We, too, had worked with the original owner of Paulette's about 7 year ago and were so pleased that recently we returned. As so many other reviewers have said, Bella was rude and condescending. ... More

We, too, had worked with the original owner of Paulette's about 7 year ago and were so pleased that recently we returned. As so many other reviewers have said, Bella was rude and condescending. She refused to tell us the designer of any of the dresses we saw, told us that dresses we knew had been discontinued we still available, and pressed us to buy a floor sample (dirty and badly snagged) for full price. After talking with her a while, she offered a special discount that we later found out was about $500. more than the full price at another shop. It was a most disappointing experience.
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My first visit to Paulette??????s Ambiance was great. Bella, the owner, selected some beautiful bridal gowns for me to try on and I found my wedding dress that day. The dress was ordered in early... More

My first visit to Paulette??????s Ambiance was great. Bella, the owner, selected some beautiful bridal gowns for me to try on and I found my wedding dress that day. The dress was ordered in early January which was plenty of time for my July wedding. When the dress arrived in late March, my future mother-in-law came with me to the first fitting. When I walked out of the fitting room, and looked in the mirror, we were horrified to see that the dress was about 4 inches too short for me!! (I am not a giant.) Bella, too, looked dismayed and promised to reorder the dress. I was confident that things would be ok despite the skepticism offered by my friends and family. In the meantime, I ordered a pair of shoes in April from Bella. The shoes weren't supposed to take more than 4-6 weeks to arrive. Dress #2 arrived in late May and this time it fit. The shoes were also there, but when I got them home, I realized that they were not the size I ordered (too small). Of course, I had the receipt with the correct size noted and all Bella could say at that point was Oh, yes, your size was backordered. I have no idea why she didn't tell me this when she ordered the shoes! We all know that comfortable shoes are probably the most important part of your wedding day. She said that she would order the correct size and that I would receive them in time. Meanwhile, everyone I was dealing with, including Bella, is exclaiming about what a patient and calm bride I am. Uh huh. I was...until late June and just two weeks before my wedding. When I arrived for my next fitting, the door to the store was locked. My friend and I had to call the shop number to have the seamstress open up for us. The hem was finished, but none of the beadwork had been applied and the buttons were not sewn on the back. My dress was very simple and the additions were minimal. The seamstress was there to help me (who was comp
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I am now trying to recoup thousands of dollars she took from me. Bella is unethical, she stole my dress I decided not to wear and sold it without my permission and kept the money. She lied about it... More

I am now trying to recoup thousands of dollars she took from me. Bella is unethical, she stole my dress I decided not to wear and sold it without my permission and kept the money. She lied about it even though I gave her mulitple chances to make it right. She then gave me a check and it was no good! There is no way she can run a business like this and I guarantee she will be closed at some point. Hopefully after a lawsuit. DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE!
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I was wary of shopping at Paulette's Ambiance after reading all the negative reviews that had been posted at this site. However, when I visited there the owner, Bella, was helpful and attentive.... More

I was wary of shopping at Paulette's Ambiance after reading all the negative reviews that had been posted at this site. However, when I visited there the owner, Bella, was helpful and attentive. When I described the dress I was looking for and told her my price range she picked out some different options for me to try on. I will say that Bella is not the most personable, chatty, sales person I've ever met but she was very friendly and helpful. I was able to find a beautiful dress and bought the store sample for a deal that included alterations. The only trouble I had was when I went back to have the dress fitted and altered and she tried to make it seem like the only alterations included were hemming and adjusting the straps. But when I insisted that we had talked about the different alterations that the dress would need she agreed and stuck to the original bargain. I would encourage brides to have her write down everything on the receipt since she doesn't remember or keep good track. After that original fitting I went back once more and tried on the dress. The alterations were wonderfully done and the dress fit me like it was made for me. One of the straps had to be readjusted so I left the gown there and went back to pick it up a few days later. The dress looked wonderful and had been steamed and pressed. All the alterations had been done exactly. Bella was very helpful in explaining how to take care of the dress, walk in it, put up the bustle, etc. All in all I was very satisfied with my experience shopping there. I would say just be firm and make sure you have her write down everything you agree on. As for parking, which some reviewers have complained about, there is a small parking lot in the back which can be accessed by an alley just east of the shop. If anything terrible happens to my dress at the wedding this Saturday, (like the bustle tearing the dress which happened to one of the other reviewers), I'll make sure to post it here. Pros: large selection, excellent atmosphere, great seamstress Cons: owner can be a little pushy
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This place is a bride's worst NIGHTMARE. The store itself seems very charming and romantic--but the owner, Bella, is horribly rude and dishonest. She took my deposit (and rapidly cashed my check)... More

This place is a bride's worst NIGHTMARE. The store itself seems very charming and romantic--but the owner, Bella, is horribly rude and dishonest. She took my deposit (and rapidly cashed my check) with a promise for a very expensive designer dress that she later said was discontinued and she couldn't get! By then, I was almost out of time, so out of desperation I took her offer to buy the floor model at a very small discount. She kept making excuses for the measurements and alterations (saying her seamstress was on vacation, etc.). The final alterations were eventually done 2-3 days before the wedding and they were awful. They completely changed the look of the dress. I could go on and on (she even lied to my mother!!) but I'll just end this by saying PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE save yourselves the heartache I had to endure.
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To all of the brides that shared there horrible experience's at Paulette's i thank you and i am sorry that a once in a lifetime experience was ruined. I am getting married in 9 months and you all... More

To all of the brides that shared there horrible experience's at Paulette's i thank you and i am sorry that a once in a lifetime experience was ruined. I am getting married in 9 months and you all just saved me a trip and heart ache, So again THANK YOU!! and congratulations to you all
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Almost seven years ago Paulette's Ambiance opened in its quaint little cottage on California Street. My family immediately became close to the young married couple who opened the store. They helped... More

Almost seven years ago Paulette's Ambiance opened in its quaint little cottage on California Street. My family immediately became close to the young married couple who opened the store. They helped us with every detail of our wedding attire, right down to the shoes, jewelry and tuxedos. In fact we felt so comfortable with this couple that we invited them to our wedding! Unfortunately I found out about 2 years later that they had sold the business. Its hard to see people bagging on the store that holds wonderful memories for me, but I too have visited in the past years since and found it to be a shadow of its former self. The lady behind the counter was rude and disdainful. So sad that a store that should specialize in creating wonderful memories makes brides cringe and cry!
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I am not surprised at all by these reviews. I am going to be an out-of-town bridesmaid for a friend in NY, and I wanted to try on a dress she chose to offer my input. Once they knew I probably... More

I am not surprised at all by these reviews. I am going to be an out-of-town bridesmaid for a friend in NY, and I wanted to try on a dress she chose to offer my input. Once they knew I probably wasn't going to be putting in an order that same day, they told me it would cost $20 to get measured OR just to try on the dress! I was thinking it would be better if I'd lied, said I was a bride, and just browsed the dresses, but after reading all the reviews, I'm happy to just stay away.
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Very cute bridal shop in a good area. The woman we worked with was very nice and very helpful and had great advice and input. However, the other (more senior) salesperson was not friendly at all... More

Very cute bridal shop in a good area. The woman we worked with was very nice and very helpful and had great advice and input. However, the other (more senior) salesperson was not friendly at all even when we came in. Once they found out that we were just trying on bridesmaid dresses and evaluating their fit and that we were not planning on placing an order for dresses that day (as we have bridesmaids all over the USA), they became cold to us. They even put all the books away and we felt like we could do nothing else but leave. Of course we weren't ready to order as we didn't have all the girls' measurements but the lady refused to even measure this bridemaid until we placed an order! And then said we would have to pay for the simple bust-waist-hip numbers. We will probably order from another shop as the prices were high, ladies rude and the location inconvenient to the rest of us.
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I bought my dress out of state, and brought it to Paulettte's for alteration. Before I even tried it on Bella told me it was $250 to alter it and put in the bustle strings. One of my bridesmaids... More

I bought my dress out of state, and brought it to Paulettte's for alteration. Before I even tried it on Bella told me it was $250 to alter it and put in the bustle strings. One of my bridesmaids was lending me her ballgown petticoat which would be my something borrowed. I brought it with me to the fitting and left it there with my dress, since it needed to be steamed. On the wedding day, when we took the petticoat out - IT WAS NOT MY FRIEND'S PETTICOAT! It was a dirty, less full rental skirt. We called the shop and they said they must have given my friend's skirt to some girl who came in last week requesting a full skirt. WELL - they had no idea WHO and we could not explain why they would have given someone's personal property to someone else. My cinderella dress was now not the beautiful full pouf I wanted for my special day, and my friend was in tears that her petticoat from HER wedding was lost and being worn by a stranger. My something borrowed was now gone, and my dress was dragging on the floor since it was hemmed with the full skirt. ALL they offered me was FIFTY DOLLARS off my $250 charge. They found the skirt 2 weeks later, too late for me, of course. ALSO - ALL of my bustle holds TORE during the photo shoot, and my bridesmaids had to spend 20 minutes of the cocktail hour securing my bustle with PAPERCLIPS and STAPLES from the catering office at my reception venues. I think Paulette's used thin thread when they made the bustle. My $2000 dress was now ripped and ruined. THIS PLACE IS A NIGHTMARE - DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE CUTE LOOK! THEY ARE RUDE, PUSHY AND not customer friendly. ALSO - at my final fitting I had lost weight and asked Bella to take the dress in more, she said, JUST EAT A LOT IN THE NEXT WEEK AND GAIN SOME WEIGHT!!! THEY ARE LAZY and rude!
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