Bridal Affairs, Rotherham Review

Overall Rating

Pretended with everything they had to be nice to you.

Pushy, patronising and rather stuck up and you get the feeling that the assistants will talk about you once you've left.

Well I didn't know quite what to expect from this small shop, but a friend had recommended it and I needed not a bridal dress but a dress for a formal ball, so I thought I would have a look. I already bought a very nice dress from a high street shop, but due to an illness I have put on half a stone and it will not fasten no matter how hard I try, which is disappointing. I took my own dress regardless to ask if they could do any alterations to it. The lady said very nicely that they could alter my own dress so I got it out to show her and I told her that it was too tight. With another 4 women in the shop at the time I was incredibly embarassed when my assistant decided to do a fan dance with the dress, pointing out how she could only get another inch out of it! After that, she asked if I would like to look at the ball gowns that they had downstairs and she showed me down to where they were. She pointed out various dresses (many were very ugly I must say) and was rather pushy with some of the dresses, stressing the fact that I would look 'so beautiful with the right shoes and a clutch bag' but I wasn't falling for that one! Anyway, I picked out a few half- decent dresses and she put them in the changing room for me, so I thought I'd just go right in and try them on - oh how I was mistaken. Little did I know the assistant would be joining me. I asked politely if I could try the dresses on alone, I mean I was hardly going to rip them to shreds, but she said I couldn't as the dresses were 'so expensive' (around £160, which is cheaper than some on the high street!) As I stood there wondering what to say, she said 'don't worry it's my job, I've seen it all before ..... blah blah blah, rather patronising if you ask me, seeing as though this lady was a size 8 I would say. In the end I did take off my trousers and top and put them on a stool as she asked, but then she wanted me to take my bra off and put a bodice bra on 'for fitting purposes' and that was just so embarassing, I turned round and did it, but while doing that I was worried that she was looking at my thighs and all the places women generally hate. Once all the undressing was done, she then insisted that she dressed me, as if I couldn't do it myself. I had to step into the dress as she pulled it up, and this was too close for comfort! The dress looked awful, very old fashioned but she was adament that I considered it. When she finally got the idea that I didn't like the dress, she had to watch me take the thing off again, talk about kicking you while your down. By this time I had a lump in my throat, quite pathetic I know but the whole thing just made me feel so small, and although I know she wasn't, it felt as though the assistant went out of her way to upset me. I got back into my own clothes on my own, which was a first, and I came out of the changing room quite upset and embarrassed, considering I put on that half a stone recently, it has really knocked me down, and this expererience did not help. I have read a couple of reviews saying how lovely they found the shop in finding their wedding dress, and I am not saying that what they say isn't true, but from my point of view, I believe that you can only enjoy the fittings if you are rather confident with your body and don't mind other women up close and personal! Oh yes and something I forgot to mention, as I was quite upset by the whole pushy thing, and the assistant could see that I was, she kept repeating how I should 'enjoy'the fitting, which was extremely irritating.
Sorry for such a negative review, but I would hate anyone to walk into the shop not expecting to have to rip their clothes off in front of another stranger.

Members' Comments ontinkhannah's Review

• janetlw on 7th Jun 2007

  I think the staff at Bridal Affairs in Rotherham are friendly and honest, and they make sure everyone looks perfect. Why else would there be so many thank you cards and pictures up from all of the brides they have helped? I think they are amazing, and I would recommend them to everyone planning their big day.

• GHUGHES on 22nd Apr 2008

  I think that the staff are so reassuring about how you feel. I am quite a big lady and I felt embarrassed about buying a dress but they made the whole experience such a pleasure. May be this customer needs to start liking herself.