Calvary Bridal House

I strongly DO NOT recommend this place. I was good not to procrastinate and ordered my dress from Calvary a year in advance. They said it would be in by July 1st. I get a phone call in July to schedule my fitting... great! BUT... I kept hearing bad stories about this place and so did my mom. Just to be safe, she called my dress designer themselves to check on my dress and they said they hadn't done business with them in over a year and they are "Thieves!" Needless to say, they had never ordered my dress and stated that if they hadn't resolved their money issues, they were just going to give me the floor model... at full price, yucky and dirty, 4 sizes to big! They could have called 8 months ago! Rude, horrible, and I had to get a new dress from a different place 2 months before my wedding. What a disaster. I DON'T recommend this place in the least! P.S. I agree with other people here that they are definitely trying to cover up all of the bad comments by reviewing themselves! How PATHETIC!

Until I came to Calvary I had had an absolutely horrible time bridal gown shopping. I am a larger size and none of the samples at any store fit the way they were supposed to. When I came here, I was greeted warmly and my sales person, Carola, immediately put me at ease. She asked me to tell her about what I really wanted my dress to look like, instead of saying that they only had a few things that would fit, like some other places. The emphasis became about finding the right dress, and she managed to get me into things I would never have considered before. I absolutely found the dress of my dreams and at my wedding this past March I felt like a Queen!
Carola put all my accessories together and went with me to the shoe store downstairs to find the perfect shoe. I can wholeheartedly recommend coming to this shop for the great service. My sister is getting married in '09 and we aren't going anywhere else.

Had a great experience. I never really thought I would buy my dress at the first store but my salesperson helped me pick out great styles and then there was "the one". At the wedding I was told over and over how beautiful the dress was and how perfectly it fit. The fitting woman was phenomenal. I couldn't have been more pleased.

I bought my wedding gown form Calvary a year ago. I truly had the lovliest experience at this shop. No pushy sales people and ALOT of gowns to try on. MYfittings went great and my dress was absoultely perfect. I received soooo many compliments, I couldn't stop smiling! I got my bridemaids dresses and accessories there too and can only recommend that you go there for a really wonderful experience.

I wanted to thank Everyone at Calvary who helped me to find the gown of my dreams. I went to a couple of stores in NYC before I arrived at this beautiful store. My salesperson, Rosemarie was very kind and very caring. I had a terrible experience at another store and she was really able to help me get past that and found the perfect dress for me. I only wish I had come here sooner. I am looking forward to my August wedding with antcipation. Also the lingerie and makeup people at the store were great!

I am writing this post after having read some very mixed reviews of Calvary. I purchased my dress from CBH about 2 years ago. After having visited multiple bridal salons including Kleinfelds and having had no more than a lukewarm reaction to any of the dresses I tried on, I stumbled upon CBH's website and called to make an appointment. I expected to have no more success than I had in the past because of my unique physical dimensions. I found the ambience to be welcoming, warm, yet charming and feminine. Never for a moment did I detect a rude remark from staff. When I arrived, I received the staff's undivided attention; they listened and allowed me to try on as many dresses as I wanted. I found their selection of dresses to be sophisticated and unique; their dresses were not carried by any of the salons I had visited in the tri-state area nor did they resemble anything that I had seen in magazines or on popular online wedding sites ie the knot. Again given my height, large bust, and wide hips, I did not expect the dresses to flatter me any more than those worn in other salons. Yet, it took me all of 15 minutes to capture that "magical" moment as I tried on the gowns and knew immediately that I would be selecting a dress from this salon. I even found myself loving a separate gown for a future ballroom event. I definitely spent more than I had anticipated. For the record, I find more value in investing my money in bonds than my wardrobe and am a staunch believer in purchasing the "knockoff version" of anything to save money. However in this case, spending several thousand dollars was well worth every strand of satin in my dress. It was breathtaking. Once I selected the dress only 6 months before the wedding, I was cautioned about the limited time, however they managed to get my dress in within a week of when I needed it, altered it, altered my undergarments....all in time for my destination wedding...without added rush fees etc that other salons had threaten to throw in. I also purchased my veil, mini tiara, and jewelry from their boutique
Bottom line; I took a risk by purchasing late, spent more than I expected and am still doting over how gorgeous the dress looks in my pictures. My only regret was that the bust and waist were left a bit looser than I liked and since I received the dress early, I had managed to lose a few inches and the dress did slip a hair beneath my bust line, making it slightly uncomfortable. However because of the way my undergarments were altered to fit underneath the dress, thankfully you couldn't tell in the pictures. Ultimately, I was the only one that noticed. If you are on a strict budget and are a standard size 4 B cup average height kind of gal, I would steer away; with some effort you may land a dress of comparable quality at a sample sale. If you have a flexible bank account and are seeking prime service with the added benefit of wearing a gown that feels like a couture you should definitely visit. You may be pleasantly surprised.

While the store is lovely, I didn't enjoy my visit to Calvary... They say the Knot voted them "Best" the truth I later discovered is that they were listed in the Knot's Best Of Issue, but not even ranked -- they were just rank! I was in a VERY expensive dress that I really did like, but I was forced to get out of it so anther girl (who was standing about 10 feet away glaring at me) could try it on with veils. It was just uncomfortable & there was a cold unfriendly atmosphere. In the end I found a dress I loved in a warm, wonderful shop; & I was very glad that I hadn't fallen for the high-pressure, used car salesman tactics at Calvary.
PS -- I agree with a previous review, it's very suspicious that other salons have about 5 reviews & Cav. House has 20. I think they've been reviewing themselves too. It's sad that they need to do that to get a good review!!! Especially with how expensive their dresses are, you would think they would have great customer service!

During my search for the dress I must have tried on hundreds of gowns at dozens of varying bridal shops from the mom n pop, to the large chains, to NYC and beyond finally ending my search at Calvary Bridal House. From the moment I walked into the store, which was so beautiful in itself with its feminine dcor, and greeted by the very friendly, attentive staff I knew that I was in for a completely different experience from what I had previously encountered.

My dress was exquisite, the alterations were fantastic. The ladies at the shop were so warm and friendly. I could never speak highly enough about my experience at Calvary Bridal House.

Best of luck to all the brides-to-be!

My experience at Calvary was excellent. They helped me choose the perfect dress. Being there was such a pleasure and I felt thay they listened to what I was saying as well as giving great advice about the accessories. I went to three other places and was glad I went with this shop. Alterations were great and they carried the dress to the car for me! I totally recommmend.

I want to give a big shout of thank you to all the ladies at Calvary. They helped me to find the most beautiful dress and were wonderful through the whole process. It was a joy to have caring and knowlegable people ready to help me. It always made me smile when I knew I was going there to try on my dress. I received so many compliments at my wedding about the gown that I I have recommended this shop to all of my friends.

They were great! I found the dress of my dreams - and I had been EVERYWHERE. The selection of gowns is impressive. So many guests at my wedding commented about how elegant and unique my gown looked. The seamstress and alterations person took extra time to make sure the dress fit after I lost weight from wedding stress. I appreciated the care and time when I selected my veil and headpiece. Their recommendations were spot on and everything was just perfect together. I am very glad I bought my dress from them.

Excellent service start to finish. I never had a moment of worry because I knew I was in good hands. I got excellent advice and a shoulder when I needed it. My dress was absolutley perfect! The best recommendation I can make is that I have already taken two of recently engaged friends back to Calvary so that they could get their dresses there too.

I have to say that getting my wedding gown from Calvary was the best choice I ever made. They were all so kind, calming and helpful during the insanity of my wedding planning. My dress was perfect and the seamstress is amazing. If you want a really good one on one service, this is the place.

My dress was still not in one week before my wedding. I called the store repeatedly and was never called back. I finally had a fitting one week before my wedding, only to discover on my wedding day they had switched my dress and altered the sample. It ruined my wedding day! I payed full price for a new gown and was given the old "bait and switch". I also never received an apology or feeling of genuine remorse. Elga was mysteriously always out when I stopped by or called. Who knew from the beautiful store on the outside that it was all a scam!

I cannot even begin to say how happy my wedding dress made me feel on my wedding day! I felt like a princess and am still getting compliments on it ( I got married in August 07). My entire experience at Calvary was wonderful. Ever since I heard about you all on the Joan Hamburg program, I knew I would get my dress there.I always felt special and comfortable when I was in the store. Everyone was helpful and I never felt rushed or pushed. My alterations were perfect and I wound up buying all my stuff there as well (shoes, bra etc) they just made it all so easy and stress free. I cannot say enough good things about the entire store.

I work at a large department store in customer service so its very interesting to me that the biggest gripers sign themselves "Anonymous". So you had a bad experience - put on your big girl panties and write a letter to the store and let them know.!! If they don't know you're unhappy, they can't address or fix the problem. Stores who don't care about their customers don't stay in business very long and Calvary has been around a long time. My experience was outstanding from the day I walked in to the day I took the gown home. Yes, my gown came in later than I expected - but I when it came in, it was perfect and Calvary did the alterations in one day and they were perfect too. When I changed my mind about a veil and needed one literally overnight they made one for me. If you deal with professionals and deal with them reasonably, they will always come through for you. I highly recommend this store for anyy bride.

the posts about the lying that goes on at CBH are right on the money. after being told that my dress would come in 10 weeks before my wedding, the dress was only on its way to the store 7 DAYS before my wedding. as a result, it never showed up. i was given a dress intended for another bride. i have no idea what happened to the poor other bride. i hope she got the dress that was supposed to be mine. i was lied to repeatedly and told that the dress was stuck in customs when it hadn't even been shipped. also the owner, elga, never returned my phonecalls even after i left messages for three days in a row. this place is terrible. just don't do it.

While the salon is beautiful and the atmosphere very nice, these people have a problem with telling the truth. The dress we ordered last winter was supposed to come in for a first fitting in August. When we called in August to see why we had not heard anything the staff said it should be in any day - they just didn't say any day as in less than two weeks before an October 5 wedding. They kept stalling and making excuses. When we finally got to speak to someone in charge they admitted that there was a mistake made and the wrong order date was put on the form. So they new this since August but kept telling us it would be in any day. This Elga lies so easily that she doesn't even know she is doing anymore. An event that should have been a joy, going to see the dress and having fittings turned in to last minute events crammed into an already busy schedule when it should have taken place during the summer when the bride was not working. Thank goodness Ulla Maija is in New York and agree to rush the dress (at least this is what we were told). The dress was to come in on Thursday and we were to come Saturday for a fitting. We were told that the dress definitely shipped on Tuesday. When we did not get any calls on Thursday to allay our stress we tried calling and were told someone would call us back. At that point we knew they did not have the dress. On Friday, they finally returned the call and said that Elga herself had driven to Manhattan to pick up the dress (the same dress that definitley had shipped on Tuesday). We were brought in for a fitting before the store opened. They acted like this was an accomodation. After the fact we think it was to keep us away from prospective brides in the store. I think the worst part was that they acted like we were over reacting. Elga said that they were always delivering dresses to brides on the day before the wedding and acted like this was normal. When you spend thousands of dollars on a dress you expect better service. Our other family bride used Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier in Manhattan and the service was fantastic. Everything on time and early. An apology would have been nice - but we never did get that.

When you are buying a gown for many thousands of dollars, plus fitting costs, etc, people should try to be accommodating or, at the very least, sweet on the phone. I called Calvary for an appointment and they couldn't give me a 3:30, only a 3pm. I told them I'd be pushing it at 3 and might not be able to be right on time, but that I promised to leave at 4pm either way, so they could deal with their next appointments. They told me that if I were even slightly late they would turn me away and basically hung up on me. I don't live in the area and don't know when I can get back next so it was important to me to at least go in there and browse their selection while in townapparently that is not allowed. I grew up in Short Hills and my family still lives there and we will certainly be spreading the word about their attitude problem.

I think it's pretty obvious that the CBH staff has posted a lot of these posts (Cynthia!).Overall, I had a good experience. Professional staff, amazing selection. However, I do agree with another poster - my dress came in very late. I was told it would be in two months before my wedding - and strangely, my first fitting is two weeks before the big day. And despite my persistence, there's not much in terms of explanation - and there have certainly been no apologies.

I had a such a great experience at Calvary Bridal House. They had amazing gowns, sales people were so friendly, and knowledgable. I went in there a few times because I had to do my heapiece and veil fitting. They took there time with me and really made it a nice experience... they had a very good selection. It was just so helpfull to have the undergarments, shoes, and hair & make-up all in one store. The girl at Entiise for the undergarments was also great. She helped with find the best bra for my body and my shape. It was fun, she even put all the lingerie in my size to a side for me.I was extremely happy with the service, the staff and my dress was beautiful

I have no idea how anyone could give Calvary a bad review. First of all, the shop itself is as gorgeous as the fabulous designer gowns that they carry. The entire staff, especially the owner, Ms. Koehler, were extremely knowledgeable regarding their merchandise and helpful beyond expectation. This shop gave me the kind of experience selecting and purchasing my wedding gown that most women only dream of. I highly recommend them.

I am a second time bride that had a tremendously difficult time finding a gown for my May 06 wedding. It seemed that I had been everywhere and seen every gown in creation but I could could not find a dress that spoke to me. Finally I arrived at Calvary Bridal House, not really expecting this place to be any different than the stores I had been to before. I was wowed by the extensive selection of gowns, but more importantly the service was phenomenal. Although it was a Saturday and the store was very busy, I I felt as if I was the only bride in the store at that time. Having tried on alot of dresses, I was really picky but my sales person, Elga, was very patient and really helped me find "the One". The alterations on my gown were perfectly done (my mom was a seamstress) and I received many compliments on the day of the wedding. I highly recommend Calvary Bridal house for their one to one service.

Now try actually getting your gown before your wedding! That is kind of the key in this whole bridal shop experience, no?
Just because a shop has nice dresses and treat you well does not mean your dress is coming. ever. but Elga will tell you to be patient all the while she knows she is lying through her teeth.

This is a fairly new business in Millburn. They opened their store only a couple of years ago. Fantatstic selection of even more fantastic wedding gowns. Go anywhere you want and make it your last stop. My girlfriend's daughter just got married and I was shopping with them for the gown. When I went to this place I wished I was getting married again. Each gown is one of a kind and it can be customized. Each ones fit for a royal family or a fairy tale princess. It is worth the money you pay. Workmanship is unbelievable, sales ladies are the greatest.
I highly recommend this unique store to everyone who is looking for a spectacular wedding gown,

I visited this store while looking for bridal gowns. When I walked in, I was a bit intimated because the dresses were brand names (Vera Wang, Jude Waddell, etc) and very expensive. I did not feel that the salespeople were very open and they did not encourage me to try on any of the dresses. They did have a small rack sale in the back of the store. There dresses were previously floor models of the designer gowns that were on sale for about 50% off. However, many were slightly dirty or had minor imperfections. Most brides want everything to be perfect on their day and arent willing to scrimp to get a semi-used dress. I would only recommend going here if you are planning on spending a lot on your wedding dress.