5 out of 5.0
Quality of Service:
5.0 out of 5.0
Professionalism:
5.0 out of 5.0
Flexibility:
5.0 out of 5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0 out of 5.0
Value for Cost:
5.0 out of 5.0
My best friend/maid of honor was flying in for the weekend to go wedding dress shopping and we had just a day and a half to find the perfect dress. In the weeks beforehand I scheduled four appointments at different salons for Saturday and planned to stop by two more on Sunday in anticipation that this was going to be a long and drawn out process. I was very stressed out and knew I couldnt afford to spend a lot of money on the dress of my dreams.
On the Thursday before wedding dress weekend I got an email notifying me of a sample sale at Birnbaum & Bullock on Saturday. When I called them to find out if I could book a time, they said that they were fully booked but had just had a cancellation for the early afternoon. This time worked perfectly with the schedule I had already devised and would be our first stop on the shopping trip.
My maid of honor and I arrived at the Birnbaum & Bullock sample sale and their design studio is absolutely serene. The walls are a pale blue and there were scented candles burning. Several friendly brides were also browsing and the atmosphere was calm and easygoing. After trying on one or two dresses that we had found in styles I was considering, one of the designers, Robert Bullock, approached me. One of the amazing things about Steven Birnbaum and Robert Bullock is that they attend all of their trunk show and sample sale events and their personal touch makes all the difference.
Robert asked me if I definitely wanted to have straps on my dress, and I told him I wasnt completely sure what I wanted and did he have any recommendations? He said that he thought he had a very fitting dress in mind that would complement my small frame, and went to find it in the back. When he brought it out it was a perfect fit. Both my maid of honor and I liked it, but it was only the fourth dress I had tried oncould I really be sure with so few dresses to compare it to? Robert went to get a veil, and as soon as I put it on I knew it was the perfect dress. My friend and I got a little teary eyed and were absolutely certain we had found the one (in 20 minutes no less).
I purchased both the dress and the gown on the spot. Before leaving, the designers told me to contact them in August to set up a time for alterations and that the maximum cost of alterations would be no more than $400, unlike other salons where alterations can sometimes cost as much as the dress itself. Then we took the dress and veil home in a cab, canceled the rest of our appointments, and toasted with a bottle of champagne!
As promised, I was able to easily schedule an alteration appointment in August. On my first visit, Robert helped me to choose between two pair of shoes. Then he did some pinning to take up the skirt length and personalize the fitting and gathering on the bodice. On my second visit 2-3 weeks later he did the pinning for the bustle. Also on that visit I expressed concern about finding the right jewelry, and he had sample earrings from an up and coming designer that went perfectly with my dress. I placed an order for the earrings and a bracelet to match. Birnbaum & Bullock took care of all of my needs! On my third and final visit three weeks before the wedding, I tried everything on to confirm a perfect fit and then took everything home. The process was so easy and straightforward and the personal, individualized service is unmatched.
My dress was a strapless silk gown with a sweetheart neckline and close fitting bodice. On the day of the wedding, I only needed to wear smooth seamless underwear because the dress was such a good fit, the silk lining was very comfortable and allowed nothing to show through, and the boning kept everything up and in place. The dress was amazing and everyone loved it.
I really enjoyed working with Birnbaum & Bullock at all steps in the process of finding my dress because of their beautiful designs, skill, attention to detail, friendliness and personal touch. They were an absolute joy and took care of all of my wedding attire needs! I highly recommend them.