feeling overwhelmed..dress/dance band search

[janinegirly]

with some recent posts on the wedding dress search, i''m a little at a loss as where to start. i assume start with some bridal mags, but it''s overwhelming. how do i get "in the know" about sample sales, shows etc. i live in NYC, there has to be plenty, but I don''t know where to start.

same with dance bands, i''ve done internet searches for the area we''re having the wedding and there are SO many and they''re starting to look the same. Not sure how to attack this next step. I hear they book quick which is making me worry.

 

[ammayernyc]

I live in NYC too, so maybe I can help.

When are you getting married? Do you have a venue yet? You might want to check out The Knot chat boards for NYC or weddingbee.com. Weddingbee mentions sample sales and trunk shows every week.

 

[dani13]

I am in NJ- but I checked out a TON of vendors in the NY area too (we are getting married in NY)- so please let me know if I can help you with anything and everything!!!

We are using a band from LI who someone I work with recommended to me, and they are fabulous!! Let me know if you need their name...where are you getting married?

 

[janinegirly]

thanks! getting married end of september in central NJ, but i''ll do my dress search here in nyc. i''ll check out those sites! Good to hear there are some people in my area on this board!

 

[dani13]

Date: 1/4/2007 10:45:56 AM
Author: janinegirly
thanks! getting married end of september in central NJ, but i'll do my dress search here in nyc. i'll check out those sites! Good to hear there are some people in my area on this board!

I am getting married end of September too- the 28th!!!

And I live in north-central NJ!! So I can totally help you with recc's!! Definitely check out Weddingbee.com, and also on nymetro.com. They have a place (I think under shopping) where you can sign up for emails and reminders re: sample sales and such...

As far as the dress- I got mine at Kleinfeld's in NYC- awesome selection and service...but there are a number of great places to go in NYC and NJ- I ended up going to Kleinfeld's b/c I knew they were the only store in the area that carried the designer I really liked...

 

[janinegirly]

thanks dani..we''re marrying sept 29th! (princeton). yay..we are twin brides in waiting but you''re way ahead of me in the planning! i saw a clip of your dress on the other thread..so pretty. i''ll def check out kleinfelds and sign up for weddingbee.com. what band are you using?

 

[dani13]

Date: 1/4/2007 10:56:46 AM
Author: janinegirly
thanks dani..we're marrying sept 29th! (princeton). yay..we are twin brides in waiting but you're way ahead of me in the planning! i saw a clip of your dress on the other thread..so pretty. i'll def check out kleinfelds and sign up for weddingbee.com. what band are you using?

Ohhh...Princeton looks so pretty!! FI and I want to go check it out (we live about 30 mins north)- Hopefully we will get down there soon!!!
I have been doing things slowly- but all of my major vendors are booked- September is such a popular month, and everyone was getting on my case re: the dress- so I just got it in November...As far as the band, we are using The JK band (www.jkentertainment.com), but believe it or not, I was considering getting married all over the NY metro area- we looked at so many places- so I looked into the Princeton area too- (The Nassau Inn).. Of course, I never got down there to see it, but I inquired...There is a great band called Slippery around that area though- I think they are based out of PA, but not far from that area- they are very reasonably priced, and they seem great! I have one of their demo CD's and we really liked them. We inevitably didnt end up going with them b/c they were too far away to travel all the way to upstate NY where we are getting married, and it just made more sense to go with a band from around that area that didnt charge us to travel....But if I were you I would definitely check into them...let me know if you need the email address of the band leader, who is so so nice, and whom I spoken with on many occasions!!

Whoa! Sorry this is so long!!! I am happy to help though!

 

[janinegirly]

thanks..very helpful. funny you should mention nassau inn..that''s where we''re doing the reception! why did you end up choosing upstate ny? i probably should have branched out my search, but i opted for what was closest to home. i think upstate ny will be beautiful! thanks for the tips and keep me posted on everything!!

 

[blushingbride]

Hi Janinegirly - I also live in NYC and am getting married in August 25, 2007 in Westchester County, NY. So, I could definitely give you some advice if you need any!

BTW - I had the complete opposite experience at Kleinfield's than Dani did. I thought the service and the whole experience was horrible! It's like a giant warehouse with brides running around everywhere - the woman I worked with said they see about 150 brides a day...frightening!

Anyway, for the most part, the dresses are all in plastic bags hanging up in a back room (very difficult to see what's what when they are presented to you that way). I thought they would be sorted by designer since I had seen a dress from Amsale that I loved and wanted to find it cheaper at Kleinfields, but they are sorted by style and t was impossible locate it in the sea of plastic bags!

The woman I worked with was EXTREMELY pushy and when I told her I wanted to keep looking at other places, she basically told me that I was making a bad decision by doing that and that if I couldn't decide what I wanted from their selection, that I'd never find the one! How negative??

As for the Amsale dress I was looking for, I had mentioned it to the woman helping me in the beginning and she said they didn't have.

Oh - and after I told her I wasn't interested in the dresses she showed me and was going to walk away, she "magically" found the Amsale dress I liked in the back somewhere!

My advice to you is to go looking at other salons and if you find a dress you really like which is sold at Kleinfield's, then make an appointment (their dresses are 12% less than the designer dresses sold in the salons). But, I would never recommend that place to any bride who's just starting out her search and doesn't know what she wants. BTW - I have a few married friends who also live in the city and an awful experience there too!

 

[dani13]

Date: 1/4/2007 11:25:11 AM
Author: janinegirly
thanks..very helpful. funny you should mention nassau inn..that's where we're doing the reception! why did you end up choosing upstate ny? i probably should have branched out my search, but i opted for what was closest to home. i think upstate ny will be beautiful! thanks for the tips and keep me posted on everything!!

How funny! You know- I never made it down to check out the Nassau Inn- in the end I just figured it was too far away for all of my friends and family, who are mostly in NY and NYC....I originally considered it b/c I have heard great things about it, and Princeton looked like such a pretty town...but you would laugh if you actually knew how many places we checked out for the reception before we finally booked!! We just couldn't decide what kind of feel we wanted to go for...We checked out everything from lofts in NYC, old boutique hotels. places down at the shore, bed and breakfasts, even considered doing something destination in Vermont and/or Miami beach!! It was just crazy!! In the end, we looked at a place just over the Tappan Zee Bridge (about 1/2 hr north of NYC)- it is an old mansion, and as soon as we were pulling up the driveway, FI and I looked at eachother, and we were like, "this is going to be it!!" We just knew- its absolutely stunning!! And it just made more sense considering where our guests would be coming from, etc....

Princeton looks like a lovely town, I can't wait to see it- maybe fi and I will check it out one of these weekends- your wedding is just going to be lovely!! How many guests will you be expecting???

Definitley check out theknot.com- it is kind of cheesy at times, but those girls can be a great resource when you need them! I will definitely keep you posted- page me with any questions- I am usually on here everyday, and like I said, I am happy to help a fellow bride in need!!!

 

[blushingbride]

You can also sign up for Top Button www.topbutton.com and Daily Candy www.dailycandy.com. They can update you daily or weekly on the sample sales happening in NYC. I got mine at the Vera Wang sample sale back in December.

 

[dani13]

Date: 1/4/2007 11:35:33 AM
Author: blushingbride
Hi Janinegirly - I also live in NYC and am getting married in August 25, 2007 in Westchester County, NY. So, I could definitely give you some advice if you need any!

BTW - I had the complete opposite experience at Kleinfield's than Dani did. I thought the service and the whole experience was horrible! It's like a giant warehouse with brides running around everywhere - the woman I worked with said they see about 150 brides a day...frightening!

Anyway, for the most part, the dresses are all in plastic bags hanging up in a back room (very difficult to see what's what when they are presented to you that way). I thought they would be sorted by designer since I had seen a dress from Amsale that I loved and wanted to find it cheaper at Kleinfields, but they are sorted by style and t was impossible locate it in the sea of plastic bags!

The woman I worked with was EXTREMELY pushy and when I told her I wanted to keep looking at other places, she basically told me that I was making a bad decision by doing that and that if I couldn't decide what I wanted from their selection, that I'd never find the one! How negative??

As for the Amsale dress I was looking for, I had mentioned it to the woman helping me in the beginning and she said they didn't have.

Oh - and after I told her I wasn't interested in the dresses she showed me and was going to walk away, she 'magically' found the Amsale dress I liked in the back somewhere!

My advice to you is to go looking at other salons and if you find a dress you really like which is sold at Kleinfield's, then make an appointment (their dresses are 12% less than the designer dresses sold in the salons). But, I would never recommend that place to any bride who's just starting out her search and doesn't know what she wants. BTW - I have a few married friends who also live in the city and an awful experience there too!

Blushingbride-

I definitely have heard of experiences like yours- on the day I went I brought my sister with me- I told my sis about some of the horror stories (wicked salespeople, pushy,etc)- we were both sitting in the waiting room horrified and nervous waiting for the sales rep to come and get us!! But, I have to say, she was SUPER nice, not pushy at all, stayed within my budget- I was very pleasantly surprised!! Like I said before, I only went to Kleinfeld's b/c they were the only salon in the area that carries Justina McCaffrey- and since I was very interested in her dresses, I figured I would take the chance....So all in all (so far) my experience has been positive...we'll see though, as time goes by, and I go for all of my fittings...I hope everything goes ok!!!

By the way, where are you getting married again? I am getting married at Tappan Hill, probably around the same area where you will be!

 

[blushingbride]

Dani - things will go just fine for your fittings esp. if you are still working with the girl you had the first time - I did hear that their seamstresses do a fabulous job on alteration.

I''m sure that Kleinfeld''s is doing something right otherwise why would so many brides be making appointments there and purchasing their dresses from them, so there must be plenty of brides like you who have had positive experiences as well. I, unfortunately, was not one of them.

 

[janinegirly]

thanks for the tips..i will return to this thread often when i have more questions! I think i''ll hold off on kleinfelds until i''m better equipped with ideas of what i want. i''ll start with those great sites everyone provided and some bridal mags (is there one that is better than another)?
we are having a small wedding, 80 or so.
upstate ny weddings sound great..i wish i had some family there...but alas, it''s jerz for me!