Amara Wedding

If you are looking for a wedding gown and you’re on a budget, Amara is great place to visit. I ordered a custom-​made, brand new wedding gown to rent from Amara for half the price I would have paid to purchase one from a bridal shop in New West.
After visiting several bridal salons in hopes of finding my wedding dress I went to Amara (my sister’s friend suggested them). I wanted to rent a gown but I also wanted it to be new. Amara was able to offer me a package where I could select and try on a gown similar to the style of the one I wanted and then customize it (neckline, lace details). The only drawback I can see is that the gowns new or used must have a corset back– this is so that their dresses can easily fit to any bride’s body without having to make costly and time consuming alterations. A corset back wasn’t a deal breaker for me, I actually really like how it looked in pictures and how it cinched me in. I knew exactly what kind of dress I wanted (sweetheart, fit and flare, lace details) so I went straight for the gown closest to what I was looking for in the showroom. I agree with the previous review– the styles are very «Asian» with lots of ruffles and such so I would suggest you go to Amara knowing what style dress you’re looking for.
The entire process from the initial visit to getting the actual custom-​made dress was fairly quick and mostly painless. I paid a deposit. I emailed back and forth with the owner Kumiko who responded to my inquiries within 1 – 2 business days. I was worried after paying the deposit and sending inspiration pictures when I hadn’t heard from them for several months. My wedding was in July and I still had not seen the actual dress until May. When the dress did finally arrive and I was able to try it on my worries were alleviated. It was beautiful!
The package to custom make my dress also included a free veil rental– not a lot of variety but I really only wore the veil for our 30 minute ceremony and photos after. We extended the rental of the gown for a full week so the total cost including an extended rental was around $ 1000. A bargain considering I won’t be keeping it– I won’t need to pay for washing and storage of the gown.
The service was generally good. Sales staff were patient and answered all my questions. I believe Amara isn’t open 7 days a week so if you want prompt email responses you may need to wait a day or two. It is a small studio and the selection is decent. Parking is a nightmare. I suggest you go on a weekday if that’s possible.
Overall, I had a good experience with Amara. The gown was beautiful and of excellent quality. It photographed well and I received a lot of compliments on it. I recommend you know what you want before visiting Amara. This isn’t a super fancy place but they were able to meet my needs and my budget. Check it out as an option.

This is one of the few bridal stores that rents wedding dresses. For brides on a budget renting is a great option!
The prices range from $ 150+ for a 3 day rental. I would say the styles are definitely «asian» if you know what I mean. I was looking for something classic and managed to find something that worked. But fear not! If feathers, ruffles, and oversized bedazzler style bling is your thing, they have plenty of that!
The rules were strange. We were allowed to try on 4 dresses and then we were sent on our way. It was fine because we got a good taste of what they have but a strange rule. They also do photography and rent tea ceremony outfits as well. The lady who helped us was very sweet and surprisingly strong! Lacing up corsets must be a work out!
The parking lot in that plaza was terrifying. But it is Richmond…