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| - I went to WEM to check out wedding gowns one night. I did not have any appointments and was not expecting a fitting, I just wanted the opportunity to browse dresses and get a feel for the prices. I am on a very strict budget so I just wanted to know what was out there.
Even though I didn't have an appointment, the store was rather dead so I did get to try on some dresses. I thought the staff were helpful (if not a bit tired, seemingly) and were of a positive disposition. They answered all of my questions honestly and respected my budget.
As I suspected, there was not a lot to choose from. A simple A-line gown ran upwards of $400, which I thought was totally ridiculous. I can buy a well constructed A-line party dress (pretty much the exact same construction only a bit shorter), with lining for $100. As soon as you put it in white, the price quadruples? Really?? I don't buy it.
Also, nothing fit me. I know I was trying on samples, but the dimensions were totally weird. I can buy off the rack in pretty much any regular clothing store... so what's up with that? (I know wedding dresses are meant to be taken in/out multiple times and this is not the fault of the shop, but it was supremely frustrating for someone who didn't want to spend additional money on alterations).
OK, enough general wedding rants. The sales associate I was working with offered to give me a few of the sample gowns as-is for my requested price. All things considered, I appreciated this a lot. The gowns in my opinion weren't for me (I liked one of them, but wasn't going to pay even that much for what it was) but the gesture was nice.
A few negative comments ... the store looked very old and run-down. It's not like the place was really dirty, but it kind of had a grungy and disorganized feel to it. Things were put away and it's not like there were heaps of clothes in the change rooms ... but I just didn't appreciate the atmosphere. I definitely didn't feel like a "princess" or any of the things you're apparently supposed to feel as a bride-to-be.
Overall, my visit to Ethos Bridal Group was an OK experience -- not great, not bad. I do appreciate the sales associate putting the effort in to try to meet my budget within the constraints of the psychotic prices they are given.
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