I went to Michel A Bridal Boutique to start looking at wedding dresses for my September 2020 wedding . I didn't plan on buying anything that dad because I thought I had no idea what I wanted. From the moment that we arrived at the boutique , we were welcomed by the incredible staff. The boutique itself is gorgeous and there is only one appointment taking place at a time. Julie is absolutely amazing and it's obvious that she loves what she does. She gives her undivided attention to the bride and offers her suggestions while still making sure to listen to what you want. I fell in love with a dress but wasn't sure about a few things . After talking with Julie, we came up with a plan to customize the things that I wasn't a fan of . I purchased the dress and both my mother and mother-in-law bought theirs as well!! I picked up my dress last week and it is absolutely gorgeous! I am so glad that I trusted Julie's suggestions because now I have a dress that I can't stop crying over. It's perfect !! By the end of our experience , we felt like we had known Julie forever . She truly makes you feel like family. I can't recommend Michele A Bridal enough ! Julie is amazing and you won't be disappointed !! read more

This salon is amazing! I went to several other bridal salons before coming here and wish I had started here. The girls made me feel welcome and at ease from the moment I walked in. I never felt rushed or like I was just another sale. I would recommend this salon to any bride to be it is simply the best! My sister who came to my second appointment said she plans to drive down from MA just to go here when it's her turn because the experience was so wonderful. read more

I cannot express how welcoming and nice Julie was. I saw a dress online and Michele A Bridal was the only store that carried the brand and she had the dress I wanted. I came in with eyes only for that dress. She did convince me try others on just to get an idea of how I looked in all styles. In the end I picked the dress I came to try on. She was very nice, knowledgeable and very attentive. She made myself and my family feel very welcome and the conversation was great. She wasn't pushy and she doesn't make you feel like you have to buy that second. I did have to make 2 separate appointments due to restrictions in the amount of people which I was fine with. The second time I went with my girls it felt like we were old friends. I said yes to my dress and couldn't be happier with my choice. Thanks Julie!!! Your the best!! So happy my dress search led me here. read more

I almost said yes to the dress there! Michele A Bridal Boutique was the most beautiful bridal salon I've been to. The room was spacious and the lavender walls were very calming. My mom and I stopped there on a whim because we were on the shoreline. Though it was a Saturday and we did not have an appointment, Lissa was very warm and welcoming and she gave us a brief tour of the salon. She was working with a client, but told me I could try whatever I want on, so I had fun in the huge discontinued dress room. To my surprise, she check up on me. I spotted the discounted La Sposa "Mufa" gown and fell in love with it. Knowing that I had an appointment at another salon with friends, my mom, and mom-in-law-to-be, I did not want to say yes until I had my formal dress appointment. She was nice enough to hold it for me for two weeks. Unfortunately for Michele, I said yes to the dress at the other salon, but I am going to look there again for accessories. I highly recommend this place for brides-to-be. read more

I didn't buy my dress here and they still get five stars! I flew from Los Angeles to CT for my wedding. Which meant that my fairly fluffy, flowy wedding dress had to be jammed into a carry-on garment bag for 5 plus hours. My mother had called this shop ahead of time and asked if they might steam it out for me. They not only agreed but made me feel so important when I came in with it. Julie was ready and waiting when I walked in the door. She opened the dress up and we looked it over together to make sure it wasn't damaged during travel. Then she took it for the afternoon, steamed it out, and refit it to a cardboard form to make sure the shape was still there. When I came to pick it up, we looked over the dress again to agree that it was ready. When I asked what I owed, she said it was FREE! On a day she had other brides coming in, she took the time to do this all for no cost. She totally understood the stress of being a bride just days before the wedding and she went out of her way to take one trouble off my mind. Beyond that, the shop was stunning and I totally would have shopped there if I was a local! I can only imagine the level of service they bring to their actual brides! THANK YOU! read more

Said yes to my dress thanks to Julie!! She was wonderful! Beautiful salon, great selection of dresses. Julie listened to what I was looking for, got to know me and understand my personality and pulled the best dresses for me. Didn't get annoyed when I asked to try on things that were different. For example, I was pretty sure I didn't want something fitted, but she encouraged me to try a couple on anyways just to be sure. I'd been to one other store in CT, went to Kleinfeld's in NYC and had a terrible consultant, also stopped into a sample store that just didn't have what I was looking for. In the end, the first dress Julie picked to put me in was the one I went back to and chose. Can not recommend Julie and Michele Bridal enough! You definitely won't regret making an appointment read more

If you're looking for a personalized dress shopping experience and are in search of your dream dress, go to Michele - A Bridal boutique. I was so nervous when I first arrived to the shop, and I definitely felt the pressure to find the perfect dress without going over my budget. Julie was incredibly patient and attentive as I described my dream wedding day and guided me throughout the whole dress shopping process seamlessly. I ended up finding my perfect dress, and Julie knew just the right veil and earrings to pair it with. I cannot wait for my husband-to-be to see my outfit on October 20th! Please note that the boutique does not do alterations on site, but I highly recommend Shoreline Sewing (Julie originally recommended this seamstress nearby). Maria at Shoreline Sewing is the sweetest. Ultimately I don't know what I would have done without Julie at Michele - A Bridal boutique! Kudos to an awesome business that really understands its customers! read more

I recently got married, June 8 2013 and went to many different Bridal Boutiques before coming to Michele Bridal. I wont name any other names but I had some good experiences and some not so good experiences at other shops. Before I began looking for dresses myself, I went to Michele Bridal with my sister in law to look for dresses for her. I immediately fell in love with the shop. It is so pretty with the elegant look to the shop, light purple walls with white accents and crystal every where :) My sister in law didn't find her dress here unfortunately but I kept this shop in mind for mine! I didn't come here at first because it is 40 minutes away from where I live and I didn't know how I felt about driving back and forth for fittings and decisions and what not. Once I went to the other shops to atleast give them a try, I knew I had to go check out Michele Bridal. Thank goodness I did!! From the second I walked in with my mother and grandmother I was wow'ed with how professional this establishment is. I worked with the owner, Lissa, from day 1. I told her what I liked on me and she grabbed the ones she thought I would like, and then she took a couple of her own that she thought would look best on me. I tried on all of the dresses that I imagined would look good, and as they were very pretty they just weren't what I was looking for. I then had one dress left that I was leaving last for a reason. I didn't fall in love with it on the hanger and I almost didn't put it on but Lissa convinced me to give it a try. Once again, thank goodness I did! I slipped into the dress and fell in love immediately. I have had self esteem issues with my body for years and never felt comfortable in any dress than I had when looking at myself in this dress. I know it's so corny, but I got the feeling every girl wants to get when finding their wedding gown. I told her that I would go home and sleep on it and not one second did I feel pressured into buying the gown. At other shops the women immediately pressured me and I disliked that so much. Lissa told me it's best to sleep on it and not buy it after thinking about it for a few days. Sure enough, I called her the next day and put a deposit on it :) What I loved MOST...I got to work with her for the remaining of the dress alterations. She is a seamstress and did all the alterations! I have lots of friends who have recently been married and they go to their seamstress in the beginning, one in the middle and then one final fitting a couple days before the wedding. Not with Lissa...she had me come in multiple times to get fitted which I loved. I was losing a lot of weight during the process and I felt bad that she had to keep taking it in but she was happy to. When I picked my dress up the week of my wedding I was really excited but sad at the same time. I didn't want my by-weekly visits to end but I now will go to Michele Bridal for all my dress needs and will recommend her to all my friends/family. With that being said, I can't give enough stars to show how much I loved getting my dress here. The customer service was outstanding and the friendship I gained with Lissa was even better. I am so grateful I came here!! read more

I can't begin to tell you how amazing my experience was with Julie and Michele A Bridal. I don't live close to Westbrook, and what originally brought me here was they had my favorite designer, Stella York. This was the first shop I went to to begin my wedding dress hunt and from the moment I (and my ridiculous number of guests-8!) walked in the door, we felt like family. Julie was so welcoming and even had lavender champagne waiting for each of us. What's really nice is they only do one appointment at a time, so it's a more personalized experience and not as overwhelming. What I also liked was there's a beautiful separate changing room with a full wall mirror that helps you see a dress from all angles before walking out to show your entourage. I tried on a bunch of dresses, some that I absolutely adored, but since it was my first shop, I wanted to shop around to make sure I wasn't missing out on anything. Luckily Julie completely understood how important that was and I knew if I didn't find a dress anywhere else, I'd return. After visiting about 5 other shops, none of them compared to my experience at Michele, and I came back to say yes to the dress this past weekend! Every bride deserves the experience Julie offered, I literally can sit here and type forever on how much I adored her. Julie remembered everything that I shared with her, from my style to what I do for work, I felt like I've known her for years. I'm the most indecisive bride ever and I was so torn between two completely different gowns, but Julie did not give up on me and had all the patience in the world. She is so beyond knowledgeable of the bridal field and gave the best advice in the most genuine way, she's the perfect mix of professional and fun. She helped me pick the most perfect dress and in the process I gained a friendship and a fantastic bridal experience. I am so happy to be a Michele A Bridal bride and plan to recommend her to everyone I know! My sister and another friend said they can't wait to get engaged just so they can come shop with Julie! I wish I could give her 10 stars, she's truly beautiful inside & out! read more

Yes yes yes yes! I had a dress custom made online and was not happy with it. It is beautiful, it just isn't the one. So I made an appointment here a week ago and am so glad I did. It really was last minute when I called and I am thankful that Lissa was so accommodating. When I walked through the door I my jaw dropped. The decor and ambiance of the store is soooo beautiful, perfect for a bridal shop. Pam and Lissa welcomed me and I felt comfortable immediately. These two are wonderful. They are both so kind and knowledgeable. Pam suggested I start with six gowns so I picked two, my mother picked two and my sis and daughter picked one each. The first dress I tried (and the one my daughter picked out) was the winner out of a total 20 or so dresses I tried on. Even though I was not 100% sure about the dress yet, I knew I would be buying from this boutique. Everything felt right. I came back yesterday with more friends and family to try on my favorite and a few more. It was such a fun and girly experience! After awhile, I became certain of which one was MY dress. I said yes to the dress, Pam gave me a huge hug and kiss and we celebrated with pink champagne. I would definitely recommend anyone to come here for their bridal gown! PS I live about two hours away in another city and state--I was in town visiting my mother. It would be much easier for me to stay local. How could I though? Thank you lovely ladies! read more

This place is a fairytale and my bride and I were treated like princesses while searching for the perfect Matron of Honor gown!

Absolutely amazing experience getting my wedding dress here. Lissa is an extremely talented seamstress who fit my dress perfectly. She and Pam are both so nice and accommodating. We had a lot of fun at every dress fitting, and I totally trusted Lissa to do the excellent job that she did. Thank you!! read more

I can't say enough about how lucky I was to have found this place. I didn't actually get to visit the store so this is based off solely customer service. Planning a wedding in four months and being totally naive about the reality of buying a wedding dress, I had to find something quick. I had actually tried on my dream dress in NYC where I live but it came with all sorts of charges and was frankly out of my budget. I called around to almost every wedding dress shop in the city and none of them had it. I then just started calling to neighboring places until I found it at Michele's! Julie took her time of the phone checking if it was in stock and then Face Timed with me to make sure it was indeed the dress I was looking for and then she told me price. I totally cried I was so happy! She went close up on the dress to show me the details of the ends and straps and to assure me it was in good quality then walked me though all the pricing and how everything was going to be shipped. I truly am blessed to have found her and this place. So glad I was able to support a small boutique store! read more

If you are looking for a special experience look no further! We were greeted with lavender champagne and Julie the manager who was supper welcoming. Before even looking at dresses we got a chance to chat about my wedding and my vision for the perfect dress. She really tried to get to know me and see what I wanted for my day compared to other shops I have experienced with friends for their weddings. The best part was we had the whole place to ourselves, Just you and the people you have come join to see the special moment! This was extremely important for me since my mom is on oxygen 24/7, I wanted a place where it was relaxed, where my mon could feel comfortable and apart of the whole experience. I did contact them before hand to let them know my situation. Julie put extra setting out for my mom to make sure she was comfortable and walked around with my mom pulling dresses that she wanted to see me try on. Julie pulled dresses that truly fit the look I wanted and other dresses and styles I hadn't even think of trying. I'm so happy she pulled dresses and styles I was not a fan of, it helped me narrow the look down to what I really wanted. I had so much fun trying on dresses here and In the end I did find my dream dress! They truly love what they do here and care about the bride and the people she brings with her, I am so happy I went to 'Michele a Bridal Boutique' for my dress!! read more

Absolute pleasure to work with Lissa from start to finish! She's professional, easy going, a great seamstress with good ideas. Highly recommend. read more

It looks like a lovely store from the outside, but I wouldn't know for sure. I was looking for a specific dress and called earlier in the week to be sure that they had it in stock. In fact, they are the only store from Washington, DC to Boston that has the dress. I live in DC, and was going to be in Connecticut for one day. The woman on the phone told me that I could come in Thursday or Friday. I offered to make an appointment but she assured me that it wouldn't be necessary -- I could just stop by. So I drove with my sister and her 5 week old baby the 100 miles and arrived at 2:30 to find that the store was locked and closed, with no one answering the phone. I left a message, but never heard back from anyone. It was a tremendously terrible waste of a day, and I was appalled at the lack of professionalism not to even put a note on the door! I will not go back, no matter how badly I want to try on that dress. Clearly, it's not meant to be. On the up side, I drove 5 miles down the street to the boutique in Clinton and had a fantastic experience! read more

This is a beautiful store and you're given purple champagne upon arrival but it just didn't work for me. I didn't feel there was a wide variety of dresses. Most were strapless or spaghetti strap and princess felt like the overriding theme. So the dresses weren't for me and that's ok I had to give it a try. But the sales associate was very negative about everything that was not in her store. She asked to see the dresses I liked from previous stores. I thought this was to get an idea of what I was looking for. Instead she insulted each dress and said why it wouldn't work. I wanted sleeves and she tried to talk me out of that. When discussing alterations, which they do not do or offer on site, I said I could ask friends and they'd probably have someone in Branford where I'm from and she said they'll probably recommend so-and-so but "I wouldn't go there. Maybe that's just because I know all the inside scoop and details of what work she really does." She also spoke poorly about the other store I'd been to, Bridal Trousseau which is where I eventually bought my dress. If was very unprofessional and not a business I wanted to support. read more

Where to start??!! I'm from CT & we're getting married in CT in Aug.. I currently live in NJ and went to 3 shops near Hoboken and 3 in CT. Exhausted, and pretty much losing hope, I took a chance on Michele Bridal. They happened to be open on a Sunday when I was in town for a day visiting my parents. The customer service by Lissa and Marissa was SUPERB. My mom and I were given water and the positive energy and determination to find "my dress" really decreased my stress level. Lissa pulled dresses for me and both assisted getting me in and out of my dress (SCARY NOT ALL PLACES DO THIS!!) I felt zero pressure to purchase a dress, unlike other locations. The kicker? I had only been looking at Lace dresses w/ a sweetheart neckline, beading and sequence... Lissa pulled a dress and said, "Just give it a try.. Let's see." I FELL IN LOVE. not one sparkle to it. I was kinda confused why I loved it b/c it was nothing I "thought" I'd like. It's the only dress that held up my 34DD chest w/ no bra..& I'm a 6 waist. They also knew budget was a serious issue... Mom just battled breast cancer and it's been rough. They ended up REALLY helping us w/ price. They CARE about each bride.. on my 3rd fitting I came in exhausted and stressed from meeting all the vendors that day. Lissa sat me down, gave me some bottled water and talked to me for a few mins. I felt like I owed her a co-pay for a therapy session. She's awesome. Lastly, my late Grandmother owned a bridal shop for over 20 years. My mother helped her run the shop and is VERY picky about alterations. After grilling Lissa, Mom is beyond thrilled with Lissa's "work." Their flexibility, sensitivity to our financial situation, customer service and attention to detail is only a few reasons why I gave them 5 stars. You're lifesavers. Thank you!!! read more

AMAZING!!!!! seriously, this is the place to go if you want to look GORGEOUS in your big day plus they have an EXCELLENT service. I never write reviews; however, this place deserves one. I went there in a rush, just 3 weeks before getting married. I went to a couple of places and they looked at me like I was crazy. In contrast, Michelle's they loved my idea, they were very supportive and fixed my dress in 2 weeks. I really felt home. They were lovely and made me my dreams come true! read more

I purchased a mother of the bride dress and can't say enough good things about Lissa and this shop. I am very picky and Lissa was so patient, assured me that I would love the dress after the alterations and she was right!!! I tried it on, wanted a few more things done and she made the adjustments the same day. This shop is warm, welcoming, professional and has a beautiful selection of dresses. I cannot say enough good things about my whole experience shopping at this store!!! read more

Just drove an hour in torrential rain and they are closed. Ugh. Website says open today!

I absolutely loved my experience here - Lyssa was an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the fitting process and had great insight and experience to make my vision come to life. The shopping process was also great - casual but also fun and helpful. Great selection and very reasonable prices. read more