I had an incredible experience with Dina at Preowned Gowns! I'd made appointments with one other preowned/consignment dress vendor and one other new dress vendor. My hope was to save on the cost by going the preowned route.
The first preowned ...vendor I went to was kind and attentive enough, but they didn't have a varied selection - which I understand is part of the "risk" of doing preowned. Preowned Gowns was my next appointment, and I'm ecstatic to say that I found my dress there and canceled my appointment with the new dress vendor!
Here is what made Preowned Gowns so wonderful:
-First, let's start with Dina, the owner. AN ABSOLUTE GEM OF A HUMAN! She welcomed us right away with a big smile, and radiated excitement! Honestly, it felt like I was shopping with a friend while benefitting from their professional experience and opinion. Not only was she friendly and positive, she was knowledgable and discerning! What I mean is, I was able to give her some gown buzz-words and she knew exactly how to interpret them and select gowns that fit what I was looking for. I was feeling stressed, looking for a gown with just over 3 months until my wedding, but she made me feel relaxed and helped me have fun!
-Where the other vendor's space felt like a warehouse, Dina's space is a gorgeous, warm, inviting space! The gowns are on a few long dress racks instead of clustered on 20 tiny round racks. I was able to catch a lot more detail that drew me in that way.
-Her selection is awesome with varied styles and varied pricing. At the beginning of the appointment, we agreed that I wouldn't even try on dresses that were over budget. I'm grateful that the dress I love and bought was by luck, waaaaay under budget, but there were definitely a couple of over-budget gowns that caught my eye that I might have loved just as much. I say that to emphasize that her selection really does cater to a vast array of styles and budgets.
-Something to think about: Since these are, in fact, preowned gowns, most have been altered to fit the previous owner. While that could be seen as a stressor, it actually worked out really well for me! I am very close to the same size as the previous owner. You know what that means! Minimal alterations! I'd encourage you to see "already altered" as more of a plus than a stressor. It means the gown was already formed to fit a real body, and chances are you'll only need to make small alterations yourself.
I cannot stress enough how grateful I am for Dina at Preowned Gowns. If you're not sure whether you want to go totally new or try preowned, I strongly recommend making an appointment here! You will not regret it!