Calla Bridal

I scheduled an appointment far in advance and filled out the information they required regarding what I was looking for in a dress, including price range, which is under $ 1000. When I came to the appointment, they again asked price range, I said under $ 1000, so they had 1 dress for me to try on. A waste of my time and theirs. Not sure why I filled out the form if they clearly did nothing with it. I could have had a much more productive appointment at another salon if they would have let me know it would not be a good fit. I Do Bridal in Wallingford at least called me after I scheduled the appointment to let me know there would only be a few dresses in that price range, and suggested other stores in the area.

It’s a cute little boutique. There aren’t many dresses and the majority of them have lace, which is not what I was looking for. That was my first bridal gown shopping trip and the consultant was very helpful and explained how she’s going to help me in and out of dresses at the beginning. She told me to undress and slip into one of the dresses, and signal her to come in to zip me up. That was the level of privacy I expected. I emailed them after my visit and got a prompt response. I didn’t get my dress there, but I’d recommend Calla to my friends.

I’m giving Calla 4 stars for dress selection, but I’d give it 5 stars for customer service because I really enjoyed my time there with Sarah as my consultant.
Overall my experience was great. Sarah seemed excited to see me when I arrived (even though I know it was her last appointment of the day) and let my sister, mom, aunt and I bop around through the racks and pick dresses we liked. After trying a few on and getting a sense for my style, she also suggested a few picks that ended up being my favorites that we tried on with her.
I would call their selection very classic and traditional — would be beautiful for the right bride, but I was looking to wear something a little different for my wedding day. Highly recommend checking it out — even though I didn’t get my dress there it was a lot of fun!

This review is for Mari N., who assisted me in finding THE dress and provided me an expert fitting consultation for the alterations. Her expertise is informed from years in NY fashion design as a dress maker. Calla’s rare sample sale was PERFECT for my budget — a $ 2,000 designer dress at ~25% the list price.
The shop is beautifully sophisticated and cozy with personalized service. Summer 2014 was not a year my favorite one-​shoulder cut was en vogue… so I pulled a La Sposa Marey chiffon halter dress, which was a complete change from my original vision. However, it was everything else I wanted in a dress… lightweight, almost ethereal, A-​line and cool like a beach wedding dress… yet had formality of beading, rhinestones, and vertically slim structuring — perfect for an elegant outdoor California wedding.
Mari’s expert eye, honed after time as a dress-​maker in the New York design scene & time at Luly Yang, was just the asset I appreciated (I have both an athletic, petite frame at 5’2″). The dress was 3 SIZES too large, as it was a sample sale… and although it would not be recommended to alter beyond 2 sizes, Mari cautioned. after careful examination of the structure she assured it could be done! … she also artfully created the bustle on the outside of the dress with the existing design, so that it cascaded seamlessly through the folds of the rucheing — nearly invisible! She repositioned the lace appliqué, navigating intricate beading and rhinestones that wove over the shoulders and back… which artfully covered the invisible zipper (quite delicate!).
She scheduled me with consideration to my travel schedules and was amazingly delightful and upbeat during what were hectic times for me. Her thoughtful and honest suggestions, paired with her gentle smile had me feeling completely relaxed and in good hands. She made me feel so special and was making a dress fit for me. She also assisted me with alterations of a traditional ethnic dress and dancing dress purchased from outside — which had a few fitting issues in which she identified the source of the problems and masterfully fixed. She made suggestions on hemline length of my dancing dress to cover the knee a la Coco Chanel– so I could «get more wear» out of the beautiful dress into future years.
At our last visit, I was delighted over my new dress, but sad we wouldn’t be working together anymore. After requesting a hug, I was on my way riding on her well-​wishes and a request for photos of my day.

A very beautiful shop. I was the only person there during my appointment which was great. Meg the consult was very casual and laid back I really appreciated that. There was a smaller selection of dresses than some stores but there was enough of a selection I was about to try on several different styles, I just didn’t find anything that really clicked.

I had a pretty good experience here. The saleswoman who helped me was not the most friendly, but she was still professional. I had narrowed down that I liked trumpet style dresses and was searching the right one. They had a good selection of that style, but nothing ended up catching my eye.
I would bring along just two or maybe three people since its a smaller shop. They also let you take pictures.

Ask most girls to describe their dream dress and more than likely they will rattle off some ideas for you, they can tell you the fit, the color, material. Ask me and what you get in return will be a blank confused expression. My MOH made an appointment for my girls and I to come here on a Saturday afternoon to browse and start the hunt for my dress. We arrived 15 minutes before our appointment and were given free reign to browse the dresses and pick out styles we liked as we waited for our allotted time.
As I was browsing through the dresses not only was I a bit terrified because I still wasn’t sure what I wanted, but I was just so confused that all of the sample dresses came in a size 8 and that they didn’t have any in my size. I pictured myself drowning in the dress and that I would not able to picture how it would fit on my big day. I was quickly assured that they could clip and adjust the dress to make it fit exactly how it was supposed to.
Calla Bridal had a large dress collection to browse from, 4 full racks as well as a rack of sample dresses for sale. In addition to the dresses they also have a variety of belts, veils and accessories for purchase. The viewing area had two mini platforms, each surrounded by two larger mirrors for full frontal and back view with a large sofa seating area for the girls as I modeled dresses for them.
Not once during my visit did I feel rushed by or pressured to make a decision to purchase. The sales lady was courteous and very helpful with getting me in and out of my dresses and allowed for me to retry any dresses that I wanted. She also gave me great insight of the different types of dresses (styles, fit, fabric) — very knowledgable. The wedding dress gods were smiling on me that day, because the first dress I tried on ended up being the one I said yes to. YAY!
A few words of wisdom to other newbie brides to be, give yourself a few months. Once you pick your dress it will take approximately 4 months for it to arrive and give yourself a few additional weeks for alterations. Also, don’t feel the need to commit to accessories on the same day, there is time for that later. But do keep in mind that belts and veils may also require order time.

Calla Bridal was the second shop I visited in search of my wedding dress and I went there are the recommendation of several friends. I made an appointment for a Saturday afternoon and brought my mom and sister with me. Right off the bat, the saleswoman already seemed annoyed with me. I came prepared with a couple of pictures of styles that I liked, and stated that I was looking for something that didn’t have a huge skirt, and also wasn’t skin-​tight. Basically, not princess or mermaid styles, but more of an A-​line silhouette or something similar. (I’m a short person, so I get lost in puffy dresses and don’t have the slim body to pull off a tight mermaid or trumpet style.) Unfortunately, that ruled out about 90% of the dresses there. The saleswoman went from rack to rack and struggled to come up with anything that wasn’t puffy, as I requested, but in the end, she had about 4 dresses for me (about half the number I tried on other places).
Throughout the entire appointment, the girl helping me seemed to be in a bad mood. She didn’t provide any comments when I tried the dresses on, nothing like «That neckline looks beautiful on you» or anything at all, unlike the other places I’d visited. When I offered feedback as far as what I did and didn’t like about each dress, in hopes of being able to find something more suited to what I was looking for, she practically rolled her eyes and shrugged me off.
She wrote down the designer names and styles of the dresses I tried on, and as I was heading out the door, rudely said, «Next time you go dress shopping, make sure you ask for something without a train.» Um, what? I never said I didn’t want a train, I just said I didn’t want a super, super long train like one of the dresses I tried on. Whatever, I just wanted to get out of there.
In the end, I obviously bought my wedding gown at a different store. Hopefully I will not have to go wedding gown shopping for myself again in the future, but if I did, I wouldn’t go back to Calla. It lacks a variety of dresses and even more so, lacks customer service. Wedding dress shopping is supposed to be fun and it’s an emotional moment when you finally find «The One.» I couldn’t have known ahead of time that the dresses at Calla weren’t going to be my style, but it was as if the saleswoman expected me to know that in advance and spent my appointment punishing me for my lack of mind reading skills.
So, if you’re the type of person who likes big princess-​y wedding dresses (and there’s nothing wrong with that at all), AND you want to spend an hour feeling like your opinions don’t matter and like you’re ruining someone’s day just by being there, you’ll like it at Calla!

I love Calla! Selection, price points, and service above all. I got my dress here and I could not have been happier. It was absolutely perfect.
Every time I went to Calla, whomever was working was so friendly and accommodating. I visited a lot of bridal salons in Seattle and Calla was by far the most comfortable, best service, best selection for my taste, and no pressure.
Thank you!

I wanted to like this store– I really did, but unfortunately we had a couple of issues.
1. I am a bride that was short on time– they were actually quite helpful in trying to find a designer that had short lead times, but the designer I really wanted, Matthew Christopher, they said wasn’t an option, however another bridal shop was able to help me get that dress the next day with a rush.
2. The person helping me wouldn’t come into the dressing room with me. I’ve tried on dresses before, it’s awkward yeah, but you get over it. Those dresses are NOT easy to get on! Please come in and help me, I’m wearing the correct undergarments… she wasn’t going to see anything inappropriate.
3. I am a plus size bride– they suggested that I order a dress that was too small and either have it let out, or «try to loose some weight». This is when I wrote them off and knew I wouldn’t be ordering from them. Talk about making someone feel bad about themselves!
I ended up ordering a dress from the designer they said was not an option, in my size, and in a time frame they said was not workable– 8 weeks. So, sorry Calla, you missed out on selling me a custom Matthew Christopher dress!

We were just there and though the dress ended up being selected elsewhere it was a warm, comfortable, fun and professional environment. We loved this shop and the staff was great. I did think one or two of the sample dresses should have been isolated and really marked down further due to the wear and tear on them, especially on the soiled hemlines. We had an appt but we saw someone «walk in» and be welcomed. Sarah worked with us. Would recommend this shop.

I love wedding dress shopping, so I insist upon going with all my friends. And 8 times out of 10, I manage to select the dress they purchase. (What can I say? I have a very good eye). I usually suggest a stop at Calla Bridal first, because the dresses are often unique and classic, without that weird over-​blinged, ‘might be polyester’ thing going on at other bridal salons.
My friend’s anxiety over picking out a dress today was immediately alleviated by the calm and low-​pressure sales staff. She really listened to what my friend wanted, and was honest about alterations. We picked out a dress from their excellent sample sale at exactly the price point my friend was comfortable at, and she looked exquisite in it.
Her sole regret was not declaring, «I’m saying yes to this dress!» I’ll totally remember it next time. ;)

My mom and I made an appointment, not truly intending to buy, as it was our first salon and far from home (Chicago). We also had a clear idea of what I wanted; v-​neck, straps, no glitter. Meg listened, found something according to my specifications, and also found a strapless, beaded, lacy number for me to try. Guess which one I couldn’t leave without ordering! (The beaded, strapless one.)
Meg has an impeccable eye. She studied fashion at SAIC, and it shows. Her boutique represents many different, hand-​picked styles, each one with an edge to make it special. I highly recommend her store!
Keep in mind that it is a small store – she subcontracts alterations, so it’s actually perfect if you’re from out of town. She’ll send the dress to you and you can take it to your favorite taylor!

The selection was nice, I was able to find a lovely dress that was priced well. The lady helping me did a great job getting me into the dress and out of the dress, but things felt a bit rushed while we were paying. We were told it would take 6 months to get the dress in from the manufacturer in NYC.
6 months later: no word
7 months later: no word
7 months and two weeks later: I called them. The lady who answered had no idea where my dress was. She found the veil immediately, and said she would start searching for the dress and get back to me the next day.
7 months and two weeks and one day later: My call was returned and the dress had been found… with my veil… in the back room… where it had been sitting for quite some time.
7 months and 3 weeks later — Fitting 1: The tulle underlayers of the skirt are ripped. The lady helping me says that whoever alters the dress should have no trouble fixing it. I asked if she could fix it, she said no. THEN the dress zipper gets stuck. Something about the manufacturer installed it improperly. The woman helping me ends up cutting the dress apart. Yikes. Now we have a dress that fits perfectly, that didn’t need any alterations, that now needs a new zipper and hem repair work. Because Calla now needs to fix the zipper, they offer repair the ripped tulle.
Two weeks after the first fitting I go in to pick up the repaired dress. My mom comes along. When she asks about why I wasn’t contacted about the dress arriving the answer was «we did» — but under closer examination they took down my email address wrong and didn’t call. Must have been that rush after agreeing to purchase a dress.
tl;dr It’s a cute shop, just proceed with caution. Take your time and review all things they write down to ensure successful communication. Also, inspect everything that you receive prior to leaving the shop.
I would not recommend this shop for something so delicate or personal.

I’ve taken two brides here in my time, and it’s a nice store. The staff is nice. They had some beautiful dresses, and many things in my brides price range (~$ 1,000). But the only dresses we liked were over $ 3,000.
One bride did like a $ 900 sample dress that was on sale, but it was a size 12 and she’s a size 4 (you’re not supposed to go down more than 4 sizes or the dress will look different after alterations). The sales person tried to tell her it would be fine, but after much online searching and mother-​calling it was clear that that was too big for my bride to buy. Plus it wasn’t the perfect dress. I felt like we had been on the receiving end of a hard sell and I don’t like that.
It was a nice, clean store. I would go back, but not with as high of expectations as I had.

I purchased my dress in another city, and when I ended up moving to Seattle, I was directed to Calla Bridal to do my alterations!
I’ve been working with Cheing on my alterations and she has been great! So far I’ve gotten my bustle done, she fixed my petticoat, and gave me more of the sweetheart neckline I was looking for. She’s been great about making sure we’re still good on timing and not being mad when I lose weight and additional alterations are required :).
Overall I highly recommend them for alterations. I can’t speak to their selection as I haven’t looked, but they do carry La Sposa which is the same brand as my dress so they’ve definitely got good options.

I went up to Seattle to try on wedding dresses with my mom and friends; this was one of the two places we went.
I loved Calla Bridal and fell in love with two dresses. Unfortunately, I already had a favorite dress in mind and just could not let go.
Even though the shop is small compared to other bridal shops I loved the simple, classic gowns they carried. I was looking for a mermaid style dress and tried on about six or seven. My consultant was very helpful and patient as my mom gave her dresses for me to try on that were not my style.
I totally recommend this place. It was cool that we could take pictures of dresses.

I’ve been to a few bridal shops and while I loved the intimate size and fabulous selection at Calla, I wasn’t impressed with the not-​very-​knowledgeable consultant whom I was getting fake ‘so excited for you’ vibes from, nor was I reassured when told that a size 14 dress could be taken in to a size 2 without changing the look and style (I’m no seamstress, but REALLY?!). At that point I felt like the goal was just to get me to buy something.
Just wasn’t my cup of tea, I guess!

The bridal consultants here are not pushy & very sweet.
They listened to my client & didn’t pressure her to buy anything.
The have a pretty big collection of dresses for how small their venue is. The offer as much as they can.
My client tried on 4 dresses & they didn’t ask her if she was buying today. They gave her a client card that had the style # of the dress as well as the designers name with the prices they are. That was something I’ve never seen before.
No pressure sales & all in all a great atmosphere for dress shopping.
The ambiance is so relaxing & enjoyable.
First place I would go to to look for a dress.

Simple and classic looks. Beautiful!
I went in on a friday afternoon when the owner was in and feel in love with the place! (small full of smiles asain girl) She was so sweet and excited for me to come in. It made my day! This good review is for the manager.
…
Then on Saturday when I came back a girl that had been working there for only a few months helped me and rushed me out of there.(young blonde «Oh yeah I have only been here for about 3 months») You wouldn’t believe the comments she said about the manager and the dresses. If you are not in love with your job… please don’t tell me. Honestly, I am sure the place is fantastic… just make sure you meet the owner if you end up getting anything from here. For me I will not go back.