Schone Bride

e, I didn't want to have to wear someone's old dress or a bridal store sample or wear a BHLDN/J. Crew gown--a lot of their silky stuff is polyester, etc. Her shop is a very happy medium. We got to meet Rebecca too and she was so friendly and nice. The whole experience felt really good and an appropriate amount to pay for a beautiful, handmade gown. Anyway, I loved Rebecca's gowns online so made an appointment to visit the shop. It was very comfortable and had good customer service. They had just gotten a new line of hers in and I loved the second gown I tried on, so we got that one. It was pretty simple! Everything else was pretty straightforward from there -- we got some accessories and the recommendation for a tailor from the store. I adored my dress (the "Sadie" gown in ivory), which was absolutely perfect for my venue (The Prospect Park Boathouse). It was classic but also unusual--no one at the party had ever seen a dress exactly like it--and I felt totally comfortable in it all night. I also didn't need to develop an eating disorder to look good in it. Wouldn't change a thing. My now-husband loved it too.

the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful. I worked most closely with Annie; she's absolutely fantastic and has an incredible eye! Rebecca Schoneveld's dresses are stunning, and the ability to customize your look takes the experience to a whole new level. Annie was so accommodating as I tried a variety of customizable options and helped style the perfect look. The process was so much more enjoyable and easy than I ever would have expected. Schone Bride is a gem of a store!

princess at the salon. Chloe was lovely to work with each of the three or four times I visited the salon to try on dresses. I was so happy with what I selected. The only issue I had was that alterations are not offered on site. Not that it is too difficult to find a good tailor in New York, but it can be a bit of a challenge to coordinate picking up a dress and bringing it to a different location to be altered within a time frame that makes sense leading up to your wedding.

tices. Schone Bride seems to truly be a place that values and respects both its customers and its staff. And you just can't argue with those dresses. Stunning.

t was until March 2017, when I tried on my dress and had a mid-bridal-crisis and realized the dress I picked out just really did not feel like me (and I so hated to be "that" bride!) and realized that I settled for it mostly due to its extremely reasonable price. After some tears, a lot of guilt, and other dramatic musings, I pulled myself together and made it my mission to get appointments booked for THAT week, and lucky for me, Schone Bride fit me in. Funny thing is, before I was in the market for a wedding dress, I eyed Rebecca's dresses on Etsy. At that point, I lived in DC and went to a store that carried some of her dresses and loved them, but didn't quite find the right one. Fast forward a few months, and after a very unexpected move to NYC and I realize I live .5 miles from Rebecca's shop...it felt serendipitous, to say the least. I set up two appointments for that week, one at a store in Midtown which was fine but quite dark and dismal inside (come on, who wants to try on expensive wedding dresses in a dressing room with dirty carpet and under harsh, fluorescent lights?) I thought I found a good option there, but I made the dash over to Schone and never looked back. After realizing that my bridal consultant (Annie!) was the coolest girl ever, she walked me through the (beautiful!) store and talked through my price range and let me know right away about a rush fee I'd have to pay to get my dress in time (which was reasonable). She made me feel at ease, she totally got why I didn't love my original dress and she didn't make me feel the least bit uncomfortable/judged about my situation. I tried on several of Rebecca's dresses that I loved, but the ones I was really liking exceeded my budget. But! Something I didn't realize until getting to Schone/being informed by Annie was that in addition to Rebecca's beautiful dresses, Schone also features a few other collections designed by other awesome women. With that in mind, Annie steered me toward the Anais Anette Trunk show (10% discount!) that was in the store that weekend - and I found my absolute dream dress that felt so "me" that it felt like I was dreaming - I finally felt like a bride while also feeling like me - I didn't feel like I was playing "dress up" anymore. And as I patiently await my dresses' arrival, I constantly thumb through photos of it...which makes me sound a little vain, but it's really exciting to find a dress you love so much :) Annie gets an extra star, because while I was trying on dresses, my fiance was texting me frantically as my dog was suffering the beginnings of what turned out to be a serious medical emergency (don't worry, he's ok!). Our dog is so important to us, and Annie was incredibly understanding. I can't thank her enough for that. Thanks, Schone Bride for the awesome experience and beautiful dress!

pointments I tried on pretty much every dress in the store but the Chellise was still the one. I happily put down the 50% deposit that could have easily bought a used car or paid for a semester of community college. Went and did my measurements a few months later, went back for another measurement appointment after an important one got missed by their consultant. Held up my end of the bargain every step of the way. Fast forward to April, two and half months before my July 1 wedding. The first fitting. Except it didn't fit. It didn't fit at all. The bottom looked like a garbage bag and the top was a couple inches from closing. It was supposed to be made to my closest street size. Last I checked, street sizes don't vary much, especially when you're the designer. While trying not to panic, the store manager came in redid my measurements. I watched her write them down next to the earlier ones. Nothing too drastic in terms of the difference. Realizing that stress levels were beginning to rise, the manager and a consultant tried to keep me in the fitting room and instructed my mother and me to keep our voices down. So as not to disturb the two other potential brides shopping? Not cool. Even less cool? Saying they'd get back to me with a solution that very same day and not emailing me until the next morning. Not a phone call, an email. Their proposed solution? Three weeks to fix their mistake. No explanation, no apology, nothing. Just like three weeks, no big deal. But it is a big deal when invitations are being sent out, showers are happening and you've got a bride without a dress. At the very least, my dress should have been bumped to the top of their queue and turned around as quickly as humanly possible. After the lame treatment I received following the fitting and the heinous craftsmanship of the dress I witnessed, I decided I'd be better off without Schone Bride in my life. Did I mention I live over an hour away? So every trip in (5 so far) takes me half a day and a crazy amount in tolls. And that I'm two-ish months from my wedding? They didn't care though. Every solution they proposed, including the text messages Rebecca sent me in lieu of picking up the phone, were on Schone Bride's terms. Their confidence in their skills, their other options for fixing the dress. I have no confidence in their skills. They couldn't even make my dress to street size (they don't do custom sizing). They couldn't even apologize. They couldn't even explain how it happened. No transparency. No real sympathy for the customer. There were even more (minor) hiccups and headaches along the way that I could spell out but frankly I would have just preferred they give me part of my deposit back so I would have more money for another dress.

ridal dress journey (believe me, it was a journey), and I left thinking not much of it. I'd had a great time, and that they just didn't have exactly what I was looking for—the dresses were either too vintage-y or too boho for me. But after 3 months of soul searching and obsessive atelier visits, I still hadn't found the perfect gown in my price range. I was starting to panic since my wedding was 6 months out. I didn't want to be naked on my wedding day. And even more so, I did NOT want to step foot in David's Bridal. Sorry, I'm a snob. So I made a panicked appointment with Schone and they were able to squeeze me in THAT DAY. When I came in, Annie's and my eyes locked, and she was just like, "Girl, WTF are you doing." So I told her that I had seen a dress on Claire LaFaye's site that I wanted to try on. I thought it might be IT. Claire is a sweet little indie designer based in Portland, Oregon. Schone can get her dresses, but they have to special order samples for you. And because I am the most unlucky person alive, Claire's only sample was touring for a trunk show in Georgia. It wasn't looking good for my now dream dress. Everyone told Annie, sorry, it ain't gonna work. But SHE FOUGHT FOR ME. Annie convinced Claire to finish up the second sample she was working on and RUSH IT ACROSS THE COUNTRY for me so that I could try it on. I paid for shipping (like $80), but I was happy to. I went in like a week later, tried it on, and ordered it on the spot. It was delightful. And it looks fucking sexy. Truth be told, Annie is the baddest dress hustler in the biz and she will take care of you. I am picky af and she is now my guardian angel/adopted mother. Go see her.

owroom itself is beautiful (and you can see the studio too!) and organized, and everyone there is cool, collected, and treats you like a queen. Lastly, Schone is completely communicative and responsive to questions throughout the decision and design process. They go above and beyond to help customize a dress for you, even if it is from one of their other designers. I absolutely love my dress and would recommend all brides in NYC start (and hopefully finish!) their search here.

tions are set up to be completely customizable, and the girls at Schone let me try on endless combinations of skirts, bodices, and tops until I finally found the winning one! Besides the stylists, the shop has an amazing vibe unlike many of the other boutiques I visited. Fun, amped-up music; bright, colorful decor; and laid-back, easygoing staff set Schone apart from the other stuffy salons I went to. Loved working with them and can't wait to get my dress!

she was elated her dress was finally ready. We arrived for the fitting to be greeted by a stand-in sales rep who apologized for the poor presentation of the dress, followed by excuses that our regular sales rep had just painted her nails and couldn't attend the fitting. The appointment quickly disintegrated further when it was apparent that the dress didn't fit (their error) and appeared shabbily made. Their solution to their admitted mistake on measurements was to offer a remade dress with new delivery date in May, putting us weeks from the date of the wedding. The unprofessional staff, suspect quality of the merchandise and "blame the bride" attitude make Schone Bride one to skip.