Wedding Atelier

I am not sure what I fell in love with first, their chic modern interior design, friendly down to earth service or the fact that Wedding Atelier offered the latest style of gowns from international designers and also american designers. While I was on my rounds of visiting several of the ""hot spot"" bridal salons, on my list was ""Wedding Atelier"" on 5th Ave and 17th St. After visiting Kleinfeld's and Vera Wang, I was thrilled to be in a chic, mondern, and sleek environment that kept their gowns very clean. I also felt that it was a breath of fresh air to finaly be in a bridal salon where I was not overwhelmed and slighted by snobery. I felt that the experience was more then I could have imagined. It was a dream, to be honest. They ask you to take their shoes off and I thought that was brilliant. Part of their philosphy is to maintain a fresh look in their salon, and with the NYC grime naturally embedded in your shoes, the idea of taking your shoes off is just an example of how client centered Wedding Atelier is. They think of the client first. Trust me, you will not be disappointed. FIVE STARS!!! Pros: Wedding Gown Selection, Chic and Fresh environment. more

The look of Wedding Atelier is serene, but after my visit there I felt anything but! Although I had an appointment, they were running so late we weren't helped for over 20 minutes. Once I had a saleswoman to speak to, I asked for something not over the top, not giant on the bottom, and not skin-tight. To say that these were the only things offered to me to try on is an understatement. Maybe this place is a good one for women who want flashy, poofy, designer gowns, but I'd skip it if that's not what you're in the market for. more

HORRIBLE experience, and unfortunately my first to find a wedding gown. Made the appointment weeks in advance, arrived on time with my mom and were ignored for close to an hour while the sales associate who was supposed to help us was doing an invoice for another client. There was no explanation or apology for this unacceptable wait. Her clueless assistant told us to start browsing on our own, but we found the dress selection in view to be in poor condition, not impressive. Needless to say we left before trying anything on. Pros: Convenient location, small accessible shop Cons: Rude staff more

I don't usually review things, but the experience at this store inspired me to tell other brides to save their time and energy and shop here first... and last. Katy is great to work with if you can get an appointment with her, but the whole store is very friendly and professional, and genuinely seem to care about me. The selection was so great and refreshing, and the samples and whole store are keep immaculate. I highly recommend Wedding Atelier to get your wedding gown. Pros: Genuine care, amazing selection, Katy Cons: Nothing more

I started by making an appointment and told them I would have 5 of my ladies with me. Upon entering we were ignored. I was supposed to be working with Elizabeth, but was told I'd be working with Carrie. I was told that none of my party could come into the dressing room b/c it was too small. Yet, the other bride in the had her mother come in and sit in the area. The curtain was left open more than once when I was in my underwear and I had to keep shutting it. I told Carrie what type of dress I would like. When she brought them out, they were atrociously ugly and the antithesis of anything that I wanted. When I told her the dresses were too ""cupcake"" and frilly and I'm getting married on the beach, she suggested that I could ""chop off"" the whole back of the dress. (??) She shoved me into it (roughly) and dragged me out into the middle of the store. The material was so rough and uncomfortable I started to break out in a rash!! Finally, after countless dresses that were HORRIBLE, I asked her to please help my girls find bridesmaid dresses. We should have just left then. She completely ignored the girls and started attending to the bride in the next curtain (who was already being helped by someone else). We were pretty much ignored from that point on. As my gals were looking at dresses, I heard the other woman (Elizabeth) make a comment that those girls are ""fooling around"" and that the other bride should go to another area of the store to look in the mirror. That's when we decided to leave. When we told them why we were leaving, they were ""shocked"" and Elizabeth denied making any such comments because it was something that she ""would never do"" -- even though 3 of us heard her. It was the most horrible wedding experience I have ever had and I hope never to repeat. Honestly, if you want a dress that is around the same price as what they have and have it made specifically for you, go to Birnbaum & Bullock. The experiences don't even compare. Cons: BAD Service, HORRIBLE Selection, Attitudes, Too Expensive for the quality, Will ruin your special day! more

From the moment I walked in with my bridesmaids, we were unimpressed. First, they got the appointment wrong and told me I was late (I was perfectly on time, they need a better receptionist). When I asked if someone would be available to help us, they claimed that there was. But we were left on our own to look through about 20 bridesmaid gowns... no selection whatsoever. No one helped us in the dressing area. No one even acknowledged us as we left the shop. Terrible service. Don't go there. more

This place was horribly rude to me. They screwed up my appointment time and then refused to let another salesperson help me, after I had traveled many hours for this appointment. They acted as if my time was not important and they were obviously incredibly inconsiderate. more

I had a great time at the wedding atelier. The person I met with, Carrie Hung, was extremely sweet and had the patience of a saint! I didnt know what I was looking for and it was my first time shopping. Because I'm not a sample size, I felt discouraged to go try on wedding gowns, but Carrie made me feel at ease and they even had samples that were in my size. Carrie found me a dress I fell in love with and when it was time to leave the salon, I was really feeling great. I bought a sample gown since it fit me great, and the price was great,and it was also like brand new. I had a wonderful time there, everyone was really positive and really easy going. I would recommend them to everyone needing a dress in NY! Pros: Great help and beautiful dresses Cons: none more

I dont know how else to describe the experience I had at the Wedding Atelier. From the moment we walked into the showroom, we were treated with great care and delight. The lady that welcomed my mother and I, asked us to take off our shoes and handed us spa-like slippers so that we can walk through the showroom freely. At first it seemed a bit odd but once she explained that the purpose was to keep any dirt from the outside from getting in so that the gowns stay clean and beautiful, we respected and loved the idea!! The showroom was immaculate and so were the gowns. When I went to Kleinfelds, their gowns were dirty and discolored and I was even disgusted to put them on my body. My mom and I were seated in a beautiful dressing room& was greeted by a woman named Mona who really knew her stuff! She asked me questions about the setting of my wedding, the number of guests & the formality so that she can visualize with me my wedding day inorder to find me THEGOWN. She listened carefully to what I thought I wanted and never tried to push her own opinion on me as other places I've went to had done. Every gown was below what I was ready to spend which made me feel comfortable with her. She picked out 5 gowns!!thats it!! I loved every one of them! but the first one i put on was the one! I fell in love with it and I knew that was going to be my wedding gown. The gown was from spain and was a thousand dollars less than our budget. Another woman named Sana showed me bridesmaids dresses and colors for almost another hour. She was a great help and I know that I'll be ordering my 6 bridesmaids dresses there too! We were having such a great time that my mom and I lost track of time and missed our dinner reservations! I would recommend wedding atelier to everyone that wants to experience the best gown shopping ever! GO THERE! Pros: Excellent help in a terrific salon Cons: none! more

The Wedding Atelier was the last of the many bridal salons I went to and all I can say is that I wished I had come here from the start.\r \r They are amazing! Wonderful costomer service and a wide, wide selection of gowns. I knew exactly what I was looking for and everyone of the dresses that was brought to me fit that description. The service was not pushy and I took a while in finding a dress which was no problem at all. The whole staff was fantastic in accomodating my needs.\r \r \r Pros: selection Cons: price more

If you are planning a wedding in under 6 months i would NOT recommend going to wedding atelier. My fiance and I decided to have a short engagement (3 months). Since I read on te website that Wedding Atelier can get dresses in rushed if need be I went by. The first time I went the servie was great, Mona was attentive, etc... I bought my dress and veil that day and paid the whole ting in full. Mona said she would put a ""rush on the dress and it would be in by September 1st. I bought it on July 10th. This would give me just a month to do my fittings before leaving. \r \r September 1st past... no call. The 10th past and still no call. I called them repeatedly myelf in wondering where my dress was and everytime I was told that I would be called back with the status. I have NEVER received a call back. I scheduled 2 different fittings that the day of they called me to cancel because the dress wasn't in!\r \r Finally the dress arrived September 18th.. 12 days before I leave for my wedding! I went in for a fitting and Vivienne (the woman who dies the alterations) is fantactic! If you can work just with her I would recommend it. Anyway- I saw Mona during all my fittings and she never acknowledged let alone apologized for the fact that no one ever called me to let me know my dress hadn't arrived on time. They were not at all flexible with the fitting times and both Mona and Carrie (the owners) were hostile and dismissive.\r \r During my last fitting I was looking at a veil that was lying on te counter which I realized was the veil I bought. The price tag on it read $850. Mona charged me $1050!! When I presented her with my reciept and their veil with the price of $850 on it, she sinple cut the price tag off and said that it was priced wrong. No apology. No reimbursement. Noting. They had my money- why bother being nice now??\r \r We planned the entire wedding it Italy and the worst service we received was wedding atelier. \r \r I woudln't recomend that kind of stress on any bride! Cons: Customer Service, Prices more

I have nothing but accolades for Wedding Atelier. After visiting several other New York bridal stores and boutiques, I determined what I wanted and didn't want from where I would buy my wedding dress. I wanted a place that had fantastic service, treated me like a valued customer and bride (definitely didn't feel this at Kleinfeld's), and had a lot of selection without seriously breaking the bank (unlike Sak's). Wedding Atelier had the perfect combination of all those things. I found that the selection was great but not overwhelming. They have beautiful accessories from veils to jewelry. The service is just outstanding. I went back 3 times for my dress fittings and they made sure I was completely happy with how the dress fit. The compliments I received on my wedding day was insane -- it was definitely much more than the obligatory ""you're a beautiful bride"" remarks. I am so happy with going to Wedding Atelier for my wedding dress!! Pros: Service, ambience, selection Cons: Price (but still better than a lot of other places that aren't discount) more

I had such a wonderful experience at Wedding Atelier. I had been to three other bridal shops in the city and felt very overwhelmed and that I was just another bride - a number, if you will. From the minute I walked into Wedding Atelier, I felt special. Mona helped me - she listened to me, found out what I liked and was extremely patient with me. I was the last appointment of the day and stayed well past the closing time. Mona never brought up the time; she made sure I didn't feel rushed. And after trying on over 50 dresses at four places, I found my dress!!! THANK YOU, MONA!! Thank you for being so wonderful and finding the perfect dress for me! more

I read reviews on citysearch ALL the time (for food, shopping, bars..), but this is the first time I felt compelled to share my experience. I had heard friends talk about awful experiences wedding dress shopping. I was a little nervous to start the process since many had dealt with rude salespeople and many ended up spending way above budget. When my friends and I went to Wedding Atelier we were all very shocked. Mona was so helpful! Right from the start she talked to me about what I like, what my wedding would be like, and even about my budget. She was so helpful at finding exactly what was right for my body type and was also in my price range. WE LOVED HER! She was not pushy at all and even offered to come back on a Sunday night after the store was closed so I could show my mom the dress when they are in town! I highly recommend going and asking for Mona. Pros: Mona! more

Wedding Atelier was the best place I have been in the city. Very personal attention, no rushing, and wonderful selection. Every dress the stylist chose was in my price range and perfect for me and I couldn't have been happier with the experience as a whole. I highly recommend this location for a relaxing, personal, and successful experience. more

So I wanted to pass on my dress shopping experience. I made three appointments at different places in the city: Wedding Atelier, Adrienne's and Kleinfelds. A week before the Kleinfeld's appointment, I cancelled because I heard/read some negative things about the store and didn't want to work in such a big store where the service could be potentially miserable. However, I have heard a few success stories from Kleinfeld's (One girl in my office got her dress there and she loved it), but I just had a bad feeling about it. My first appt was at Wedding Atelier. Let me tell you what a wonderful experience I had. First off, the place is very clean (and I'm a clean freak). You have to take your shoes off right when you walk in. All of the staff were very professional and friendly. I worked with Carrie Hung, the owner. She was great!! We took our time. She listened to what I wanted and brought me the dresses I was looking for. I tried on three or four dresses and found the dress of my dreams. I believe it was the second dress I tried on and I just knew. They were having a trunk show that day and the representative from the designer was there, and he was extremely nice and helpful too! Overall, such a wonderful experience, and I feel confident that my dress will come in and the alterations will be professionally done. I would recommend going there if you are going to be shopping in NYC, and see if you can get an appt with Carrie. \r We actually went to our second appt at Adrienne's and it was so bad. The floor samples were black on the bottom from dragging on the floor and the selection left you wanting. We were there for maybe 15 minutes before I went back to WA and put a deposit down on the dress. It was just gross.\r Carrie must have hugged my mom and I ten times, even the guy from the designer gave me a hug. There were just so nice. Such an amazing experience!!! Can't wait to try my dress on again! Pros: Clean, sepctacular service Cons: None! more

I am surprised the rating is only a 9.0 as the other raters seemed to really love the place, as do I. Places like Kleinfelds and David's Bridal are just these off-the-rack warehouses where you get okay quality and service as a trade off for affordable prices. (I'm not knocking them by the way as I went to all these places and ended up getting my bridesmaid dresses at David's Bridal.) But why do that when a truly lovely place like Wedding Atelier offers couture wedding dresses starting at $1,000 (at least when I was there). The space is brand spankin' new and beautiful with a huge dressing room. They are by appointment only so you are not fighting crowds of other ""bridezillas."" Fabulous personal attention and service without being pushy. It is owned by a real person so you have someone who is accountable should you have any problems and not just some corporate headquarters. Finally their dresses are gorgeous. Great selection and not just generic stuff. (I fell in love with a Pronovias dress (European label) that no one else seemed to carry.) And their dresses don't look dirty and haven't been worn by thousands of other shoppers. If you think you can't afford a couture dress/boutique experience, you can always get great discounts with one of their sample sales or trunk shows. Pros: Great selection and service and overall experience Cons: Appointment only may intimidate some people more

I'm a New Yorker who moved to LA for business. My husband and I decided to get married in NYC to make it easier on friends and family to attend our nuptials. My mom had seen the Wedding Atelier advertised in NY Magazine and we made an appointment during one of my many trips back for wedding planning. From the moment we stepped inside we were treated to the best service, the staff was ultra sweet, and I found the Alvina Valenta dress of my dreams. Vivian was my contact and took care of me every step of the way. I flew in for 3 dress fittings the summer before our September wedding and she was always there with a smile, hug and words of encouragement for my big day. On my last fitting, 3 days before my wedding, my dress was still too big (I had become a work-out fanatic). ""No problem, we'll take it in overnight"" was Vivian's answer. I came back the next day and it was still not perfect, there was a tiny bit more to take in. Again, they fixed it overnight, cleaned and pressed it. I picked it up the morning of my wedding and when I finally put it on, it was perfect. They were extremely understanding of my cross-country circumstances and made ever effort to be accommodating to my schedule. I was so satisfied that I have sent 2 friends to the Wedding Atelier who recently got engaged and they both bought dresses from Vivian on the spot. Needless to say, if you shop here, you will find the dress and service of your dreams. Pros: Small boutique, personal attention, great selection Cons: None I can think of! more

After a trip to Kleinfeld's and getting shuffled around like cattle, calling boutiques, changing in and out of dresses, I was soo happy to have found Wedding Atelier. I was getting disenchanted that $3000 could only buy a polyester dress and crappy service, but at Wedding Atelier, they were very nice and did not show obvious disdain at my preferred price. The store owner/manager (whose name I do not know) was very nice, and your appointment is very personal, intimate, and relaxed. I ended up buying a sample dress, and even though I am quite snobby about these things, I felt it was a great deal and a good dress because they keep the store immaculately clean. Alterations and cleaning are expensive, but done by professionals they keep on staff, and they let you know the price up front. All in all, I am very happy with Wedding Atelier. I highly recommend them since I found the wedding dress 'process' stressful, and they made it a much nicer experience! (I'm so glad it's done with!) P.S. - I also saw another girl trying on dresses at Kleinfeld's and saw her again at Wedding Atelier-- and she bought her dress there too! Pros: Great service, attention, very patient!! more

I agree Lydia is amazing. I didn't buy my dress there and now I really regret it. The salon I bought my dress has done things that I can just not imagine ever happening here. more