Ultimate Bride

I've got to say that I am AMAZED by Ultimate Bride and the experience that I had with them. My future sister-in-law and I had an appointment with Stephanie and I fell in love with a Rivini gown that had ruffles cascading down the back but it was my first time trying on dresses and I wasn't a huge fan of the simple front so I left knowing that I had plenty of time (my wedding was still a year and a half out). Stephanie was great to work with and so polite and helpful. I have a background in fashion but zero experience in wedding apparel so I'm sure I wasn't the easiest to work with. I wanted something fashion forward yet something that I wouldn't look back on in 30 years and wonder "what was I thinking"? Stephanie continued emailing me options and I just wasn't IN LOVE with anything - even at other stores that I went to. So I decided I needed to fly to NYC. I found a dress that I loved while there and fortunately Ultimate Bride was one of a handful of stores that carried the designer. I thought about how great Stephanie was to work with and how often she followed up with me to see how my search was going. She made me feel like I was her only customer and it was her main goal to find my perfect dress so of course I thought of Ultimate Bride when ordering. While still in NYC I called Stephanie and placed an order for the dress over the phone. A few weeks later they flew the sample in for me to try on and take pictures in. Again, everyone at UB was so nice and helpful. I live in Michigan and my dress and veil was just shipped to me. Everything about the dress is perfect!! Pros: Fantastic staff, great selection, wonderful customer service more

User Rating: 1 out of 5 stars \r by Melody Maker 05/30/2010 \r My niece and I were beginning our search for her bridal gown last year for her June wedding this year (2010). Ultimate Bridal was one of the few shops where we decided to have a look. We made our appointment and arrived ahead of time at their store. Greeted by a beautiful angelic-like woman whom I will call "Sue", she proceeded to let the others know that we were there (I am assuming) to see who would assist us. Upon seeing that we were AFRICAN-AMERICAN, NONE OF THEM WANTED TO HELP US! NOT ONE! But "Sue" apologetically took it upon herself to offer us world-class service in spite of the horrific behavior of their other staff. My niece decided that day that we would certainly do our business with DIMITRA'S BRIDAL (now temporarily located at 600 E. Oak Street just west of Ultimate). At Dimitra's my AFRICAN-AMERICAN, THREE MASTERS DEGREES, EXECUTIVE, MARRYING AN NFL BALL PLAYING niece also purchased 4 expensive gowns not to ment more

I had a wonderful experience at Ultimate Bride. After a dismal hour at Macy's bridal salon, I was worried about going to UB, because the prices are so high. But Kate was awesome! Yeah, I felt a *tad* sized up when I walked in the store (wearing no designer stuff, lol). But Kate was great with me! She was totally patient, pulled dresses I loved, and didn't flinch when I told her I wanted to stay under $5k. Pros: Beautiful dresses, great treatment Cons: Price more

So, I got a horrible sales woman during my appointment at UB. Doesn't sound out of the ordinary, considering the rest of the reviews. And there was nothing new with mine: rude, bored, acted like I was wasting her time, sighed with frustration when I asked to see more dresses, gave dirty looks, the usual. I unfortunately ended up loving one of the dresses I tried that day, but refused to give them my money. So I went in search of salons out of town who carried Monique Lhuillier, as conveniently, no one else did in Chicago. As I was about to travel to make the purchase, my UB saleswoman called to offer me 15% off. What's a girl to do? Of course take the good deal. Luckily I did not have to interact with my saleswoman again, and actually had some very pleasant experiences with veil and jewelry purchases, fittings, etc. Pros: Great dresses Cons: Salespeople, attitude more

I was planning a wedding at fairly short notice (4 months) and was hoping to quickly find a beautiful wedding dress. I was in Chicago on a night-stop ( I was a Stewardess) and popped in to this store. At first I seemed to be ignored, then finally one extremely snooty youngish assistant came over and half-heartedly asked some questions. I explained that I didn't live locally and was looking for a dress that was ready to go. I was given a snooty look and she disappeared returning with three dresses. She just plonked them in my dressing room, no explanations or descriptions. I discarded two as they were not was I looking for and decided to try on the third. I asked the assistant 'Is this silk?'. She gave me a filthy look and curtly replied 'Of course' before walking off. I always thought that choosing and buying a wedding dress was to be a beautiful and fun experience. This assistant was rude and arrogant or maybe she was merely prejudiced (I'm English). Had I not been so time pressed to find a dress I would not have bought the dress I tried on, however it fit perfectly and was ex-display so was indeed ready to go. I definitely do not recommend this store unless they change their staff and their attitude to clients. For the prices they charge brides to be should be getting a far superior service. Cons: Snooty assistant. Unhelpful. more

Ultimate Bride should be ashamed. I purchased a $5,000+ bridal gown. When I arrived in store for my first fitting, the dress was an absolute mess. The dress was too small in the waist and enormous on top (the owner of UB measured me improperly). The sweetheart neck that UB promised would be raised when ordered in the proper size, was gaping and ill-fitting. The unusual side seams of the dress were, as UB later admitted, pinned at the back when I tried on the store sample; this altered the look of the dress and made it impossible to determine whether I actually liked the dress as designed. In short, the dress could not be worn. Despite all of this, UB refused to do anything. Further, from the moment I raised my concerns about the dress, I was treated awfully. The manager of the store mocked me; one seamstress told me I should exercise more; the owner was unavailable for any discussion. When UB finally conceded that I could not possibly wear this dress on my wedding day, I was given one select dress in exchange. I did not have any say in the dress I was given. The dress they gave me cost nearly $1,000 less than the dress I purchased, and they refused to refund me the difference. They told me alterations would be free. In fact, they charged me over $500 (it took weeks to get these charges reversed). Just days before my wedding, UB charged me for overnight shipping but then shipped the dress two day delivery. I was constantly on the telephone with them trying to sort out these problems and imploring someone to help me. And the nightmare went on and on. This was one of the worst experiences I have ever had and negatively impacted the weeks leading up to my wedding. Stay away from this store! There are plenty of bridal stores in the city that carry the same dresses and you will be spared the attitude, incompetence and unnecessary stress. Pros: ONE nice sales associate. Cons: See Review. more

My best friend was getting married and I was her maid of Honor . We were searching for wedding dresses and we decided to make a appointment with Ultimate Bride shop. Let's just say things didn't go well. No I would not recommend them. more

I had a terrible experience here. My mom and sister came from out of town for the day and this was our first experience wedding dress shopping. After showing the three pictures of very expensive dresses I pulled from a magazine and trying those on, I just did not feel it. Not to mention there were no 3-way mirrors or hand mirrors to see the back. I eventually said, "Bring me something you think would look perfect for me. I'm open." The lady told us "Your time is up, you can make another appointment and come back". I couldn't believe it! I ended up buying a dress more expensive at another place! They should really try to show you something and not be so pushy. Do you think you can find the perfect dress in 3 tries? What a terrible experience and I felt bad that my mom and sis had come from out of town for this! Do not waste your time here! They do not take the time and they had terrible service. more

...when my dress was sent to the wrong location. My consultant did not match my personality, but Tina the manager was really great! She sold me on the dress, not my consultant. I went to my first appointment with images of what I wanted to try on, and they knew exactly what I was looking for. After ordering the dress I heard nothing, for months! I finally called 5 weeks before my wedding, to ask ,"When will my dress be in?" Turns out it was coming within a week from when I called. My fittings were really great! They made me feel fabulous! But, I urge everyone buying through Ultimate Bride to keep up with the office staff after each visit, call in between fittings and make sure the fitting specialist is aware of your deadline. Finally, when the dress was finished, I called to make sure it was in the mail...I tracked it, only to find out it was being sent to the wrong location. As you may imagine this was inolerable. They ate the shipping charge, and the dress??? We'll see if it gets there in time!!! Pros: Selection Cons: Follow-up more

I had a good experience at Ultimate Bride up until the very end when the salesperson decided to make me feel pressured into buying a dress I was expressing some interest in at the time. I felt welcomed when I came in early for an appointment and all throughout the appointment I was excited to be able to experience a fun and relaxing time. After trying on about 10 dresses, I decided to wait and keep in mind a lovely Monique Lhullier gown. I expressed to my salesperson that I would like to honor my other appointments in the area. She then threatened a rush fee and with that, I was completely turned off. Of course I didn't end up going back and I would advise others to be weary of this sales tactic when they make their appointment at the Oak street location. Pros: pretty good selection Cons: passive aggressive staff more

UB was one of the first bridal salons I visited on my quest for the perfect gown. I went back 3 times not only because "the dress" was there, but also because of Stephanie. She is fantastic! So sweet, so helpful. She really went out of her way...above and beyond...even putting up with (and responding to) all of my emails, sending her photos of this gown or that gown. She really knew exactly what I wanted. After visiting several salons, I ultimately went back to Ultimate Bride... and to Stephanie. They had the gown that I just couldn't stop thinking about, and she assured me this meant I had found "my" dress! I absolutely love it and can't wait to wear it! In an industry known for pretentious sales people, Stephanie makes the experience a joy. She's the kind of girl you want to be friends with...would it be weird to invite her to the wedding?! LOL. Pros: Great service, especially Stephanie. Cons: Fairly small. Very crowded on Saturdays. more

My daughter and I and her soon to be mother-in-law and sisters-in-law decided to START the search for wedding dresses. (It was our first day looking; we were ONLY going to look!!!) We had an appointment at a bridal salon around the corner where we had so-so results and a so-so salesperson. We were supposed to go to the western suburbs for another appointment but decided to try Ultimate when one of her future sister-in-laws mentioned that's where she bought her gown. They could fit us in in the afternoon--what a good decision to wait. We also had Stephanie...what a wonderful, delightlful breath of fresh air!!! She narrowed down what my daughter wanted in 10 minutes and within 20 my daughter was crying with happiness as she looked at her idea of her perfect gown! (Actually everyone started crying...even Stephanie!) Needless to say, this was an experience we'll remember for our whole lives...everyone was wonderful and I couldn't recommend this shop any higher!!! GO!!! They are wonderful!!! Pros: Everything!! Beautiful gowns in all price ranges, courtesy, upbeat atmostphere!! Cons: Dressing rooms are a LITTLE bit small, but we had a large group. more

I recently visited Ultimate Bride with my mother to find my wedding gown. I thought the shop was beautiful with all the sunlight coming in from the huge windows. My overall experience was excellent -nothing short of "ultimate". My consultant asked me several questions to help her define my look. She was respectful of my budget and as a result I found the MOST gorgeous dress--for me.We even found something for my mom to wear! A one-stop shop! This is a class act. I went to several other shops before and I decided on the Ultimate Bride because of the SUPERIOR customer service and their longstanding reputation---my sister and cousin got their debutante dresses there years ago as well. I highly recommend Ultimate Bride as a must see on your shoppping list. Pros: customer service, attention to detail more

I loved everything about Ultimate Bride. This boutique was referred to me by my friends in Chicago. Any of my girlfriends that are married have purchased their gowns from UB. Each of them had such a great experience that I decided to fly up from Florida to find my gown. I love Oak Street & I love that boutique. It is adorable! I ended up choosing a Monique Lhuillier gown. Brides, you know that feeling when you find the dress of your dreams. My Mom decided on a Peter Langner Mother of the Bride gown - absolutely gorgeous. Our experience was just wonderful - we felt like princesses from our gown consultant to the alterations staff to the office staff. Everyone was such a pleasure to work with - very courteous, professional and caring. I highly recommend Ultimate Bride! Pros: Excellent location, service, selection & atmosphere Cons: if you like low grade strip mall wedding stores this is not the place more

I Loved UB they did everything i expected them to do they greeted me, when i got in the room the room was neat and simple and when the showed me the sample dresses they were GREAT. They did anything for me to get the dress and my wedding was in 2 months at the time and they got it for me 1 MONTH AND 2 WEEKS EARLY i loved them I HIGHLY recommend you go there! Pros: Everything!, SalesWomen, Selection, Location Cons: None more

I am from Tennessee so I went to Chicago to find a wedding dress because the salons here are terribly limited. When we arrived for our appointment 10 minutes early the lady at the front desk was RUDE! I don't mean, "please take a seat and we will be with you shortly" rude. I mean "You are early. You will have to wait. You know we don't open until..." Needless to say it started off terrible. I also agree that the shop itself is nothing to write home about, it needs a makeover. However, Stephanie is their saving grace. She was exceptionally attentive once I got back to the room. She did everything well and bent over backwards to help me select a dress. We had decided to get married in less than a month so I had only 4 weeks to find the perfect dress. Everyone else, especially the salons in Nashville treated me second rate since I didn't have 6 months to wait. On top of that she had it rushed and mailed to us in under 2 weeks and the fit was PERFECT! Thanks to Stephanie a wore an original Oscar de la Renta to my wedding and it was picture perfect. Pros: Stephanie, Selection Cons: Rude staff more

I had a similarly bad experience as the other reviewers. I made an appt for 4:00pm - and arrived on time. I waited until about 4:40. At that point, I was taken into a room and the snobbiest woman I have ever dealt with asked me rude questions about me and my wedding. She then brought out 3 dresses. After trying these on, she announced that it was 5:00 and they were closed so if I wanted to see more dresses - I would have to come back. This was after seeing 3 dresses - it was clear that her time was much more important than my time. Not even worth going to... don't waste your time!!! Pros: Great dresses Cons: HORRIBLE service, snobby, rude more

Ultimate Bride should be called Ultimate Nightmare. When I arrived they had written down my name incorrectly and then challenged me about even having an appointment. I was made to feel it was my fault for the mistake they made. I wanted to leave then. It only got worse. After telling them my budget was unlimited, they brought me three or four gowns and then told me that was all they had that fit the description I was looking for. The samples were in HORRIBLE condition. The service, well you can't even call it service. Don't be fooled by the Oak Street address, these people have no idea what it's like to smile and be kind. It's not worth the money, or the time to visit this salon. Pros: None Cons: Service, Service, Service more

My sister bought her wedding dress here and was fairly pleased, so we purchased our bridesmaid dresses through a trunk show that Ultimate hosted. We spend almost $400 on each dress and the designer was there to size them - the dresses arrived 5 weeks late (getting there less than 1 month before the wedding) and every dress is AT LEAST 1 size too big. Ultimate will not alter the dress and basically said "Sucks to be you -- we won't do anything". I will never give them business again. Pros: selection, one good salesgirl, location Cons: bad customer service, no alterations, expensive more