Simply Elegant Bridal

I got married in 2013 and purchased the most stunning dress from Simply Elegant Bridal.
My entire experience, from first visit to my final fitting was phenomenal. The staff is wonderful and I never felt pressured. I was offered their alteration services but encouraged to used someone else if I felt more comfortable. I actually ended up getting some extensive alterations to my dress from their seamstress. She was able to add cap sleeves to my spaghetti strap dress seamlessly! It looked like it was made that way originally. I couldn’t be happier with the dress or my experience.
The cost of my dress was comparable to every other place I found it.

Wow! Let me start this review with the fact that I can’t sing the praises of Simply Elegant Bridal enough! Prior to arriving at Simply Elegant Bridal, my sister had visited 4 different shops. She was about ready to throw in the towel today until we arrived at Simply Elegant Bridal.
Similar to other bridal shops, you have to make an appointment. With that said, we were able to make a same-​day appointment on a Saturday, which was pretty impressive. In terms of pricing, they have quite the range (all the way up to 5k). My sister is on the thriftier side and wanted a dress in the $ 800-​$ 1200 range. Luckily, Simply Elegant Bridal has sample dresses for ridiculously cheap. She was able to try on 3 sample dresses (sizes in the 8 – 12 range) for half-​off. She loved every single one of the sample dresses and was finally able to find «the dress.» Their dresses in general are absolutely gorgeous (probably some of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen). They have so many different types of dresses with so many beautiful details (e.g., beading, detailing, etc.).
In addition to absolutely gorgeous dresses in a range of prices, they have such spectacular service. Our appointment started on time with the help of Emily. She pulled dresses very quickly. She was also very friendly and extremely attentive (without being overbearing). In addition, she knew that we were on the thriftier side and still gave us the VIP treatment. I can’t say enough great things about her.
At the end of the day, my sister got her sample dress and slip for under $ 800 (while still getting the VIP treatment). As a side note, you get 15% off accessories, bridesmaid dresses, and MOB dress if you buy your dress here. This is by far the best bridal shop in the city of St. Louis. I highly recommend you check it out for your big day.

I was slightly disappointed with my experience at SEB. I had high expectations as the reviews were all great. This was my first trip to try on wedding dresses and I was a bit clueless in what I wanted. I attempted to explain what I thought I wanted to the stylist and showed her a few pictures. She then sent me, my mom, and Matron of Honor to the racks to pull my own dresses which was a complete disaster. I ended up with 6 or 7 dresses that were nothing like the shape or style I had described to her. When I kept voicing that I didn’t like the shapes, the stylist told me «well these are the dresses YOU picked.» I explained that it was difficult to see what the shape was when the dress was hanging on a hanger. I guess I expected that the stylist would pull gowns based on what I said I wanted. Overall the stylist made me feel like I was being too picky and I would never find the perfect dress I was looking for. She even said at one point, «you will probably have to compromise on some things.» I think I just got unlucky in my experience. Overall the store was huge with a lot of options, but I won’t be returning.

I loved my experience at Simply Elegant Bridal with Heather. She was just the cutest and sweetest thing ever. She made me feel very calm and relaxed and really had a good feeling of what I wanted. She was able to take what I had asked for and her own expertise to find THE dress. You could tell Heather and the other employees enjoyed working together because they collaborated among each other in such a positive way and took suggestions from each other about dresses for me in a positive way. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Heather made me feel special and found dresses that worked in my budget and looked great on me. I highly recommend this Simply Elegant Bridal and ask for Heather!

I visited 6+ wedding gown places when I was searching for my wedding dress, and Simply Elegant Bridal was by far the best in every aspect of my wedding dress shopping experience. They are professional, efficient, and effective.
Heather Craft is absolutely amazing — fun, personable, and great at her job. She genuinely listens to what you are looking for — price, fit, preferences, etc and helps you find THE dress. She did such a great job that this was the only place I enjoyed shopping.
They have tons of dresses — different price points, sizes, and styles… so don’t make the mistake of missing out on Simply Elegant Bridal on your wedding dress shopping trip!

I did a lot of research and booked an appointment at Simply Elegant Bridal based on the customer service reviews I saw. I live 2.5 hours away from St. Louis and only had a long weekend to find my dress, as I was shopping eight months out from my wedding and knew that any longer, and I might not be able to order what I wanted.
I like that you can make an appointment online and that they follow up with confirmation emails, as well. Makes it easy to find the details when you’re busy with a zillion wedding details.
The shop is beautiful and in an older building in Downtown St. Louis. They have lots of dresses on display and two levels of dressing rooms. (The steps to the second floor are steep but if you only have 1 – 3 people with you and they can do stairs, the upstairs areas are more intimate and tucked away.)
I happened to get Heather Craft for my dress session. She. Is. FABULOUS. She is bubbly, knowledgeable, and makes you feel comfortable right away. I showed her some style attributes I had been admiring, the budget I wanted to stick with, and she zoomed off to get dresses after showing me to the dressing room.
Sidebar: if you’re a bigger gal, this place has quite a few samples that fit curvy ladies and everyone is warm and welcoming to brides of all sizes.
I’m a more efficient person by nature so I only tried on three dresses before I found The One but I give the credit to Heather for her ingenuity with making the dress the one for my special day. She brought in all the perfect accessories that totally complemented the dress and also checked all the boxes for the looks I was going for.
Because of my short turnaround time for deciding on my dress, I made a same-​day appointment to come back in the afternoon and to try on the dress a second time. Heather was completely accommodating and when I returned in the afternoon, made sure to be available to get me measured, answer questions, and give her congrats for finding the dress. (This was on a Saturday, no less!)
The woman at checkout whose name I did not catch was also very friendly and thorough in explaining the charges, discounts, timeline for the dress coming in, alterations, etc. I had as perfect an experience as one can have with Simply Elegant Bridal and would recommend them in a heartbeat for any bride who has been disappointed with her shopping process or who is nervous about finding something. Granted, I have not had a fitting yet but just for the customer service and shopping experience alone, they have earned a solid recommendation.

Simply elegant was the third bridal shop I went to in search of my dress. The staff was very professional. I worked with Heather and she was amazing! She was completely focused on my appointment and was so easy to work with. She actually put me in a dress that I had never seen before and I was unsure at first, but it turns out that is the dress I chose! Heather was also great at explaining all of the costs and work involved once the dress is ordered. She did not seem pushy to make the sale at any point during my two appointments, which definitely made me feel more comfortable.
I recommend going to simply elegant bridal and asking for Heather!

If you want to feel like a princess when trying on wedding dresses, Simply Elegant is the bridal salon for you!
From the first appointment, to picking up my dress for alterations, Simply Elegant has been absolutely wonderful.
When I first went in to look at dresses, I was unsure if there would even be anything in my price range. I was pleasantly surprised to find out there were a number of dresses in my budget — and even though it was on the lower side of the spectrum, they treated me just as well as I’m sure they treat their higher end brides. I worked with the same consultant each time I went in, which made it easy to start a rapport with her, and easier to get in and out of the dresses in my underwear without feeling awkward around her (they’re literally crotch height while helping you into some of those dresses, so this is important!). She stuck with my budget, and was great at pulling dresses from the description I gave her of how I wanted to look/​feel on my wedding day.
The first time I went in, I found my dress but didn’t know it yet. The second time I went in, after going to a bunch of other salons just to «see what’s out there», she knew the dress I had to come back and try on — and as I had my «Say Yes To The Dress» moment, she seemed just as excited for me. The service really was the best I had, compared to the other salons I went to.
Simply Elegant has some nice extras, too. You receive a discount on all accessories and bridesmaids dresses/​groomsmen tuxes if you buy your dress there, and before the wedding, they will steam your dress for you (I was told this could take hours, depending on the dress!). Plus, there’s free parking in a lot across the street — great because finding street parking nearby wasn’t always fun. If you’re feeling super fancy and extra princess-​y, they offer Platinum appointments with champagne — how fun would that be?
If you’re a bride on the hunt for your wedding dress, definitely check out Simply Elegant Bridal.

Before my appointment at Simply Elegant Bridal, I tried the following:
–David’s Bridal in Chicago
–Nicole Miller in Chicago
–Macy’s Bridal Salon in Chicago
–The Ultimate Bride in St. Louis
–White Traditions in St. Charles, MO
My experiences at these places ranged, but Simply Elegant Bridal beat them all, no contest. Long story short, the consultant at the last boutique I went to made a rookie mistake. Anyone who watches Say Yes to the Dress can tell you that you ALWAYS ask for a price point before showing dresses. I ended up trying on a dress that I loved but was twice my budget. Anything after that seemed like a huge let down and I left feeling rather deflated.
Fast forward the next day. I called Simply Elegant, found an open appointment, and explained my dilemma to Julia, my consultant and the office manager. Not only did she manage to find me a dress that looked very similar to the dress I loved, it was better! The small things that we didn’t like about that dress were fixed in the other dress. And the best part? The new dress was $ 800 LESS. Julia understood my budget and needs and worked with me to accommodate them. I never felt pressure from anyone there to purchase items. Julia and everyone else I encountered was honest with me about possible issues, like avoiding certain designers because of time constraints. I felt like they weren’t out to make money, so it was an easy decision to buy from them. I am extremely happy with my decision to buy my dress from them and excited to wear my dress six months from now!
I received my dress on the date they promised and it looks so beautiful!

We just finished with my wedding, and now my sister is getting ready for hers. We went into Simply Elegant Bridal, and were very impressed with them as a whole. They have a ton to choose from, the surroundings are elegant and spacious, and the staff is friendly. I went to David’s Bridal and didn’t have a very good experience. I wish I had come here. We haven’t purchased anything as of yet — her wedding isn’t until May 2009 — but this place is very promising and the other brides-​to-​be shopping here all seemed very happy. To me, this speaks volumes.