Before I start this post, I want to say how incredibly lucky I am to have had the experience to search for my wedding gown at Kleinfeld’s. It truly is an iconic bridal salon and offers incredibly stunning gowns that can fit any bride. Although I did not say yes to the dress here, and my experience may have not have been what I dreamt, it is still an incredible bridal salon that provides dreamy experiences to thousands of brides a year! I do not want my experience to discourage any brides from scheduling an appointment at Kleinfeld’s because each experience is so unique to you!
So, let me start by saying that if you are a bride and dream of going to Kleinfeld, I highly recommend not scheduling your appointment on a Saturday (if possible). I understand work schedules might make this difficult, but I truly believe my experience would have been much better had I gone on a day that was maybe less busy. My appointment was on a Saturday in July, and we walked up to Kleinfeld with bright, shining faces and high hopes of all the bridal possibilities inside, only to find a line to enter. Trying to be polite, I kindly told the ladies in front of me that I had an appointment and needed to get to the front to check in. However, I was unpleasantly surprised to learn that all of the ladies in front of me also had appointments at the same exact time I did. I remember turning to my mother and we both had the same expression: wide eyed in disbelief. (For the record, we arrived to Kleinfeld nearly 30 minutes prior to my appointment time).
When I finally got to the front desk to check in, I was once again disappointed to hear that the consultant that I had requested would not be helping me. Now, don’t get me wrong. I completely understand that consultants need time off and things come up. However, I was more disappointed that I was just finding out when I arrived that I would not be working with the consultant that I had planned on, rather than being notified prior to the appointment. Nonetheless, I tried my best to stay positive and admire the beauty of the salon.
Finally, they began calling in brides and matching them to their consultants. My name was finally called and I was met by a bubbly blonde who was polite and excited to meet me. My family and friends were led to a place to sit; however, since there were so many other appointments at the same time, not everyone could sit because the salon was so packed, so a few of my guests had to stand. Once they were situated, I was led back to my changing room where I discussed with my consultant what I was looking for and styles I would love to try. As she left to find dresses for me to try on, I slipped into the robe and awaited patiently with a smile on my face. This is it. I am here, in the real Kleinfeld, having my real “say yes to the dress” moment. No matter what happens, this will be magical.
My consultant came back and before she could even close the door, another consultant ran up and said her bride was dying to try on one of the gowns she had pulled for me, so requested that I “hurry up” and try it on so that her bride could then try it. That hit me the wrong way, and once that comment was made, I quickly learned that my appointment would be just that, hurried.
Nonetheless, I put a smile on my face and was so excited to try on the first gown that my consultant pulled for me. As I was slipping on the dress, I noticed that the entire bottom hem of the gown was torn. My consultant noticed me looking at this, and commented that a lot of the gowns are constantly being toted in and out of the salon, all over the city for photoshoots, and unfortunately they come back worn and not in new condition. Not to worry, though, as obviously the gown I ordered would be brand new. Even though I knew that if I ordered a gown from Kleinfeld it would be in brand, sparkling new condition, I was still a little off-put by the condition of the gown I was trying on.
Even with the tattered hem, I still liked the look of the gown, and decided to show my party. I left the fitting room and yet again was met with a line of brides, also waiting to stand on the famous pedestal to show their parties their gowns. After about 7 minutes of waiting in line, I was finally able to stand on the pedestal and show my family my gown. However, I also had a line of brides waiting behind me for their moment, so I feel as if I really didn’t get the chance to get any feedback from my family before I was back in the fitting room trying on the next gown.
As my appointment continued, I began feeling more and more discouraged. Rather than getting the magical Kleinfeld feeling and moment that I had dreamt of, I was getting anxious and tired of waiting in lines and being rushed. I wanted to take my time and enjoy the moment, examining every little detail of the beautiful gowns that I was trying on, but unfortunately I did not receive that opportunity. Finally, I told my consultant that I think I was finished, thanked her for her time and walked out of Kleinfeld without saying yes to my dress. Although the experience wasn’t what I had hoped, I ended up finding a gown that I absolutely love and obsess over daily (yes, I might still pull up photos on my phone and stare at my gown…don’t judge me!). As I mentioned at the start of this post, I am still incredibly grateful that I was able to experience Kleinfeld and see the beautiful salon. I am also grateful that my experience has allowed me to give future brides advice to make their appointments successful and dreamy!
So, to end this post on a positive note, I am going to leave you with some tips for your Kleinfeld appointment to make it as wonderful as possible!
- Schedule on a weekday, during an “unpopular” time of the year, if possible. (For example, I probably wouldn’t book for the summer or around Christmastime, since New York is such a popular destination during these times!)
- Confirm your consultant a few days prior to your appointment so you can best prepare for your appointment.
- Do your research on their website and find gowns and designers that are in your price range that they definitely carry!
- Know what you want. Unfortunately, I don’t think that having Kleinfeld as your first appointment would be beneficial to the bridal gown shopping experience. I think that for a lot of brides, the first appointment is about finding what styles, colors, designs, etc. best suit you. Considering how busy my appointment was, I don’t think that I would have had the time to really figure these things out during my appointment. To make your experience as amazing as possible, I think that it would be super beneficial to know what styles and designs you like prior to your appointment so you don’t waste any time!
