Annapolis Formal & Tuxedos

Seriously don’t even bother with this shop. I walked in and Doris «helped» me by gesturing at the small rack of wedding dresses. Offered no help with choosing dresses. Next she brought the dresses to the dressing room and didn’t even help me get into the dress. Then she didn’t even clamp me into the dress when I went to look on the pedestal. Zero help at all. I left after one dress because I’ve had better experiences elsewhere.

Flavia and Dora are a dynamic duo. When I first walked in their doors in August 2014, without an appointment, they were so welcoming to browse through their selection of wedding gowns. They asked me to pick out 5 dresses and then would then pick a few they thought would fit me best. After I chose about 9 dresses and went through all my options, I went to their options. The last dress they chose for me was the best dress. I couldn’t have been happier with the customer service. Flavia and Dora aren’t pushy to buy anything, rather they let the bride choose. I was uncertain between two dresses and I told them I would be back with my maid of honor in a week to decide. When I came back, my maid of honor and I both agreed on the same dress. I had my first fitting in January of this year, and just left my final fitting today. The amount of work Dora put into the dress to make it fit and accommodating my customization of the dress is impeccable. I cannot wait to see everyone’s face, including my future husband’s when I walk down the aisle. Will updated my review once the wedding is over. I’m keeping the dress a secret from everyone :)
Thank you again Flavia and Dora for all of your help!!! You guys are truly amazing and I will recommend Annapolis Formal and Tuxedo to all my friends that are getting married.

Great place — the owners are fantastic and you’ll find great gowns for brides, bridesmaids, mom’s and grroms!

This is a mother and daughter business. And they provide excellent, traditional service. From the moment I walked in, I received personal service however I did not feel pressured in anyway. As a business owner myself, I instantly recognized that their business model was to appreciate the clients needs over and against making a quick buck — very rare these days. I truly appreciated this. If you are longing for the dream dress shopping experience, give Annapolis Formal and Tuxedo a try. They also do alterations and I will definitely be giving this team my business.

My daughter’s friend gave her a dress for a military ball and it needed alterations and straps added to the bodice. I went to several dry cleaners who seemed confused. A friend had tried on wedding dresses at Annapolis Formal & Tuxedos so I stopped by to see if they could help. The seamstress (Flavia?) was wonderful! She understood exactly what we wanted done and found the fabric to make straps that matched the dress. It was done in only a week and fit my daughter perfectly. I was shocked that the price was only $ 25.00 for excellent quality and service. I will be going to this bridal shop for all formal wear needs from now on.

They are so reliable and they really care about their customers. Dora and Flavia do AMAZING work and they finish alterations very quickly! If you have a question about anything they are very quick in calling or emailing back.
I ordered my bridesmaids dresses from them and the dresses even came in about a month earlier than I expected, so my bridesmaids had plenty of time for alterations. I also had my wedding dress altered there which could have been a stressful experience, but they are so laid back and so good at what they do, which really eased my nerves. The dress fit perfectly! I also had an accident with my veil when the tulle ripped about 3 inches. Flavia and Dora were the only ones who were able to fix it. They were able to get creative and it ended up looking amazing — the tear was completely hidden!
If you want someone who you can completely trust and not have to worry about, I absolutely recommend going to them for purchasing dresses and/​or any alteration you need (male or female).

First fitting for my wedding dress. This mother daughter team are nice, friendly and very accommodating. They are very reasonably priced. I would absolutely recommend them again!!!

This is one of the best bridal boutiques in the area. They are completely professional and helpful… they really know their stuff! Their alterations are perfection – I have had two dresses taken it and they fit like a glove :)
Absolutely stop in if you are looking for your perfect gown!

Although I ended up purchasing my dress from another store, I just needed to say how wonderful this store was and how great the customer service was. Of the 3 stores I went to, Annapolis Formal made me feel the best and were the most attentive by far. Their selection isn’t as big as other stores, but their prices are super affordable (my budget was $ 1,000 and there was lots to choose from in that range!) and I really enjoyed the intimacy of it all. I would recommend this store to any bride to be.

This mother-​daughter team is amazing. They were attentive and helpful without being overbearing. I had a wonderful experience here and would recommend it to anyone looking for their dream wedding dress.

I cannot say enough good things about this small, locally owned business! My son got last minute tickets to the inaugural ball and needed a tux ASAP. Tried a few places in DC, where he now lives and works, but they were overwhelmed with similar situations. Called Annapolis Formal & Tuxedos and Flavia was so helpful. Gave my son phone instructions for getting measurements taken in DC and called in to Annapolis late Thursday evening. Tux arrived on Saturday and son got a 4:00 appointment for fitting/​pick up. The store is in a converted house in West Annapolis, convenient street parking and large lot in the rear. Lovely area for shopping.
Two balls later, the official ball on Monday and the President’s staff ball on Tuesday, my son stuggled to make the Wednesday return date from his job in DC. Another call to the store; they gave him another day and waived the late charge. Seriously, they could not have been more accommodating!
My favorite interaction: Flavia to son: «What about shoes, do you want to rent shoes?» Son: «No, I’m okay with shoes.» Flavia: «You can’t wear boat shoes you know.» Son: «Did my mom tell you that?» Flavia: «No, but you’re an Annapolitan!» Love it!

Visited this place for the first time today, and as my first wedding dress-​buying experience. Flavia and her mother Dora were truly, very helpful. They listened to things I liked, only showed me things in or under my price point, and encouraged me to try different things. I ended up truly liking something I completely skipped over when I was picking things from the racks myself. They also do not have a high-​pressure buying situation. They understood that I was going to look other places, wrote down the designer and number of the dress I ended up liking best, and encouraged me to call back if I decided I wanted to order. The salon is very small, but it seems they only take one appointment at a time, and I had both ladies’ help the whole time, and there was plenty of room for the three ladies visiting with me.

I went back this weekend to buy my dress. Over the past few weeks, Flavia has answered all my questions via e-​mail and even contacted the dress company when she didn’t know the answer. She has been extremely accommodating, since my mom was in town for a short time and wanted to be with me when «I said yes to the dress.»
A few things to note:
1) Unlike many other places, Annapolis Formal and Tuxedo usually does not alter the dresses until a month or two before the wedding. Their reasoning is that most brides gain or lose weight before their wedding, so the closer to the wedding, the better. I absolutely love that I don’t have to do 8 different fittings (or some other outrageous number). It just makes solid good sense.
2) Alterations are $ 380 – I’m not sure how that price relates to other places.
3) Appointments only.
4) Flavia and her family members have owned the company for the past 27ish years. They have a lot of experience!