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Wedding Bells
Everything wedding: cakes, caterers, dresses, venues... the whole meal deal!
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Adrian’s 3-star review: Review #19 - 30 Day Yelp Challenge The 4th (and final, thank goodness) stop to our dear bride's wedding dress search, David's Bridal is located south of the border, in Burlington. She decided she needed to see David's Bridal because 1) wedding dresses are cheaper in the USA, sad but true fact 2) there's a huge selection 3) one of her good friends recommended it to her. We drove down on a Monday because we were both free that day. We got there early so we decided to go around Target in the mean time. When we finally entered David's, we were greeted by a really courteous girl. Once the paperwork was done, she told us to start browsing for dresses because our attendant is still helping her bride. I actually didn't mind looking through the rows and rows of dresses this time, mainly because there was a lot of room to walk around and it wasn't dimly lit *cough* Golden Brides in New West *cough*. 25 minutes and 3 dresses later, our attendant finally gets to us. She was super nice and super helpful. She recommended a few dresses on top of what we already pulled. That was really awesome. What I didn't really like was the fact that the service was really slow. She told us that Mondays are particularly crazy, but that Monday was crazier than usual. She was overbooked brides and whenever she would leave us to help another one of her brides, it would take quite a bit of time before she came back to us. So I guess my issue with this is, if you know Mondays are busy, why not have more staff around? As far as I saw, there was her and 3 other girls dealing with all the brides. Have more people working please. You don't want grumpy brides. Thank goodness for our attendant (I think her name was Sassi). Anywho, she found her dress (whee) and there's a tradition at David's Bridal where if the bride finds her dress, they make her stand in the middle of the room, make her close her eyes and make a wish, then she has to ring a bell. She doesn't have to do it if she doesn't want to. But I made her do it. And being the great friend I am, I took a video of it. *Grin* The dress, not including the alterations, was under budget. Hurray. With the alterations it'll probably just be right on budget, so she's quite happy about that. I love the huge area in the middle where the bride can be seen and adored by her family. Tons of mirrors around too so she can see herself in all 360 degrees of gorgeousness. 3.5 stars out of 5, 3/5 on Yelp. I'm obviously going back with her when the dress comes in and she gets fitted. Hopefully the experience will be different when I go back. Advice to anyone planning to go: don't book an appointment on a Monday. Seriously. I think that's a thing with many bridal stores. It's not just with this one, with some of the ones we visited here in Vancouver too. -
Adrian’s 3-star review: One of my closest friends is getting married next year. She asked me to come with her, her mom, and one of the bridesmaids to help her find her dress. I always considered this section of Columbia street as the "wedding strip" because of the sheer amount of stores selling wedding dresses/tuxes etc; I would never know where to start but sure am glad we started at Sposa. The staff was super professional and very friendly. We had tons of questions and concerns and these were all met with insightful answers. They were very accommodating, especially since my friend didn't really know what she wanted (she went through 3 encyclopedia sized bridal magazines and only got an 'idea' of what she wanted). My friend arrived 15 minutes late (I arrived before she did), one of the girls decided to give her a courtesy call just to ask where she was. I found this very professional - some businesses won't even do a thing and I like that she was being proactive about the situation. My only reservation is the price point of the dresses. My friend is on a very limited budget and the lowest price point they had was still well beyond her max spend. But that obviously means we had to go find her dress somewhere else. Other than that, the whole experience was delightful; the dress selection was also pretty good. I'd give it 3.5/5, but I'll round it down to 3/5 stars. Will go back? Yep. -
Adrian’s 4-star review: I don't quite remember if my friend acquired free packages or was just feeling generous and decided to treat me and another friend to this place. I absolutely adore this place. I just wish it was at a better location. The entrance is off to the side and its not right on Broadway (which would have been beneficial). These are all little things compared to the actual experience. My friends and I were late for our 11am appointment so we had to park on the street. The owner found out about it and told my friend to move her car to a parking lot, so she wouldn't have to add more coins when the time is up. It was very nice and thoughtful of the owner to do what she did. Once we were inside, we were in complete awe. Absolute paradise for spa lovers. The huge space could very well fit all the girls of 2, possibly 3 bridal parties. There were mani and pedi stations and there was a huge viewing screen (or it might have been the wall.. I can't remember, I was too distracted by everything else) where we can watch movies from their selection. OR if we brought our own, we could watch that too. The mood was very relaxing and right away, that's how I felt. All 3 of us got the relaxation massage and the star mani and star pedi. My friends and I were lead to separate rooms to do our massages first. The lady who gave me a massage was quiet, but that's totally fine. Some people get irate when their masseuse or whoever is working on them doesn't talk to them. I like how she didn't talk to me much because if I fell asleep, then that means 1. she's doin a great job and 2. I won't feel bad that I fell asleep on someone who was trying to make conversation. Anyway, after my invigorating massage, I was lead into our own private room where my friends and I got manis and pedis. It wasn't as grand as the main room, but this sufficed for us 3. We were treated like royalty while we were getting our nails cleaned and polished. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, which was a huge plus. Of course I had to check out the bathroom; it was small... 'dainty' actually, and very clean. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE Zen spaces. The entire spa had a zen feel which I absolutely adored. As we were paying/making our exit, a huge wave of girls were starting to come in and they were all greeted by the owner herself. I really like how she took the time to greet every single one of the girls and made them feel welcome. A sign of a good business owner: valuing customers highly. Would I come back:? I would love to, if only I was making more money. The spa is clearly aimed at people with higher incomes and it was evident. But getting a taste of luxury never hurts and it makes me want to be part of that crowd. I probably wouldn't come here for a regular mani or pedi, but if I was going to a huge event, say a wedding or an awards show, I'd definitely recommend it. -
Adrian’s 4-star review: When my friends and I decided to go to Vegas, Planet Hollywood wasn't the hotel I was thinking of staying. However, it was the cheapest deal on Allegiant Air so we went with it. I was confident that it was going to be a wonderful hotel because I spoke to a lot of people and everyone had nothing but good things to say about it. When we got there, I found it interesting how the loading and unloading zones were underground. It seemed every other hotel had theirs right in front of the hotel. Anyway, I was amazed with the simple but beautiful lobby. Well, the massive chandeliers that were by the escalators were beautiful. The lobby was pretty dark but that was not really a concern. Preston, the guy who checked us in, was very courteous and very helpful. I think he set my first impression of the hotel, which was a positive one. He also said somewhere along the lines of us being upgraded. Liked that too. When we got to our room, I was very excited. It did seem like we were upgraded, with the huge room, bathroom and the amazing view. There were a few things that annoyed us, such as the TV and the phone not working. That was quickly fixed though so it wasn't too much of a big deal. It's just annoying having to go downstairs to the front desk and ask them to fix things because we can't call to have the said things to be fixed. The pool area is nice and huge, but we didn't end up actually partying there. We just checked it out. I also like the fact that this hotel is attached to the Miracle Mile Mall, which was a huge convenience for us as we got our snacks, meals and booze from the mall. What I liked about the casino were the places to eat. Earl of Sandwich, in particular was my fave. There was a 24h Starbucks, a P.F. Changs (ew), Planet Dailies (too $$$$ imo) and some other fancy restaurant we didn't bother checking out. Oh and Gallery nightclub is there too. Not a very good club. Well, not my scene/crowd. What I didn't like about this casino was the lay out. Oh hot damn, I HATE the bloody lay out of the casino. Every single time, and I mean EVERY single time we tried to get out of there or tried to go upstairs, we would be lost! It was literally like a maze. I was confused every single time. And it didn't help for those times when I was drunk (which was about 90% of the time). Imagine my pain. No, don't actually. You'll cringe. Other than that, it's a great place. Love love LOVE the fact that it's right in the middle of the strip. Wherever we went, cab rides were about $10 a pop so it wasn't too bad. It was also very close to our favorite clubs. I also love that Holly Madison's Striptease was showing here. I didn't see it because I didn't have enough time, but I will next time! Would I stay here again? Probably not. it's Vegas - I want to stay and experience the other hotels. Would I recommend this to people who plan on staying there? Absolutely. Just bring a compass or GPS or something for that wretched casino. I'd give this place a 3.5/5 but since Yelp doesn't do half stars, I'm bumping it up to 4/5. -
Adrian’s 4-star review: On our trek to find my friend's perfect wedding dress, this place was the second stop. The first store we were in had a great staff but it didn't give off the feel of being glamorous. I came in here with low expectations but was surprised at how elegant the interior was and how friendly the staff were. There was a huge array of dresses and it was well lit all around, making it feel luxurious. Based from some reviews here the receptionist is apparently terrible, but ours was a pleasant woman. She was very courteous and made sure our needs were attended to. I guess we lucked out? Since we're already stopped by a bridal store, we have an idea of what she wanted her dress to look like. Our sales lady insisted she keep an open mind and had her try on several dresses that she never considered. It's a good thing she did, because she fell completely in love with a dress design that she never even considered while looking for a style she wanted. It was right in her budget as well (her max spend is $1000). Our sales lady was very experienced and knew more of the technicalities of what would look good and what dresses my friend should avoid. She also told us what none of us knew: it would take 6 months to get the dress in once it's ordered and then have it tailored to my friend's body (8 if it was a lace gown). The other bridal store didn't even mention this to us. Super helpful. I guess we also lucked out in terms of how crazy hectic it could've been - apparently it was super busy the day before and everyone was just running around. It was peaceful and quiet that day so there was barely anyone in there (we went on a Tuesday) .We didn't feel rushed at all. Another thing I loved about this place is how it connects to Leading Man, which is where guys can rent and/or buy tuxes/shoes etc. If my friend's fiance decides to get stuff from there and they ask me to tag along, I'll post a separate review for that. They have a sale rack which we took advantage of: 20% off dresses before tax. Not sure how long that will last so if you're shopping for a dress, go make an appointment ASAP. I think the only drawback I can think of is that they're closed on Sundays. So if that's the only day you can go.... well you're s*** outta luck. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience. On behalf of the bride to be, I can confidently say she enjoyed her visit as well. 4 stars out of 5. Will I go back? Most definitely. Edit - I KNEW I would forget to include this. This is review Number 4 of Yelp's 30 Day Challenge 2012. -
Adrian’s 4-star review: I'd like to start by saying that although one of my good friends manages this place, I will still give my honest review of this venue. Aside from the fact that this is an excellent venue to hold events due to the large open space, I love the idea of serving wine on tap. I'm no connoisseur, but if beer could be served on tap, why not wine? It's just as good (but if you're planning to get drunk then it really doesn't matter as long as there's alcohol in your bloodstream) if not better. There was a make-up event happening when I was there so I didn't get a chance to experience an actual event at the venue. However I can tell from the music, the food, and the crowd that it looked to be like a successful event. Some of my friends even got free goodie bags. The overall feel of the venue is what makes it special. I'd describe it as very rustic - carved wooden doors, huge oak barrels, and wooden beams. It's very welcoming but modern at the same time. The staff are also very friendly! Solid 4 stars out of 5. Would I come back? Of course. -
Adrian’s 3-star review: Review #10 - 30 Day Yelp Challenge This was our 3rd stop to find my friend's wedding dress. Compared to the other bridal stores in the area, both the exterior and the interior of Golden Brides is not as visually appealing. I also felt a little claustrophobic while I was in there. That doesn't really matter because you're there to find a dress, but doesn't that add to the experience? Speaking of which, the dresses are pretty inexpensive (compared to other stores). The selection is huge and the styles and designs are actually pretty nice. Alterations are also quite inexpensive, which is a huge plus if you're a bride on a budget. The trade off to this the lackluster service. I mean, yea there's a huge selection of dresses, 3 full aisles to be exact. But leaving us to search for our dear bride's dress in all that lace, chiffon, organza, and silk without helping us? Nuh uh. I ain't no Dora the Explorer. It's a good thing none of us were tired or stressed that day, walking out would've been so easy. But we endured for our lovely bride (and because she was on a tight budget too). The lady who helped us was very friendly, but her emphasis on making the sale is the price point. She kept mentioning price point and alteration costs over and over. I guess the philosophy in there is if "I'm charging people less, then they can find their own dress in that huge pile of white". If you're interested, they also have a huge selection of prom dresses/evening wear dresses. But similar to the wedding dress area, you gotta find your dress yourself. Overall I'd give this place 3.5 stars out of 5, 3/5 on Yelp. I don't know if I'd go back to this store. If I was a budget bride, I could probably see myself soldiering forward to find my dress in there.
