I don't love shopping and wasn't excited about having to purchase a floor-length, brightly-colored dress. (My wardrobe is black with a hint of navy.) But thanks to Cenzina Originals, I now have a gorgeous dress that fits like a glove. The mother-daughter duo are experts. They know their merchandise. Their tailoring and customer service are outstanding, and they can provide advice on everything from strapless bras to shoes - which for me was invaluable. Cenzina Originals is everything online shopping is not, and can never be. read more

Great work in the North-shore area Seems to have a lot of customers That is a good sign read more

This boutique is a little gem in Glenview. The owner of the store, and her daughter are so patient and thoughtful. They genuinely want to help you find that perfect dress so you look your best for whatever occasion. They are not pushy which I so appreciate! Her alterations are A+. She's really good at knowing how to work with different fabrics. I definitely recommend! So happy I found them:) read more

Who would have thought that a bridal salon in Glenview would be so undeniably fantastic?? Especially in comparison to the high-end salons in DT Chicago. I called asking about peach flower girl dresses, and Rosa answered the phone. She said she'd check, and sure enough, 20 minutes later, she called back and said there was one swatch that seemed like it would work. She spent 20 minutes working on a phone inquiry!! She also offered to call me after some shows in a week and a half to tell me if there were any new peach flower girl dresses coming out. I have every confidence she will. It's the kind of service that restores your faith in retail! read more

I had a last minute request to replace cups that came with my bridesmaids dress. I was frantically trying to find a place to take it that could have the dress done the next day for my friends wedding. I'm so happy I brought my dress to Cenzia! She was able to have it ready in time--she was a true life savor! She was super sweet when I came in and made me feel at ease that the dress would be ready in time. read more

I highly recommend Cenzina. I bought my dress for my son's wedding at this store. They have a great selection and the owner/seamstress does meticulous work. I was thrilled with my dress. I brought my sister there and she immediately purchased a dress for her daughter's wedding--and it was on sale, 50% off!!! It is beautiful. Make an appointment for the best service. Don't be discouraged by the packed displays, they will help you find the perfect dress! read more

Cenzina and Rosa are such wonderful women to work with! I highly recommend visiting Cenzina's for purchasing gowns or needing alterations. Cenzina did all my alterations on my complex gown (see pictures!). Cenzina made me feel comfortable and beautiful each time I came in for a fitting. She truly cares about perfection and won't let you leave until every last detail is complete. Thank you so much for your hard work! read more

Cenzina and her daughter Rosa are amazing. They have a beautiful collection of dresses and they alter to fit your needs. I'll always go to Cenzina for dresses. Love you ladies Thank you read more

They did a phenomenal job on my wedding dress alterations. I was already stressing about my alterations. The place where I bought my dress overcharged for alterations, and they don't even do it in the store. I thought about having my tailor do it, but heard horror stories about personal tailors doing wedding gown alterations. The store owner knows exactly what she's doing. She even made it easier for me to walk and dance in my mermaid wedding gown without compromising the shape of the dress. My alterations were more reasonably priced than they would've been at another bridal shop. read more

This place is very strange. I went in to look for my wedding dress, and maybe they had a ton in the back, but they literally only had about five out. The woman who helped us was rude and did not listen to me at all. I told her I did NOT want a mermaid dress, and that's all she brought out! And as I'm trying on dresses, I hear her talking to my mother about the wedding - a destination wedding - and she made a negative comment about how we were doing things. If you're in this area and looking for dresses, go to Gigi's Closette down the road. read more

Not only is Cenzina an amazing seamstress, they have been lifesavers when needing dresses or alterations in a pinch! They have a beautiful selection of bridesmaid and Mother of the Bride dresses, and other special occasion dresses. They are the best!! read more

I was looking for a simple wedding dress for our small spring wedding. Cenzina was so sweet on the phone and said she is sure they have something for me. Cenzina and Rosa helped me pick out some dresses and I welcomed their thoughts when trying them on. I found the perfect dress here! Cenzina and Rosa are down-to-earth and care so much about people. I sat and talked with Cenzina and Rosa like we were family. Cenzina made alterations to my dress and it fit beautifully. I highly recommend Cenzina Originals because of their professionalism, kindness, beautiful dresses, amazing alterations and overall family feel. Thank you Cenzina and Rosa!! read more

My family and I have had nothing but positive experiences with Cenzina's. I've been going to them for a long time, and I am terrified of going anywhere else! Cenzina and Rosa are amazing! I am not the tiniest girl in the world, nor am I insanely large, but my measurements make it near impossible to buy off rack. Their prices, especially for alterations, are more than reasonable, and they really want the dress to fit you well. read more

We spent a couple hours in the store trying on several dresses for my daughter's prom. The price ranges are from very reasonable to high. It's a smaller store, but there are many dresses for both prom and weddings packed into the space, in young and mature styles. All of the selection is beautiful. We were lucky enough to have time to visit with the owner while my daughter tried on several dresses. It was a lovely conversation and being new to the area we learned some helpful information. When we found "the one", she gave us suggestions on how to dress it up with the right accents and was also able to make an alteration to the straps within 36 hours. Great experience and will go back again if I need another dress. read more

I've now had my bridesmaids order their dresses from Cenzina. Rosa could not have been nicer to me and my friends. They all tried on the dress and were measured. All of the girls agreed with their sizing too, which I know does not always happen since some bridal stores will try to get you to order a dress way to big on you, then pay for alterations. Rosa was also very helpful to one of my out-of-town bridesmaids who had to phone in her measurements and place her order on the phone. Rosa answered all of her questions and really took a lot of time with her to make sure her dress would be perfectlly-sized. I am very happy to have ordered my bridesmaid dresses from Cenzina's and can't wait for them to arrive at the store. read more

I recently purchased a bridesmaid dress at this store - not by my choice. The bride did nothing but RAVE about how wonderful the service was and how great they'd be to work with, but I managed to get a completely different opinion. I first went in for measurements, and they measured me at a size 24, when I normally wear a size 18 in everyday dresses. They assured me that these dresses just run small, but because they now had to order a larger size than an 18, I had to pay $50 more than all the other bridesmaids. They also assured me that this was exactly as I measured so I wouldn't need alterations (it was a knee length dress). The dress comes in and after trying it on, it's discovered that the shoulder area is entirely too big and my bust was just falling out and alternations needed to be done. There was nothing I could do about it at this point, so I agreed I'd pay the $35 alteration fee and have the dress made to fit. Fine. I try to go in for my second fitting. I had made an appointment that I missed, but I knew the dress was ready so I went in at noon the following day to find the door was locked - even though the shop was marked "open". I knocked, no answer. Lights were on, sign said they were open, and yet no one was there. I waited 10 minutes and then left. Went back the next day (with a call for an appointment this time) and had the second fitting. They then pressed the dress and realized they pressed it poorly on the hem and the hem then needed to be cut. I was within a half inch of where the bride wanted the hem, so they decided since they would have to cut the hem regardless, they would just take up the 1/2" anyways. Fine. Go to pick the dress up and my alteration charges are now $85! A third of the cost of the dress! Why? Because they apparently charge a flat fee if they do the top & bottom - even though they NEVER quoted this to me and made it sound like they were only going to be charging me the $35. Anywhere else you go to get a hem done it is NEVER more than $30 - so I agreed to pay the $65, but $50 alone for a hem on a dress that they had to fix anyways due to their error was absolutely ridiculous. Do yourself a favor and find yourself another dress shop, and better yet, if you HAVE to get your dress there (like I did) at least find a better, more reasonably priced place to get your alterations done! read more

I used Cenzina's for bridesmaid dresses for my March 2009 wedding. Rosa could not have been nicer or more helpful and patient with us as we visited 2 or 3 times and tried on several dresses she had in stock and looked through the vendor books to see color options. It's a small shop and they are not all in-your-face like other bridal salons can be. Rosa was very accommodating once the dresses were in, she shipped some to my out of town bridesmaids and was able to hold the others for several months until we were able to pick them all up. Overall, I have no complaints about Cenzina's and highly recommend them for brides in search of bridesmaid dresses! read more

Lovely mother daughter duo- came to them for my wedding dress alterations. I thought the price was fair for the work that was done on my dress. I went four times over the course of a month to get it just right and because Cenzina still needed to steam the dress after my fourth appointment she personally dropped the dress off to my house. Don't expect the appointment to be fast- but it is worth the time for quality work. read more

I highly recommend Cenzina's for any bride/bridal party! I stumbled upon Cenzina's because they happened to have a line of bridesmaids dresses that I wanted to look at. I made an appointment with several of my bridesmaids and right off the bat, Cenzina & her daughter, Rosa were extremely welcoming. I found a dress I fell in love with for my ladies and we put in our order. Meanwhile, I ran into a major mishap with the place I purchased my own wedding gown. Without getting into details, they made a big mistake and were very unapologetic about it. I decided there was no way I would trust that other company with my alterations, so I decided to come to Cenzina's since I had such a nice experience ordering my bridesmaid dresses. I am SO SO GLAD I DID!!! Between me and all my bridesmaids, we had some pretty significant alterations, but Cenzina is very talented and all the dresses came out beautiful! I was super nervous about my dress, because my dress was large to begin with and then by time I was ready to begin alterations, I had lost weight and it literally did not stay on me. But again, this was no problem for Cenzina! I loved how much attention to detail she paid to my dress. I think I had 3 or 4 fittings before it was finally ready--she did parts of the dress every round of fittings, making sure she got every little detail right. It came out absolutely gorgeous and I could not have been happier! They were also extremely accommodating of our schedules. One of my bridesmaids is out of state and got fitted when she was in town for Memorial Day, about a month before the wedding. Due to vacation time, this bridesmaid could not come in until Thursday evening before the wedding. Rosa assured us that she could come in that Friday and they would make sure that they would make any additional adjustments (if needed) that day so the dress would be ready for the wedding the next day! My mom was also thrilled with Cenzina's. She ordered her MOB dress from them and everything went beautifully for her too. And as a bonus, I think I got a very good deal on the cost of my alterations, considering the amount of work that went into making my dress fit!! Highly recommend!!! read more

My bridesmaids & flower girls went to Cenzina on a busy Saturday morning to pick out dresses. I cannot say enough wonderful things about Rosa. She was SO patient with us--my bridesmaids tried on seriously almost every dress style she had, we changed our orders 3-4 times, and when the children lost interest in the whole trying-on process and started hiding behind the clothes, and running in circles, Cenzina & Rosa didn't even blink. They just kept smiling. we all agreed with the measurements that were taken, but that's because we all know that bridal wear never fits perfectly and will probably need to be altered. I really feel like I can trust them. After two bad experiences at the big bridal store chains, I am so happy to have found Cenzina & Rosa!!!! Small, family-owned businesses are the way to go! I'll update my review when my dresses arrive :) read more

Rosa was wonderful! Two of my bridesmaids tried on and inquired about their bridesmaid dresses and were helped extremely well. Super cute shop with a lovely staff. Definitely recommend! read more

Cenzina is a life saver! Despite being so busy, she was kind enough to help me in a big dress crisis after I found out that I was expected to wear a long dress to a wedding only a few days prior to the wedding. The dress I bought was too long, and my daughter recommended going to Cenzina's after she got a bridesmaid's dress altered there. Cenzina was SO helpful when we explained the situation, and she agreed to see me and have my dress altered in time for the wedding. She could not have been more kind! I will only go to Cenzina Originals from now on for my alterations! read more

If I could give these ladies more than 5 stars, I would do it in a heartbeat. I had my 10 ( yes, I know it's alot) bridesmaids order their dresses from Rosa and couldn't have been happier with my decision. I ended up falling in love with two dress colors so I alternated the colors with my girls and am SO happy that I stuck to my gut and pulled the trigger ( Thank you for all of the reassurance Rosa!) Not only are their prices hard to beat, but the alterations that Cenzina offers are top notch. She not only altered majority of my girls dresses, but I ended up bringing both my wedding gown and my mom's MOB dresses here for alterations. I couldn't have been happier how everything turned out! Cenzina also handmade my Cathedral length veil. It was STUNNING and literally completed my entire vision. My bridal belt and headpiece were also purchased here. I can't mention enough how reasonable their prices are compared to majority of the other shops that I looked at. I pride myself on being a good shopper and couldn't find better deals ANYWHERE. BONUS: while going in for my final dress fitting, I noticed that they had TONS of sample dresses that were marked up to 50% the ticketed price. I ended up finding the perfect rehearsal dinner dress I didn't know that I needed. Thank you ladies, I will be coming here for all of my dress needs for YEARS to come! read more

I have 2 weddings that I'm standing up in this year and to my surprise both dresses were from Cenzina's. When each bride told me I had to go to Cenzina's to get my dress I figured this place had to be good. What are the chances of 2 brides, who don't know each other, picking the same store!!! First off, let me say how cute this place is. It's a small little boutique so you feel at ease. When I walked in Rosa greeted us with a smile even though she was busy. She let us look around freely and also pulled some dresses that she thought we might like after we told her what we were looking for. When we found the perfect dress she was so helpful in picking colors and ordering everything. Not to mention how accommodating she was to everyone busy schedule. Second, the fitting was a total success. I had to take my dress in a bit and I didn't want a tail so Cenzina altered it and it looked great. Doesn't even move on me at all! They were very up front with the fees so I wasn't surprised at all. In fact I thought it was pretty reasonable. One flat rate for the whole dress. Other stores wanted to charge me for each alteration separately. Third, by the time the second wedding came around I felt like Rosa and Cenzina were like friends of the family. I walked in with the bride who was set on one dress that no one was able to find for her. Rosa made a couple phone calls and I was able to try on the dress within a week. I'm so sick of all the massive chain stores taking over the world. Cenzina's is exactly what service is all about. If you need a dress for an occasion this is the place to go. Oh and did I mention that after I got my dresses both mother of the brides got their dresses their too!!! Helpful hint, if you can't find exactly what you're looking for just by browsing.... ask Rosa to help she always has something up her sleeve!!! read more

5 stars is not enough! Cenzina's talent and skill cannot be topped, her forthrightness is an asset to the customer, and her concern for perfection is a gift. Specifically, my experience: I finally found "the" dress at Cenzina Originals (one that I loved which also caused my husband's jaw to drop in appreciation), after having been disappointed when trying on numerous gowns in other shops. One glitch: in the time available before our special event, the designer could only provide a dress four sizes too large for me. I placed the order with Cenzina in desperation, but went home in tears worried that this symmetrically vertically beaded gown could not possibly be altered (even though Cenzina said "Don't worry.") and still maintain its lines. What could I do? Time was running out. The dress arrived timely as promised by Cenzina. The first fitting showed the reality that it was large enough to be a parachute that could almost fit my husband! I was terrified. Cenzina's magical expertise immediately took over as she pinned the bodice, the waist, the hip area, and skirt all the way to the floor. The second fitting showed several inches of fabric had been cut away, beading reattached perfectly, and the beautiful beaded vertical lines were still intact! The design of the dress had not suffered! How was that possible??! Fast forward to the end of the story--the day of my husband's and my special event: Cenzina's attention to detail and insistence on a perfect fit produced a gown that made my husband smile in approval, caused countless comments of how beautiful was my gown, and made me feel like Cinderella at the ball! Cenzina is truly incomparable! (With this 2015 purchase I was returning for the second time to Cenzina after having purchased a lovely gown for my son's wedding nine years earlier. That gown, too, was perfect for the occasion and the alterations were professionally and exactly made.) I have purchased a number of gowns from other boutiques over the years, but not one of them can stand up to the full service and personalized, true concern that Cenzina has consistently shown. She is not only a skilled seamstress/tailor, but is a true fashion designer with an artful eye for fashion. read more

I love Cenzina's! I used them for alterations for my wedding dress and she was able to save me money and make me a full custom bolero and veil. Yes, the store is small and they have a lot of merchandise in there. Don't let any of this keep you from trying them. It is not cheap to own a bridal store when so much is tied up in inventory. Feel free to go downtown and spend 2-3x as much. They came in under half of what Dimitra's Bridal quoted me for alternations. The owner Cenzina used to custom make wedding dresses and is magically with her hands. The dress will fit you like a dream. They will work their butts off to get it perfect. They will order things from where ever you want. I now recommend them to everyone I know and all the new brides looking for a top notch alteration. read more

Ok people - can you read? The name of the store is Cenzina's ORIGINALS. If you are lokking for an off the rack dress you will be sorely disappointed. However, if you keep an open mind and let Cenzina do what she does best - create beautiful one of kind bridal gowns your will not be disappointed. read more

i didn't visit the store in person but ordered my dress over the phone since they were one of the few places in the chicagoland area that carried the style i wanted. the girl on the phone was very helpful and polite with me. none of that attitude you seem to get from a lot of bridal shops. i guess it helped that i knew what i wanted, had my measurements, and all the info. she knew the specific measurements for the dress i was choosing (rather than the basic size guide of the maker) and helped me pick the best size. AND best of all, i didn't need to rush the order like so many other places wanted to push me towards. overall, quick and painless. now...let's just see if it shows up on time and right. but for now... way to go cenzina. good work. :) UPDATE: the dresses came in early and the alterations done in house were phenomenal! the mother and daughter team are so sweet and helpful. all in all, best bridesmaids experience ever. read more

This is a very tiny store with a lot of dresses crammed into every rack where they could fit a rack. The dressing room area was makeshift. The store is run by a mother-daughter team, and the daughter was extremely nice and helpful. She was hands-off and hands-on just enough. However, it seems like their bridal gown selection is very limited. I explained what styles I liked, and she pulled three gowns from the back (I'm not sure if anyone else is allowed back there), and they were expensive and almost laughable! They looked like cotillion dresses or at least from another decade. I'm not sure what designers they carry. I was very disappointed and tried them on anyway because I made an appointment. The rest of my appointment, I had my sister try on bridesmaids dresses, which they actually had many of that were "in season." The overall experience was 2.5 stars, but Rosa was so nice and accommodating, so I rounded up my rating. read more

Great customer service! She suggested I get an appropriate size instead of one three times too big like many other bridal stores.

They are wonderful! I took my bridesmaid dress there for alterations. It was about 4 sizes too big and now it looks beautiful! They are kind, dedicated and very talented. Will go back when I am in need of another dress or alteration. read more

Very small and sort of cramped store. We went in to look for mother of the bride outfits and didn't really find anything unique or special. My mom wanted to look youthful and I definitely felt like the selection was more grandmother of the bride. The fitting rooms are right by where alterations and fittings are being done, which makes it a little awkward to browse and walk to your room and go out and browse more. Also, the staff wasn't the most helpful.... THe prices weren't anything exceptional, most seemed to be in the $500-700 range. Many other stores in that price range with better selection.... read more

I got a bridesmaid dress and my daughter's flower girl dress here and I had an amazing expereince. The owner was very helpful and easy to work with. My dress was fitted amazingly and even after I lost 15 lbs they were very helpful with the alterations. If I have to do dress shopping again I will be stopping by to use them again. read more

very helpful mom and daughter business. expensive collection but beautiful gowns.

Just stopped by this place today on a whim and I was so glad I did. Cenzina and Rosa are the most honest people I have ever met in this industry. Needed advice on wedding accessories/alterations and they were more than helpful. This is why I prefer family-owned businesses. Will definitely be back! read more

RUN don't walk to Cenzina's for all of your wedding needs. My sister and I both had our wedding gowns altered at Cenzina's and all I can say is WOW! Cenzina did an amazing job altering both of our dresses. I have heard so many horror stories about bad alterations at other bridal salons. Cenzina is a true seamstress and my wedding gown looked PERFECT! Not only did I have my wedding gown altered at Cenzina's, I also had my bridesmaids purchase their dresses there. All my bridesmaids were extremely satisfied and amazed at what Cenzina can do--she even added sleeves to my bridesmaids strapless gowns. Cenzina and Rosa treat you like family. You can rest assured if you purchase and/or have your dress altered at Cenzina's. read more

What a wonderful little store! I found an Ivonne D dress from Mon Cheri online & contacted the company to see who in my area had ordered a sample. They advised that Cenzina's had just received one - it was a brand new dress that no one else had yet. After trying on dozens of dresses for my daughter's wedding at lots of other stores, I finally went to Cenzina's to try on their sample. Rosa could not have been nicer, giving lots of needed information about delivery times, sizing, etc. I ordered the dress a short time later and went back for 2 fittings once it came in. The alterations were absolutely perfect, even after loosing enough weight that it had to be cut down two full sizes - the dress fit so well I couldn't get over it. These woman know their business, they know alterations and they know customer service. I was in love with the finished product & received so many compliments on the dress including how well it fit. Forget the chain dress stores and support small, family businesses like Cenzina's! You will be thrilled with their knowledge, attention to detail and your final purchase. read more

I bought a bridesmaid dress from here for a wedding. The service was fine at the beginning, nothing exceptional. They charged $95 for alterations which I felt was extremely overpriced. During the wedding the zipper on my dress broke and I had to be sewn into the dress, missing out on several pictures with the bridal party, not to mention the humiliation of being exposed to family and friends. I called afterwards to tell them what happened. They were hardly apologetic and all they said they could do was give me a new zipper, and I would have to pay to have it put in! I couldn't believe it! I was extremely disappointed in the customer service and lack of ownership of the dresses that they sell and alter. Needless to say I will not be going back. read more

The woman in charge of this store could not be more rude. I was asking her simple questions about what dresses would fit the style of wedding I had, and she had nothing but negative comments to EVERY question. I totally agree with Andrea C.- it was also a very weird atmosphere in there. Almost like it was haunted or something. Also alot of hidden charges at the end of the purchase. Needless to say I DID NOT buy from them. Do yourself a favor and go to a place more professional. read more