The White Dress By the Shore

I had a fantastic shopping experience here! I drove down from Boston to see a particular dress from a designer I knew they carried and the whole team there helped me coordinate to make sure I could see what I came to see. That dress didn’t end up being my favorite, but thanks to their expertise I actually left loving something completely different. I admit: I ultimately ended up purchasing a completely different dress somewhere else (what I originally thought I wanted before I started second guessing and running all over New England… Bridezilla Style? Forgive me world) but I was so impressed by their gorgeous space, quality designers, and fantastic service. I recommend this place to anyone – near or far!

Couldn’t have asked for better service. This was the first place I visited to look for a wedding gown and I said yes to a dress after less than 2 hours being here (If you knew me you would know that this is not typical for me to be able to make a decision so quickly).
This is all thanks to the lovely and sweet consultants at TWD. They really listened to my likes and dislikes and found me the most stunning gown ever. They also matched me up with the most perfect veil to which I said yes to also!!! They topped it all off with a champagne toast for all of my guests which was such a nice touch.
This is why you should shop at a small business for something as special as this. The service was unmatched and the quality of the gowns is unbelievable.
Thank you thank you!!! Wish I didn’t have to wait 16months to wear it!!!

I had such a great experience at The White Dress by the Shore yesterday and ultimately found my wedding dress. From the moment my mom, sister and I walked in, the staff was friendly and attentive. The store has such a nice, intimate vibe to it — I just knew I’d find my dress there. My stylist, Lauren, was amazing! She understood exactly what I was looking for in a dress and also encouraged me to try things on outside my comfort zone. Lauren was so accommodating and even let me try on two dresses multiple times until I finally decided on my lovely, lace trumpet style gown. AH! I can’t wait to continue my relationship with The White Dress by the Shore as I prepare to walk down the aisle in June 2017. Thank you so much!

By far the best dress shopping experience! Everyone in the store could not have been more helpful! The selection of dresses was perfection! I even got a hand written note thanking me for my purchase! Highly recommend White dress!

Wedding dress shopping was the single most stressful aspect of wedding planning for me; I had a vague idea of my aesthetic but worried I wouldn’t find a dress I both loved and that would look fantastic on me.
Before my appointment at the White Dress back in January, I had found a few ‘maybes’ but nothing that really sang. My experience at the White Dress was on a whole new level. I told my salesperson my general style — I prefer plain, sleek dresses with no beading or lace; very hard to find, as it turns out — and she pulled everything in the store that sounded like I might like it.
My dress ended up being the first thing I tried there, and I immediately fell in love (and everyone said I was stunning when I finally walked down the aisle in it earlier this month). Throughout my shopping appointment, I appreciated how my salesperson was funny, engaging, sweet, but also thoughtfully honest when a dress didn’t look quite perfect. Even when I went to other boutiques after my appointment at the White Dress, none was quite as instantly calming and friendly as my appointment there. The experience of shopping at the White Dress is what everyone fantasizes finding the perfect dress will be like.
I ended up getting my dress from a local Connecticut designer through the White Dress. I also found and ordered my six custom-​made bridesmaid dresses through the White Dress. Here, too, the folks at the White Dress went above and beyond, making sure I had exactly the right dresses in the right fabric that I wanted. When one dress needed to be rush reordered just three weeks before the wedding, the White Dress dropped everything and worked with me immediately to figure out my options, and got it done for me without my having to worry at all.
Over the course of the last eight months I’ve been in the store half a dozen times and worked with the owner and several employees. Everyone I’ve met has been friendly, professional and possessing of an uncanny ability to immediately put a bride at ease no matter the sudden and stressful circumstances.
I couldn’t possibly recommend the White Dress more for any prospective bride. I keep telling my friends and family that I had fun throughout my wedding planning: that is almost entirely because the folks at the White Dress were so amazing in helping to make my dream wedding come true.

This was by far the most wonderful shopping experience we have ever had.
My mom and I went to most bridal salons in the city and nothing held a candle to the elegance (and delightful calm) of White Dress by the Shore.
The store itself is everything you could have ever dreamed of in a bridal salon. The space is beautifully lit, kind of dreamy and ethereal. There are so many pretty things to look at: delightful baubles (new and vintage collection) sparkling shoes, shiny hair pieces and beautiful jewelry. It’s like playing a brilliant wonderful game of dress up, mixed with a fairytale.
Beth, the owner (and a longtime industry stylist) is completely unparalleled in her expertise. Her outfits literally look like she stepped out of a fashion editorial. She is positive, calm and lovely and knows how make a bride feel truly beautiful.
Her staff are positive and energetic and it’s clear she fosters a positive environment for her team. They celebrate birthdays with cupcakes and balloons and frequently host fun events at the salon, including trunk shows and visiting designers.
We can’t say enough wonderful things about White Dress. I will renew my vows yearly just to shop there again!

Could not have had a better experience. Top-​notch customer service here– really, stand-​out –with some truly beautiful dresses to try on!

Since I purchased my dress here and paid for the in-​house tailoring, I’ve had four visits to this store. The first visit was amazing. Even though I bought my dress at a sample sale, the associate who helped me was committed and enthusiastic the whole time. She was very proactive in helping us (offering to go get extra dresses, pulling down belts to put on the dresses, etc).
The first fitting had a similarly relaxing and friendly air. When we came in we were seated immediately, offered tea out of beautiful tea cups, and chatted pleasantly with the attendant. I don’t know what happened (perhaps because my mom was there the first two times) but in my next two visits I was treated more like an annoyance than a customer.
For the third visit, I came in on time and stood in the waiting area for ten minutes while sales people kept running by me, telling me «just one more minute» or not acknowledging me at all. Several sales people were in the back room, talking and joking while I stood there waiting. Finally I was seated, but then I spent another ten minutes waiting before anyone came in, at this point 20 minutes past my fitting time.
On my fourth visit, I was 20 minutes early due to traffic being light. I assumed I would have to wait, but I figured I’d rather wait inside than in my car, maybe have a cup of tea, etc. No such luck!
I again waited while sales people rushed by me. New customers came in and were seated immediately while I listened to sales people chat about me in the back room. I clearly heard someone (I think the owner, actually) say, «Well she IS half an hour early she’s just going to have to wait!» Then she belatedly closed the door halfway. When the owner came out of the back room, said said that due to me being early I wouldn’t be able to be seen right away, but that I could «go get coffee down the street maybe… or I guess you could wait here…» And then she shrugged. It was so rude, you’d think she’d never had a customer come early before! It was not what I expected from an upscale boutique. I elected to wait, and I was still seen ten minutes past my appointment time.
At that point, I think they realized I was getting annoyed, and an attendant came up and chatted with me for five minutes and apologized. That went a long way from turning this 2-​star review into a 3-​star.
In my final fitting, I brought my mother and we were seated immediately and again offered beverages in fancy tea cups. I have no idea what’s going on with the service at this company, but they really should finalize some greeting protocol asap.

This shop is amazing. Let me say that I did not end up buying my dress here. Unfortunately, most of their dresses were out of my price range. I went in specifically to try on a sample sale dress and had a wonderful experience. I worked with Jill who was sweet, attentive, and not pushy. She spent time making sure the experience was right for me.
In the end the dress was not the right one for me but I had a lovely experience and would recommend this shop to anyone. They have a beautiful collection of gowns and accessories, and the shop itself is adorable and comfortable.

From a mother & daughters first experience we made our appt & met with a bridal consultant & tried on 7 bridal dresses & found the dress! The professionalism and the special attention that you get is so worth the drive we were about 1 hr away and I would highly recommend for any bride to go here! They take extreme care from the first day & the day we brought the beautiful bridal gown home! Love the place, each room is done with class & would recommend highly!

This bridal boutique is exceptional in all ways. When I started the search for my wedding dress, I knew I wanted a small, well-​curated, boutique experience. This shop was recommended and I am so grateful for that recommendation. The staff is very experienced, has impeccable style and deliver a positive end to end customer experience. From the moment you find your dress, to the accessory selection, to the alterations, to the preservation. This is what bridal shops should be like. If you are looking for an easy, designer bridal couture experience in New Haven County, visit White Dress by the Shore.

My 2 bridesmaids and I had a wonderful time shopping for bridesmaid dresses here. We were assisted by Jill, who was extremely helpful and sweet which made the experience fun and enjoyable. The relaxed atmosphere was such a nice change compared to the overcrowded stuffy bridal boutiques I’ve been to in the past.
They don’t carry the largest selection of bridesmaid dresses but what they do carry is beautiful and versatile (no need to go through racks and racks of tacky dresses yay!). There was plenty of room to try on dresses, and since the bridesmaid area is in a separate building it was completely private. They even follow up with a handwritten thank you, which any bride can appreciate since we know it is torture writing those things!

I have 5 bridesmaids in 3 different states from CT down to MD so we started dress shopping early. We found the dress at TWDBTS, paid in full, but then I got a call 2 months later saying that they never placed the order because they were missing some info. How would we have known that?! No apologies, but rather a «that’s just how we do business». Fast forward to one month before the wedding and the dresses come in. One dress (my MOH) is 2 sizes too small. They took down the wrong measurements for her (they had her down as a size she hasn’t been for about 10 years, so she certainly didn’t give them those numbers!) and then she has to pay extra for more fabric and take the fabric to a seamstress. Still no apologies, or even the pretenses of concern. But it didn’t end there. My MOH finally gets the shipment of extra fabric and they only sent two out of the three layers needed to fix the dress. We were out of time, so my MOH had to pay extra for the seamstress to reconstruct the dress to get the needed fabric from other parts of it. After all was said and done, she paid twice what the dress cost.
Bottom line: I’d go elsewhere.

In February, I brought a few of my bridesmaids to The White Dress, just to look, at bridesmaid dresses. In fact, it was our first time! We ended up buying nine lovely Amsale dresses for the big day, on the spot! We felt so at home and so comfortable that we knew it was the right place. Then, about a month ago, I bought my future wedding dress at The White Dress. Their customer service is impeccable. I felt like I was their only customer while searching for a gown, and even when I called they remembered me. I ended up calling the store one random day to see if they had a certain dress, and the owner, Beth, remembered who I was and which dresses I had tried on the first time I came. Where else can you get that kind of customer service? The next day I ended up buying a beautiful gown from one of their trunk shows. (That I fall in love with more everyday.) Obviously, my favorite part about this establishment are the gorgeous gowns, but it always helps when you know you are going to be taken care of correctly. I plan on making an appointment to pick out a veil very soon!

So while my review is from a MOH point of view and not the bride, I was very happy we went w/​White Dress by the Shore.
We booked a Bridesmaid Soirée which allowed us to take over the store on a Sunday drink mimosas and try on some bridesmaid dresses! The girls working there were very sweet and supportive in helping us get started. Since we were trying to blend a few diff colors and styles (which can be a challenge) they did a nice job of steering us in the right direction. I also liked that they had a photographer there to document our day.
Even though it’s a drive from my hometown it’s worth the treck and the area is just adorable & quaint.

When you venture into this store, it’s like being enveloped in a dream. Their service is unsurpassed and the dress collection they offer is simply beautiful. Amazing.Amazing.Amazing. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Expensive but for such a special day, it’s well worth it!

What an amazing experience! The entire staff is so accommodating. You feel like a princess for your entire appointment. They had a great selection. The sales woman was with me the entire time, helping me in and out of dresses and providing suggestions. They were great to have me with 7 bridesmaids and my Mom! I absolutely loved it.
I ended up not purchasing my dress there simply because I wanted to say a bit of money. If I had a slightly higher budget, I would have in a heart beat. I loved them.
Also, they gave a really nice gift bag with a pashmina! What a nice gift.
Great experience. Highly recommend.

Believe what you’ve read! I have been searching high and low for a particular dress. To my surprise, it was actually available in-​state! I made an appointment 40 minutes prior to actually arriving there. WDBTS was able to accommodate me.
Kelley was the consultant who helped me and she was absolutely AWESOME! I went into the salon knowing exactly what I wanted. No fuss, no games! I slipped into the dress of my dreams. and I was sold! I absolutely loved the (sample) dress, but expressed to Kelley that I wouldn’t be able to afford anything over $ 1,000. That said, she was very understanding of my budget. She talked with the owner and was able to drop the price down significantly. (I walked out the door paying UNDER $ 1,000 for the dress, the cleaning and the tax!) She genuinely seemed ecstatic for me saying that barely anyone walks out with a dress for that little!
Overall, I was extremely happy with the service here! I’d definitely recommend this salon to any bride-​to-​be!

Buyer Beware! I purchased a pair of earrings for $ 165. The earrings broke when I took them out of the box for the first time and was unable to wear them for the event for which they were purchased and had to go out and buy another pair from another store before the event. (White dress by the Shore is some distance from my home.) When I brought the unused, broken earrings back, I was not given a refund or allowed to exchange the item for something I might have use for since I now owed replacement earrings similar to those I had purchased. Certainly not the level of customer service one would expect from a specialty shop.

This place makes you want to quit your job and work at a bridal boutique. I had the most amazing experience here last week looking for a dress. The setting was very quaint, and the staff made the experience very intimate.
I never felt pressured, or felt like I was debuting a dress in front of a crowd. I might as well have been trying on dresses in the comforts of my home :)
Also the dress designers they carried were amazing. Eight of the ten dresses that I tried on I could have bought and they would have been beautiful. Their style was very true to CT and the shore.
I ended up finding «the dress» and I would recommend this place to anyone. You will not find another bridal boutique as unique as this anywhere in the area.