Bridal Gallery At Mac Gregor

This review is actually for their other store: BRIDAL BOUTIQUE OF NORTH CAROLINA in Cary. I just don't agree with their policies. For brides looking to purchase your gowns or bridesmaid dresses here: DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY. I first visited last week to check out their variety of bridesmaid dresses for my wedding coming up next year. I found it odd that they did charge a ""registration fee"" of $20 just to try on dresses---keep in mind I already bought my wedding gown 6 months ago so I only needed to look at bridesmaid dresses. Foolishly, I went ahead and paid the fee because they said it can go towards my future purchases. UNFORTUNATELY, that's not the case. I returned this week to ask about some accessories and a color swatch (which was already overpriced at $15). I wanted to make the purchase with my ridiculous fee from the week before. Not only did the owner refuse me but even after I tried to bargain by offering to purchase a number of accessories in addition to the swatch, she just kept explaining that I was ""told already"" that the fee only went towards bridal dresses--which I was not. After going back and forth for quite awhile, I finally left feeling disappointed, cheated, and incredibly dissatisfied. I never raised my voice. I was perfectly reasonable. I originally wanted to purchase bridesmaid dresses from the shop-----but after all that, I will never step into that store ever again. All I wanted was a color swatch to be sure about what I was ordering. The owner, an older Indian woman, never gave me her name (instead, told me to take a business card that conveniently lacked her name) and was very rude and walked away from this discussion. The entire time I felt like I was talking to a recording of what their policies were, over and over and over again. She was cold, insistent, unfriendly, and unreasonable. For all you brides out there, it's already so difficult to plan a wedding let alone pay for one. The industry would be much better off without business owners out there like this that only cares about taking your money. It's a shame that the only bright spot there were the salespeople who were helpful and far friendlier than the owner--go figure. more

I would not recommend this place to anyone... EVER! Weddings can be stressful enough as it is and dealing with the terrible customer service and rude, awful attitude of the owner at the bridal boutique is unnecessary stress. She committed to making alterations to my bridesmaid dress and when I arrived on the designated date, she looked shocked that I was there. She asked me to come back later and did not even apologize for the fact that it wasn't ready. I explained to her that I don't live nearby and didn't have much time wedding to make another trip to the boutique. She stated it would take a couple of minutes and this turned into a two and half hour delay. When she first handed me the dress there were strings coming off at the top. I paid extra to have it steamed and there were visible wrinkles in the front and back of the dress. Supposedly it was steamed three times but there were still wrinkles when I left. I left the store to run an errand, since it was taking so long, and she called the bride to ask her to pick up the dress because I wasn't happy with the work she was doing. Who does that? I wasn't even arguing with the lady. Terrible terrible service. more

Bridal Gallery was an amazing find! I had looked everywhere for dresses and had absolutely no luck. I had a lot of specifications because I wanted something that was a current style but also wanted something with straps and didn't look too old. Bridal Gallery at the best selection by far from all the places I tried. They have tons of dresses in the store for you to try on and in a lot of different styles as well which makes it easy to compare different styles on your body type. I found the PERFECT dress! It is true that they charge $20 to try on. But, I was able to actually go through the dresses first to make sure I actually found stuff I wanted to try on--and the money went toward my dress when I bought it, so I didn't really care bout that... My dress came in about two months ago, and I just had my last fitting at their new sister location on Cary Parkway and Tryon. The whole alterations process was hassle free. I was even able to get a veil made from them to match my dress! I'm so excited and so thankful to the excellent staff there for making this experience enjoyable! more

I hate writing reviews but I noticed a couple nasty ones and I had a good experience so just my 2 cents.... 1) super selection...lots of dresses and lots of designers in one place 2) pretty great prices...I looked around and didn't find anything cheaper for the dresses I liked 3) yes they charge to try on...but they are up front...tell you about it, let you look to see if you want to try something on before charging and give you the $ toward your dress... 4) In life...what you give is what you get back...so if you treat the sales associate like crap...she's not gonna treat you like a queen...that's human nature. so just be nice people. I had a great experience...found a dress for myself, my mom and my bridesmaids without a lot of hassle and without spending more than I had planned.. more

My mother drove in from out of town in order to go wedding dress shopping with me. She got in earlier than expected on a Wednesday around 5 pm so we thought we'd try one or two shops near my apartment in Raleigh. I called the Bridal Boutique on Hillsborough and asked if it was possible to come in that evening. They said yes but that I had to go to the store in Cary (Bridal Gallery). (I am unsure if Bridal Boutique is closed, if the owners are doing business exclusively out of Bridal Gallery in Cary, if they were too busy that night at Bridal Boutique, or what) more

I would rate zero or less stars if it would let me. This place is absolutely awful. It used to be under different ownership and I had a great experience when I went for a friend's wedding a few years ago, but the new owner is rude, dismissive and generally horrible. They charged me a $20 fee to try things on, which I paid for one of my bridesmaid's to try on one dress that I had seen in there before and was exactly what I wanted my maids to wear for my wedding. When I tried to order the dresses, they style, fabric & color had been discontinued by the designer (and has been for a long time). I confirmed with the designer and when I went back to ask for the $20 fee back since they told me that I could order the dress in that style, color & fabric (and had a sample), they refused and said it was my problem because I didn't want that dress (even though it cannot be ordered from the designer). The owner was rude and dismissive and even walked away from me when I was talking to her. The owner said she would have to call and confirm that it had been discontinued & I told her to call right then since it was during the designer's business hours. She picked up the phone and pretended to call and then told me they were closed. I would not recommend this place to anyone - do not waste your time or your money here. more

You have to pay $20 to try on a dress whether it is for the bride, bridesmaids or mother of the bride and if you don't find something you like they keep your money. You can't even use it towards an accessory. WHAT A RIP OFF.. who does that? No one was even around to help and we had to try things on in a back room filled with price reduced dresses. Go to Smithfield to Carolina Bridal World and see the difference!!! more

Amazing! I went back home from PA to visit my mom and went to the Bridal Gallery with her. I had spent months looking around and had not found anything close to what I was looking for. This gallery was a godsend. Not only did I find a dress I absolutely adore, the owner was able to make a bolero jacket to go with my strapless gown! Now my mom is happy that my shoulders are covered and I'm thrilled with the day my dress looks and fits.They were so accommodating since all my fittings had to be scheduled around my travel plans to NC. I picked up my dress this week and couldn't be happier with the whole experience!!!! more

Stay away from this place. The owner has no sewing skills at all. Will promise you the world and delivers you cr*p. Do not let her touch your gowns. Go somewhere else. You will be much happier. more

There are no polite words that I could use for the owner of this store. She is rude, inconsiderate, appathetic, and nasty. I went with my best friend to buy her wedding dress and the service and the way we were treated was HORRIBLE. If you're getting married....find another place to go where they care about your special day. These people CLEARLY DO NOT. more

Honestly, worst customer experience ever. We were greeted by a woman telling my mom and I that you had to pay $20 JUST to try on dresses- I have worked in bridal and that is RIDICULOUS! After that, no help at all- no questions about what I was looking for or when the wedding was. My mom and I looked around for a while and no one approached us except for the same girl a few minutes later who said, ""I'm sorry for more bad news, but we close in 18 minutes."" REALLY?!? I am about to make one of the most important purchases of my life, and that's how you respond?! Please, stay away- they have some pretty dresses, but not only do you have to pay to try them on, they won't even tell you the designer of the dresses. I will be sure to tell anyone I know looking for a wedding gown not to go there!!!!! more

I had an amazing experience at Bridal Gallery. I called them about 3 weeks ago with a couple dresses that I found online and in magazines and they told me the 4 they had. They also told me in advance of their 20$ registration fee. I was a little weary at first but decided to check them out because they clarified that I could look and didn't have to register to come by. Not only did the owner help me find the 4 dresses that I found online, she also took a look at the pictures of the dresses they didn't have and found drresses with similar bead work and style. I had them write down the dresses I liked and took my mom to help make the final decision. The consultants found all the dresses for me and they were very helpful and answered all my mom's questions, and she had A LOT of questions. We finally made a decision and I feel GREAT about dress and the service I got throughout the whole process! The selection at this boutique is so awesome, my mom found her dress there while waiting for me to change! I had a great experience and I hope you do too! Happy wedding planning =) more

Unlike the previous review, these people did not help make my daughter's big day(or any day for that matter). I really wish we had known about the horrible experiences other people have had at this store so we would have stayed FAR away and saved our precious gas. Not even the best bridal boutiques in the world eg. Kleinfield in NYC, require you to pay a fee to try on dresses....this place is a rip off...I do understand that the fee goes towards the purchase of your dress but if my daughter does not find a dress at this store does that mean we are out 20$ for something that should have been free?? Take your business somewhere you don't feel pressured to buy a dress, that way you can go to as many shops as you want, try on as many dresses as you want and even take pictures of yourself in them(another no no at the bridal gallery). more

I'm new to the internet age and after reading some of the reviews here I was a little weary of my daughter's decision to take me to this store. But they had some of the dresses she found online and she insisted. I am old enough to be around the block now and understand that not everyone can have a great experience at every place. BUT WE HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE. My daughter had looked through thousands of pictures online and wasn't really sure of what she wanted. The first day we were there, we probably spend over 6 hours and tried on over 40 dresses. Finally we figured out what she liked and narrowed it down to 10. They wrote down all 10 for the next time we came back. During our next trip, we also spent over 4 hours there and narrowed it down some more. I never felt like we were pushed to make a choice. Everyone was polite and helpful. Weekend were a bit busy but I never left without having my questions answered. When the dress came in, they set up alterations appointments. During each appointment, the owner took care to help my daughter make decisions about a veil, shoes, an underskirt and even made her a matching purse from some extra fabric. She loved her dress and I loved the experience of helping her get it perfect thanks to Bridal Gallery. more

Such an awesome selection. I think this place has more dresses than the rest of the stores in the raleigh/cary area combined. They do have a registration fee of $20 but they put that toward the purchase of my wedding gown when I finally made up my mind. I was also able to come back 7-8 times with different people to help me decide. The bridal consultants were also very nice. They took a look at the gowns I picked out and then found some more that fit those styles so I would have more of a selection. They weren't pushy like some of the other people I have encountered. I also read some of the other reviews below and most of the bridal salons I have been to charge to do measurements for dresses that aren't being bought there. That's a standard thing for the wedding business I guess. I would definitely recommend checking this place out. It's worth the trip! I love my gown and my entire experience has been wonderful!! more

This place is AWFUL!!! Do not go here! I went in to try on a bridesmaid's dress for a wedding I have at the end of the year. Since my bride is in VA, she wasn't registered there so I had to pay $20 just to register to try on the dress. You can get the money back if you buy the dress from there, but I will be ordering my dress from VA since that is where the bride lives so I would just be out of luck on that $20. I also needed to get my measurements taken and the owner told me that it would be an additional $20 to have my measurements take (just the bust, waist, and hips!) how crazy!?!? Since the bride doesn't live in NC, I asked if I could take pictures of myself wearing the dress so that she could see what it looked like and she said I wasn't allowed to take a picture of the dress unless I bought it. I didn't even bother and I would tell everyone to NEVER go to this place! They are such a rip off! more

I truly can not fathom how anyone walked in and out of this store and had a good outcome. I am completely convinced that any positive review of this store has been written by the owner or an employee. These people are rude and have absolutely no customer service skills. I walked into this store with my friend(the bride) and was shocked when we were actually ignored...after looking around for at leased 20 minutes without ONE word from the sales associates we walked out. I quickly ran home to look them up on citysearch to find an plethora of bad reviews on here. I am actually really glad they ignored us now because we may have bought a dress(or several) from them only to have something even worse go wrong. There are SO many other bridal shops to go to around Raleigh that actually want your business...I strongly recommend going elsewhere. more

My daughter needed a dress for a cotillion ball. I found the Bridal Gallery at MacGregor via a search engine and noticed they had a great selection of bridesmaids dresses that would meet the dress code for the dance. I saw on citysearch the number of negative reviews and have to confess, I was very nervous about entering this place to find a dress with my daughter. I sent my daughter and mother in law there first. They did pay the $20to try on dresses and were reminded that the $20 goes towards any purchase they make of a dress. My daughter and mother in law had been looking for dresses for weeks around this area and even out of state and the selection at this store was unmatched. The attendants wrote down all the dresses that my daughter liked, so that I could bring her back to try them on. No appointments are necessary at this shop, so we went back in on a Saturday afternoon. We were promptly greeted. They found the list of dresses my daughter liked, pulled them for me and greeted her b/c they remembered her. We tried the dresses on her and found just the right one! We met the owner, she was very matter of a fact, but she was not rude. We received a call two days later to tell us that the dress we wanted did not have time to get back to us before the dance. The owner went out of her way to help us find some dresses that would work and invited us back in to try them out. I cannot tell you how much we appreciated this owner and those that work for her. It really was remarkable. She was so kind and thoughtful. I was ashamed of myself that I went in there with my mind made up that it was going to be a bad experience b/c of the reviews on this website. After the time I saw the attendants spend with each customer, I can understand the $20 charge now to try on the dresses. Also, you need to understand, this was not a wedding gown. This was not a big sale for them and they went out of their way to help us. This is a no-appointment shop. That means you are going to have to wait if you go in at a busy time. I would suggest calling ahead and asking when would be a good time to come in. Also, I found that even when the attendants in the store were not spoken to kindly by other customers, that they still responded thoughtfully and with grace. I am also taking into great consideration that people just came to this website to complain. There were a lot more happy customers in this store and I never saw anyone unhappy all three times I've been in there. Lesson learned: reviews are helpful, but need to be taken as just reviews, not the absolute truth. Thank you Bridal Gallery of MacGregor for being so great to our family. We appreciate you! more

I went there with my girlfriend who is getting married this August. This is supposed to be an exciting day for her, trying on her wedding gown. We started with a consultant when we go into the shop at 10am. When she found we are on a budget it seemed she dissappeared. I went to find her since we needed help and she was supposed to be looking for dresses for us. She was helping another bride in the expensive dress section. I guess she would get a bigger commission there. Upon asking if she was still helping us or if we should get someone else, she said we are just very busy. I commented I could see that but to let us know if we need to find someone else. As if I was bothering her, she stomped away grabbed the bridal dresses and looked for a dressing room. After not finding one, she put our dresses on a hook outside one so we were next in line waiting. As if this isnt all bad enough, another consultant comes over after about 10 minutes looking for a room for her bride. She tries to take the room we were waiting for, and I said, we are waiting for that room. Well she plopped her dresses right on the floor next to our room, grabs a piece of paper and puts her brides name on it. She then comes to ask us our name to join the list. I said, we are already ready for this room have been waiting and dont really need to be on the list. She insisted others have been there before us. Right before our faces she booted us out of the next room. At this point, it was such a BS experience for my friend and all of us, we walked out without even trying on a gown. She went to DAVIDS BRIDAL and met the most awesome consultant who helped her every step of the way and she bought her dress there and enjoyed the experience 100%. What a difference. To any bride out there, dont take these reviews lightly. I am not even the bride so no ""bride stress mode here"" but the horrible way my friend was treated, I would recommend to NOT go to this place. more

Worst bridal salon out there. DO not go here. Run fast. They are rude, offer poor service, and will ruin your dress. These people charge you to look at dresses, and then when it came time for my gown to be altered, the owner completely screwed my dress up. She altered it 21/2 inches too short, and the train was sewn together in parts. She claimed the train was like that when I purchased the dress, and then proceeded to rip my dress right in front of me with her bare hands, and said, ""There, now it fixed"". This owner is CRAZY and they will ruin your dress and take your money. DO NOT GO HERE. I am now having to get my dress fixed by a tailor and they are fixing my bustle the way I want it. The owner of McGregor Bridal gallery claimed there was only one way to do bustle, and it looked like complete crap. They should not be in the business of selling wedding gowns, and I foresee them going out of business with the other reviews I have read. Afwful, horrible experience. I hate to even give one star but it made me. more