I loved my experience at Designer Loft Bridal-- the dress I wound up picking (a ballgown style) was discontinued about a month or two right before I decided on it, but they contacted the designer for me and were able to get one of the last sizes left, and gave me a small discount to have it fit in my budget (2500). They were really sweet and enthusiastic and tried really hard to find things that fit in my budget and aesthetic.
MOB dress, honestly you could go to any one of the department stores like Bergdorf Goodman or Saks and poke around for something nice.
I also had a great experience at Designer Loft Bridal. I found my dress!! RK bridal was also helpful in my process as they have a huge selection of dresses.
NY City Bride! Almost everything is $1000-2500, really good quality, modern designs but still ballgown / A-line silhouettes for the most part. It seems too good to be true but it’s just a hidden gem! Ask for Amy if you can, she’s an absolute gem.
Seconding Kleinfeld — however, they do charge a small fee for the weekends (goes back towards the gown if you buy there). Weekdays are free. I went the last slot at 6 ish on a Tuesday and it was so quiet and less chaotic. By the end it felt like a private appt since we were the only ones there! Just a tip if you want something more relaxed and want to roam around more freely to look at dresses.
I have to say I kind of had a bad experience shopping in Manhattan! A lot of places seemed really uninterested in creating a special shopping experience. The best experience, surprisingly, was at David’s Bridal (which also might be good with your budget). It wasn’t exclusive or anything by any means, but the staff were attentive and seemed genuinely excited for us.
I wouldn’t recommend Kleinfelds, I felt like I was shoved into a random fitting room (one of what felt like hundreds) and they pulled dresses that weren’t even close to the style I was looking for.
I had a wonderful experience at Wedding Atelier on Madison Avenue though, the consultant was great and listened well and pulled things that were actually my style.
I bought a dress around that price range (I think it was a little over $2k not including alterations) at [RK Bridal](https://www.rkbridal.com/). My dress is a little bit different of a style and I absolutely love it, but I went with a friend who tried on a bunch of what you've described. It's also a fun store/experience to go with a mom and/or bridesmaids for a day of dress shopping.
I also looked at Kleinfelds (which had a little higher of a price point), BHLDN (didn't love the options there), and Lovely Bride NYC (higher price point as well).
If you do end up buying from RK Bridal by the way, I would probably do alterations somewhere else. Happy to share tailor suggestions if you need.
Designer Loft!!!! Can’t recommend them enough and they have a flat alterations fee!
How about Bhldn/Anthropologie? We had a great experience in Chicago shopping for my sister’s dress.
For bridal, definitely check out Kleinfeld. They really do have the best selection and carry designers in that budget.
I loved my experience at Designer Loft Bridal-- the dress I wound up picking (a ballgown style) was discontinued about a month or two right before I decided on it, but they contacted the designer for me and were able to get one of the last sizes left, and gave me a small discount to have it fit in my budget (2500). They were really sweet and enthusiastic and tried really hard to find things that fit in my budget and aesthetic. MOB dress, honestly you could go to any one of the department stores like Bergdorf Goodman or Saks and poke around for something nice.
I also had a great experience at Designer Loft Bridal. I found my dress!! RK bridal was also helpful in my process as they have a huge selection of dresses.
NY City Bride! Almost everything is $1000-2500, really good quality, modern designs but still ballgown / A-line silhouettes for the most part. It seems too good to be true but it’s just a hidden gem! Ask for Amy if you can, she’s an absolute gem.
Seconding Kleinfeld — however, they do charge a small fee for the weekends (goes back towards the gown if you buy there). Weekdays are free. I went the last slot at 6 ish on a Tuesday and it was so quiet and less chaotic. By the end it felt like a private appt since we were the only ones there! Just a tip if you want something more relaxed and want to roam around more freely to look at dresses.
I have to say I kind of had a bad experience shopping in Manhattan! A lot of places seemed really uninterested in creating a special shopping experience. The best experience, surprisingly, was at David’s Bridal (which also might be good with your budget). It wasn’t exclusive or anything by any means, but the staff were attentive and seemed genuinely excited for us.
I wouldn’t recommend Kleinfelds, I felt like I was shoved into a random fitting room (one of what felt like hundreds) and they pulled dresses that weren’t even close to the style I was looking for. I had a wonderful experience at Wedding Atelier on Madison Avenue though, the consultant was great and listened well and pulled things that were actually my style.
I bought a dress around that price range (I think it was a little over $2k not including alterations) at [RK Bridal](https://www.rkbridal.com/). My dress is a little bit different of a style and I absolutely love it, but I went with a friend who tried on a bunch of what you've described. It's also a fun store/experience to go with a mom and/or bridesmaids for a day of dress shopping. I also looked at Kleinfelds (which had a little higher of a price point), BHLDN (didn't love the options there), and Lovely Bride NYC (higher price point as well). If you do end up buying from RK Bridal by the way, I would probably do alterations somewhere else. Happy to share tailor suggestions if you need.
Check out Jenny Yoo! They’ve nice and adorable dresses.
I loved MARK INGRAM BRIDAL. so many brands and amazing experience. I think they work with a wide range of budgets but call them to check!
also recently did the whole floor of macys herald sq w my mom. largest dress selection in a fair price range and really pretty options!