Schaffer's

Had a great experience finding the perfect dress. My stylist was able to find exactly what I was looking for.

I got my wedding dress at Schaffer's, and I had an excellent experience overall. I didn't go into Schaffer's planning to buy a dress; I just went to look. My consultant, Mikaila, listened closely to what I wanted. In addition to letting me pick out dresses I was interested in trying on, she brought me a dress that she thought I would like from my descriptions. The dress she brought me was the one I ended up purchasing. The dress was beautiful and everything I hoped it would be. I didn't think I was ever going to find a dress that made me feel bridal and beautiful, but those worries disappeared when I tried on The Dress. I cannot rave enough about Mikaila; she was so kind and intuitive, and she made the whole process a breeze. The only reason I've given Schaffer's four stars is because of the experiences I had with their alterations department. Upon arrival, my dress required significant alterations, and, especially in my first alterations appointment, I felt very unheard. I had to repeat what I wanted several times and felt like I was not being understood. Communication was the biggest barrier in my situation, and it caused me a lot of undue stress leading up to my wedding day. Everything turned out well in the end, and the dress was perfect after the final alterations, so the lost star here is for the extra stress. I would absolutely recommend Schaffer's to other brides, and I would even more strongly recommend Mikaila specifically.

I loved my experience at Schaffer’s! I had a shorter engagement (8 months) and was nervous about finding a dress in time. I also had some ideas of what I liked but didn’t really know what I wanted. Their professional, patient, and knowledgeable staff helped answer all of my questions as well as helped me navigate the whole process. They were up front about prices of various dresses and helped me stick to ones in my budget. I ended up finding a dress off the rack that I loved!

This shop was so amazing, my consultant did such a great job hosting my group while also helping me feel comfortable and confident making such a big decision. Finding my dress was like love at first site and I didn’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get it. They have a wide range in price and style which made this a perfect store for me! I recommend Schaffer’s to every bride!

I am a 60 year old bride and I can not say enough good things about this bridal boutique. Although I am in good physical shape, it is intimidating to find that special dress. It was my second marriage, so I was unsure what I really wanted. Chelsea was so great to work with. She listened to what my ideas were, looked at the pictures I had saved on my Ipad and then showed me at least 20 dresses in the budget that I indicated, 19 of which I liked! She knew the inventory so well and was patient and also fun to work with. Also, they stayed open late one night so my daughter could help me decide on the final selection. Lastly, they recommended an alterations specialist who was quite gifted. You will not be disappointed if you trust this salon for your dress. (Also, it is fun to celebrate in Old Town after you find your dress!!!!) Highly recommend!!!!!

Can't say enough good things about Schaffer's! From an amazing experience trying on dresses with Kimberly, who had the perfect mix of forcing me to be a bit decisive while making sure I felt like a queen, to ripping out the zipper to put in a new one and add real buttons, to making sure it was absolutely perfect when I picked it up the day before, I have no complaints! The dream dress experience! Veil was also from there and was amazing.

Loved the selection of dresses at Schaffer's! I ended up making my purchase here. At times, during the initial appointment and some later fittings, there was a bit of a wait. However, Schaffer's employees never rushed me and gave me lots of time to find the right dress for me. The alterations process was smooth and the seamstress was understanding with the feedback given. The alterations held up and the dress looked gorgeous on the day of. The favorite thing about Schaffer's, beyond the selection, was their flexible hours - I often work late and appreciated their wide availability.

I bought my wedding dress at Schaffer's & loved the experience! The area to browse gowns & try on is very spacious - you don't feel crowded by other brides/families & it's easy to look around. They also have a ton of selections for each price point, so you can shop exactly in your budget. Mikala did such a great job helping me find the perfect gown based on my style & fit! The alterations are on the higher end - though they do a GREAT job. We added some custom alterations to help make my dress even more stunning that it already was and they did such a wonderful job - received so many compliments on my dress!

If u live out of state, this is the wrong place to buy a dress. It cost me $55 to ship a dress. They wouldn’t have the dress submitted directly to me. It had to go to their store in West Des Moines then pay another shipping fee to have it shipped to our home in Missouri. We spent a lot of money at the store for them to add this charge to us. We were not told this upfront. Horrible customer service.

I got my wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses from Schaffers. I went to several bridal salons to try on dresses, and none treated me as well as Schaffers did. My family and I (5 of us) enjoyed being able to browse the dresses, and select ones to try on. My attendant found the dress I ended up buying based on what I told her about my style and price range. Since I ordered my wedding dress here, I was able to get the bridesmaids dresses at a discounted rate. Very happy with communication and speed of shipping. Both the wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses arrived well ahead of schedule.

I was originally very skeptical of getting my dress here because I knew they had a reputation of being overly pricey. But after getting my dress, my husbands suit, and all of my bridal party's dresses and suits here, this is one of the best wedding decisions I've made. First of all, every time I walk in, they know my name and almost all of my wedding party's names AND get my account pulled up even when I have not made an appointment. This makes the whole process so much faster and feels so welcoming. They are incredibly friendly and so easy to work with. When I originally came in to find my dress Joanna was patient and helpful as she helped my bridal party and me navigate their huge dress selection. My mother loved that they only take you to the dresses you can afford and once they get a sense of your style from the ones you have tried on, they go find others for you. That's actually how I found the one! Hal (the suit guy) made sure to get my husband and his guys great suits and even ordered extra free of charge for those guys that he was worried were in between sizes. I never write reviews but I love this place and it is like night and day from the other bridal stores I have been to. I would recommend Schaffers to anyone looking for a quality dress shop.

Working with Megan to find my dress was a dream. I had been dress shopping in Chicago, where my wedding was, and was frustrated by the poor customer service experiences i was having. Buying a dress is a lot of pressure in itself, so having pushing saleswomen makes it worse. Megan was the opposite of that and exactly what I needed! She let me browse dresses, ask questions, and have time to myself as I went through the process. She made it feel like my choice, not being pressured into choosing one right away. I am so thankful for that! I chose to have my alterations done at Schaffers as well. I understand they are two separate entities. The Schaffers employee that facilitated the fittings was very helpful! She helped convey my vision to the team and help get it done correctly. Even had them make alterations on the spot so I could take it home that day! The actual alterations though, I would not recommend. After the first round we did, it had to be completely re done. And, my bustle, which was at 10 points throughout the dress, lasted about an hour into the night. I had two pieces in tact after the wedding.

I had a wonderful experience at Schaffer’s! From my first try-on to my last fitting, every employee I worked with was professional and knowledgeable. They treated me as an individual and helped me to find my dream dress (and made it fit perfectly too!)

I was so happy finding my dress here. They took care of me the entire way and my dress was perfect. I suggest stopping here first!

I got my wedding dress, veil, earrings, my mother's dress and all bridesmaid dresses from Schaffer's. They made it to easy of a process not to! I had Allison as my consultant and she was so much fun and made me feel so relaxed. I had already tried on quite a few dresses before we made it to Schaffer's and I was pretty frustrated with the previous Bridal Salon. Allison joked around me with, made me feel so relaxed and listened to what I wanted in my wedding dress. I knew we had to go back there for bridesmaid dresses and she helped me put all of those together too. The alterations at Schaffer's were so easy, they listened to my thoughts and truly took them into consideration. I couldn't have asked for a better Bridal Shop!

I visited four other local wedding dress stores and Schaffer’s by far had the most options (and several dresses found at other stores were also at Schaffers). I visited them one other time before making my big “say yes to the dress” visit. They have the wedding dresses broke down into sections based on budget, so I didn’t even have to rummage through the ones out of my price range. Everyone I worked with throughout the whole process was so kind and helpful. Alterations were a breeze. I went in for an initial pinning, went in a second time when things were altered but not finalized to fix any issues, everything fit perfect and they finalized my dress! Went to pick it up the week of the wedding and length and everything was amazing for day of wedding. We also worked with Schaffers to rent tuxes (through Skeffington’s). They were so helpful to let me know which guys needed to still come in for measurements and when the rentals came everything worked perfect. They had sent us normal ties for the ring bearers even though we had ordered bow ties, I brought this to their attention (picked up ring bearers outfits Wednesday before wedding) and they said no problem, we will get the correct ties to you by tomorrow. And they got us the bow ties by Thursday afternoon! They made everything a breeze and would highly recommend!

Terrible service. Initially thought it was a great place to buy a dress. Once I set out to have my alterations completed there, turned out to be a VERY different story. On my first alteration, the dress was taken in 4+ inches at the waist and neckline, when it fit PERFECTLY during my fitting and did not need to be taken in at all. They did adjust it and I came back a few hours later to make sure this was remedied. However, then they told me after the final alterations, the dress could simply be picked up by a friend who lived in the area ( I live over 3 hours away). Considering how terrible my first alteration was, I did not trust this option and wanted to try the dress on for myself. However, when I called to make an appointment, I was met with complete disrespect and appalling customer service. I explained that I live over 3 hours away and could only come on a weekend due to my work schedule (I am taking time off for the wedding and honeymoon....in reality who has EXTRA time off near their wedding) and was told that Sundays were not an option as a seamstress was not available. I explained I simply wanted to try the dress on to ensure it was properly altered before paying the rest of my alteration fee (almost $600). After several conversations with VERY RUDE staff members, I was finally told I could come in on Sunday but no staff members would be available to assist as they were booked. When I arrived, there were 3 staff members sitting at the desk and NO CUSTOMERS in the store. While waiting for one to retrieve my dress, I listened to the other 2 discuss how they would make various comments to a customer coming in at a later date/time when she tried on a dress so that she would "finally buy it." Then when I tried on my dress and found it again to have poor fit, the associate made AT LEAST ten plus comments regarding how she wished she could help me with a seamstress present. I continued to tell her I had no other options (my wedding was 12 days away), and she continued to express how she was "so frustrated at the situation" but yet continued to state she could not help me as there was no seamstress. I finally paid the balance to be able to remove my dress from the store and found another seamstress to fix my dress in time for the wedding. AFTER this happened, I found many other reviewers with similar situations....basically they are great for you to buy the dress, but then everything falls apart and they offer VERY POOR service and will not accommodate your schedule at all. I would not recommend this location to anyone.

Hands down recommend going to Schaffer's for your wedding dress. Schaffer's was the fourth place I went to because I was initially steering away from a "big store" experience. What I experienced at Schaffer's was anything but a "big store" experience. My bridal consultant (horrible with names so sorry!) was great with my enthusiastic family and made the day so much fun. At all the other boutiques I had felt pretty in dresses but never felt quite like myself- all that changed at Schaffer's as I picked the third dress I tried on. As soon as I put the dress on I knew I was done. We even got the bridesmaid dresses picked the same day! Some reviews have spoken poorly about the alteration process at Schaffer's but I had nothing but an all-around great experience. My dress was made entirely of small patterned sequins and you somehow couldn't even tell it was altered. Definitely recommend giving these guys a try, thank you for making me feel beautiful at my wedding!

I literally cannot day enough good things. I haven’t fully committed to my gown but this is the only place that hasn’t pressured me into a dress after three different salons. The women took a ton of time to go out of her way and listen to what I want and even plant some new creative seeds! Highly recommend. Also has a great selection.

I can't say enough great things about everyone at Schaffer's!! They were absolutely wonderful. Kristina helped me find my dream gown. I tried on dress after dress--- multiple times :)-- and she was very patient with my family and me. I really appreciated that. I am pretty indecisive and I never felt pressure. She ultimately encouraged me to retry on a dress that I ended up choosing. As for the alterations, they turned out so much better than I could have imagined. I knew I needed some work done to my dress to make it my dream. I trusted Jeneka and Chi and I am so glad I did. They were worth every penny. A special thanks to Jeneka as she made me feel so special and important every time I went in-- that's how every bride should feel. My dress was not an easy one to bustle but I literally cried after seeing how wonderful of a job they did. Not to mention, all of their accessories are stunning. I loved my earrings, veil, and hair pin. Love these guys! I feel like I gained friends in the process. They were professional yet so much fun! If you are looking for the perfect wedding gown experience, Schaffer's is a MUST go. Thank you so much for everything ladies!!

Schaeffers was amazing to work with! I found my wedding dress, bridesmaids dresses, and groomsmen formalwear all at Schaeffers. Their customer service was excellent. They were very easy to work with for alterations for my dress. Just an overall excellent experience!

Schaffers definitely has a selection of dresses that you can’t find anywhere else in Iowa. They carry some higher end brands with amazing couture gowns. However I was really disappointed in the quality and cost of the alterations. My alterations didn’t hold up through pictures (before the ceremony even started) and my concerns were brushed off when I mentioned that I was worried that the bust of the dress wouldn’t stay up and my fitting appointment. I wish I would have been more firm and demanded that they add straps.

I cannot rave enough about how awesome Schaffers is! While I was planning on trying out 2-3 wedding dress stores, there was no need as the first dress I tried on was THE ONE! My stylist Megan was AMAZING. She had one in mind that would be perfect for a beach wedding and she was right. From start to finish they were super accommodating to my large group, I brought 10 people! :) Megan was patient as I tried on many dresses, but in the end, came back to the one she had picked for me to try. It was the most beautiful Hayley Paige dress for the beach. I received SO Many compliments on it. Then came the fittings...they made sure it was absolutely perfect and made sure it would travel well. But not only did they help with my gown, they did 10 bridesmaid gowns & the guys' ties. They made the process so enjoyable and I would highly recommend them to anyone!

For years I have looked forward to visiting Schaffer's, as a little girl I always admired their dresses in the window. So I set up my appointment and went in. I am beyond disappointed with how I was treated. My guests and I were shuffled in and out in under half an hour in spite of trying to put on several dresses. I had very little help with trying on the dresses and my attendant was distant and not very friendly. It was an awful experience, and definitely not the way I expected to be treated at such an establishment.

I was very surprised to find a dress in my budget here. I had made an appointment assuming everything would be out of my budget but they had an area downstairs with off the rack dresses for sale and I found “the one”. Our assistant was very nice and helpful. The shop was beautiful too!

I had a great experience using Schaffer's to find my perfect dress. I wasn't rushed at all during my appointment and they really understood my style. The alterations process was smooth and any concerns I had were quickly addressed. Everyone I interacted with was friendly and helpful. I couldn't have found a better dress for my wedding day.

Schaffer's was amazing from start to finish! Of all the bridal salons that I went to they were by far the best! I will never forget my bridal consultant when I found my dress! She was the absolute best! She got emotional right along with my mom and sister-in-law! Throughout the fitting process I worked with the same seamstress and consultant the entire time! I thought that was so nice..it was really nice to have someone other than my mom know what my dress looked like every step of the way. She remembered what it looked like each time and was able to give me genuine advice!

Tried on a couple different types of dresses. They would not allow us to take pictures of the dresses. I had been able to take pictures at all of the other bridal salons. I thought pictures of me in the dresses were very helpful. I actually end up buy a dress at a different store. It was a dress that was a maybe at first but after going back and looking at pictures of myself it in, I realized I did love it. To be honest, I wrote off Schaffer's because I couldn't remember what the dresses looked like.

Everyone at Schaffer's strived to make the dress purchasing experience a memorable event. Extra attention was paid to the bride to ensure she was pleased with her choice. Fittings were on time and the alterations were skillfully addressed and completed. Accessories were suggested with discreetness and confidence of capturing the look the bride desired. Overall, a great staff with customer service at the top of their list.

I tried on 75+ wedding dresses before I found "the one" at Schaffer's. I was really happy with my dress and the service of the staff. When I ordered my dress, I knew it would come in too large in many areas (I have a small chest and big hips), and I anticipated taking it in. They made this process simple, and they didn't rest until I was happy. Alterations were very expensive, however––I paid $1,800 for my dress, and nearly $600 in alterations alone. I had a bit of sticker shock, but I needed a TON taken in all around the dress, and I understand that's time-consuming and expensive. Great shopping experience, but be prepared financially for alterations if you want them done right––which I felt Schaffer's definitely did.

DO NOT buy your wedding dress here. After having what I thought was a good purchase experience, I called asking for a recommendation for where I could bring the dress to have it cleaned and preserved. The woman I spoke to recommended Noah's Cleaners, who proceeded to RUIN the delicate lace overlay and the bustle hooks. I brought the dress back to Schaffer's with specific requests for them to repair the lace frays, loose buttons, and replace the hooks. I also asked for the dress to be pressed, since I was concerned that the cleaners had shrunk it. I went to pick up today? The ONE piece of lace they "fixed" looked like a high school home ec student basted it...it's lumpy, uneven, and the thread is way too thick. They didn't even touch the rest of the frays OR replace the hooks AND (and this is really the kicker), they actually LENGTHENED the hem rather than pressing it as I specifically requested. In so doing, they ripped through the netting overlay on the dress to resew the lining on, so now where there had been hidden delicate eyes for the bustle buried in the lace, there are three huge ugly loops poking through the holes they made in the netting. I spent over $2000 on this dress, and they managed to make it impossible to feel good about handing this down to my daughter one day. Beyond that, Jennica had the gall to be frustrated with ME that I didn't want them to "fix" it again (like I would EVER leave this dress with them again), and refused to take ownership or responsibility. She even refused to acknowledge the employee who referred me to the dry cleaner, saying they don't make referrals and I should have known better because the dress shouldn't be cleaned. THEN DON'T SEND PEOPLE TO A CLEANER!! Or at least own that ONE of your employees did this and therefore should be held responsible. I should have happy memories surrounding this garment, and should be able to give it to a daughter or friend with joy. Instead, I'm out two grand for something I might as well take to Goodwill. So disgusted with the lack of regard or customer service. Once they get your signature on that contract, say goodbye to any semblance of care or consideration.

I went to 3 other dress shops before I went to Schaffer's and I'm glad I did because it reinforced that I was making the best decision. They did a really good job of organizing dresses by budget and letting the customer pick what they want to try on. I did alterations through the shop and the process was seamless. If I had a concern I could call and it would be fixed by the time I was in for my next fitting. They also took in my dress for me last minute because I lost weight over the summer. The staff was wonderful, I'd definitely recommend them!

I went to a total of 5 bridal shops, including Schaffer's in Arizona and Iowa. Both locations were amazing and hands down better than the higher end boutiques I visited. They are very attentive. The dressing area makes you feel like you have the whole store to yourself. Best of all, I never felt pressured and was able to easily stay in my budget due to the way the store is setup. I cannot recommend Schaffer's enough!!

This was a fantastic salon, from start to finish! The customer service was excellent - from the front desk staff to my stylist, Nicole. She listened very well to what I needed and kept within my price range. Unfortunately I didn't find anything that really wowed me, but the service and selection were fantastic!

A great experience from dress search to the big day. I had so many compliments on the dress but I have even more compliments for those at Schaffer's who worked with me to make sure my dress was just right. I felt on top of the world when I walked down the aisle because I had the dream dress and was marrying the dream guy.

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. Seriously consider reading all of my post! I spent upwards of $2,000 on my wedding dress. I then bought ALL 8 of my $200 bridesmaid dresses from them (we didn't make our wedding party pay for anything), and we got ALL of our tuxes through Schaffer's. So, it is safe to say that we spent well over $5,000 with this store. You would think that after spending all this money and using them for all aspects applicable, they would return their customers with sincere appreciation. NO!!!! INSTEAD, THEY WANT MORE MORE MORE $$$$$$. TOTAL SCAM. THEY WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET MORE AND MORE MONEY OUT OF YOU. If your dress budget is $1500, plan on spending $3,000 for additional costs that they UNETHICALLY sneak in!!! When my bridesmaids came in to get measured for their dresses, Schaffer's had them order alarmingly larger sizes than what they usually wear. My size 0-2 girls were instructed to order a size 8 or 12!!! (Seems made up, but I promise you, it is not!!). My size 6-8 girls were instructed to order their dresses as large as a size 16. SURPRISE! If you need a size 16 (which my bridesmaid DID NOT), Schaffer's requires that you pay an additional $50 for the larger size. They THEN "suggest" (aka persuade) you that all bridesmaids over 5'7 feet tall should add on an additional 2 inches in length to their dress, which ALSO COSTS MORE MONEY. Conveniently, a majority of my bridesmaids were 5'7 or taller. We began to notice a trend here, so I called to ask why my bridesmaids were ordering such large sized dresses. Multiple employees, including the store manager, Lyssa, assured my mom and I that they were "simply following the 'manufacturer's recommendations' and not to be alarmed, that the number on the dress didn't mean anything." The dresses would "match up with the actual measurements that Schaffer's took of my bridesmaids." WRONG WRONG WRONG. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE 8 BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LARGE ON MY BRIDESMAIDS. There is no way that all 8 of my bridesmaids lost 4-5 sizes in weight over a 4 month course of time. SO GUESS WHAT??? Schaffer's wants to now charge us over $150 to alter EACH bridesmaid dress. And that extra 2 inches they added on? THE ADDED ON LENGTH WAS ACTUALLY 4 EXTRA INCHES. We know this because we had to find another alterations lady to help us fix my dresses a few short weeks before our wedding. There is NO WAY that that manufacturer recommendation is that off. This is a known ploy by Schaffer's and it's owners to get more money from their customers. There scam is simple, have customers spend $150-$200 on bridesmaid dresses, measure the bridesmaids, order 2-6 sizes larger than what the bridesmaid is, have the bridesmaid realize the dress is way too large, then charge them RIDICULOUS amounts to have THEIR MISTAKE fixed. As you can guess, the EXACT same situation happened with my wedding dress. Except, they have you come back for 2-3 dress alterations and use these "fittings" as opportunities to charge you for more money. Each time I made an appointment, they would inform me of the charges they "foresaw" me having to pay at my next appointment. Each charge was anywhere from $150-$300. If I would of had all my wedding dress alterations with Schaffer's, I would of spent another $700 on ONLY ALTERATIONS.

Many dress options. For a person who hates dress shopping, the gal who helped me made it as painless as possible. Every time I was in for a fitting or picking up my dress, each person was incredibly friendly and helpful. My dress and veil turned out exactly how I always had pictured them. I would highly recommend this bridal dress store as a the first stop for any bride in the Des Moines area. I didn't even need to look anywhere else because everything I wanted to try on, they had.

I was so happy with the services at Schaffer's. All of the staff was very professional and made me feel good about my decision in making my dress. I was happy with alterations. Most of their dress selection seemed to be over $1000 and alterations cost about $300 on top of that. It was fairly pricey but I felt worth it for the occasion and service.

Overall service was great - the help and follow-up after the purchase of my dress, not so great. I purchased my dress off the rack, naturally it needed a great deal of alterations and they wanted to charge me over $700 to get it down to the size/fit needed. They also wanted to charge me for a garment bag for the dress, and don't offer any wedding dress preservation. I loved the girl who helped me, but everything after that I was pretty disappointed!

I had been to 2 other places looking at dresses. I tried on two at Schaffer's before trying on the one that I bought for my wedding. When I was in the dressing room I did NOT like the dress. It was very busy and thought it was too much for me. My mother in law and aunt both got teary eyed and said it was a PERFECT dress. When I went to the distant mirror I loved it! I tried on a veil and tiara and fell in love. Since i purchased within 24 hours of trying it on I got a discount as well as a discount on the veil and tiara. I did not like however that I could not take pictures before buying to help decide that night if it was the best choice for me.

I bought a dress that had been a sample dress (where other customers tried this dress on and then they ordered that same dress in that customer's specific size and had it shipped to them). It was WAY cheaper than it otherwise would have been. They also made any corrections to it that had happened such as a tear in the lace or loose beading. The only thing that happened that I didn't know was we had to take it and pay for it to be dry cleaned in the middle of them fixing it. I had assumed they were going to do that but apparently not. Either way I got a good deal, but make sure to ask about that beforehand if you are going to buy a sample (still worth it) just so you know your total cost.

Everyone was friendly and helpful! Beautiful gowns at affordable prices! THANK YOU!

My wedding dress was perfect! The customer service was incredible--they really tuned into me during my dress shopping experience! And they were great to work with for our tuxes and bridesmaids dress shipping also! Really recommend them!

I recently had an appoint here to try on wedding dresses. I felt I had a decent budget at 1200-1500 dollars but was surprised that the store only had about a wall and a half length rack within my price range. I also was disappointed that I couldn't take any photos of the dresses unless I committed to buying. The appointment was limited to 90 mins is I felt rushed. I did find a beautiful veil here and came back and purchased it the following day but purchased my dress elsewhere.

I grew up going to Schaffer's for my prom, homecoming, and winter formal gowns back when they were downtown. As a bride some ten years later, Schaffer's was my first (and only) stop in the hunt for my dream dress. Before coming into the salon, I did some online searching to see a variety of styles. I knew I did not want a strapless style, which narrowed down my choices considerably. When I found a gown I liked online, I called Schaffer's to see if they carried the line (Mikaella by Paloma Blanca). To my surprise and delight, they informed me that a sample of that exact dress was arriving in a week! People say that you never really like the dress you see in a picture worn by a model, so I went in with an open mind. Megan, my fabulous bridal consultant, helped me try on about a dozen dresses, including the one from the picture. They had a variety of beautiful gowns that had the design features I wanted (all lace, not strapless) but in the end I chose the Mikaella. Schaffer's has a wonderful deal for brides -- if you "say yes to the dress" (buy) within a week of first trying it on, you receive a 20% discount off the list price of the gown. Same goes for veils/headpieces and accessories! So I saved quite a bit of money on a designer dress, a headpiece, and a jeweled belt, which was a nice bonus! Onto the alterations process. Sally, my alterations consultant, was simply wonderful. She has a meticulous eye for detail and worked with the seamstress Mo to make sure the dress fit me to the tee. No detail was too small -- we added buttons, shortened sleeves, attached the belt to the dress, raised the waist, shortened the hem, did a custom bustle, and more. I had three fittings plus a final pick-up appointment and the progress that was made at each session made me confident that I made the right dress choice and the right bridal salon choice. I could not be happier with how it turned out and felt so beautiful on my big day. People could not stop talking about how elegant my gown was, which is what every bride wants to hear on her wedding day! Thank you again for everything, Megan, Sally, and Mo! A final pro tip for brides -- schedule your hair trial for the morning of your final pick-up appointment. Then when you try the dress on for the last time, it will feel like a true dress rehearsal! I got goosebumps!

We found my wedding gown here. They have a fair amount of really nice (albeit expensive) gowns, but they also have some that are beautiful AND reasonably priced. I did feel a little bit pressured to buying the gown on our first visit, but I knew it was the one I wanted so it wasn't a big deal. The alterations a bit were more than I was expecting to pay, but there were no issues with any of them, and the lady really knew what she was doing. You get what you pay for with alterations! All the women I worked with seemed to go out of their way to make me feel special, and I really appreciated that.

I do not have any huge complaints about Schaffer's. Everything went fairly smoothly. I had a really tough time getting scheduled for fittings at times that were convenient with my work schedule and it is kind of a long drive from where I live for the middle of the day. I worked with a different person each time I came in, and it would have been nice to have some coordination there. They have a good selection and a range of prices. All this said, the dress looked great, so I was happy!

the girls here are so great! Very helpful, and the gal even picked out my dress for me to try on, didnt think I would like, and I fell in love with it immediately! Tell them what you like, and they will find it for you!

Schaffers has a great selection of bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses! Tuxes also available, as well as mothers dresses!

The girls at Schaeffers are so helpful!!! They also have a great selection of gowns at various prices!

I found my dream dress at Schaeffers. The girl that helped me was very nice. Great place and great quality!

Awesome staff--totally recommend Meghan!

They found me "the dress" and the best part was, that I hated it on the hanger!

Schaffer's was the first place I looked and the last place I needed to. My consultant took what I described and knocked it out of the park. I bought my dress within 24 hours and received 20% off - which ended up paying for all my alterations. They are helpful without being pushy and really helped me toward finding the right dress for me!

Beautiful gowns and great service! There is a wide selection of styles and prices of gowns. I ended up with two gowns for my wedding, one for the ceremony and a second for the reception. The staff is very friendly and patient. Alterations were amazing! They were able to make adjustments the week before my wedding after I had lost weight and it fit like a glove. Very happy with everything from Schaffer's and would recommend to anyone getting married!

Schaffers was the only place I ever considered buying my dress from. Their reputation said it all! The staff is great and willing I go the extra step to make sure everything is perfect!

I got my dress online from Lord & Taylor but got it tailored at Schaffer's. The tailoring was rather expensive but they did an excellent job and were very attentive.

I bought my wedding dress from here. It was beautiful! Everyone here was very friendly and easy to work with!

I had such a great experience purchasing my wedding dress at Schaffer's. Service was awesome. All of the ladies at the store were so caring, nice and listened to what I had in mind. Easy to schedule appointments. Great alterations ladies, too!

My dress was my favorite part of my wedding! The staff was extremely helpful. I decided not to do my alterations there due to cost but my dress was very reasonable.

I got my wedding dress here and loved it. However, I was supposed to get my bridesmaid dresses here as well. Spent a whole afternoon with my bridesmaids looking for dresses and picked out a dress just to find out that it was discontinued two weeks later (I found this out on my own by trying to find it online). That was very frustrating that they weren't aware of this and didn't give me a heads up. I was able to talk to them and they were friendly when dealing with this issue. Again, loved my wedding dress. The only bad thing was that the lady who did my alterations had to re-sew a lot of the beading because it was coming off which was frustrating.

I bought a sample size which needed taken in 12 sizes. They did a great job but you do pay for it. They were very nice about letting me come in multiple times to try it on with accessories or to show family. Never pressured me to buy their expensive jewelry and even steam cleaned my veil from another store. All in all, very professional, no hidden fees, no pressure, sweet employees but a little expensive.

Every experience I have ever had with Schaffer's has been a positive one. My sister also bought her gown and her bridemaids dresses here. They have always been so friendly and patient. Everything was taken care of on time. My dress cost under $1000, and after adding a belt and alterations, it was still under $1400 easily. They have such a great selection of dresses in all price ranges. I would recommend this place above all of the other 4-5 places we went hands down.

I could not have been more excited about my dress! But who wouldn't be excited about their wedding dress? I didn't want to take it off by the end of the night! I don't remember who I had as a consultant when I was there but she did a fabulous job. She showed me anything and everything that was in my budget but close to what I was looking for of course. She ended up finding me a designer sample that was on sale. One of a kind considering I would not be able to find it in my price range ever again. I was absolutely GORGEOUS! I didn't know that I would end up getting a dress like it but it was an amazing deal and I could not have found a better dress at the price anywhere else. They had a lot of other choices within my budget. I went with my mom, a bridesmaid and my sister. It's nice to have someone's opinion that knows what they're talking about besides what it looks like on you. She talked about how the dress was made, what made it so unique and different from any other dress. We really appreciated the information she gave us before we decided to buy it! On the day of, the dress was absolutely breathtaking. Everyone was in love with it and asked where I found it! I don't have any information about how their alterations department is because we went somewhere else. My wedding was in Minnesota so we wanted to get it altered up there. I don't have any doubts that they would do an amazing job. Overall, incredibly satisfied.

I had a great experience working with all the ladies of Schaffer's. You can tell they really love what they are doing. The store is beautiful and they made it easy to come in for fittings & alterations with my busy schedule. My only regret is ordering a dress a size larger than I wanted, because I was told it was easier to take in then let out. This racked up unnecessary alteration costs, because it was huge. I also removed the recommended bra cups on the day of the wedding because they changed the shape of the bust dramatically & were uncomfortable.

I loved Schaffers and my dress. The staff were all great too. The only complaint I have is the cost of alterations and the additional fees. The alterations for both my dress and the bridesmaid dresses were outrageous.

I have absolutely loved Schaffer's gowns for as long as I can remember. They're about the most "high fashion/high class" dresses you can find in central Iowa, which is why I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anything in my budget. But low and behold, I happened to stumble in during their blowout sale, and boy do they mean blowout! It's seems to be in or around June of every year, but it's definitely worth checking out. Suddenly almost all of their dresses, even couture, were in my price range! You do have to buy off the rack, but I bought a brand new Spring 2012 dress in June of 2012 for almost half of the original price and one that they hadn't sold to anyone else. The sale is worth buying off the rack. Even with alterations my dress was still under my original budget! The staff is so friendly and easy to work with. If you want something done, they'll find a way to do it! Also a more modern bridal salon, they don't make you wear a slip or a corset strapless bra. I could wear my own spanx and they tacked bra cups in so no need to wear a bra! It was exactly what I wanted in a dress shopping experience. Go to Schaffer's!

Easy to work with and had good selection in many different sizes!

got my dress at the sample sale so it was a great dress for a wonderful price, the place is lovely inside and they makes you feel like you are special, did my fittings and alterations there and they pressed my dress before my wedding, overall wonderful service!!

It was not love-at-first-sight with my dress. After alteration, I fell in with the dress... The tailor did an AMAZING job with it! It was the perfect dress!

Nice, clean bridal store. Staff seemed to know what they were talking about. Received the dress when they estimated.

I loved shopping here and they were so helpful in finding my dress! They have a great selection and the overall experience was great and fun!

They were very nice and helpful! She knew exactly what I wanted and pulled all dresses that I really liked! I ended up going with the very first one I tried on! :)

Beautiful bridal store with very helpful girls working there! I went to the Arizona shop in Scottsdale, which had just been opened, and it was truly a great experience! We came in with a larger-ish crew (6 of us) and they brough over extra chairs. The dress selection was great (wide price range) and they had dressing/ show rooms that provided different lighting (night lighting) so you could really see how the dress would look at night/ for the first dance. They offere a discount if you get your bridesmaid dresses through them too, and were very helpful throughout that process as well. Over-all, it was a great experience!

Tasha was amazing and SAVED the day. She helped me to find the perfect dress and everything was great except the alteration was mishandled and I had to get it fixed myself. She did everything to help and made me feel confident in this establishment. Make sure you go to Tasha if you want a great experience and a caring salesperson.

I ended up buying my dress here in February for my October wedding. I am from IA, but the wedding was in CA. I will say that compared to other experiences, I didn't find the service to be that outstanding. She basically asked me my price point and told me to pick out dresses from a whole wall without any help. I was also told that I wouldn't be able to come back for more, and she didn't offer to pick more based on what style I liked. Luckily, I saw beautiful flowers on one, and although I didn't like the way it looked on the hanger, I loved the dress on. I ordered it and they said it should be in around 5-6 months. I found it annoying that they couldn't get a tracking number for the dress once it was sent to the store. It was a source of stress when I was coming back to Iowa for a weekend almost 1 month before my wedding and wasn't sure if the dress would be in. I was able to get 10% off buying it there and still love the dress, so while the service wasn't spot on, I will give it a decent rating.

Salespeople are awesome! My consultant convinced me to try on a dress that was the opposite of what I envisioned and I ended up falling in love with it!

Overall my experience was good. Always got me in on time and were very friendly. Prices for accessories were a little high but had a wide range of dress prices. Got mine on the sample sale and it was perfect!

Purchased the bride and bridal party's shoes here and they were great. We loved the selection and availability. The associates were all friendly and helpful. They had our custom shoes back in one week and everything was perfect!

These girls are awesome at what they do! I described what I like in a dress and my consultant brought me exactly what I was looking for. They offer great promotional deals as well. Every time I went in for a fitting the consultants all made me feel like I was special. I didn't feel like just another appointment. Alterations went so well and my dress turned out PERFECT!

When I first stepped into Schaffer's and started looking at the price tags, I questioned whether or not this would be the place I could afford to buy my gown. The lady that worked with me (Amanda) did an amazing job of listening to what I was looking for and convincing me to try on different dresses. The "one" turned out to be one that I never would have chosen on my own, but the minute I stepped into it, I fell in love. We bought all of our bridesmaid dresses here and rented our tuxes through them as well. They were great about scheduling me for fittings during times that worked best for my schedule. Overall, I do not have any complaints.

I purchased my dress at this shop. Luckily the one I fell in love with was the cheapest one I found there. Although the selection is huge the price range is huge too. So don't get caught up in trying on dresses that are out of your budget. The staff was very friendly and helpful. I'd recommend going here!

This shop was nice from the outside. Inside however, was a completely different story. The sales associates were only concerned about getting a sale and wanted a sale from brides with a high or unlimited budget...I'm assuming they would get a higher commission this way. Anyway, they barely helped us and I felt practically pushed out the door once I told them my budget--which was still very reasonable but not like the $3,000+ budgets I know some other brides also in the store had. Needless to say, only go there if you're willing to hand over your wallet to them and let them rip you off! There's several other dress shops with the same dresses, cheaper prices and nicer sales associates!

Ask for Ali - she was my consultant and she was really fantastic. Although this wasn't one of my favorite salons based on their selection, Ali was great and helped me find The Dress. Ali seemed very experienced and was very knowledgeable and helpful, as well as friendly and easy-going. She gave me a tour of the salon and explained how everything was laid out, and then encouraged us to browse for ourselves while she also pulled things. She told me right off the bat that she wouldn't feel offended if I didn't want to try something on that she had pulled, which I appreciated (I always feel awkward doing that, even though I know the consultant is not the designer). Selection-wise, Schaffer's was pretty comparable to most other places I've visited in Iowa, meaning a fairly limited selection, very few non-strapless dresses and not a large selection of lace dresses. Price-wise, the non-sale racks were divided into roughly thirds of $700 to $1000, $1000 to $2000 and $2000+. There were also a couple sale racks, one with dresses that were $1000+ marked down into the low-mid hundreds, and one with much more expensive dresses marked into the low thousands. Excluding one dress I pulled off the sale rack, I didn't really find anything I wanted to try on. However, Ali found me my dream dress. I wasn't even sure I wanted to try it on when she showed it to me, because it had a fuller skirt than I had been looking for and wasn't allover lace, but as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was The One. Moreover, it was well within my budget (and when I commented on this to Ali, she said she wouldn't have brought me something that wasn't within my budget, which I really appreciate...if you've read my previous wedding dress shopping reviews, you know this isn't always the case!) Even though we had found my dream dress here at a great price, I think the thing that really sealed the deal on us (especially my mom) wanting to buy it from here rather than shop around was Ali - she was so helpful and accommodating with all our requests. Not only did she want to work with us to get stuff figured out (like how we would be able to do the alterations with me in California and the dress in Iowa), she actually had the knowledge to help us make informed decisions. So although I can easily see how the store could have been an only ok experience, it was a great experience thanks to Ali.

I had outstanding service the whole time I was there. I planned my wedding in about 6 months, so they were very honest about which brands of dresses realistically were and were not good options for that time frame, which I appreciated. I didnt waste time trying on things that wouldnt be delivered in time of my wedding. The only down fall was the extreme expense of having my dress altered there- alterations were OVER half the cost of the dress.

I found my dream wedding dress at Schaffer's!! Added bonus, it was on the clearance rack for $200 because it was last years model! It was in perfect shape! Great experience!!

Schaffer's has a great selection of wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses. The staff was really friendly and easy to work with. I was very pleased with my wedding dress and alterations.

I visited Schaffer's Bridal first when looking for my wedding gown. Tasha listened to me descirbe my dream dress (which they didn't have in my size to try on) and pulled one that she thought would be similar and flatter my figure. My friends and I loved the dress, but of course, I had to try on about 50 more, including my dream dress. I ended up coming back to Schaffer's and buying the first dress that Tasha had picked out for me. Their service was awesome. I even showed up for a fitting appointment on the wrong day and they squeezed me in since I had driven so far. My only complaint is that they had my wedding date in the computer about a week before my actual date and never even called when my "wedding date" had passed and I hadn't picked up my dress. Other than that small misunderstanding that had no effect on my dress or my wedding, I was very very pleased with this venue and would recommend Schaffer's Bridal to anyone looking for their wedding dress. The girls made the experience fun and fancy. Everyone made me feel beautiful and seemed excited to work with me. And as for Tasha, she really knows how to do her job; she knew what my dream wedding dress was before I did and was patient and respectful when working with me. I can't thank her enough for helping me find the real dress of my dreams. I adore it!

The first and second times I went in, I had the same consultant and she was fantastic. After my dress was ordered though, and every fitting after that, I had a different consultant. Overall they were well informed and were a help. However, I had awful experience during a fitting. I don't have that consultant's name but she made many negative comments about my dress and my body in the dress. I would still recommend the shop because my dress was amazing and I didn't find something like it anywhere else. However, my one recommendation for the shop would be to assign 1 consultant to each buyer to be with her for the entire journey from initial try-on to final fitting.

I could not be happier with my experience with Schaffer's! I bought my wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, and rented the tuxedos there. The staff was extremely knowledgeable and went above and beyond to help. They kept track of who had sent in measurements for tuxes and bridesmaid dresses and let me know if there were any stragglers. The alterations they did on my dress turned out beautifully! I definitely recommend them!