First time wedding dress shopping! Are Stella York dresses "cheap" looking? Help!

Here is the other one.

I don't think I tried any stella yorks on but in general I was obsessed with how beading looked on dresses. Some beading just made dresses look cheap. I eventually looked for one without beading. Alfred Angelo dresses with beading we're definitely hit or miss. What's your budget? Maggie Sottero is a good brand with better beading. My dress is Justin Alexander. It has a beaded sash that doesn't look cheap at all. Actually I'd definitely recommend justin alexander.

They don't look inexpensive online. Have you seen one in person?

There are lots of dresses that look high-end and high-quality in that price range where I live (Philly suburbs). If you are in a big city, prices may be higher, but you have options- RK Bridal in NYC is a bridal warehouse store- great service, huge selection, but the site doesn't look like a boutique and prices are great. Other places must have similar stores. Some dresses I've seen with quality beating in your office range were from Justin Alexander and Casablanca. My dress is Casablanca and the breading is discreet, glass-looking beads that do not draw attention away from the lace.

I would laugh if I saw sequins on a wedding dress! I guess there is some bride out there who wants them. But especially at that price point, you can do better.

Yes, I actually paid a fee per dress to the bridal store to bring in five dresses for me to try. They were all between $1,200 and $1,400. So I was very surprised at how cheap the beading looked. I'm looking into Maggie Sottero as you gals advised. She is a bit more expensive but I hope the dresses look better. I'll look into Justin Alexander too. Originally my budget was $1,500 but it looks like I should go to $2,000. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the next few months lol

Thank you Chrissy! I almost cried when I saw all that sequins! I started thinking OMG I know nothing about wedding dresses and apparently that's what $1,400 can get me in Florida! I'll jut do more homework and up my budget to $2,000. I honestly had no idea!

I honestly don't know much about Stella York, but my advice would be to go to a shop that carries multiple designers. And, I don't know if this was the case in your situation, but sometimes dresses get worn and beads fall off if they've been tried on a lot. But you're the best judge of the quality you're looking for, too! Good luck!

Stella York is not a "cheap" designer, i tried one of their lace dresses but without any beading and it was beautiful, not cheap looking at all. Look for Mori Lee, Casablanca or even Allure, they are on the same price scale, beaded dresses are always going to cost a little more but you definetly dont need to spend thousands and thousands for a nice gown.

also, I came across this bridal salon, its in melbourne, dont know if you are willing to do the drive, but they sell high end designer gowns at discounted prices. may be worth to check...

The Sample Room Bridal: Historic Downtown Melbourne

Where in Florida? I'm in Fort Lauderdale. Funny you mention the "paying to bring dresses in thing". I went to a shop that was gonna have me do that but I thought it was ridiculous. The funny thing is, I think the dress that I liked that I had to "pay to bring in" was Stella York or maybe allure.... This whole debacle happened at The White Dress in Fort Lauderdale. I actually found my JA dress there but, I didn't get a good vibe so I waited. I ended up finding a JA trunk show at Bacio Bacio in Wellington. I would definitely recommend Bacio, Bacio. They have gorgeous dresses. My dress was $1,900. My original dress budget was $1000 then it was upped to $1200. Then I fell in love with the JA dress!

JA does make gorgeous dresses! No one in my area carried them, or I for sure would have tried on a few that I had been eying. Take a look at his designs!

My dress is just from a small boutique of designers, which is another way to get quality dresses without a major price tag.

Hi Angel, I drove 2.5hrs each way yesterday to Melbourne from St.Augustine. I did not try the store you mentioned though.

Stella York is associated with Essence of Australia, but I think Stella York is a more affordable brand than Essence. I bought a Stella York dress that I think looks very elegant, however, it has no beading so I can't comment on the quality of beading. Hope you find what you're looking for in your price range! Also, I think paying to try on a dress is ridiculous! Find a different bridal salon!

My dress is Stella York and has beading. I absolutely love it. Guess everyone has their own opinions about what looks cheap & what doesn't. Mine made me feel beautiful & put the biggest smile on my face. That's what counts. Love your dress!

I am currently altering a Stella York wedding gown! Nice material, it’s a crepe, no beading, no embellishments; the finish inside is horrible! Padding for bodice is cheap, I refuse to reuse it! Uneven seams and the lining is poor quality fabric! So disappointed in the quality! Allure, Casablanca, DaVinci and Mary’s use better quality fabrics and the finish is expert!

I have just bought a Stella York dress and it is really high quality. Granted I wasn’t interested in beading so it doesn’t have any, but the fabric is amazing quality and it looks high end compared to several others I tried on in the same style.
It was $2,499.00 which was about average for a wedding dress in New Zealand.
I visited 3 stores in one day, tried maybe 50 dresses on, all different designers and I left the day torn between two Stella York dresses amongst all the others . I ruled out a couple of dresses from other designers that were similar because the Stella York blew them out of the water for quality and looked classier in my opinion.