In these tough economic times you may think finding the right wedding dress at a discount, much less at the right bridal boutique, or shop, or store may be impossible. There is an old saying “you get what you pay for”. That may hold true if you don’t do your homework, which may be too time consuming for any bride-to-be to thoroughly research on her own.
That is why I have come up with a bridal guide for discount wedding gowns and dresses from various bridal businesses in the Tampa Bay area that offer something just right for your needs. There are five listed that run the gamut from very personalized care to the big department store atmosphere. The one thing they all have in common is wedding dresses at a discount to a varying degree.
1.) Jon’s Bridal – 1102 E. Busch Boulevard, Tampa. Hours: Monday-Thursday 11AM to 9PM, Friday 11AM to 6PM, Saturday 10AM to 6PM, and Sunday 12PM to 6PM. Appointments are required. Please call 813-931-8991. www.jonsbridal.com
This is the largest bridal store in Florida. It also has its main store in Pennsylvania; however, this location has the exclusive dress shop ambiance to it. You’ll find everything under one roof and get top notch personalized attention. They’ve been voted the Best Bridal Store in Tampa Bay for 2007 and 2008 by the knot.
Jon’s Bridal offers a huge selection of wedding dresses for all sizes and works within your budget. The discount wedding dresses range from $299 to $999. Their Couture Shoppe features designers from Robin Jillian, Alec Milano, Lili Isaac, and more. Based on 24 consumer reviews at Tampa Bay by Citysearch for Jon’s Bridal they received three and a half out of five stars.
There were two camps of reviewers for Jon’s Bridal, the extremely satisfied customers who had the most glowing reviews to the very disgruntled. This is certainly the ideal location if you want a specialized bridal boutique type store mixed in with a large selection of wedding gowns similar to a department store, yet have a bridal consultant truly work with you. This is the best of both worlds for the bride to be!
2.) Fourth Avenue Bridal Shop – 770 4th Avenue North, St. Petersburg. Hours: Monday & Thursday 11AM to 7PM, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday 10AM to 5:30PM, Closed Sunday. Appointments Are Required. Call 727-823-2099. www.fourthavenuebridal.com
They are Tampa Bay’s only newest bridal salon with over 27 years of bridal experience. You’ll find the latest fashions at affordable prices, plus an array of hundreds of styles to choose from. These exclusive gowns featured in their shop are not available anywhere else in Central Florida. Gowns can be special ordered and they do not sell close-outs.
Here is an important piece of sage advice they offer, an extraordinary selling point, “when shopping around ask if you can special order a gown, if not, you know the gown is old and worth less. Why buy an old wedding gown for the same price as a new one?” Most of their gowns are under $999. They feature an outlet store, with no appointment necessary, in their CC’s Boutique division starting at $299. Currently there is a May Bridal Clearance Sale offering 30% to 85% off on selected bridal stock gowns.
Many of the top designers, Maggie Sottero, 2Be, Wtoo, Emerald Bridal, and Pronovias, are featured as affordable fashion. According to the Google Maps consumer review for Fourth Avenue Bridal it received two and a half stars out of five based on 13 reviews. However, one thing cannot be denied is their nearly thirty years of bridal experience. If you want a bridal shop with a lot of experience at a very affordable price I would highly recommend this one.
3.) Something Blue Bridal Boutique – 3621 Manatee Avenue W., Bradenton. Hours: Monday 10AM to 6PM, Tuesday & Thursday 10AM to 7PM, Wednesday, Friday, & Saturday 10AM to 5PM. No hours listed for Sunday. No information posted for appointments being required. Please call 941-747-1512 or email: info@somethingbluebridalboutique.com www.somethingbluebridalboutique.com
Discount Bridal Outlet, which is another listing they go by, lives up to its name. This boutique may be out of the way for people in Tampa and other outlying areas north of Bradenton, but it is worth investigating. Their staff will personally assist you and your wedding party in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, without the high pressure sales tactics, offering instead excellent customer service.
They have an extensive collection of exciting designer gowns from around the world starting as low as $99 all the way up to $999. All of their gowns are under one thousand dollars. There is also a collection of private designer gowns that are exclusive to Something Blue Bridal. These designers are Alfred Angelo, Mori Lee, Allure Bridals, just to name a few. No reviews were available online anywhere by either name. This is definitely the quintessential discount wedding dresses and wedding gowns bridal boutique offering all of the above.
4.) Malindy Elene Bridal Boutique – 1180 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg. No hours listed. Call for an appointment 727-898-6866. Email Malindy at: malindy@malindyelene.com www.malindyelene.com
Here is a business savvy sole proprietor, Lindy Bengston, offering very personalized service with great care in what she calls the “Royal Treatment. It’s considered Tampa Bay’s most lavish bridal boutique. Malindy Elene, named after her grandmothers, first opened her boutique in 2001 in a very unique setting, between a tattoo parlor and sports bar near the Trop. The building sticks out from its powder pink exterior. Her main competitor is Fourth Avenue Bridal nearby in downtown St. Pete. Her website does not list any sales or affordably priced gowns. Yet it clearly came up second on Google in listings for discount wedding dresses and wedding gowns, second only to her competition in St. Pete.
One benefit of this boutique is their upcoming Trunk Show on April 30th – May 2nd. This is a most exciting time to visit Malindy Elene. The Bride has the unique opportunity to see and try on the entire collection from one of the featured designers, who will be Monique Lhullier. Special incentive pricing and other complimentary gifts are oftentimes offered at their trunk shows. Please call the salon in advance to reserve your spot. These shows tend to book up early and representatives can only work with a select number of brides!
The reviews, three and a half out of five stars were mixed, but the five star ones were glowing about the exceptional service they received. No doubt assuming this boutique understands the state of the economy we’re in right now and offers affordable gowns in addition to their superb hands-on care.
5.) David’s Bridal – 4503 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa & 2637 Gulf to Bay Boulevard, Clearwater Mall, Clearwater. Hours: Monday-Friday 10AM to 9PM-Tampa, 11AM to 9PM-Clearwater Mall, Saturday 10AM to 7PM, Sunday 12PM to 6PM. Hours are the same for both locations on the weekends. To request an appointment call 877-923-Bride or 813-281-8053 Tampa and 727-669-2233. www.davidsbridal.com
With over 280 locations across the country and two in the Tampa Bay area this store literally has it all including invitations, wedding planning, and items for your ceremony and reception. Currently they are offering a promotion where you can save up to $300 on your bridal gown, including designer selections, for a limited time only until May 4th. In addition, there are always sales of the latest popular styles on new markdowns while supplies last. Also, there is an in-store layaway plan. Every month you can enter their drawing to win a free wedding gown or up to 5 bridesmaid dresses of your choice.
At David’s Bridal they feature the designer lines of Oleg Cassini, Galina, and Galina Signature. There is also the David’s Bridal Collection for all shapes and sizes starting at $299 from the sleek silhouettes to beaded embellished gowns. You can request an appointment by either calling their toll-free number or signing up online.
You may be overwhelmed by all they have to offer. It certainly has a department store feel to it. One thing you may need to consider based on consumer reviews posted at a ratings website for David’s Bridal were its two and a half stars out of five rating. The biggest complaints were the crowds at the store on weekends, especially Saturdays. One reviewer even went so far as to call it the Wal-Mart of bridal gowns, Wal-Mart Bridal. Other reviewers called it the supermarket or flea market of wedding dresses. The complaints ranged from poor quality dresses, bad service, no 3-way mirrors in the dressing rooms, to sales associates selling you dresses way above your stated budget. If you are more of a hands-on planner, doing it yourself instead, than this might be the exact place for you based on its high volume of sales.
Whether your favorite wedding dress style is the beautiful Ball Gown, or the slinky Mermaid, or the classic A-Line/Princess or your favorite designer is Maggie Sottero, Vera Wang, or 2Be this Top 5 guide of discount wedding dresses will certainly fit your needs. You need to decide if you are willing to travel some distance for a discount or personalized service or both. It seems to me it’s not unusual for brides-to-be to travel afar for the perfect gown.
Whatever your choice is hopefully this will help save you time in the long run. Planning for a wedding is stressful enough, especially looking for the right gown that’s affordable. I wish you the best of luck in finding a very special wedding gown within your budget. Congratulations on your big day!
SOURCES:
www.jonsbridal.com
Jon’s Bridesmaids – Tampa, FL, 33612 – Citysearch
http://www.fourthavenuebridal.com/Bridal.html
Fourth Avenue Bridal loc: Tampa, FL – Google Maps
www.somethingbluebridalboutique.com
http://www.malindyelene.com
wedding dresses, St. Petersburg, FL – Google Maps
Wedding Dress, Bridesmaid Gowns and Accessories from David’s Bridal
david’s bridal loc: Tampa, FL – Google Maps
