Growing up, watching Say Yes to the Dress was a family affair. I remember when I first moved to New York and my sister and mom came to visit, we went to dinner and walked a few extra blocks just to stare into the windows of Kleinfeld. So, when I got engaged I knew that making the two hour drive to find my wedding dress and have my Kleinfeld experience was a non-negotiable! So, I planned a weekend and my mom and sister flew out to New York, and along with one of my bridesmaids, we went to Kleinfeld!
Pre-appointmnent
Booking my appointment was easy- just create an account on Kleinfeld’.com’s website and you can book online! About three weeks before my Kleinfeld appointment, my consultant reached out to me via email. She asked me to browse the website and favorite some dresses as well as describe what I was looking for and my overall budget. I really appreciated the reach out beforehand, it made me feel at ease that my appointment would be more focused and not just random dresses to try to find my style.
She also let me know that due to COVID, I was only able to bring three people with me, but that was the perfect size for my party!
At the Appointment
*One thing I want to say before I begin, you have to apply to be on the show. You’re not automatically going to be chosen for the show just by having an appointment.
My appointment was in the afternoon, so we went to another bridal shop in the morning, Lovely Bride, which was also a great experience but I did not love the dress I initially went there to try on.
When we first walked into Kleinfeld, we checked in and waited in the vast and comfortable waiting area. It was buzzing with excitement of brides and their families waiting to have the sought after Kleinfeld experience. My consultant came out to get our party after a few minutes of waiting, and showed us to our spot. We were right in the middle of the action and had one of the good mirrors. Some brides and their parties had to share couches and take turns. I’m not sure exactly why, but I know I wouldn’t want to have shared my space with another bride.
We set my things down (spoiler alert- I brought too much stuff), and got my party situated and then my consultant and I walked to the dressing room- it looked exactly like it did on TV! When we walked in, my consultant had already pulled four dresses for me to start with.
Trying On Dresses
After finalizing some details with me, my consultant asked me which dress I wanted to try on first and I chose what would ultimately be my wedding dress. Getting zipped up and into the dresses was very fun and walking from the dressing room through the showroom which each dress was the best part of my Kleinfeld experience. All the parties in the showroom that are waiting for their bride are all watching one corner patiently and as you turn the corner, everyone stops and stares and ooh’s and aah’s for everyone. It’s really magical.
There’s a podium and a large mirror, so for each dress we would get me situated on the podium and make sure the dress’ train was in position. Then, the consultant would ask me about each dress and I would discuss with my family and bridesmaid. They are very encouraging of you to take photos so my mom was on photo duty.
Picking Out My Dress
While trying on my first dress, everyone loved it and I even teared up a little but I was determined to try on more dresses- it’s really fun, okay?! I wouldn’t let the consultant take the first dress out of the dressing room and I tried on some others and one more dress came close, but I was worried about the fit of it- I knew I wouldn’t be as comfortable as I wanted to be. So, after a few more dresses, we put the first one back on.
When I walked out and saw my party beaming back at me, I knew it was the one. I got situated on the podium and my consultant grabbed a veil and I immediately started crying.
Oddly enough, one reason I knew was because it was the only dress that looked good with my engagement ring. Such a weird thing I’ve never seen anyone talk about so I wanted to mention it. After a quick break for tear cleanup, my consultant asked the infamous question, “Are you saying yes to the dress?” and I immediately said yes!
Ordering the Dress
Going back to the dressing room, my consultant called her manager in to get measurements and get the dress ordered. After changing into my robe, the manager took measurements and consulted the designer’s size chart and we ordered me a bridal 12. Normally, I am a 4/6 but just remember that bridal runs small and that the size of your dress doesn’t matter as long as you feel beautiful in it! It’s not like your wedding guests are asking you what size you are on your wedding day.
One thing that I didn’t know before my Kleinfeld experience was that the cost of alterations at Kleinfeld is included in your final budget. My dress was about $1900 and alterations for the basics- hem, straps, taking it in, was about $895 which took us to the top of my budget. I don’t know if you have to pay the alteration fee if you are taking it somewhere else to be altered, so just make that known. I know that they can ship the dress to you as well, but I figured driving a few hours to get my dress altered at the bridal heaven would be worth it.
My dress arrived about 6 months later and alterations took another month and a half so I definitely recommend going at least 9 months before, but if not about a year.
Hot tip: I mentioned earlier that I brought too much stuff, so I wanted to make sure I let you know what the essentials you need for any bridal appointment: nude underwear. That’s it. Most dresses have cups so you don’t need a bra, no need for spanx since it’s not a fitting and no need for your wedding shoes unless you’re trying to match a very specific detail. I brought so much stuff I didn’t even take out of my bag. If you’re in doubt, call the bridal salon you’re going to and ask what they recommend you bring.
Well, that’s it! I hope this was helpful and if you have any Kleinfeld specific questions, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram!