Novella Bridal

s but to my reactions each time I tried something on. They helped me narrow down what I liked and disliked about each gown and by dress 4 or 5 I found the one. The team was so accommodating and the great experience didn't stop after the purchase! Carol and her team of seamstresses helped me schedule my fittings in between my busy work schedule and ensured my dress fit like a glove. Novella was so much more than a great bridal shop, they were a partner to me during the wedding process and helped me feel like the best version of myself!

lders, and also perfectly matched the lace to add a bit more coverage. My appointments always started on time and were very efficient. On my last visit, they created a video of how to do the bustling, so my mom and maid of honor could help me out on the wedding day. I’m so happy with how my dress turned out, and I think my groom was too :)

idn't have it, but they pulled it out and even gave me a discount! And at no point did I feel rushed or pressured to buy a dress, which is not something I felt at other places. AND, to top it all off, the alterations department (Carol in particular) did an unbelievably amazing job getting everything just right, even though I was flying in from halfway across the country for my fittings and balancing medical school at the same time. Hands-down, Novella Bridal is THE place to go, I couldn't recommend them more!

nd in love with the dress I chose. I decided to visit a few other bridal boutiques and I kept going back to a Pronovias at Novella Bridal. Fast forward, I ordered my dress and decided to use Carol and her team for alterations and I was not at all disappointed. They were always very accommodating with my schedule and my plans of hopefully losing some weight and toning up before the big day! I probably had about 5 or 6 alterations appointments before picking up my dress! My dress fit perfectly and I had so many compliments on it! The alterations team were so easy to work with. Not being big on jewelry or those kinds of details, I was having the hardest time picking the right bridal accessories which complimented my dress. They were able to help me pick out a belt, a veil, and my jewelry! I cannot thank them all enough for everything they have done and would recommend them to any bride!! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

ack at a different location). Carol was truly amazing. She was upfront about what needed to be done, how much it would cost, and the number of times I would need to come back. She explained exactly what work she would do between the appointments, and what I could expect when I came back in. I felt informed and valued through the entire process. The end outcome was an amazing transformation from a dress in which the bust did NOT fit my body (huge gaps) to something that I felt like myself in. I highly recommend contacting Carol from the start for your alterations.

g selection, alterations, etc. Also the value for what you get is excellent! I got a Martina Liana dress and for my beach wedding and couldn't be happier!

rking their magic. Go here for your dream dress! Thank you!

ss. On my first visit to Novella, Shannon worked with me to try on about 7 different dresses - one was close to my perfect dress, so we noted it, but I decided not to buy anything yet. I looked a few more places, then got an email from Shannon a few weeks later inviting me back to retry my dress. I decided to go back and I'm so glad I did! I ended up choosing a different dress than the one Shannon and I had noted - I think it was one that I originally tried on, but dismissed as too simple. At my second appointment, when I tried on THE dress, Shannon and I talked about ways I could customize it and I loved that Casa Blanca allowed for some customization on the dress size as well. I said yes to the dress, mostly due to Shannon's wonderful help! From there, my dress came in earlier than expected (which was awesome for getting a jump start on my fittings) and I worked with Carol and her team to do my alterations. I would highly recommend using Carol for alterations - she knows the dresses inside and out and does a wonderful job. I read a review where someone indicated that sewing a bra into a dress indicates the seamstress isn't very good - I would completely disagree with that comment. Dependent on the dress design, sewing in a bra makes it possible to not worry all night about a wardrobe issue! Carol was able to change my bustle and add a ribbon belt to my dress only a week before the wedding (I decided French bustle would still be too long for dancing, so we had to switch to American, and I decided to put my custom ribbon belt under the bodice rather than tied on top). She accommodated 2 more appointments for me to get this done, including a pickup the day before the wedding! My dress was absolutely stunning and I owe it all to Novella Bridal - sales and alterations both!

felt at home with all the girls at the salon. Everyone was absolutely blown away by my gown. I literally didn’t want to take it off! Thank you again to everyone at Novella!

re to help me find a dress that I loved, not one my friends loved. She also made sure to that we only looked at dresses within my budget, and would only show me a more expensive dress if I gave the price the okay first. Can’t recommend them enough!

appy with how my wedding dress looked on my big day and it is all due to their hard work and consistent alterations that made the gown perfect on my body. I highly recommend them to any bride to be!

t helped me pick the dress to the ones doing the alterations was always very kind and accommodating. Sabrina especially was such a joy to work with and always made me feel like the most special customer. I'm so glad I found such a beautiful dress at Novella and they helped each step of the way to make it perfect for our special day.

their location outside of the FiDi was so convenient. Most importantly, the time and attention they spent on my dress was incredible. They fit the dress perfectly to my body, but in the most flattering way. I felt like they handmade this dress for me and me alone!

cluding their in-house fitting! And shopping at a botique in North Beach does make you feel like a special bride!

a medical conference to attend in SF, and given that my family lives in San Diego I invited them to meet me in SF so we could go dress shopping in the area. I went to 10 salons total (5 in SF and 5 in Houston) and Novella bridal was a standout. They were extremely nice and approachable. By chance I visited the salon when they had the Martina Liana "tester gowns" (to see which gowns would be chosen to be part of upcoming collections). I found an absolute beauty that I could not find anywhere else! Turns out this gown was later chosen to be part of the Spring 2017 collection which is when I was actually getting married! I also could not believe the price because it was super cheap considering how intricate it was, I also got an extra discount since it was a tester gown. I decided to buy the gown right there and then. . It took several months for it to arrive but Novella Bridal were very responsive to my emails and kept me informed. The dress was absolute perfection! It had an illusion and I was worried that the color would not be close to my skin and would be noticeable, they especially requested a color that would be as close as possible to my skin and it was PERFECTION, you could not see the illusion at all unless you got close and my gown was just amazing. It looked like a dream and I felt sooo beautiful. I also want to point out that the girls at Novella are not pushy at all which is very common at other salons. I am very thankful to Novella bridal because I found my wedding dress thanks to you and I looked far and wide! Thank you for being soo helpful and easy to work with. If you are looking for beautiful dresses at amazing prices and wonderful ladies that want to genuinely help you find the perfect dress visit Novella Bridal. Thank you so much!

me efficient. She was genuinely excited when they had my dream dress there for me to try on yet never tried to up sell it to me. She even encouraged me to look around some more since it was my first time I was trying on wedding dresses. Once I put on that dress and my moms eyes misted over, I knew I would never find another that compared. The dress came in well before they estimated and I was right into my first of 4 alterations appointments. Carol, the head seamstress, is amazing at what she does. She will make sure that dress fits you as if it were made for you. She's also honest and I trusted what she said would look best. They ended up making my cathedral length veil with lace trim and it was gorgeous. Between my dress, the veil and the crystal hairpiece I purchased there, I felt like Grace Kelly on my wedding day. I received so many compliments and have been directing every newly engaged friend I have to Novella. They are the BEST in the Bay Area, hands down.

his is the only place I enjoyed trying on dresses, Ellen made everything seem so fun. After X amount of dresses I finally found "THE ONE" and said yes to the dress. I had the dress custom ordered. The original dress had some sleeves and lace backing that I didn't not want. Since I was going strapless on a backless dress the girls from alterations made sure to so a double check on my measurements to make sure the girls will fit in the dress correctly. The girls contacted the designer and found out that it would be less expensive for me to have it custom made to my liking & measurements by the designer than it would be if I were to have their alterations department to it. After months of waiting I was so excited and nervous to see how the dress was going to come out looking. At my second alterations appointment after Carol took in the sides and did a little more work to the dress I felt like I was on cloud nine and the stars were shinning down AMAZING! I can not say enough the alterations crew at Novella Bridal know what they are doing. I also like the fact that they give you a fair estimate before alterations, and work with you on what it is that you want and the pricing so there are no surprises. I highly recommend Novella Bridal and have already and will continue to recommend them.

you're done, you feel like she's your close friend. She has a wonderful personality. The dresses are awesome, too. I found "the one" here and couldn't have been more pleased. I tried Brides of California (Sunnyvale), BoLee (Sunnyvale) and Glamour Closet (SF). Novella was my favorite in terms of selection, price point and service. Alterations: I wasn't nearly as pleased here. As many people mentioned, the alterations are hit or miss. They'll try to convince you to do alterations here but they are more expensive than most places. Also, they like to sew in bras to the wedding dress. This practice isn't always recommended, especially if you are bigger chested like me. In fact, any bra shop and sewing experts I talked to said I'd never find the right bra to match this dress, and it should be the seamstress who makes the dress work, not sewing bras into dresses. I felt very uncomfortable by this practice, as well as a few other telling signs, and ended up taking my dress to Kirsten Tucker Designs in the Inner Sunset. She is fantastic. They didn't give me any qualms about picking a new seamstress as they get plenty of business, but I just didn't trust my dress here.

Novella has a good reputation, so I was excited. I brought my dress in two months prior to the wedding. Carol was very honest during my fittings, and made sure I was aware and comfortable with changes that had to be done. In the final fitting, the dress fit perfectly, and I felt absolutely amazing. The only down part would be parking in the area isn't easy, so I would suggest taking Muni or your choice of Uber, Lyft or Sidecar. Otherwise, the Novella team is great and will always try to accommodate as best they could.

my style. She went off into the sea of dresses and came back with a huge selection I genuinely liked. Carol, alterations expert extraordinaire, was so fun and by the time she was done my dress fit like a glove! Novella was very flexible with me when I had to move around my fitting dates. Everyone I spoke with on the phone was sweeter than the next! I visited A LOT of bridal boutiques in San Francisco and the bay area and Novella is hands down the best.

desired for choosing that most special gown. After making our decision based on a Rosa Clara gown, whom they represent it was scheduled to arrive in approximately 12 weeks. After contacting them they finally informed me it was received in the wrong size. Twelve weeks later it finally did arrive. The dress was lovely but as we had discussed upon purchase it would need alterations. Their alteration specialists were a disappointment .They did not have bra cups to sew into the gown. We were told to purchase our own and they would sew it in. After contacting many salons they all told me this was an automatic alteration and never heard of not fitting the bodice properly. They refused to alter as we requested. The gown consisted of many layers of fabric and weighed almost 4 pounds. To bustle such a full long skirt required ties under the layers to hold the dress in place throughout the evening. When asked about bustling they told us " not to worry ". The dress was dismally bustled by 6 tiny beads and 1 button. It never stayed in place and required pins rubber bands even heavy duct tape to raise it. It trailed on the floor and eventually got so soiled it could not be cleaned. I offered to bring the gown back to them so it could be shortened and at least be donated to make someone else happy to have such a beautiful gown for free. Their answer was WE DO NOT DO THAT. They are a disgrace as professionals and I would never recommend them to anyone. If you like their gowns purchase there but alter by a professional seamstress. I am certain they would not charge an extrA $ 600 + to properly create the perfect gown.

tyle of dress that I wanted. I purchased my dress elsewhere, but brought it here for alterations since they accept outside dresses and I had heard nothing but rave reviews about Carol and her all-star team. To be honest, wedding dress shopping was not the most fun for me. I didn't really enjoy it, and when my dress came in and there were a whole host of issues with it to be taken care of, I was in a bit of a funk about the whole process. I mean, I hated my dress. I tried to put on a happy face, took it to Carol and hoped that she could turn it into something passable for my wedding day. She overdelivered. For my gown, Carol ended up: - Creating a new under-layer since the one from the vendor was not sufficient enough to provide adequate coverage, giving me what amounted to half of a custom gown - Shortening the entire torso and shoulder to be proportionate the gown while still fitting my short waisted self - Removing about 5 inches of extra material from across my shoulder blades while leaving the changes undetectable - Sewing undergarments in so that I didn't require special purchases for that day, while also making it more comfortable - Figuring out a solution for an extremely complicated bustle that looks better than any image I've seen of other brides wearing this dress - Hemming my dress to still allow a train even though others I've seen just cut it off ...and a host of other little nips and tucks to make the gown belong to ME. It fits me like an absolute glove, and I do not have a sample size body. She and her team also altered a dress for my rehearsal dinner and a third for my Chinese tea ceremony. Those were easier alterations, but I trusted her so much I wanted them to do them. They also custom made my veil to my height and dress length. I don't think I can stress enough how much FAITH I had in Carol to deliver. She was calm, reassuring, and honest from day one. When you're basically ripping apart and recreating a gown you just waited 6 months on and paid $$$$ for, to spend $$$ more on, it's scary. But, I trusted her (and you should, too) implicitly. She knows what she's doing, and she's exceptional at it. Further, I actually ended up looking forward to my appointments because I just really loved Carol and her team. Every one of them was genuine and sincere, and made what was a process I was dreading tons of fun. I picked up all three of my gowns yesterday and I shed a tear because while I am not the "woohoo, look at me!" girl, the work they did makes me feel beautiful in my gown. Thank you, Carol and team, a million times over for all you've done for me. I will never forget how well you took care of me, and can't wait to send you the professional photos showcasing your hard work.

a few of my girlfriends bridal gowns. Overall, great selection of dresses and a very skilled alterations team.

eat experience every time I was there. They wrote down my favorite styles and I left the store without purchasing a dress. When I couldn't get the first dress out of my head I called to make another appointment and they had the dress pulled and waiting when I arrived. I had 3 alterations appointments before picking up my dress and loved every single one of those appointments. The ladies who do the alterations are so nice and do AMAZING work. They made my dress fit like a glove, it was perfect. Overall my experience was great. They have a lot of dresses in a wide range of prices, all of the staff are great (they never tried to up sell a veil, belt, accessories etc) and my dress was gorgeous. If you are close to the city definitely put Novella Bridal on your list of places to dress shop!

but Carol and her team did such a great job in taking it down to my size--it looked way more beautiful than when I tried on the sample dress!

e. Well, I found a beautiful dress I loved at Novella, took about 3 days to think about it, and came back by myself to try it on and order it. The sales girls were very sweet and helped me set up a Skype call with my mom (who lives out of town), so that she could see the dress before I ordered it. There was a small snafu with my dress delivery. I had paid extra to express ship it, because I was only 5 months out from my wedding. However, my dress arrived about 4 days after it was supposed to (due to the manufacturer shipping it late), so my mom who was in town visiting me was unable to go to my first fitting. Because of this, Novella kindly refunded me my entire shipping cost! Their seamstress is amazing. She knows exactly what she is doing, and I only needed one round of alterations. Also, I had my cathedral-length veil custom made at Novella, and it was perfect! It was about the same price as similar pre-made veils I looked at at David's Bridal. My dress was absolutely gorgeous on my wedding day, and I received so many compliments. It cost ~$1600 (including taxes/alterations) and was much prettier than some $5,000 dresses I tried on!

y and tell them EXACTLY what you want. On the day before the wedding, there were still a few things that needed some minor change with the hand-sewn details. They grumbled about it, saying "next time" I can't tell them these things last minute. In the end, my sister-in-law was stern with them and they were able to do it within 2 hours.

was able to get a sample dress and get it beautifully altered by Carol just in time. There's another shop around the corner (Glamour Closet) who are just a bit more difficult to deal with, and their shop is stressful to be at. Novella is the way to go.

order another size in advance so the issue was resolved immediately, and gave me free alterations. The head seamstress is wonderful and a true professional. You just need to be a bit patient as some of the changes may take an appointment or two to be completed. The shop is lovely and they have a nice range of styles and prices. Sales associates were not pushy at all. Great experience.

I purchased from the salon was gorgeous, but also a little finicky. Carol and her crew stayed 2 hours late the day before I left for my NY wedding to make sure that the dress fit like a glove. I got a million compliments! Not to mention I was given a fairly reasonable (as far as wedding dress alterations go) quote before they began the alterations and that never changed with all the extra work they had to do. Thank you Novella!

ck out some dresses. After each dress, I started to see what I liked and did not like. Jordan was so helpful in explaining more about each dress. When I found my dress, Jordan also informed me about trunk sales, in which if I could get an additional discount on it. What I liked most about Novella Bridal is that they wrote down all the dresses I liked with the price, so I could also shop around elsewhere. I felt like the attention was more so on me finding the perfect dress rather than making a sale with them. I did look around at another couple of wedding dress boutiques and then came back to Novella Bridal during the trunk show to get my dress. I had the alterations done in the store by their seamstress, Carol. Carol was amazing! She modified the neckline to a sweetheart and at the final fitting, it really looked like the originally designed with it. It also fit like a snug glove with no odd wrinkles or creases. I highly recommend this Wedding dress shop and take all my newly engaged girl friends here for their first time.

ely skilled tailors who made the dress fit like a glove. I highly recommend them.

each fitting. Carol is a fantastic seamstress and you cannot ask for better!

ense of Australia, the dress was magical and so happy I went with that choice. Note it is by appointment only! Carol, the woman who does alterations is great to work with and fixed my dress perfectly. Do your alterations there!

od the little details that my bm's and I were requesting and only chimed in when it would have been virtually impossible (tighter on the bum!).

loyees at Novella Bridal are very helpful and friendly. They even do the alterations right there downstairs. It was a great experience.

stop on the list. I had already picked another dress from another salon but told myself I would visit all of the salons before making a purchase and I am SO glad I did. As soon as we walked in the door (me, my mom, and 3 friends) we all froze in the doorway at the PERFECT dress that was on the mannequin. I tried on that dress as well as a few others (they have a lovely selection) and ended up purchasing Florette by Pronovias (the mannequin dress). My sales associate was Jordan, who unfortunately moved so she no longer works there. After my purchase I had 4 fittings with Carol. Carol also came up before I purchased the dress to discuss the alterations I wanted to make. Carol is AMAZING. She works magic in the alterations room and is super friendly. She is truly talented. Great salon, everyone is very friendly, good selection.