Gavin Christianson Bridal Reviews
Reviews
4.3 out of 5 rating
4.3 out of 5 rating
16 Reviews
86% recommend it
Awards
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![Debbie]()
Debbie Sent on 08/02/2019Gavin Christianson Bridal
The BEST experience ever, excellent customer service! Excellent dress selections and they make you feel like you are their number one priority!! -
![Keisha Simpson]()
Keisha Sent on 12/22/2021Awesome experience!
I was warmly greeted and the process to assist me in locating "the dress" was so thoughtful! Would recommend them to anyone looking for a wedding dress! -
![Chelsea]()
Chelsea C. Sent on 07/02/2022Found The Dress
I bought my dress in September 2019 for my wedding. I did not feel like I had as personalized of a wedding dress shopping experience as I had hoped. However, I found a beautiful wedding gown that was also a sample (only around $700). I was very pleased with my wedding dress and the price. They also had other beautiful dresses but they were outside my price range. -
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![Ashira]()
Ashira Sent on 10/24/2023Experienced and knowledgeable
Overall I had a great experience with Gavin Christianson Bridal! The team is knowledgeable and experienced in helping brides find and divine their individual style. I went in not having a clear idea of my “Dream dress.” However through a few questions and trial dresses they quickly helped me find the perfect dress for me! Cost of the dress was fair for the style and fashion line! No complaints there.
I would also note that the seamstress/tailor that they partner with is not located in Durham. Instead you will have to travel to Raleigh. However they were very upfront about this in the beginning. If you’re a local bride this is probably not that big of a deal but if you’re traveling a good distance then that’s something to consider.
Timeliness in response and arriving on time for appointments is the only area I think could use some improvements. For local brides when the bridal shop opens a several minutes late this may not be an issue. However when I’m commuting >2 hrs for fittings and I am able to arrive early to ensure I don’t interfere with other brides appointments I think the same courtesy should be afforded and communicated if delays arise.
Again, my overall experience in the dress shopping and delivery of the gown was great! If you’re a bride looking for fashion and high end gowns, or even similar to myself…someone who isn’t quite sure what you’re looking for and need a bit more hand holding I would strongly suggest !!!! -
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![Alexia]()
Alexia L. Sent on 11/28/2020Bad Experience
I’m actually shocked this store has such high reviews, and I’m also very disappointed i didn’t get the 5 star experience I was expecting.
I’ll start with the pros:
- the consultant was VERY quick with getting me into dresses, so we got through a lot quickly
- The consultant was able to mimic adding sleeves and belts to emphasize dresses, so she definitely had some creative alternative options
- You get the entire store to yourself (or at least we did)
The bad:
I scheduled an afternoon appointment because I saw an ad online that they had budget friendly sample dresses on sale (under $1,000, I think most were like $600-$800). I booked an appointment online, but the minimum requirement to put down as my budget was something around $1,500. I also wrote in the description that I would’ve gone dress shopping at a few stores before the Gavin appointment.
After I booked, I decided the sale was just TOO good so I rescheduled to a 10:30 AM appointment the same day so I’d have first picks of the great dresses! I then received a call from the store to confirm the appointment and discuss my vision. I explained to her that my budget was NOT $1,500, and I only put that because the website forced me to. I explained I was only interested in sample dresses.In addition, I explained since I changed the appointment time, this would actually be my first bridal appointment ever. She understood (or at least I think she did). She also suggested that I send photos of inspiration (and any Pinterest links) to their Instagram before the appointment, which I did.
So, the day of the appointment arrives. We arrived early, around 10:15, just to be safe. The doors were locked, so we stood outside for ten minutes while we waited for someone to show up and unlock the store. I understand we were the first appointment of the day, but I would expect the doors to be open more than five minutes before an appointment.
When we got inside my mom and sister were instructed to sit on a different sofa while I sat and filled out a form and discussed my vision. The stylist said she went through my Pinterest board and said I was “all over the place,” and to be honest, the tone was not very friendly. It came off more like I was annoying her that I didn’t know EXACTLY what I wanted. Well how could I? I hadn’t tried on any dresses yet. In addition, I would not say my style was ALL over the board. Most were lace, sleeved, and low back. In addition, she said that in my profile I had written that I would’ve been to a few stores beforehand, and that my budget was $1,500. I explained to her that that was incorrect, and that I talked to someone on the phone a week prior explaining that. I guess the message didn’t get routed/my profile wasn’t updated.
So, we begin trying on dresses. There were pins on the floor which I had to move that my bare feet wouldn’t step on. When I put dresses on I felt more like I was interrogated about why I didn’t like them, and had to justify why I didn’t like something. It didn’t come off in a friendly/helpful tone, and it made me feel bad for not liking dresses. When I went back to the dressing room the stylist would purposely step on my dress to keep me from walking in too far so she could zip me out of it. I don’t know about you, but if I’m buying a dress off the rack, I wouldn’t want anyone stepping on my dress.
We did not take any photos (there are signs around the stores instructing it’s prohibited) so even if I did like any of the dresses, I wouldn’t have remembered what they looked like. I think the stylist might have said we could’ve taken a photo of the top dress only, but none were worth photographing. After we went through all the dresses in my budget, the appointment ended early and we left. It was very disappointing because I paid a $30 non refundable deposit for the appointment. After the appointment my mom and sister told me that when I was not paying attention, they got up to look at dresses and were immediately instructed to sit down and not move. Other stores I went to had a “no touch policy” due to covid, but they were much friendlier about it.
Overall, my family and I did not feel welcomed in the store, the stylist was not very friendly (it felt more like she just wanted us to try on everything and get out). Luckily we got this appointment over first because we had AMAZING experiences at the five stores we went to afterwards (which were ALL not as “high end”, and didn’t charge me a deposit). All of the other stores let us take pictures, were super excited for us to show up, didn’t make me feel bad for not liking dresses, and were very welcoming and friendly.
I’m sure not everyone will have the same experience I did, and they do have nice dresses, but I would never recommend this store to anyone after the experience we had. I am incredibly happy I did not give this store any of my business. I pray no other bride has the experience I had here, and I really hope the store turns things around, because it has so much potential!Gavin Christianson Bridal's reply:
Alexia,
We're very saddened to hear how you feel about your experience at GCB. As you noted we do have consistently high reviews from brides and their families that detail an amazing experience. We aim to provide all brides with a quality product and a high service environment. We apologize if you feel you did not receive this while at our salon.
We do have trained consultants dedicated to assisting with trying on the gowns and answering any style or fit questions.
We do have a nominal consultation fee and remain happy to apply it to a veil or accessory of your choice! We do treat all our brides (and gowns!) with the utmost care. These are our core values!
While it is indeed an easy mistake for a stylist to step on a gown during the transition changing from one gown to the next it would never be intentional for a stylist to step on a gown merely for the purpose of unzipping the gown.
Regarding your other concerns:
We are in a downtown area and keep our doors locked for privacy's sake. We do not unlock the door until right before your appointment. This was communicated during your confirmation email & call. As you stated, you were let in at 10:25 to begin a 10:30 appointment.
Post-appointment, your stylist found a small pin wedged into the carpet from a prior alterations appointment. We regret it wasn't caught with the vacuum and it would have been swiftly picked up had it been brought to our attention on site, in real time!
We do have a photo and “no touch” policy due to covid. We know your guests were super excited to browse the racks. Therefore, they were gently reminded of the policy while you were in the dressing room by announcing we were ready to start bringing out the bride if they could take a seat.
We are also very detailed and particular to return any call when a message is left with our store. We apologize if the note about a reduced budget and schedule change was missed.
We wish you the best with your wedding shopping! -
![Jennifer]()
Jennifer D. Sent on 06/26/2021Shady Business Practices
This shop certainly has an excellent selection of gorgeous gowns, however, buyer beware! Warning- this is a long review but feel that the details are important. Initially they are extremely helpful and truly seem to want you to find your dream dress (as they should) but there were a few warning signs about their shady business practices that I shouldn’t have ignored:
1) they charge a $25 consultation fee. They apply this to your dress purchase but ONLY if you purchase the same day of your consult. I went to at least 10 different bridal gowns shops and no one else charges a fee to try on their dresses. They use a pressured sales approach to make you feel forced to make a decision on one of your most expensive wedding costs and likely the most expensive clothing purchase you’ll ever make. That’s not okay.
2) They don’t give you written quotes for your gown or accessories unless you specifically ask and when they do, it’s very vague (see photo). Everywhere else writes down the name of the dress, designer and price.
On my first visit, I found a dress I loved. Gineen told me the cost of the dress was $1700 (see photo). I needed to think about it and told her so. She followed up with me via a phone call two days later to let me know that there was an option to purchase the exact dress I tried on for an off-the-rack price of $1100. That idea was very appealing to me so I told her I’d think about that and get back to her. I continued my search for the perfect dress and went to another bridal store in Cameron Village in Raleigh to try on dresses. They also happened to carry the same dress I fell in love with at GCB. The helpful, no-pressure salesgirl wrote down the dress designer, specific dress and price of $1499 for me without hesitation on cards printed for this purpose. Despite being $200 less expensive, I still felt like I should buy the gown from GCB since I originally found the dress there. Two weeks later Gineen called me to let me know they were having an off-the-rack sale of 10% off so, “the dress I loved would be an additional 10% off”. I was thrilled! I asked if there would be another consultation fee and she told me yes but only if I tried on other dresses besides that ONE. I decided to go back and try it on one more time but because I wanted to try on two other dresses that day to compare, I had to pay an additional $25 (total of $50 now). I narrowed it down to the dress I loved and one other dress so I asked her to tell me the final cost of each dress so I could decide. She told me the dress I loved was $2500 brand new or $1500 off the rack, but that they would give me a “healthcare heroes discount”. When I reminded her that she told me that the off the rack dress was $1100 plus 10% off because of the sale, she told me that she “never said that”. Which was 100% untrue. I also reminded her that she originally told me the dress was $1700 brand new. She told me that was the off the rack price. She couldn’t give me a straight answer about the ACTUAL cost of either dress so I asked her to please total everything up and give me an out the door cost for the dress, belt and veil (see photo). At this point I realized I was getting ripped off and decided to take my business elsewhere. I ended up going to Carolina Bridal World in Smithfield based on a recommendation from a friend. I was treated EXCEPTIONALLY and found my exact same dress there for $920!! For the SAME dress and accessories I spent a grand total of $1280, when GCB was going to charge me $2860 (even with a “discount”)!
Bottom line- GCB has beautiful dresses but they treat you like you’re buying a used car instead of a wedding gown. -
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![Joanna]()
Joanna S. Sent on 09/17/2020Disrespected my bridesmaids
My bridesmaids went to have their gowns fitted here and were made fun of because they are petite.
My wedding needed to shift because of COVID and the shop owner was not understanding of why I’d need to shift my alterations timeline. Especially frustrating because my alterations were fully paid for.
Of all the things to worry about, getting your dress here and dealing with the owner shouldn’t be one of them. Protect yourself and your investment by shopping elsewhere.Gavin Christianson Bridal's reply:
At Gavin Christianson Bridal, we respect all our brides and have prided ourselves on being as extremely flexible as with any cancellations and rescheduling necessary due to the Covid19 pandemic.
Joanna S. , we began rush alterations on 2 gowns on 6/28/20 at your request and 14 days later on 7/12/20 we provided them to you for a 8/2/20 wedding. During the 7/12 appointment, you told us your Florida destination wedding was postponed due to Covid19 and that you wanted to assess alterations again once your wedding date was rescheduled. When you paid for a rush on 2 gowns on 6/28, we did just that...we prioritized your alterations to ensure they were completed on time. On 7/12/20 you signed a pickup form stating you were happy and satisfied with your 2 gowns and said that once your wedding was rescheduled you would reach out to us to see if any additional alterations would be needed. When asked for a wedding reschedule date you replied " I don't know my venue will not let me reschedule until January 2021 at the earliest."
This review is the first we've heard from you. regarding alterations since 7/12/20. Our number is still 919.797.0028 should you like to contact us to discuss!
Regarding bridesmaids, your bridesmaids were each provided with a 30 minute bridesmaid consultation where they were measured. Only one in question, an XS, opted out of trying on the gown during her appointment time as she was not interested in trying on the gown she liked since it was a 2XL.
Again, happy to chat with you via phone to discuss the appointments as this review is the first of us hearing of your being dissatisfied about bridesmaids gowns!
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