Renee Strauss For The Bride

I value my time and am a conscientious consumer. Here I felt respected and my reflective nature was appreciated. Nonetheless, I did not buy on my first trip. I shopped and found the experience overall debasing in most salons. A lack of pleasant attitude in this industry is opposite of what you would imagine. Believe me it exists. Not at Renee Strauss. It is warm from the moment you enter and is exuded in every department. These women know their jobs. I appreciate their enthusiasm and their expertise. I am happy with my purchases and refer with confidence. Shop with an open mind and relax when ready to buy! Pros: Quality more

OMG! My experience was great. This place is a hidden gem! My sister bought her dress from Renee years ago and loved it. I live out of state and my first experience in Beverly Hills was last weekend. The staff at her store are some of the most ""down to earth, knowledgable and REAL"" sales staff that I have ever met. I went to Saks, Monique and L'ezu all in which I felt like a second class citizen. At Renee Strauss I felt like FAMILY!\r \r You walk in the door and the girls there have the biggest smiles. Right away you see glamorous gowns everywhere and are a bit in awe. The ladies got right down to business in finding out what my personal style is and what type of dress I was looking for. After trying on 4 gowns (all of which I loved) I told them I wasn't ready to commit just yet (I thought I would feel pressure from our salesperson but I was suprised) my consultant simply told me to take the week to sleep on it and said my ""dreams"" would tell me which dress to pick. \r \r I thought that was super cute.\r \r I wish I could afford all 4 dresses but I am gonna take their advice... I'll be back..... more

NO STARS!!! \r This has to be the worst experience ever!!!\r Please do yourself a favor and stay away.\r The workers their are bareable, however the owner is completly rude, and as sarcastic as hell!!!\r I will never step foot in this place again.\r Getting married is a stressful time as it is, and you are looking for perfection, this place is far from that.\r I actually cried leaving the establishment, they were so mean to me.\r Pros: parking Cons: everything more

Terrible customer service. Terrible customer service. Terrible customer service. Terrible customer service. Terrible customer service. Terrible customer service. Terrible customer service. Pros: parking, location Cons: everything else more

For all you brides out there, I want to seriously warn you to stay away from this place. Not only is the selection of merchandise sub par, the owner of the boutique is honestly one of the rudest, most arrogant and sarcastic women I have ever come into contact with. They charge you high quality prices for low quality merchandise and when you request that things be fixed they will refuse. Don't let this Beverly Hills address fool you -- you'd get better customer service in the bargain basement of Macy's! more

Great selection of bridesmaid dresses, very knowledgeable sales staff. My swatch came in promptly, all the dresses came in with ample time to spare for shipping and alterations. The flower girl dresses are adorable and i highly recommend Renee Strauss! Pros: Huge department more

I found my dress here and LOVED the experience! My parents flew in for a few days to help me with the search of my dream dress. We came here first. Shopped several other stores just to be sure and came back to buy. We are so glad we did! The service was really top-notch. The selection was fabulous, no other store compared, in atmosphere or in anything else. Even my father felt right at home and he's a man in a bridal shop for heaven's sake! Renee was so warm and such an expert. This definitely is superior over all. The store was really busy today and everyone was in great spirits, customers and staff! I would come back again and again with all my friends. Pros: Diverse selection, great customer service more

After ordering my bridesmaid dress it took almost five months to receive. At one point, I got a call saying my dress came in. I made an appointment, showed up and, ""Oops, our mistake, it's not here. We were thinking you were someone else. What's your number again? You'll have to come back another day."" Talk about incompetence. I was obviously irritated but then treated beyond rude for having any expectations of quality service. I would never recommend this place to anyone, ever. Cons: Unprofessional and arrogant more

I really gave up on finding a dress I would fall in love with. Everyone says you'll know it when you see it and it just didn't happen after being in 2 stores in Pasadena (really nightmares) and 3 in Los Angeles. Renee Strauss was last on my list because I thought it would be way out of my price range. We were greeted warmly, invited to taste wedding cake while we waited for our appointment and wandered through their racks of bridesmaid dresses. When my turn came up, I was asked my price range was not at all offended by the question. i was told it was to my benefit not to fall in love with something I could be uncomfortable buying, and I agree with this philosophy, after all, I was looking to buy, not just get ideas. I ended up going over budget because I found a gorgeous dress I asked to try on. I am glad the experience was methodical and straight forward. Down to earth and really helpful - not to mention a stunning collection of wedding gowns. more

I went here because of the reviews I saw on this site and because one of my friends had found her dress at Renee Strauss. It turned out to be the only bad experience I have had planning my wedding so far! This was the first shop I went to and was going to be the first time to try on dresses. I was SO excited. The first thing my conultant asked about was our budget. I told her we planned to spend around $2000. She just stared at me and said they had a few things in that price range. My mom then told her we'd be willing to go up to about $4000, but she told us that still didn't get us much. It was awkward from that point forward. I told the consultant I wanted to look like a princess and described what I had in mind. She pulled dresses for me, but none looked like what I had described to her. She kept telling me I was a modern bride. She took me into a dressing room and and none of the dresses fit. They only have one size of dress to try on. She told me they could have ""a special size made for me"" (I found this funny because I am an average size girl. Not overweight, but not a stick..so the fact that they did not have a dress that would fit me to even try on seemed ridiculous). I asked her why none of these dresses were what I had described (because I had seen princess type dresses on other racks), and she told me those were not in my budget. I told her I didn't want to waste her time and try on the rest. She went to grab Renee, and as we were leaving Renee said she was ""trying to be creative with our budget"" in a very snobbyway. I told her no thank you. We ended up going to Alfred Angelo and had a FABULOUS experience! We found a dress, in our budget and got royal treatment. Very different from what we had experience from Renee Strauss and her team. My family and I were treated like second class citizens, not something you want to experience when trying on wedding dresses! Even the expensive dresses ($15,000) were not that fabulous. Pros: Can't think of one... Cons: Snobby staff, overpriced gowns, not a lot of options, not a lot of sizes more

Thanks to the others who wrote reviews on this store -- I went there based on the reviews that I would find a professional staff, and I was not disappointed. The lady who helped us was warm and listened to my ideas and found so many beautiful dresses for me to try on, all within my price range. It was a lovely experience, and best of all, I found my dress! I couldn't be happier. If you have an exact idea of the dress you want, they can help you find it, but they are also great in matching the dress to the personality of the bride -- that was the expertise I was looking for. Pros: comfortable atmosphere, expertise more

it's true this place is very busy, but the owner is there and each stylist is really trained to know her stuff. They take the time to really understand your vision and work hard to find the perfect dress. I found mine after shopping at least 10 stores. The ambience here was not only warm and friendly but highly professional. Sure you want to shop around, but this is the place to buy! Don't forget the amazing selection of incredible veils and head pieces. Pricey, yes, but once again, nothing compares. Blanca upstairs in bridesmaids is AMAZING. Pros: Parking, Selection, Service Cons: Closed Sunday! more

I had a weekend appointment here during a Liancarlo trunk show and despite how busy it was, my consultant was wonderful and gave me a full 90 minutes of her time without rushing. She listened to my concerns and understood that I still have 18 months left until my wedding so she didn't pressure me as I've experienced elsewhere. I met Renee and the designer from Liancarlo and both were very gracious. Although I didn't find THE dress, I did find an option for my reception and will strongly consider returning as I make my final decision. Overall, I had a fabulous experience and would highly recommend a visit. Pros: Attentive, patient more

Having read the previous reviews, I knew I had to try Renee Strauss. I made an appointment on a weeknight to have the most time available. It may have been an off night, but the sales lady was clearly not listening to me throughout the experience and was not at all committed to helping me find a dress. She asked me to talk about what I was looking for but then promptly cut me off before I could give her much information. I'm getting married on the beach in the Dominican Republic so I knew I didn't want a dress with extremely heavy fabric, which I was able to communicate before the sales associate started looking for dresses. To make a long story short, she brought in dresses that continued to be less and less what I wanted. I almost thought she was playing with me because I would try on a dress with lace and say ""I don't want lace since I'll be on the beach"" and she would then bring in a dress that had even more lace. This happened with styles (I can't wear a mermaid style and didn't want a chapel length train) until she brought in a dress that was the antithesis of what I had tried to describe. How ""off"" all the dresses were (and progressively moreso) had my friend and I laughing by the end. \r \r My friend finally went out and found a handful of dresses closer to what I wanted but none was ""the one"" (not the store's fault of course). \r \r We went upstairs to look at bridesmaid dresses and the staff up there was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I even found one that might have worked for my wedding dress (if I got it in Ivory) and the sales associate offered to mail me a swatch of the fabric at my home. I received it in a few weeks. Pros: Unattentive service in bridal section Cons: Good service in birdesmaid section more

I purchased my gown and the Platinum Service from this store and I am very satisfied. I shopped in three local places and two places in Orange County. I found this store to be the most grounded and experienced. Both Renee and management are active participants and worked with me, as well. I am an extremely busy professional and found their guidance and assistance invaluable. Pros: Management Hands On more

It's a year out from my wedding so I decided to visit several bridal salons, and was I wrong! One on Ventura Blvd. was late in meeting me for my appointment....owner very rude, one had beautiful dresses for any size 2 woman with no bust...then I go to my appointment at Renee Strauss. We found my matron of honor's dress and the flower girl dresses in under an hour. I spoke with my consultant for just a very few minutes showing her my idea of the ""dream dress"". When we went downstairs after the other dresses there is was..the perfect dress! I tried on others just to satisfy my group but I tell you, the dresses at Renee's are absolutely stunning, the service is even better, and I could not have had a happier, more fun couple of hours than I did, and my dress? I cannot wait to put it on again. I may not be the perfect 10 but in this dress and with their input as to small changes here and there I will always feel like a 10 from the time I wear it to everytime I look at the pictures. If my wedding turns out half as perfect as this experience I will have the perfect wedding with no stress, no nerves, and no concern! Pros: Weekday evening appoints best/less busy more

My daughter and I had a very pleasant wedding gown experience at Renee Strauss. From the beginning with Lucie, who established a special relationship with my daughter, all the way to the final fitting with Julia, who was amazing and talented, the whole experience was awesome! We enjoyed the friendliness and professionalism of everyone at Renee Strauss. We promised to send a picture as soon as it is available. Wonderful store with a heart and soul. Pros: Friendly, Professional more

Renee Strauss is busier than the rest which can create more opportunity to make someone unhappy. My experience earlier today was very good. The store became busy in an instant and it was obvious people were getting impatient. There was sincere effort on the store's part to make all of us comfortable as the dressing rooms cleared and we could all be seen. I bought a dress. Designed in Belgium. Totally unique. I received an alterations price list. I write now because I read Citysearch before scheduling my appointment. No matter what I read: good or bad - I intended to go to Renee Strauss anyway. You cannot bypass this store if for no other reason that as soon as you tell someone you are engaged they say ""You HAVE to go to Renee Strauss!"". So, I did. And I would do it again. Pros: Busy! Cons: Busy! more

My experience at Renee Strauss was very good. I did not find the store dingy at all. I think it exudes an established feeling. The expertise of my stylist was fantastic. She knew her merchandise and was truly interested in my ideas and then input her own. To my surprise she was right. The dresses she chose were more suited to my figure and syle than the ones I thought I liked on the hangar. I actually spoke to a couple of other brides while I waited for my appointment. They relayed to me that the only inhibiting factor was that the alterations department are perfectionists. This created more appointments than they would have liked, but they said every penny was worth it. No, overall I believe this store has the most extensive selection. I asked about sizing and they told me they will show me the size chart when I finally choose my dress. I think the character and soul of the place, along with the selection is FAR more important than the decor. For a once in a lifetime wedding I would prefer an established store to do business with over a department store that alternates staff from department to department. That's my consumer take on it! Pros: The Knot rated this store #1! more

I've been to the salon only once and here's my experience. The store itself is not very nice. It's dingy and the walls in the dressing room were very dirty. This is not a classy, upscale store or experiemce. The sales lady was very blunt and rude at first but warmed up throughout the experience. I felt rather unwelcomed at first which is odd if you consider the industry and what a client is about to spend. Having read some reviews I'm not sure if I'll go back and actually buy the gown because even though I'm about a size zero the sale lady recommended that I buyt the dress in a 4 (which would be two sizes too big-I never buy clothes that don't fit me. Why would would I do it now?). when I told here that sounded extremely odd, she said it would cost $600 extra to get it in my size, so I might as well pay for tailoring instead. This sounds really fishy considering what others have written. In contrast I also went to Saks and the salon was gorgeous, I tried on dresses in any price range, and she recommended that a dress be bought in the closest to approximate size. The dress I liked was only a few hundred more than at Renee's. Pros: some beautiful dresses Cons: pushy, overly anxious to make the sale, may be steer you towards excess tailoring more