my wife and i came in wanting to try on a few dresses and to get an idea of what we both liked. she gave an idea of what she liked and then the lady working with us got some. i can't speak for how their interaction was when changing but my wife didn't like most of the dresses she got. she told her specifically what she doesn't like yet she still got dresses with things she doesn't like. my wife felt rushed in trying these dresses on. granted, it was an hour appointment but on the 4th dress we tried, she said "okay, only two more dresses". the lady also wouldn't let my wife try on other sized dresses that she liked. finally once the appointment was over, the lady at the front was checking us out and asked us when we plan on having a wedding. my wife said "we were planning this fall but we don't have an actual date due to my husbands work schedule currently." and then was told to "well you need to figure that out". not the best answer to secure business. again, we were in there to try on dresses and find out what my wife and i liked. we were open to purchase if we found the right one. overall, the store itself is nice but small. there's so many dresses to chose from and the average price for them were about $1800. we personally wouldn't be coming back here but don't let our experience dictate how your experience will be. it's still a good store to come and just look to get an idea of what dress you'd like. read more

My daughters bought their wedding gowns here less than 10 years ago. I recommended SE to my future daughter in law. I'm sorry that I did. When you pull into the parking lot, the original building is off limits. You walk through a brush filled path on the left to the "new" building. Inside is ok on arrival. What you start to notice is the unfinished vents, outlets, the weird doorways. If you use their restroom, you're going to find wallpaper that's peeling at EVERY seam. One of the dresses she tried on had obvious stains, one had an overlay that doubled the price but wasn't available to see. This was so disappointing. The bridal "experience " was non-existent. This place needs to finish their building, clean their dresses and reevaluate what it takes to sell a bridal gown. read more

Wow what a hidden gem! I came here with my mom to try on a few wedding dresses. It was my first time trying in dresses so I was a bit nervous. The staff was so friendly and patient - they explained me through the process. They have a ton of dresses to try on. When I pulled up it looked like the store would be super small but the outside looks deceiving! They have a variety of different styles, prices and designers to choose from! Simply Elegant is definitely the top spot to shop if you are in the area. read more

I was reluctant to shop at this bridal store after looking at some of the reviews, but after searching all over Pensacola for a dress I decided to give them a try. I was looking for a specific type of bohemian dress and they were the only ones that had anything close. Amber helped me and was very patient while I tried numerous dresses. They ordered the size I needed and pointed me to the most experienced seamstress since this dress required delegate and difficult alterations. I found the perfect dress for an affordable price and had a very pleasant experience! Thank you so much!!!! read more

I was helped by Kim here. They have a vast selection of gowns, and my wedding was less than four weeks away. Kim listened to my feedback and tailored the selections she brought to what I liked. I found a perfect dress in my size and she also gave us a recommendation for the slight alterations. Made everything easy and stress free. read more

Amazing experience! On a whim, I stopped here for my son's prom. The gentleman showed us books to pick out a suit. He measured my son, took our deposit, and sent us on our way - all within 15 minutes. I couldn't believe it was that easy. We got a text that the suit was ready, and everything fit my son perfectly. The shoes were the wrong color but corrected the next day with a new text stating they were ready. Drop off was a breeze. We couldn't be happier. We will definitely be back. read more

I absolutely loved my experience here! Amber was so great and kind in helping out with finding my dress, and Kim was helpful, too! Thank you both, and thanks again to Amber for ALL the help. I look forward to wearing my dress on my wedding day! read more

I had an amazing experience here! Claire helped me, and she was so accommodating, she even tried on a few dresses since she was pregnant, and I will be pregnant for my wedding. She did not have to do that at all! She was focused on me, and wasn't going back and forth between clients (like other shops), and was so helpful with her opinions. She helped me stay on track with my budget and even brought other options in case I wanted to try something different. I can't recommend this place enough, they went above and beyond giving me the bridal experience!!! Heart eyes!! read more

Brought two girlfriends in to the bridal shop for a scheduled appointment with the owner in March of 2020 with a budget of $1,650. If you've ever seen the scene from "Pretty Woman" when Julia Roberts walks into the store and women refuse to help her, (except I am an upper class woman with no reason for anyone to think I can't afford their merchandise), you're about to read a reenactment of that scene: While other brides got stacks of dresses matching what they wanted, I got a total of 5-6 dresses that weren't even close to what I was looking for. The owner never once came in to help me get into any of my dresses, never clipped oversized dresses, and didn't come to the mirror when I walked out each time. It became apparent to all the other customers and their friends/family the serious neglect and maltreatment I was receiving, so they started handing me dresses their brides had already tried on. One mother approached the owner and asked her if she was going to help me, but at that point I was so discouraged, I changed and left. I was so discouraged that I emailed the owner and let her know how horrible the appointment was. She replied with a dismissive "I was trying my best".....in short, I recommend traveling to a larger city where they (at a minimum) conduct business in storefronts, not old dingy homes run by entitled, stuffy women. read more

We just recently bought a dress here,it took my daughter 5 different places to find the dress,we felt no pressure.on our 2 nd visit we decided on a dress. Came in on time. We love this store great job. Their seamstress did a amazing job Nara is the best. Thank you so much for making our day so beautiful. read more

I had the pleasure of finding my wedding dress with Victoria! She was helpful, personable and knowledgeable about the gowns. She took the time to get to know me and what I wanted prior to pulling gowns. She was also very conscious about my budget. Other places I had been to were not as budget friendly for me. I will post photos on here after my wedding as my hubby to be is an avid yelper! I am so excited I found my dress and veil here. It's in a german looking "home" and is absolutely elegant on the inside! Their dresses are gorgeous and they are very friendly. I highly recommend you go here! read more

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i am participating in the pageant at Choctaw High School, Miss CHS. i went to simply elegant with two other contestants to find our sizes and styles and possibly purchase a dress if we found one we liked. upon entering the store, i was greeted and helped by a very nice employee. i believe her name was lacey. she showed me exactly where to look for everything i asked for and more. she was extremely helpful and kept asking me and my friends if we needed anything. the girls and i each found a dress and we grabbed two extras just for sizing purposes. we were in the bridal section so we all went into the same dressing room in order to take up the least amount of space and disrupt the least amount of people possible. we tried on our dresses and each found one that we liked. i fell in love with the one i tried on. it fit me perfectly, exactly what i was looking for, and was within my budget. we decided to find a bigger mirror in order to see our dresses better because the mirror in the dressing room really only showed from the waist up. however, there was a bride trying to find her wedding dress who was using the big mirror so we found a smaller, yet still full body mirror a couple feet from our dressing room. we looked at our dresses in the mirror and each came to a conclusion about our dresses. i was going to purchase mine but they were not. we go back into our dressing room to put on our regular clothes and begin undressing. soon after we close the curtain, a male employee, who we believe may have been the owner, opened our curtain. we were all in the midst of taking off our dresses. while still having the curtain open, he advised us to "come back another day with our moms". this man kicked us out of his store when we were planning on giving him business. just to clarify, we were not being rowdy, we were polite to all employees and customers that we came in contact with, we were not disruptive, we were not messy, we were simply there to find mandatory dresses for an event we are all participating in. we were potential paying customers and this man kicked us out. i do not recommend giving your money to this establishment. i will not be going back there to purchase that dress. read more

We went into shop for my best friends wedding dress and the moment we walked in, it was a bad experience. The experience was extremely rude and off putting. The employees stated immediately we could not touch any of the dresses. She told the bride to go into the dressing room and the us to have a seat. When the bride asked to see some dresses, the employee told her that she would pull the dresses she thought would be best. At first, we thought well maybe she does... but every dress the bride said she did not like... the employee would pull 3 more in the same style. We will not be back. read more

When I first walked in I did not feel very welcomed by the man at the front. However, when Amanda came to help me pick out dresses, things immediately got better. My budget was lower than the average price of their dresses (which is $1300-$1500) so she started with dresses from the clearance rack. She listened to me very well and picked out the exact style of dresses I was interested in. By the fourth or fifth dress I tried on, I had found the one! It was an incredibly good price, about 50% off. Amanda made my experience so wonderful and I would definitely recommend Simply Elegant to brides looking for beautiful, elegant dresses for a good price! read more

Extremely rude, and very cheap. They lie about the actual price of the dresses. Mark up of over 100%

I visited Simply Elegant while I was in town in May 2014 visiting family, hoping that I could get an amazing dress for a bit less than I would pay in DC. It didn't hurt that the store carried basically all of my favorite designers that had come to love in my wedding dress research. When I arrived with my mother, I was greeted by an associate, and she welcomed me with a small gift of earrings, which I thought was a sweet touch. We then had a nice consultation about what I was looking for. The store was lovely, and we were the only ones in the place, which was nice. However, that's kind of where the good stuff ended. She pulled a lot of dresses, hung them in my room and didn't help me into them at all. She helped with lacing up and buttoning, but those things are hard to even get into! I struggled. And she didn't take any dresses that I tried on away, so my room was filled with fabric and there were few places to step. I also just never felt like she was pulling the kinds of dresses I was really looking for. I did find one silhouette that I really liked, the very last one I tried on, but I indicated to her that I wanted to go home and think about it (like any big decision). That's where she basically stopped being polite. As we were wrapping up, I was trying to book time to come back the next day, and she was a bit rude and then just stopped talking to me. I think the most I got out of her when I said "See you tomorrow"...was a dismissive "Mmmhmm". My mom and I were aghast. Needless to say, after that, the next day I didn't come back. I drove to Pensacola to another store, where the associates were friendly and helpful. When I went home to think about it, they didn't make me feel like sh*t. And there's where I bought my dress. read more

I was so excited when I discovered they had my dream Maggie Sottero gown. I was measured, and chose to order a size larger because I did not want to worry about squeezing into it. I also ordered extra length because I am tall. It went downhill from there. (See below for how they measured incorrectly, failed to return phone calls, and failed to help me resolve THEIR mistakes, even though I had paid in full. Or I'll save you time and tell you to go somewhere else that doesn't have poor customer service. DO NOT BUY FROM HERE. Clearly, all they want is to make a sale, but after they receive payment in full, the "lovely customer experience' screeches to a halt.) Now, onto the tale of how Simply Elegant became a Simply Terrible Experience.... My first issue was the fact that I had to call and ask if my gown had arrived. It had...and had been there at least a week. (The same thing later happened with my veil-- they didn't let me know it was in, and I had to call and ask.) When I went to try it on, it would not fit over my hips-- and I had lost 7lbs since my measurements were taken and had even ordered the larger size! Bob, the owner of Simply Elegant, told me not to worry, that "any alterations shop can fix it". What that didn't solve was the fact that it was also too short! They had not ordered the extra length per my request! Bob assured me it would be fine after alterations-- but since they do not do alterations on site, I had to take it with me back to Texas and find someone there to do it. The first alterations lady said I may need to order extra material, as it would not stretch anymore, and to contact Simply Elegant to help with doing this. I called and spoke with Bob, who said he would get in touch with Maggie Sottero and call me back. He didn't. I waited a full week before calling back, and was told that he had, in fact, called, but Maggie Sottero couldn't get material made in time for my wedding. I asked what they (Simply Elegant) could do to help me, since I had a dress that didn't fit and was too short. Their suggestion? That I-- their customer who had paid in full for a dress, veil, and jewelry-- go find material for my WEDDING DRESS on ETSY. (Seriously?!) My mom and I got in touch with Maggie Sottero, and have since worked out the issue directly with them, with absolutely NO help from Simply Elegant. It's still a tad too short, but it's the best that could be done. Another thing that bothered me was how eager Bob was for my fiance and I to transfer our Sandals booking over to him, as he (Bob) is also a Sandals agent of sorts. He did not hesitate to send me the email and follow up about that time and time again, but when I actually needed his help in fixing my dress, he couldn't even give me the respect as a paid customer to return my phone call. (In case you were worried, we DID NOT give him any credit or transfer anything to him, thank goodness!) I can't stress this enough-- this is not how anyone, especially a paid customer ordering the most important dress she'll ever wear, wants to be treated. read more

Worst experience of my life! Bobby was rude and not helpful whatsoever. I called in July with my measurements for a bridesmaid dress since I live out of state. I was measured by an experienced seamstress so I knew my measurements were correct. The boutique took it upon themselves to order me a size bigger than my measurements without consulting me first. After they promised I would get my dress by a certain date, I got it a week later after the bride called numerous times and was put on hold for over 20 minutes each time. I received my dress finally. My dress is 3 sizes too big. They would not compensate my shipping even though it was their fault that I did not get my dress on time. Nor would they compensate me for ordering my dress way too big. I was told by Bobby that I needed to get it taken in. Thanks Captain Obvious. You were so helpful. read more

Simply Elegant Bridal - This is the dress I was sent. - Bridal Near Me - Fort Walton Beach, Florida

My experience with Simply Elegant was PHENOMENAL! My matron of honor coordinated an after-hours, private appointment to look for my dream wedding gown. Robert & Deborah, the owners, were so gracious. My four girl friends and I had the whole showroom to ourselves, complete with fresh fruit and a champagne toast on the back porch (which has a beautiful view!). Robert even video taped the appointment so that I could have a keepsake from this special day. The showroom is gorgeous. It is lined with tons of sample gowns, a wide floor to ceiling mirror on a large platform, and great lighting. They also have veils and accessories to complete your look (whether you buy them from SE or not, they were fun to try with my gown!). Jessica (the red head) was amazing!! She was so friendly, and so patient with me as I tried on, and re-tried on, [what seemed like] dozens of gowns. In the end she helped me find the perfect gown, within my budget, and helped me order the right size. She wasn't pushy at all, and didn't make me feel pressured into making a decision. (I think we were there for almost 3 hours!) Ms. Yoders, in alterations, met with me on three separate occasions to make sure every stitch of the dress was in the perfect place. She was more than willing to spend so much extra time making sure the dress fit like it was made for my body. I would highly recommend Simply Elegant to ALL brides, but especially to brides-to-be who want a really special, unforgettable experience trying on wedding gowns. read more

Hands down best place to shop for gowns. Best staff, best selection, beautiful interior. Well kept, well decorated, and clean. Was desperately searching for a unique dress for homecoming, and received more than enough help. Prices were reasonable and dresses were in great condition. Bob was extremely helpful, attentive, and kind! read more

I have been here multiple times before and they have been nothing but helpful. Wednesday I called about getting a suit and asking if it would be here by Saturday. They said if we came in by a certain time they would take measurements and order it for us and it would be here before Saturday. We went in a got all the measurements, chose the suit and they ordered it. We went in today to get it and it was huge. My mind is blown at how you can mess up simple measurements. There might be more to the story but they said they could get us a suit for our prom tomorrow and they mentioned nothing about possibly having to alter it. We returned the suit and will be shopping elsewhere. read more

This was the first place I looked for my dress. Samantha was very helpful and helped me find the perfect dress within my price range (around $300) within one hour of being there. I could only purchase from the rack since my wedding was so soon. I never once heard of felt any negativity about my minimal budget. They still made me feel like a Queen! The dress I ended up falling in love with had minor flaws but I was okay with that. When I went to pay, they informed me that since the dress wasn't a bridal dress, they could order me a brand new one with no upcharge. Overall it was an amazing experience, and I actually wish I had stayed longer- I enjoyed it so much! Thank you!! read more

Absolutely AWESOME bridal shop! We got the most amazing service and were totally blown away by how many gorgeous dresses they had in stock. The shop is adorable and the service absolutely top notch! I highly recommend Simply Elegant! read more

I would tell any bride to AVOID this salon for alterations at all cost! They didn't do ONE SIMPLE ALTERATION after I took the dress back to then TWICE!!!! I paid over $300 for work that was never done and now I'm three weeks from my wedding and have to find another seamstress. Simply Elegant was recommended to me by a very good friend. When I went in for my appointment, I couldn't have been happier with the exceptional service I received. I really did find my dream dress. After the dress was ordered and sent to the salon, I made an appointment to come in for alterations. Now, by this time, I had moved to Tampa, but I wanted to keep my business at Simply Elegant, so I drove 6 HOURS to get back to Fort Walton Beach. At the appointment, we noticed that the dress wouldn't quite zip the last inch it would take to close the dress. This was the area right around my rib cage, and the woman pinning the gown said that they could easily take that out and make it fit. Cut to a month later when I drive BACK from Tampa another 6 hours to try the dress on again, and it STILL STOPS IN THE SAME SPOT!!!! Needless to say I was furious. I called Simply Elegant, and spoke with the woman who had pinned the dress originally. She said that in and amongst the other alterations that needed to be done to my dress the seamstress must have forgotten to let it out. She then set up an appointment for me to see the seamstress directly to get the issue fixed. I told her I would be back in Fort Walton the next month and we could fix it then. When I met with the seamstress, she assured me it would be fixed. Well I got the dress today and it still doesn't zip that last inch. I AM THREE WEEKS FROM MY WEDDING! NEVER USE THIS SALON FOR ALTERATIONS. read more

Bought my wedding dress from Simply Elegant. I was so impressed with the store and workers who helped me. They ordered in two dresses for me to try on that I was choosing between. Would definitely suggest this business to others. read more

They ordered the wrong size for my bridesmaid dress, when I got home with the dress and realized the mistake I called. I wasn't upset, I just wanted to see if they would alter it since they ordered one size too big. The owner I spoke to became hostile and admitted that while it was their mistake, I was the one really at fault for not reading the size on the bag when I picked it up at the store. How are you going to make a mistake then blame it on me for assuming you can do your job correctly? Will never step foot in here again. read more

The store set up at simply elegant is beautiful. I love that the bridal salon is separate in the back and you have the large mirror to model each dress. With that being said, the lady that was in charge of my bridal appointment was less than impressive. It was my first day looking for wedding dresses and I wasn't ready to make the big purchase that day. The second she realized this, she went from sweet and helpful to nasty and unpleasant. Truly ruined my experience dealing with her. Also, after the fact, I received multiple calls from the store trying to sell me a honeymoon trip. Not impressed by this store and the staff. Purchased my dress elsewhere because I did not want to give them my money. read more

Disappointing to say the least. The consultant was very nice but whether it was store policy or not, she would only bring dresses that were her size or above. My daughter is an 18 bridal and all the dresses she brought were huge and had to have numerous clamps just to hold them on. They were mostly all sizes 20+. We were not allowed to look at other dresses on the racks. She would pull them herself and we could not look. At one point I asked if that was all she had in a certain silhouette and she said yes, "in her size". Well we have been to numerous salons now and they allow you to try on dresses that may be too small so you can still see if you'd like it (yes, within limitations of course). But here, not happening. Didn't even let me look. We found the perfect dress at another salon and it was a 14 on the rack. Did it fit perfectly, no, but she was able to still try it on. It was a beautiful dress and the other shop so helpful allowing us to look and try on their stock outside of just what would "fit". Very disappointing trip to this salon, but a lesson learned. read more

Ladies were great! I didn't have to go anywhere else in the area or out of the area to find my dress. I told my consultant what look I was going for showed her pictures and we talked for a good bit. She really was trying to get all the details so she could help find my dress. There were a few they had selected for me to try on. One was beautiful, it was almost the dress. I looked through their many wedding dresses and found one that caught my eye. It was the DRESS!!! I said YES to the dress in less than two hours. The day of the wedding no one could believe that I go my gown from this small town. Don't underestimate simply elegant. They can also order you just about any dress. I am so happy I went to simply elegant and found my wedding dress that I will be able to pass down to when our first daughter gets married. read more

Personally, will never buy from this store again. None of my alternations were done. The store never contacted me for any of my fittings, and I finally had to go down there about it since none of my calls were returned. I didn't get the dress until 3 days before the wedding, and the alterations had to be done somewhere else for a charge of $198. The alterations they were going to make, the new lady said she couldn't do it since it would destroy the dress. So it wasn't even the look I wanted for my one day. If I could give zero stars then I would. It makes me just sick. This was the worst experience I have ever had. read more

I went to Simply Elegant Bridal to find a dress for my wedding. Upon entering, I was told that since I did not have an appointment, I would have to wait another hour just to simply LOOK. I, along with my best friend and mom, drove 2 hours to this store from Dothan, AL. This rule would be fine if we were informed in a polite way. However, the way we were treated was absolutely rude and unacceptable. We were treated as if we were not up to their standards. read more

Feeling ripped off. My wife isn't from this country and they took advantage of her. We asked how much the alterations for her dress would be and they said $150 to $200. When she got to the register they charged her $318. We added a sewn in bra but their price was still off by $100! We would have never gotten the dress altered there if we knew it would be that much. Either the lady who took her measurements in order to make the dress or the dress makers didn't do a good job and when the dress came there were several alterations needed. This shouldn't be an extra charge if they cannot do their job but it seems like they give you a dress that needs several alterations so they can make even more money on top of an overpriced dress. You would do much better by going to Pensacola for any large wedding purchases. read more

This was my second time trying on dresses at Simply Elegant. Everytime I have gone, I've been listened to and have gotten what I wanted. This was the first place I had tried dresses at. I fell in love with this one dress in particular. But I continued shopping. I ended up buying another one for family reasons but this one dress was always in the back of my mind. Finally, my maid of honor and I decided we must go back. When she made my appointment they were able to pull up what dress it was. I immediately tried it on once I got there and once again felt the feeling every bride should feel when she finds that dress. Jenna (my consultant) let me tried on the dress I had bought (since I explained to her my predicament and I had brought it with me) in other words I tried on a dress I had not bought there. Because of that I was able to realize that the dress from Simply Elegant was my dress after all. Jenna was very helpful and informative. I even received a free pair of stud earings. Too sweet. They also accommodated us with the time and day and let us come in on a day they usually don't have bridal consultations. I would definitely recommend this place to any bride! read more

I'd give zero star if it allowed me. My son went in to get measured for a rental suit for his wedding. Suit came back two days prior to wedding and did not fit. Nothing fit, not the shirt, not the pants, not the vest, and not the jacket. Why measure someone if you can't get it right. He was told to go to another place for tailoring. Due to lack of time and daily engagements prior to the wedding, my son had to purchase a suit day prior to the wedding. When he asked for his money back, he was told no refunds. I called and we were told we could have a store credit. If a business can't give you what you paid for in a timely manner, and the customer is not satisfied, full refund should be expected. There was no reason they could not refund him his money. Will "NEVER" recommend this place to ANYONE! Very disappointed with such a long time local business to treat their customers this way. read more

Buying my dress was absolutely amazing. The store is so pretty and the consultant was super helpful. I absolutely loved my dress and was so happy. Picking it up was a different story. I was told my dress would come at the beginning of September. When I didn't hear anything I called them (with one month to go until wedding) and conveniently my dress was arriving that day. I suspect they just didn't call me. I went in the next day and they seemed super flaking and disorganized. They then informed me that they didn't currently have a seamstress so they sent me to someone nearby. They acted like this was a new development but I see there was a review from April 2014 on the seamstress and that person was sent there by SE. I only went there on their recommendation as it was an hour from where I live. The seamstress, Joy alterations, was super expensive and did a horrible job on my dress. The dress was very expensive and needed to be hemmed. The bottom of the dress was scalloped with beading and metallic gold stitching on applique. She did a super sloppy job and it looked nothing like the dress originally did. The edges were super jagged and there was an ugly white line of stitches that was not on the dress originally (dress was champagne and gold). When she sloppily moved the applique layer up she left the layer behind on and in some places it was longer than the front. When I complained her response to each area was "that's ok" or "that doesn't matter." With a $2,000 wedding dress it really did matter. Also she shortened the under layer of the dress too. Which I never asked for. Probably so she could charge me more. All I can say is thank god I didn't need the dress taken in or out because I probably would be starting over from scratch having to get a new dress. read more