked with them with payments since they were all over California and even 1 in Texas. All the dresses arrived on time. In addition I found my wedding dress at a different store and because she had such great customer service I went to her to see if she could get my dress for me in which she did, and gave a me a discount and even gave me a free custom made veil that perfectly matched my maggie sottero mermaid wedding dress. Every alterations meeting was a joy and she was such a pleasure to work with. When she was not available Anna took very good care of me. They made sure I was happy with everything and I always enjoyed coming in. Lori’s grand-​daughter was also a joy to be around in the store. This place was definitely a great choice for me to get my wedding dress and my bridesmaids dresses from. I give them 5 stars and would definitely recommend them to anyone who’s getting married! You guys were amazing! Thanks for everything. My wedding was amazing!
–Brejeque Flucker

I wanted to make sure my bridesmaids did not have to break the bank for my wedding, so before any dresses were actually purchased, I took a few steps to ensure I was getting gorgeous, flattering dresses for reasonable prices:
1. Surfed the web and narrowed my selection down to a few silhouettes, cuts, and designers
2. Dragged my maid of honor (she was a great sport!) to a few shops to try on the styles I liked before I made my final BM dress choice for everybody.
Once I knew the style I wanted my girls to wear (Bill Levkoff #749 in black), I made A LOT of phone calls to bridal shops all throughout the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys to do some bargain hunting… And Bridal and Special Times offered me the lowest price.
I placed the order (5 dresses total) with Lori in person; she was very kind and exceptionally helpful. I was a bit nervous about making sure the dresses arrived well before the wedding [I had to ship one of the dresses to a bridesmaid in IL once we received them in CA], so I asked for a quote on rush shipping. I was originally quoted a lower price over the phone than they normally charge [per dress] for rush shipping, but since I was originally misquoted, they were nice enough to honor the originally quoted [lower] price.
We received the dresses by the date I was promised. I definitely had a great experience with Lori and Bridal and Special Times!

Came in and fell in love with a dress that was a few sizes too big. I purchased it off the rack since it was on sale. Came in a few times for alterations due to weight gain/​loss and I’m so happy to say that my dress fit me like a glove!!! They were also able to dye a veil that I brought in to match my dress.

Thank you Lori, for fixing my dress for our church wedding! I bought my dress 4 years ago from Lori, now we are getting married on church, I had to cover a little my strapless dress, Lori and sister did a great job. Happy customer! I recomend Special Times and Bridal for any special occasion, great dresses and great prices.

I’ve been here three times now and was always warmly greeted and taken care of by Anna. My first time was a walk-​in on a Friday when they weren’t busy, the other two times I had Saturday appointments.
Wide variety of dress selections at very reasonable prices! I found my dress here and have recommended several friends who have also found their dress here.
If you’re looking for a premium shop with a fancy waiting area for your guests, this is not the place to go. But if you care more about the dress price and quality (as you should), it’s definitely worth a visit! I highly recommend making an appointment to ensure you get the attention that you will want when trying on several dresses (also, there is only one dressing room).
My mom and I plan to come back to see if we can get her dress for my wedding here as well.
Thank you Anna and Lori for being so friendly, helpful, and easy to work with!

Bridesmaids, beware. Now that the wedding is over and the pictures are safe and sound, the truth can be told about our experience with this dress shop.
We were a group of six bridesmaids and from start to finish, there were so many problems it’s hard to know where to start. But let’s start with the most egregious.
1.) THREE IRON BURNS on ONE bridesmaid dress. WHO DOES THIS?
2.) OVERPRICED and POOR alterations on our dresses. One of our bridesmaids had to return THREE times for alterations and of course got charged extra. CASH ONLY for alterations. Obviously, this place operates under-​the-​table. Shady.
3.) PRO TIP: do not gossip and insult the bridesmaids. One of the staff told a bridesmaid that another bridesmaid had to return three times «because she gained weight.» This was our tiniest bridesmaid checking in at a size 2. If she gained weight, and I should know because we went paddle-​boarding together, it was about 1 oz. The NERVE!
4.) POOR SIZING. All six of us needed alterations besides the expected hemming. How could measurements be so wrong for all six of us? DRUMMING UP BUSINESS, maybe?
5.) I got away lucky. My dress only required one visit for alterations. However, on this visit, I could hear the proprietor, who probably did not realize that I speak Spanish, berating her seamstress for being late, and it sounded like this was a pattern based on the language she used. One can only assume that this business is understaffed and maybe not hiring the best seamstresses around.
6.) Lying to the bride. Yep. Our sweet bride was told multiple times that the shop would open up on Sundays or Mondays for fittings. Yet, every time a bridesmaid called about this, they were told no. No. NO. PLUS… they told the bride we would get the «group rate.» We all bought dresses from the same designer and same exact color. However, when inquiries were made about the group rate, half of us had picked ever so slightly different designs to accommodate our more ample bosoms, so we were denied the group rate. DENIED. Full price. The dress selection is very basic. Yes, our dresses turned out looking nice but you could buy this brand anywhere.
If you are forced to buy a bridesmaid dress here, take the dress and run. Get alterations anywhere else. It can’t be worse than our experience here.
Sketchy, indeed.

Lori does an amazing job with custom made dresses! I looked for months to find my dream dress until I found Lori who made my dreams come true! They were super affordable and professional. I highly recommend that all brides and bridesmaids go to Bridal and Special Times.

Lori did not only offer me the best price for the dress of my dreams, but she made sure that all the alterations we did fit perfectly to my body. I had lost more weight than intended, but Lori accommodated to all my needs to make me look like a beautiful bride. I can say that I am 100% satisfied with my dress. I would recommend to all my friends and family to come to Lori. You will not be disappointed!

To start off I didn’t check the Unilocal reviews before I started the hunt for this place. I called this place a week before my friend whom is getting married in September and lives in Chicago was coming in to go look at dresses with me. When I called I asked if she carried a specific dress by Alfred Sung and she said yes they did, then I asked her if I needed an appointment to come look at dresses and she said No and I told her okay because I wasn’t sure what time wed be over in Pasadena.
Saturday morning comes and my mother and I pick up my friend from Van Nuys Flyaway and drive over to the place. The hours on a website I was on listed that they were open 1030am to 5pm so we got there a couple minutes after 1030am and they were closed. So I called the number on the door and the voicemail listed the place not opening until 11am. We thought we’ve driven all this way so we will just wait. Well 11am creeps up and nothing so I call the number again and same voicemail, we waited 10 more minutes and finally someone came and opened up the store. We walked in and started looking around and a women finally came over and started asking if we had an appointment. I looked at her a little confused and said no I was told I didn’t need one and that I had talked to her about everything earlier in the week, she then goes and starts talking in Spanish to younger girl there and then that girl comes over and says you are more then free to look around but we have an appointment coming soon so we cant help you, plus the owner currently isn’t here so I don’t know much on how to help you. I said fine and walked over to my group.
We looked through the large rack of dresses to find it completely unorganized. All of the dresses were kind of just hung up in no order what so ever. So we all browsed through the dresses looking for the specific dress we were told was here only to not find it so we asked the girl if they had the dress and she checked and said no we don’t carry that in the store.
Now I am frustrated that we drove 3 hours not only to be mislead by the hours of operation, and bluntly lied to over the phone about carrying a dress. We decided to walk out and not even try the dresses pick out on. As Walking out I was told I could leave my number and the owner would call me and talk to me. I told her I had today to pick a dress and didn’t want to drive back down here for false hope. Needless to say she’s a type of owner who just wants people to come in the store, and doesn’t realize putting people who have no idea in charge turns people away.

First off, any one of these «bad reviews» are due to LAST MINUTE idiots who think they are special and should get special, fast treatment. UM NO. Anyone knows that for weddings you either buy off the rack and have it then and now, OR you need to order MONTHS in advance! My experience here was AMAZING. And will recommend to anyone I get a chance to. I never take the time to place reviews, because I could care less. But I felt this called for one for sure.
After being disappointed in bridal boutiques and shops while searching for my dream dress, I walked into Bridal and Special Times without any high expectations. I knew of this shop because I worked across the st for over a year, and would pass by it every day. It looks like a small hole in the wall shop, but carries a variety of beautiful designer dresses.
Lori is SUPER nice, she listened to MY NEEDS, my wants, and everything I asked for. She did not have the particular dress I was looking for, it was actually being ordered as a sample and expected to arrive within 2 weeks. But she was nice enough to show me similar styles, never pushed other dresses that I didn’t like. She almost had me convinced of another dress, but she saw I had my heart set on the one I asked for.
She said she’d call me as soon as it came in. She did. It came early, and i rushed over to see it. I saw it, loved it, and she gave me a great deal on my dress. Lori works with you, and is realistic. She is never pushy, and very nice. I was worried I was going to have a miserable dress searching experience. She turned it around for me so nicely.
Other shops and boutiques were HORRIBLE. Pushed crap I didn’t want, I even had 2 employees NOT helping me, barge into my dressing room as I was UNDRESSED! They didn’t even apologize, they just walked in! grabbed something and walked out. SO RUDE. Not to mention how disgustingly OVERPRICED their dresses were. INSANELY overpriced. A veil that costs anywhere else for $ 400, they sold for $ 1000.00!!! The same dress I bought was listed for $ 2200.00 MORE than retail suggestion. Over $ 2000.00 more!
Anyway, my point is this place is great. I highly recommend to anyone. She has great off the rack selections for those last minute brides, and some amazing designer selections for those of you looking for something extra special with time.

I went wedding dress shopping in Pasadena and went to 3 stores only. This was one of them and had the best prices AND the dress I loved. Because I’m a short bride (5 feet), I had to go back a few times to get my dress altered to my perfect fit. I loved my dress. I also got a beautiful sash and veil there too. The only thing with the veil was that the lace kept flipping inward on my wedding day. I don’t know if I should have ironed it more or if it was the way it was made.
Reading many of the previous reviews about the owner’s rudeness, I didn’t see that at all. She’s very direct, but was not rude at all. She was actually very accommodating and made sure she made all of the alterations I asked for.

I came here based on looking for bridal salons online. I had a wonderful experience. I had to do some shopping but came back here to get my Allure Couture gown. I got awesome service, best price in town and great deal on my veil and alterations. I highly recommend this place.
She carries all the major designers and makes sure you have an awesome experience!
Highly recommend!

I would highly recommend Bridal and Special Times! I feel like I had a completely different experience than these negative Unilocal reviewers! I think I am a particularly good person to judge customer service because I have worked at one of the most high end boutiques in Los Angeles for over 10 years.
I was so lucky that one of my girlfriends found Bridal and Special Times on her phone when we were at another bridal store in Pasadena where every dress I was trying on was over $ 3,000. I must admit Bridal and Special Times doesn’t have the chandeliers and fancy décor the other stores we visited had but it had amazing dresses, great customer service, fantastic prices and that is what I needed from a wedding dress store!!!
We called from the other store on a Saturday without an appointment and Lori accommodated me, my mom and three bridesmaids. There were so many different choices from all the designers I had wanted to try on. They had a great variety. I tried on several and decided to try one that the mannequin was wearing. When I put it on (with Lori’s help to clip it) I came out of the room and everybody cried. We knew it was the one.
I wanted to come back with my maid of honor and Lori was so sweet and made it easy to book another appointment. I wanted to price compare also. She gave me 30% less on a Pernovious dress than any other store in SoCal was quoting! We came back and I put the down payment. She wasn’t pushy like the other boutiques we went to.
When I came for my first fitting months later the dress was too short (because I’m 6 feet tall and my husband is 6’7 so I wanted to wear heels) I had also lost about 25 lbs so it needed major alterations. They did an amazing job making the dress fit like a glove!
My mom left getting her dress to the last minute. We found one there on one of the last fittings and they were able to rush it. Obviously there is a charge for the people who don’t understand these things it’s a charge by the manufacturer. Not the store! My moms dress was gorgeous! I ended up getting two different veils one for the ceremony and one for the pictures and they turned out beautiful! On the lady fitting I decided I wanted a little cap sleeve and they were able to add it while we went to lunch. It was the perfect touch and you would have never known it was a last minute add on!
I couldn’t have been more pleased with my dress and the service I received! I felt like an absolute princess on my wedding day and strangers told me I looked like Barbie what could be a better compliment? That dress was so flattering to my figure and the alterations were a big part of it!
I hope more people try Bridal and Special Times and have as wonderful of an experience as we did!!!

whoa, whoa, whoa ladies… chillax! I’m sensing that the past lady Unilocalers Unilocaled when they were on their period.
I have to be honest, I was hesitant going into Bridal and Special Times thinking that it was a smaller boutique with bigger prices. Come to find out, it was a smaller boutique with smaller prices. Lori was willing to work with my budget in every way. She paid attention to detail and was very easy going, no pressure! She worked to her full potential to make me a satisfied customer. I was sold when she said that dresses off the rack have an extra discount AND included alterations (let in/​out and length). Couldn’t pass up that deal. Found a dress, came in for a couple of fittings, and now I’m off to walk down the aisle…
Gracias Lori!