My bride maid and I went in just to look at dresses for my big day I had several ideas I wanted…read moreafter just trying on two at another place. Walking in here was a relief at first.... the girl at the front was new she helped me get my perfect gown. The guy was very welcoming and overly nice! But we still went ahead and I fell in love with my dress! We put it on layaway. The very next day. A week later... we couldn't get anyone on the phone and the store in the mall was closed as well as down town ( given covid ) but we had 2 week mark to pay or we would have lost my dress. So we go on to call the voice mail box was full and no body was there finally on the last day my mom received someone! He's a total scam the dresses are amazing but go somewhere else to get your dress!!

This Mom in California is highly disappointed in the level of service...or LACK thereof!!…read more **Edited addition: I have been contacted by people who live in the area, solely based on my review and they agree... this place is NOT an ideal place FOR ANYONE to shop for a special occasion because the owner and his terrible regard for paying customers just seems to have a personal problem with providing the level of service one comes to expect when investing in an event that will become a lifelong memory. Dear Mr. Owner of Absolute Bridal & Formal - Get A Clue. That is all** My daughter and three of her friends went to this bridal shop in order to find bridesmaids and flower girl dresses for her wedding in December. Although I am in a different state, the process is very special and I want so badly to be there physically, however, I cannot. Two other locations gave her permission to video call me so I could be a part of this very special venture virtually and it has been quite pleasant so far...UNTIL THIS PLACE. Upon entering the store, my daughter immediately asked an approaching sales woman if it was OK to video call me - she explained the unique situation and she agreed it would be fine as long as it was just a call and not photos, etc. She daughter confirmed and proceeded with our call. We commented on some of the fashions, and finally agreed on a dress for one of the young ladies to try on (urged on by the very aggressive sales woman I might add). While waiting for a member of our party to model said dress, a middle aged man walked up to my daughter VERY RUDELY saying something about screen shots aren't allowed...she responded jokingly and proceeded to show him our video phone call - she even stated, I was in California and couldn't be there. - but before she could finish, he cut her off..instead of staying professional or even apologizing, he proceeded to increase his volume of speaking while citing regulations of the strict partnership he has with designers. My Daughter commented about his lack of professionalism and her desire to shop elsewhere... He then proceeded to FOLLOW THEM CLOSELY AND ATTEMPT TO USE INTIMIDATION TACTICS on three very well spoken, beautiful, casually dressed, graduate students all with me, a virtual mom, experiencing the entire chain of events. His actions were over the top & simply unnecessary. The young lady who was coerced into trying on the dress finally came out & stood on the platform to demonstrate the dress' features, while the future bride & friends eagerly sat on the couch waiting for the viewing and much needed exodus. The man, finally identified himself as THE OWNER, continued to stand IN FRONT of, ON THE SIDE OF & BEHIND the ladies, as if they are engaging in inappropriate behavior...when they remained poised and classy giving their attention to their friend who stood on a podium, unaware of the turn of events while she was in the fitting room. I was sickened by his blatant and rude approach to deter "in-store photos". He was clearly targeting and picking on these young ladies. The final straw was when he STOOD ON THE PODIUM NEXT TO THE YOUNG LADY MODELING THE DRESS!!! HE DID NOT MOVE AWAY - I wanted to say to him, "Why on earth, except for ignorance and obvious underlying issues toward young ladies wielding a bit more "melanin" than you wanted in this store, would a person do this? YOU SIR, are a JERK!" Meanwhile, WE and mine will Never return and this establishment certainly WILL NOT get my GREEN money for this wedding! (9BM +1FG dress Needed + One Idiot = Missed Opportunity) Side Note: **While on the phone, I witnessed other patrons in the store, walking and talking in large groups. All were free to stroll without intimidation or being followed**

A four hour drive from DC to look at new, designer dresses for up to $500 AND I get to support a…read moregreat program (the YWCA)...you don't have to ask me twice! Church Street Bridal is located on the second floor of the YWCA. Upon entering the room, I was quickly greeted by a sales associate who explained the layout of the room and told me what sizes to look for. After that, I was left alone to browse through the numerous amounts of wedding dresses that were donated by designers and boutiques! Dresses ranged from $200-$500. On the mezzanine level of the second floor you'll find a smaller selection (maybe about 4 racks) of dresses that were discounted. The manager explained that dresses they aren't able to sell get transferred to this area. I was amazed no one wanted a lot of these dresses! Dresses in this area were less than $200. On the lower level of the YWCA was Church Street Bridal Too, which housed formal and bridesmaid dresses. The selection down here wasn't nearly as large as the wedding dresses, but there will still an impressive selection to choose from. Dresses in this area cost up to $150. After swiping through tons of wedding dresses, I eyed a dress that was put on the hold area. It was exactly what i was looking for, so I asked if it was spoken for. Luckily for me, the bride to be who had it on hold found another dress just moments ago. Score! I went to the back area to try it out, came outside to check it out in the mirror, and knew that this was THE dress! After trying on several dresses, I found THE one I see myself walking down the aisle in. Hooray! =) Even better, it only cost me $315 (with tax). I also scored a formal dress to wear to a wedding for $42 (with tax). Double hooray! Support a great cause and check out Church Street Bridal...I'm definitely a fan! Great selection of dresses to choose from and helpful sales associates who help you get into your gown/offer up some helpful advice. BTW-I went on a Saturday afternoon and there were a good amount of brides to be here. You might have to wait for a dressing room, or share one if you don't mind doing that. Worth the wait though! BTW2-Cash or Visa/Mastercard only.

I didn't think I could get so hyped up about a dress before but when a staff member here looks you…read morestraight in the eye and asks "Are you saying YES to to the dress?" and you scream a line of expletives with the word "Yes", then you know you are having a best dress shopping experience of your life. I wanted an affordable dress, but I still had some criteria for the dress to be unique and you know drop dead gorgeous. In my search for said dress, I've had some adventures. I ordered a $100 dress off Amazon, which had great reviews (even though people didn't use punctuation and basic grammar I still trusted them) and pics. As a result I ended up being stuck inside a giant tube of peach tulle (they said it was "champagne")and lace while trying it on like a raccoon stuck inside a trash can wondering which way was up (lesson of the day: step into the dress). Of course I had to show the dress off cause it was so heinous, and got the response that I looked like Donna Martin at prom on 90210. Not the look I was going for. I had heard about Church Street Bridal from three friends that had purchased their dresses there, so I figured it was worth it to trek the four hours from DC to Lynchburg, as a bonus I bookmarked all the breweries and cideries on the way so the day was not a total loss. We pulled up to the YWCA where the bridal shop is located in the basement, made sure to wash our hands since we were pounding hot Cheetos in the car and didn't want to leave orange fingerprints, and when we walked in we were greeted with a hug from the loveliest manager ever, asked some details about the plans for the big day, and then they lead you to a rack of your size. Just a note bridal sizing is four sizer larger than your regular size. The shop itself is newly remodeled and looks like the bridal boutique on TV shows. Large mirrors with pedestals, couches for people to sit on and wait, and dressing rooms. The dresses were all new, donation samples from wedding dress shops from all over, but there claim to fame is having Kleinfeld dresses and I saw and tried on a few at deeply discounted prices (we are talking about $2000 dresses in the $200-$300 range). I initially tried on five dresses. Some were cute, some were interesting nightgowns on me, but all needed some kind of work or modifications, so it was hard to picture how they would look after alterations. Understand that wedding dresses are designed for women that stand 5'10", and and I standing were with arm straps that reach my ears trying to picture the bodice not at my chin. So I walk out, ready to go, and find one dress hanging by itself on a rack of a larger size. Initially I wasn't too crazy about it, it was heavy in my arms but the fabric design was incredible. I tried it on, and as I was being corseted in by staff, my friend said my face lit up. That was the dress. While I was hesitant to leave the dressing room before, I pranced the he$& out of there and stood before on a pedestal before the mirrors and just twirled like I was Gone with the Wind fabulous. Then I tried on a few veils and I said Yes to the dress, someone rang a cowbell out of nowhere, hugged the staff, and let them say bye to the dress (a few had gotten attached to it, when it arrived last week). Checking out was easy, they leave the dress in the clear garment bag and let your friend carry it for you (brides should be spoiled apparently). For those of you going dress shopping I highly recommend this shop, well worth the road trip. Check out their Facebook before you go to see recent deliveries, and since Church street is under construction their Facebook gives parking directions. It was the best experience ever, and I loved knowing that my purchase was going to charity (YWCA). If you excuse me now, I have an Amazon return to make!

If I could give a negative I would. They ignored me at first and then when they finally did…read moreacknowledge me, the owner made the experience horrible. I even think I saw a few bugs crawling in some of the dresses. They seem like they were in a rush to "get rid" of me and the owner said she would give me a deal then told me the "deal" price and it was more than the ticketed price, she then told me that one of her helpers must have put the wrong price on the tag which was strange because only some dresses had prices the rest we had to keep asking and it seemed like she was just making up prices. WORST experience ever.

the service was amazing and so were the two ladies and the pricing was great for our price range…read moreand the prom dress quality was immaculate.

We went today for our daughter's wedding appointment.It was a wonderful experience! From…read morecommunication before the appointment to choosing the perfect veil our consultants were awesome. Heather and Megan did a fantastic job making sure everything just perfect for our princess ! I highly recommend Amanda's for that your special day!

Very nice if you're looking for a fancy, pampered experience. Make sure you have an appointment,…read morethey're busy!

The suits that we rented did not fit half my groomsman and the colors that I ordered were not the…read morecolors I received.

Do not go here unless you buy your dress here. My fiancée…read morewas treated like dirt because she didn't buy her dress here. She just moved here from Ohio, only to be treated like that. Awful customer service. Staff was rude and short and arrogant. Ruined her experience in what should have been a wonderful memory.

I said YES TO MY DRESS here! Super friendly staff and extremely helpful! We drove in from Richmond…read moreand they accommodated us knowing we hit a wreck on the way and they even stayed over our appt time bc I am a very indecisive person! Thank you all so much

Beautiful variety of choices and incredibly knowledgeable yet friendly staff (Alice was so helpful…read moreand has a great style)! The staff is also not pushy and makes you feel comfortable. Their price ranges are affordable and you can find a dress below $1300! This amazing off the shoulder dress is actually a boutique original but I ended up getting a different one not pictured here (so my fiancé doesn't see). Honestly, my dress ended up being $500 and was from their private collection- I will just have to add a belt or some beading to make it less plain but it's gorgeous and the price was perfect. They also carry famous designers like Stella York, Essense of Australia, and more. You can see their selection on their website and I suggest checking their instagram which is what drew me in. They have 2 other locations in VA and i wish them plenty of success. This one in Waynesboro was big and you will get plenty of privacy and there is good lighting. My mom ended up trying on mother of the bride dresses and we loved them too! They carry more than just bridal - they also have formal and prom wear.

New address on Graves Mill Road. Brought in my MOG dress to be taken in. When I went to retrieve…read moreit, it was laying on the table in a heap and another seamstress just sitting there beside it playing on her phone. Seriously? She knew I was coming in to pick it up at this specific time, but I figured as long as she could steam out the wrinkles I wouldn't make an issue of it. I noticed that the hem wasn't even but the skirt part of the dress was pleated and I had shoes that would likely make it not look so uneven so I didn't mention it. When I tried it on, it was too tight on the top and not well altered in the bust, the dress had ripples in the bust area that were not there when I dropped it off. The seamstress kept saying "we didn't do anything to that part of the dress" over and over. Ok, but she did alter the shoulders and waist parts which will affect how the bust lays. That's just plain common sense, I'm not a seamstress but what she was claiming made no sense at all. I wasn't in a mood to argue with her and didn't trust her to actually fix the problem she created because she kept denying it was an actual problem, so I just left. $70 later, which I find a ridiculous price for what she did, and I have to take it somewhere else to fix her mistakes. She seemed curmudgeonly and acted like she didn't really care, even when I dropped the dress off. She was more interested in her tv playing the 700 club, and boasting about a cruise she will be taking in a few weeks. She's an older lady, maybe it's time for her to retire.I'm so upset, as if I didn't have enough stress because of the upcoming wedding in 3 days, now I have to add this back on my to-do list. I don't recommend this shop, and certainly won't be taking any more clothing to be altered.

I dropped off prom dress, a month in advance, dress was not ready on quoted day. She had us come…read moreback on two more occasions (hard to do in hours offered) It was a small task of tightening straps, and now there is a hole in $500 dress where the strap was moved. disappointed is understatement.