I am a little shocked to see the negative reviews on Almond Tree. My sister and I went in during the height of wedding season on a Sunday afternoon to check out their selection. A sales person did approach us to see if we had an appointment but once we clarified that we were browsing we were free to look through the gowns and accessories.
I returned last week with a regular appointment to try on gowns. I made my appointment via email which was perfect for my busy life. Almond tree is set up like the bridal salons you see on TV in NY or ATL with large private presentation areas and well lit dressing rooms. There was a large selection of dresses in my size.....12+. I probably looked through......75 gowns? To pick out 5 I wanted to try on. A note on that. The majority of their appointments are seen on the weekend. To get the best selection with the most attention and least traffic a weekday appointment is good.
My attendant Alyssa was awesome, I would highly recommend asking for her when you make your appointment. She was very honest about various styles and made suggestions regarding gowns I hadn't personally pulled that she thought might work on my body. Alyssa also has wedding planning experience so it was fun to chat with her about various venues around town. She has lots of awesome suggestions for the DIY bride.
Almond Tree also has tons of veils, sashes and sparkly things to help bling your gown to give you an idea of how to make it your own. As a consignment shop the selection varies greatly from week to week so I would suggest multiple appointments if you have time and don't find a dress on your first appointment.
One thing that is a little odd is the pricing. I tried on a $1600 Maggie Sottero that was priced for $550 and a $660 Davids Bridal priced for $550. I guess its probably because as a consignment shop the previous bride is setting the price? But now that I'm writing this I wonder if that price is negotiable like consignment furniture.
Almond Tree Wedding Boutique is a consignment shop specializing in pre-worn and sample dresses. If you are not sure what consignment means Almond Tree might not be for you. To clarify, the majority of gowns at Almond Tree have been worn. To an actual wedding. Maybe more than once! Yes, they will have been previously altered, or have makeup on them, or coffee on the hem. The gowns will need to be cleaned and possibly altered. If you don't think getting a $1500 gown for $550 is worth a $60 dollar dry cleaning bill......... Almond Tree might not be your thing!