Category: | Bridal Shop |
Address: | 2612 Alcatraz Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705, USA |
Phone: | +1 510-420-1338 |
Site: | theweddingpartyonline.com |
Rating: | 3.8 |
Working: | Closed 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–8PM 10AM–6PM 10AM–4PM |
CL
Clare Lin
By appointment only! This is a really small shop with one fitting room, and you come out onto the main space to see how dresses look on you (which would be really awkward with more people in the shop, imo). Hence, appointment only. The ladies who work here are sweet and accommodating. My consultant very considerately offered to take pictures of me wearing dresses from different angles, and wouldnt judge me at all, even asking if I was interested in wearing a bridesmaid dress for my wedding without batting an eye. She kindly provided me with information about the local alterations specialists and tailors in the area and answered all my questions patiently. Halfway through one fitting, another lady (also a shopkeeper) happened to come down from upstairs and kindly offered me a lower price for the dress I was then trying out than what my consultant was quoting at the moment. They also had a small amount of extras in stock- veils, ribbons, and cover-ups, which were nice to try on with dresses. That said, the selection here is extremely limited. Granted, all I looked at were wedding dresses that could be sold off the rack because of my impending wedding (a month and a half away), but even so, there were only so many- a mere 2 racks to choose from. On the other hand, these dresses could have been bought immediately and were relatively affordable. Given the nature of the dress search, however, it was rather disappointing to see how meager a selection was available here. Since theyre a small shop, though, its understandable that they wouldnt want to hold more stock than they can sell. It just doesnt offer brides many options. Id come if youre short on time, or to snag a simple, affordable accessory, but it just didnt offer very much. 5-star service, though! These ladies were so sweet.
KA
Kaiya Shepard
We were planning a small, intimate wedding, and we were doing our best to keep things pretty low key. The dress shopping process seemed very daunting to me, especially since I wanted a very simple dress that wouldnt be thousands of dollars. From the moment we stepped into The Wedding Party, Clara made the process a dream. She listened to exactly what we had in mind, and she helped me slipped in and out of dresses like a breeze. It was such an unexpected pleasurable process, and we cant thank Clara enough. She made us feel so welcome and comfortable. She also suggested that we shop around, that just because we were trying on dresses didnt mean that we had to buy something if we didnt find exactly what we wanted. We went to two other places and they were nothing like the experience we had with Clara. We went back to her two more times, and in the end found a "bridesmaid" dress that fit the exact picture of a wedding dress that I wanted. No other bridal salon offered that option, or even seemed to listen to me when I said I didnt want a huge train or a bustle. Clara was also FULL of advice on how to accessorize the dress, where to get it altered, and different ways that it could fit. She even told us that if we felt overwhelmed at the seamstress, we could call her and she would meet us there to help us. All in all, we couldnt have asked for a better experience in shopping for a wedding dress. And also, I LOVE MY DRESS!!!
CA
Cami White Thompson
This was my first wedding dress shopping experience, and Clara made it a true pleasure. Though its a small shop, they hand-pick their gowns and have a wonderful selection--I saw simple dresses, plenty of lace options, and gorgeous beading. Its definitely an intimate experience--you make an appointment, and your bridal consultant is yours for your appointment window. Clara guided me towards some picks that were closer to my price range, and once I started trying on dresses, really listened to my thoughts on the dresses and selected additional styles to try. I loved her suggestions! She also was wonderful at giving me better vocabulary to clarify my thoughts--for example I mostly liked trumpet-style dresses, but she helped me figure out that I like a softer "break" than some of the more severe options. She was there to answer any questions, but also faded into the background as needed, when my mom and sister were oohing and ahhing. She let me know where the best natural lighting was for pictures--those pictures are BEAUTIFUL, and another cherished memory from this shopping experience! Clara was professional, poised, and so knowledgeable, and I feel so fortunate that my first dress excursion was at The Wedding Party. I loved their gowns too--if I didnt live in another state (and therefore had to make a quicker decision after only trying on dresses the one time), I likely would have returned and bought a dress here.
MI
Michelle Kosterich
Absolutely gorgeous wedding dress options. I went in and found my dress on my first visit.