The Hostess House/Bridal Arts Building

Just had our daughters 1^st fitting for her wedding dress. The lady’s were all so sweet & very helpful. When we found the dress a few weeks ago everyone was so nice. We are very excited to go back in a few more weeks for her final fitting.

Great shop for Wedding dresses and other dress needs. After searching high end and recycled dress shops I couldn’t find a dress. This place has an excellent selection, and a wide variety of prices. We got the help we needed from staff and felt special when I found «the one»!

This place is a joke for what they promote. My step daughter had her wedding there last Saturday. For what she paid, over $ 5000, a total rip off. I did not know all the details until after the event. First thing I have say is about the owner Julie. She is a arrogant control freak. This place makes you pay over inflated prices for shotty service. A rushed through rehearsal, inexperienced dj, lack of food for amount of guests. Although the ceremony was acceptable, the reception was a major disappointment. This was supposed to be their special day, instead they got a day of dispointment and a drained bank account for services not acceptable. I highly recommend to anyone, yet this place does have some good reviews and an all inclusive draw, seek out other options for your precious day.

We just had our wedding at the Hostess House on Sunday (8÷31÷14) and it was awesome! I think our expectations are quite different from most but all I have to say is that if you go there, work with Merrily. She was worked with us from the start and was there on the day of the ceremony (and we completely on top of everything). It’s not an extremely elegant venue but it’s got character and if you aren’t looking to put yourself in debt right off the bat of your marriage then it’s the perfect spot. One stop shopping! Seriously.
I’m not that «churchy» of a guy but I really did dig their chapel. It was simple, had great light and didn’t feel über religious. Their patio/​garden area is pretty sweet and made for some good outdoor photos.
We had 58 guests (just under the 60+ person package) and went with the taco bar for our menu and if you go that route, make sure to splurge and get the fresh salsa (you have to ask about it, though). Our cake was a 3-​tier (1 was strawberry champagne & 2 were lemon chiffon — I think the strawberry ended up tasting better).
I can see what some people are talking about «the other lady» being big on enforcing rules but keep in mind that she’s the owner and I’m sure she’s had issues with folks getting overly wasted and causing problems.
The DJ was okay. Would have paid a little more to have someone more fun but he got the job done.
Overall we had a really good experience. We would recommend this for other future brides and grooms who are cost conscience but still want a place to have a nice wedding for well under $ 10k. Thanks again, Merrily! We love you!!! (yes, my wife wrote this last paragraph… lol).

My husband and I got married here in March of 2011.
Everything came together perfectly, and there was no stress on my wedding day! They let us use our own person to marry us. They had everything set up so beautifully. We did the package deal which I forget now what it included, but it made it so easy — I didn’t have to run around all over to different places to get my wedding ready. The ladies there are awesome and so helpful!
If you’re looking for a place to wed, this is the place!

Not impressed at all with this bridal shop. Everything from the merchandise to the environment seemed dated. More importantly the staff I dealt with was not helpful or friendly. I was not helped putting the dress on, fastening it, picking them out, or bringing them to the dressing room. They just showed no interest at all.

I had my wedding here in 2005. It was a wonderful experience from the very start. I found out about them at the Portland bridal show. I remember when I got home my then fiancé, MOH and I were going through everything. My MOH found the little info sheet about them and pointed out that everything was included and for a great price.
DH and I went in for a tour and loved it. The only thing we need to do was come up with the down payment. I think it was about a month later DH went in to book the date and pay the down payment. The had recently raised their prices though. The owner I think it was remembered DH from our visit and was actually able to find a contract with the previous price on it in the recycling and pulled it out for him. When he told me this, I was very happy as we were on a very limited budget. In the months before our wedding we went there a couple of times for their open house to taste food, cake, check out dresses and so on. We picked out a beautiful cake, the topper, the gobblets along with some of the other things. A few of the things they offer in the package we wanted to use our own of, so the marked down the price for us for those items.
On the big day, everything was set up beautifully and went great. They took care of everything, all I had to worry about was getting down the isle in one piece (I actually tripped a little on my dress. lol). The flowers were beautiful, the food was so good (we even took the left overs), the cake was awesome. The main lady (I think owner or manager, older lady) who was helping us even filled out our wedding certificate (the pretty one, not the official one) for us and she had BEAUTIFUL hand writing. I dont have nice handwriting so I am glad she did it.
My only real complaint was that when I was getting my dress on and they were lacing up the back the lady was saying we need to get going. She wasn’t pushy, but still. We were running a little bit behind, but not that much so I didn’t think it was that big of a issue.
All in all, I love this place and found it to be a wonderful experience.

I had my wedding here in 2011. It was so beautiful, fun, and easy! I loved everything about it!

First off, I am a 21 year old girl who is a braids maid for my friends wedding, who is also 21.
I found a dress that was perfect online and the only store in town that sold it was The Hostess House, so we went there to try it one.
We walk in and the two women working pretty much gave us the cold shoulder. They asked if i knew what the dress number was, I told it to her, then she showed us to that dress and just left. Did not ask if we needed any other help finding a dress at all. Just walked away. I went through and found some dresses to try on. I put on the one i initially went in for and it fit perfect. When i asked if it came in the right color i needed she responded with «well are you ready to make a purchase?» I had not even finished trying on my dresses yet! She was acting as though we were just trying them on for fun and wasting her time. I told her i would be making a purchase just as soon as i was done trying things on.
When it came time for me to purchase the dress, the woman asked if I would be ok paying for the shipping charge, making a condescending face, almost implying and making me feel like i couldn’t afford it. It was only a $ 6 charge!!! I have an amazing job, a brand new car, I can pay for the $ 170 dress and the $ 6 shipping no problem, I did not appreciate her snarky attitude about it.
I legitimately felt discriminated against due to my age and appearance. The only reason I purchased my dress there is because it was the one i found online and loved it and needed to just buy it since it takes so long to order.
I would not recommend this place to any bride or bridal party.

I took a tour here, because I’m an out-​of-​state bride who was hoping to get a venue that was inclusive as possible. While this location is inclusive, it is only suitable for women who are women who are willing to hand the entire process over to a Hostess House employee and are ready to struggle to have anything personalized. Want to use their centerpieces, but want to add something simple to it? Not allowed. Want candles lit, or certain decorations, or red wine, or have a toast in the bridal suite? Not allowed… Want to have something larger than a small guestbook for your guests to sign? Likely not possible, because the foyer for it and the table for it is too small.
You can choose your cake at cake tastings that only happen every few months, and if you want to actually taste the catered food you’re paying hundreds of dollars for– that only happens once a year.
The venue itself is pretty nice– there’s ample parking, the chapel has a beautiful window that looks out into a nice garden area. The pews are old and warn, and the decorations are drab (drooping bows). The reception area has nice chandeliers and such, with a very small dance floor and a strange, small seating area in the back. The options for photos are very limited– the small chapel, and the outdoor area they market as being for photos is very small– a tiny waterfall thing and some plants around a patio.
There are some problems with the venue though– when I visited the women’s bathroom smelled like mold. Also, the bridal suite is small with a TINY bathroom in it a woman in a gown would barely fit in if at all, and the groom’s room is even tinier– with only 4 seats and little standing room.
Really, the biggest problem with this place is the staff though and the way it’s run. I was interrupted numerous times when I was trying to ask questions, and many questions were answered in a very impolite manner. The biggest reason I wouldn’t even consider this place is because the time constraints make it impossible for someone who wants to get nice photos and does not want to see the groom until the ceremony– they structure it so they want to force you into getting all the photos done before the wedding, get ready, and decorate in a 2-​hour time span. You cannot come in early (because there are two weddings a day) and there is literally no way to have a wedding here if, like me, you need time to get ready, for DIY decs etc to get done, and you want to get photos done between the ceremony and reception.
If you’re looking for an inclusive venue, and you’re not wanting to have a large influence, this could be the place for you. Otherwise, take the thousands of dollars this place costs and apply it to somewhere else, that granted may be less inclusive or may be more expensive– it’d be worth it.

I have to agree with all of these review ratings. I went in a while back with my fiancée and her mother to finish paying for all of the dues which have been over $ 6,000 already! A couple days passed and they called us and told us we still owed $ 500 because of an accounting mistake they have made. I work in the wedding industry dealing with wedding parties all the time and if our business makes a mistake we usually take the hit so the customer is happy. This lady wouldn t even compromise she just flat out said she wouldn t budge! I m kinda backed into a corner cause we haven t even had our wedding so I cant take them to civil court to fight it. But I can tell you for certain I would recommend NOT using their services! I also agree that they are very stingy they are very unaccommodating!!! DO NOT GO HERE FOR YOUR WEDDING!!!

My fiancé and I are getting married here in a couple weeks. I love the venue and the food but not impressed with the service. They need to step up their game and keep better track of things. First, they had our date and time wrong, they just assumed we wanted a weeken later in the day. Next, They had our payment price and due date wrong. Finally, when we went to make our last payment, they were trying to make us pay $ 2000 when we only owed $ 1200. Merrily is the only person that knows what she is doing. Even the owner can’t get things right. We obviously don’t want to go somewhere else and loose our money we already put in. We have a small simple wedding so it should go fine. I would not recommend this to a friend but, if you want a cheaper wedding and don’t mind the stress with them messing everything up then go to the Hostess House.

Just attended a wedding there last weekend! It was wonderful, beautiful, and everything the bride and groom wanted!
Loved it!

My sister’s wedding was here last weekend and I was quite unimpressed with this place. For the price it is probably the best you can do, but if this is your price range I would seriously advise exploring creative options. If you’re really stuck on the idea of a super-​traditional ceremony in a chapel this might be the place for you, but if you want to have the freedom to stray from tradition at all you won’t like it here.
My first indication that the experience might not be the greatest came when my mother called me the night before the wedding to ask if I would watch the guestbook. Apparently when my sister suggested that my mother would watch the guestbook she was told, by the woman who was being paid to facilitate the wedding here that this idea was absolutely unacceptable and would not be tolerated. Huh?
When I arrived early to help with setup the children of several members of the wedding party were already there and trying to entertain themselves. Unfortunately they couldn’t really do anything even remotely childlike without being admonished by one Hostess House staff member or another.
At one point the groom (being a bit an odd fellow) was outside shaving and a staff member came looking for him. When I told her he was outside shaving she said, «well we have a bathroom for that». I told her he hadn’t wanted to get hair everywhere and she said «Oh well, yes, that does make sense… you know that is why we don’t allow outside food and drink. We don’t want people trashing the place and having it look awful before their guests arrive.» She went on and on and frankly… who is going to trash the place where they’re about to get married? And why would you tell a guest that this is your motivation for prohibiting outside food and drink?
As we got towards the starting time we were running a bit late. A lot of guests had gotten lost on the way. The main staff lady (I don’t have a clue what to call her…) complained loudly and openly in front of me and other guests about how we were already «9 minutes» behind schedule.
We didn’t hire a photographer so I had my digital SLR to capture as much as I could. After the ceremony the bride & groom were rushed into the reception area where they were to sign the marriage license. The next thing I knew I heard a staff member come up behind shouting «we need the photographer in there; they’re signing the marriage license!». Now I know that they just wanted to be sure everything was captured, but as a guest of the wedding I didn’t appreciate being yelled at like I was hired help. And seriously? Do we need pictures of the signing of the marriage license? Isn’t a signed document documentation enough of that event? It certainly doesn’t make for the most exciting photographs.
Once we started eating, the staff was incredibly aggressive about clearing plates and not very tactful. I think the best comment I overheard was «Oh…are you eating two pieces of cake?» The staff felt the need to control every element right down to how the bride and groom cut the cake.
So…if you want to be micromanaged and have very little latitude to do what you want this is probably a find place for you. If, however, you want to have some say in how your day goes I’d recommend exploring other options.

It’s safe to say I will never be back to this location for any sort of wedding services/​needs.
I am not a bride, but a MOH in my sister’s upcoming wedding. My sister did not buy her dress at The Hostess House but we happened to find the bridesmaids dresses here.
Our first visit wasn’t too bad, it wasn’t too impressive but it wasn’t anything worth writing home about.
Our second visit for our fitting is what did this place in. My mom, the matron of honor, and I were placed into a dressing room to try on our dresses and left there. We physically had to go find the consultant to ask about alterations and the like. The consultant did not have SHOES on when she came back to talk to us. Our dresses weren’t steamed when we got there and the consultant even admitted to «not having the time to get around to it.»
At this point I had decided I wouldn’t be giving this place anymore of my time or money in alterations so we went up the front to pay the shipping costs of the dresses and leave. No one would even acknowledge us and our same consultant was joking with another consultant about their drinking shenanigans. Finally my sister spoke up for us and our consultant said «Oh, I haven’t even pulled your file yet let me go check what you owe us.»
I will never be back there, and I will be telling all future brides/​bridesmaids that I know to not go back there.

I recently officiated a wedding at the Hostess House. Also, I had the unique position of being family and watching things from the inside out. Here are my criticisms:
The bride’s room off the entry has terrible lighting and one really narrow toilet. There is NO overhead light. This is terrible cosmetics and hair. Only ice water available for drinking, we were told a fine would be imposed for anything other than water.
The owner Julie showed up LATE as we were rehearsing and immediately took over. She also thought nothing of pressuring the bride (who was running late) on the day of the wedding to «Stick to schedule, dear.» I had to deal with her more than once to tell her, «Hey, we are here until 10. If we get started late, it’s no big deal.» She kept demanding to speak to the bride and I kept telling her, she was already stressed out and she would deal with me. She did not like this at all. Julie was however, great with kids and did keep people from trotting down the isle like a cattle stampede.
I had to find staff to make sure the oil candle lights were lit for the evening wedding and no one bothered to read the instructions of the bride to dim the lights for the ceremony. Had I known, I would have done so.
Nice dance floor, tables, etc. The staff was nice enough but wouldn’t get out of the way for photos of cake. Almost every pic of the bride and groom at the cake table had a pic of an employee in it.
They were clearing tables for the night as people were still sitting there at it was only 9. We had to get out at 10. Since they leave the tables up all the time, there was no need for the rush.
There were only 2 keys to the bride’s room, both from the manager on duty. I liked the security, but it would have been nicer to have entrusted a key to a bridesmaid for convenience.
The men’s room was okay and was better lit than the bride’s.
I found this place to be overpriced for what was given. The staff, while nice, seemed snooty and distant. I was so glad my specialty wedding was not at this venue.
I strongly feel they need to work on making this more personable and have better customer service. Not once did I see the staff come up to the bride or groom and introduce themselves. Thankfully, the musicians were able to work the pathetic sound system. They did not have a wireless mic, only hand-​held.

They churn out weddings, it’s one stop shopping, weird rules.
First off — I was not a bride, i was an attendant.
I found the woman in charge a bit abrupt and lacking in the friendly gene.
The first time i experiences her was during the rehearsal — which was set up one after there other every 30 minutes. Not a lot of time to go over set up, and practice.
Here are the weird rules —
No real flowers or petals allowed. — they said because one could fall on the ground and someone could grind it into the carpet.
No outside chocolates — someone could drop one and again grind it into the carpet. (although you are welcome to buy their over priced icky looking ones)
No red wine — again the stupid carpet
No outside food or beverages in the bridal room (as in no champagne toast for the bridge or liquid courage for the groom) — they will shut down the bar if they see you on the closed circuit cameras they have every where to watch your every move. They don’t even off the option to buy a bottle of bubble from their bar for the bride.
We were told we could take home the extra food after the reception — when we went to take it — off the table which moments before other people were eating from, we were told it had been out too long and there was liability that someone might get sick… Not a good feeling. Pity the fool that was eating at the last minute.
All in all the place was efficient, the chapel has a beautiful big window overlooking a waterfall, but the feeling I got when i was there was similar to cattle. Apparently many many brides have their events here with relative success, personally if i were to get married (again) it would not be there!