Lily’s Bridal

This shop doesn’t have very many dresses for women of larger sizes. I expected more from what they said on the phone. I really wasn’t feeling any of the dresses I tried on but the consultant (who was really really loud and intense) was trying to convince me I was in love with one of them. I knew it looked like crap on me. Nothing was going to change my mind. I didn’t want to be rude, so I tried to end it on «I’ll think about it and get back to you» but she didn’t want to hear that and started questioning me as to why I couldn’t purchase it then and there. I felt really pushed and it was awkward. I was just too nice to say hell no to the dress. If you’re a smaller bride, you may have better luck.

I went to a Bridal Show in Chesapeake Beach in February 2013 and met Kim, the owner of Lily’s Bridal. After walking around a bit at the Show, I stopped back to talk to Kim about her shop. I made an appointment for a few weeks later when a friend could make the trip from DC to Baltimore with me.
I worked with Jessica as my consultant, who was INCREDIBLE! From the moment I walked through the door til the time I left, I felt like I was the only person in the shop as I had her full attention.
I am a 14 – 16 in street clothing, so an 18 – 20 in bridal wear. I had gone to another shop and had the displeasure of being forced only to look at dresses that didn’t even come close to fitting. I had no real idea of what would look good on me as a result. I knew some things I wanted in a dress and some I didn’t. I described what I wanted and liked and we went back to pull a few things from the racks. The second dress I tried on, which Jessica picked out for me, was the one I ended up buying.
One of my biggest concerns was that I wanted a dress that was a bit modest (i.e. sleeves or wide straps). Jessica recommended adding a piece that was actually designed for another gown and having it attached making the dress both exactly what I wanted, and incredibly unique for me.
My favorite thing though was the very thoughtful handwritten thank you note from Jessica. I definitely had a great experience.
So why the two-​stars?
First, I had a small billing error. I was undercharged on deposit (by less than $ 10), but they called right away and worked with me to correct it. I loved that I was allowed to put the dress on layaway and pay on each week so that it is one less bill to pay later. I was able to pay it off in a little over 6 weeks and it was going to be ordered as soon as I had finish paying for it.
Second, there was an act of god involved. In August 2013, there was a FedEx airplane crash in Alabama. On that plane was about 500 dresses from this particular designer; all of them destroyed in the crash. My dress was on that plane, but given that my wedding is scheduled for November 2014, not a big deal. So the issue?
Well, I called in November 2013, when they told me the dress would originally be in, and they told me all about the plane crash and that the new date would be in March 2014. They said that the designer was nice enough to replace the destroyed dress free of charge, but other dresses would be prioritized over mine because my wedding was so far out. I can understand that there are rush orders that came in after my order and other orders with wedding dates sooner than mine. But why did I have to call YOU to find this out. Communicate with me. Also, why in the world would you expect me to have to pay for another dress when the first dress was never in my possession or even close to being in my custody. I am not even looking at holding Lily’s responsible since I am sure that the designer had insured the dresses when they sent them via FedEx.
Now, I called today mid-​April 2014… ALMOST a year after my inital order. New date for the wedding dress is end of June. If I wasn’t at work when she told me that I would have completely lost it. I got the same line about rush orders and other weddings, but look good customer service is about communication. You changed the delivery date CALL me. Tell me. You have my email address, a 2 sentence email would have resolved this issue.
(The dress finally arrived July 2014 — more than 420 days after the initial order was placed). To add insult to injury, they contacted me in Feb 2015 (wedding was beginning of Nov 2014) to offer me a discount on cleaning and preservation on my gown. I took it in December so now of the dirt from walking around the venue would ruin my dress.
I have to order bridesmaid dresses, and I’m sorry, but I can’t do this to them.

I hate to write a negative review — and it’s definitely clear that the gals at Lily’s Bridal are nice ladies. But I have to say: this is one case where Unilocal really steered me in the wrong direction.
I came in with very specific paramaters on the dress, including silhouettes I did NOT want. I also wanted my companion to help me with getting dressed — instead, the consultant forced the companion to sit on the couch and was very insistent, forcing me through the putting on the dress and waiting for her to get the corset completely done up even when I could tell at first «feel» that it was not a silhouette I would want. All in all, this process cost me TWO HOURS when I’m normally a 30 mins, «know what I want» kinda gal. I left feeling pretty lousy about my body and about finding a wedding dress.
Constructive feedback: know your brides — if you get a vibe that I don’t want to sit and chitchat or that I have a specific idea of what I’d like, please: don’t make me have a long involved conversation with you, tell me directly if you have the silhouettes I want (apparently they nearly exclusively deal in the Mermaid/​Fit & Flare phenomenon that looks good on 1% of brides), and let me and my companion design our own experience.
Side note: Bridesmaid & prom dresses are very overpriced.

This place was amazing! Lots of styles in every size– as a size 18 – 20 there were more dresses there than I could have possibly tried on. I felt like any other pampered bride on a special shopping trip– and I found an AMAZING dress for only slightly over my budget. Dee was my consultant and was one of the most relaxed, down to earth people– I really enjoyed working with her. It was kind of a bummer that they won’t let you take pictures of the dresses, but I understand the rationale.

I had an excellent experience here shopping for a wedding dress; come here first. The vibe is relaxed and elegant; nothing like the warehouse /​sloppy dorm room feel you get in some shops with chicks pulling dresses down and bunches of you coming out at the same time to wait for an available mirror. THIS is totally different; much more high end. There are comfy sofas for your friends or mom to camp out on while you’re vouge-​ing, working the little pedestal, putting what little bass in your walk you can muster from underneath 20 lbs of lace, etc. You’re typically the only bride in there when it is time for your appointment, which is really nice.
The lighting is awesome! They cover you in sparkly fabulousness, dim the lights, then kick up these little spotlights that could make a glitter-​covered potato sack look like a million bucks. (Not that they are peddling glitter-​covered potato sacks)
The dresses are thoughtfully selected for you and their inventory is gorgeous. No crappy thin satin here — the cuts and styles are high end. Which is not to say they don’t have affordable options, but this isn’t David’s Bridal. Tell them what you want and they will walk through the store with you to determine exactly what you have in mind, while suggesting some styles you might not have considered. I was in love with A-​line dresses when I went and wasn’t entertaining the idea of a mermaid, but she pulled one off the rack and set it aside for me. It was the dress I ended up buying. These ladies know what your figure will look best in, so keep an open mind and try some styles you wouldn’t have picked for yourself.
She never once made me feel like a diva and I must have tried on 20 dresses… some of them several times. (I didn’t know at the time that this was a lot.) She helped me compare my final selections and start to whittle them down until I settled on the dress that was right for me.
My only gripes: They don’t allow you to take pictures of the dresses until you have already committed to buying it. They also pick the tags out of the dress and rename the style so you can’t tell who the designer is. I understand they don’t want to waste time helping a bride only for her to go and buy it from somewhere else, but it just felt… tacky. They also strong-​arm you with a high pressure «good for today only» discount. Chill out with the high-​pressure sale. I spent a hefty sum of money and later found out that the style was over a year old and the designer was phasing it out. I definitely would have negotiated the price further if I had that info, but I guess that is the point. Again, I understand why they are doing it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. It’s the cost of doing business; the people who want to waste your time with fittings and buy someplace else are going to do it whether you’re picking out the labels or not… but I digress.
That aside, Lily’s was great and I highly recommend the shop. The staff was lovely, their dresses are gorgeous, the ambiance is nice, the overall experience is fantastic and exactly as it should be — they make it a really special experience for you.
BTW, they have prom dresses too and there is a wonderful woman who does alterations right next door. (Anne’s Silver Threads)