Hannelore's Bridal Boutique

The staff is extrememly rude and snobby. We made an appointment, but unfortunately we were running late. Becuase we were late, they wouldn't let us try on any dresses, even though we drove an hour to get there. And had we been on time, we would have been trying on dresses at that very moment. It wasn't crowded, there was no one in the dressing rooms, and the consultant was sitting around doing nothing until her next appointment. They were indredibly rude in the way they spoke to us. I would never recommend it, in fact, I will make sure to tell any and every bride to avoid this place.

Posted 11/23/09 | Report Abuse

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I have to agree, the store staff, from sales consultant to management is horribly rude. I have never experience such horrible behavior. They do have a lot of events and wide selection, its sad that horrible customer services tints the store image. Be careful, you don't need extra stress they give you. I ordered my wedding dress from there but refused to get my bridesmaid dresses because of the service/attitude.

Posted 11/09/09 | Report Abuse

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Hannelores was my first ever dress shopping appointment, and it could not have been more exciting or special! My mom and aunt were in town, and we went for an Anne Barge trunk show (as I have always loved her designs) at 10am on Saturday morning 9/19/09. We found THE dress almost immediately and went back the following day to make the purchase and get my measurements taken. My sales associate, Sally, could not have been more friendly, welcoming, or helpful. Right off the bat she understood my vision for my formal wedding and did not push me to get the sale. Additionally, Anne Barge was at the trunk show and spent at least a half an hour in my dressing room on both Saturday and Sunday and giving me advice on flowers, veils (which we also purchased that day), and the like. I loved Hannelores so much that one of my bridesmaids and I went back and found the Jenny Yoo bridesmaid dresses that I we are now ordering from Ashlynn. I could not be more pleased with the service I have received from Hannelores, and I cannot wait to go back for my fittings!!

As Kate M. said below, it is SO important that you take dress shopping seriously. If you are looking your best, you will feel better in the dresses and will obviously get better service as they know you are serious about finding a dress. Appointments are also necessary! Request Sally in bridal and Ashlynn in bridesmaids, if you can. You won't be disappointed!

Posted 10/22/09 | Report Abuse

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A perfect example of uppity attitudes from those who are supposed to be assisting potential buyers. I'm currently in the process of making wedding plans. My fiance' & I have not yet set a date, but I've been looking around for potential gowns. Upon a recent trip to Old Town, my future mother-in-law pointed out the shop as we were passing by. I commented on one of the gowns & she suggested that we go inside to take a look. We were not greeted by anyone, nor was there any signs indicating that we were not allowed to be in the store without a consultant. Several sales associates saw us and never once offered to help us. That was fine, I wasn't intending on trying anything on, I was simply looking to see if they might possibly carry one of the designers I had been looking into -- unlikely, as they seem to carry a very generic line of overrated domestic designers. Overall I was rather unimpressed and we were preparing to leave when a middle aged sales associate approached us and rudely demanded to know if we had been helped. I replied that we were simply looking at which point she informed us that we weren't allowed to try anything on without a sales associate. Yeah, that's pretty much common sense. When does anyone ever just help themselves to the dressing rooms? I explained to her that I was just browsing the designers and didn't have the intention of trying anything on anyway. She then told us that we weren't even allowed to be in there without a consultant, which I would understand if someone had been there to greet us or there was any type of notice posted, but there wasn't. Instead this rude sales associate told us to vacate the premises. No offer to assist us, no courtesy, just a very unprofessional, rude behaviour.

I've seen this behaviour more & more from sales associates who think that just because they work in some vaguely 'exclusive' boutique that they're somehow better than their potential buyers. You work in retail to assist others.

Needless to say, even if they had carried a gown I had liked I wouldn't dream of returning to this store due to this employee's attitude nor would I ever recommend it.

Posted 10/12/09 | Report Abuse

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BUY DRESS AT HANNELORE'S AT YOUR OWN PERIL. 2 weeks before the big day, we have to go elsewhere to get dresses. Never even gave us warning! They're liars.

They messed up our wedding orders countless times. They even lost our folder with all the information to boot.

If you are looking to get a wedding dress or bridemaid dresses here... I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK ELSE WHERE.

You will think that all is fine because they are flatout lying to you along the way about status, etc until days before the wedding when they give you that little surprise -- SORRY, DRESS WONT BE READY AND WE WONT HELP YOU WITH PLAN "B".

It's their policy, it seems, to have brides cry in their showroom because of mistakes or terrible service at least 3 times. When you see someone crying in the showroom -- DO NOT ASSUME IT'S BECAUSE THEY FOUND THE PERFECT DRESS. More like a nightmare in the making.

Posted 09/01/09 | Report Abuse

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I read quite a few negative reviews before heading to Hannelore's and, since my experience was so incredibly positive, I felt compelled to post.

I went to Hannelore's to look for a gown for myself, and Danielle could not have made the experience more pleasant. She was absolutely wonderful, struck a great balance between letting me look around and suggesting things for me to try, and seemed to be tuned into my personal style right from the start of my visit (I brought magazine pages of dresses that I liked, as I have a hard time articulating what I want in a dress). After she helped me try on over a dozen dresses, she wrote down some information for me about an upcoming trunk show of the designer who made the dress I liked best, which was great. She also said that if I found another dress I liked by that designer she could order it for the trunk show, yet I wouldn't be obligated to buy it.

On top of my phenomenal experience with Danielle, the gentleman downstairs in the men's formalwear section of the store was so nice and helpful.

I highly recommend Hannelore's to any bride or groom. The staff is professional, friendly and, most important, they all make you feel 110% comfortable while you're there. I will be back soon to order my dress, my bridesmaids' dresses, and attire for the groomsmen.

Lastly, after reading so many similar reviews of people ranting about the boutique (e.g. "I didn't have an appt," etc), I just have to stress the need to use common sense when shopping for a wedding gown. First and foremost, ALWAYS make an appointment. I mean, why wouldn't you? It gives any store owner or staff member the impression that you are seriously looking, and also allows them to reserve an ample amount of time to devote to you. And second, look presentable when you show up for your appointment. Just like any establishment -- whether it be a bridal boutique or a nice restaurant or anywhere else -- you'll receive better service if you take the time to ensure you have a nice appearance. I'm not saying that you need to be in full makeup and four inch heels, but I have seen brides-to-be wear sweatpants or ratty jeans to bridal appointments, which I think is completely inappropriate. I assure you that if you do these two things, you'll probably have a pleasant experience at Hannelore's or any other bridal shop, for that matter.

Posted 08/07/09 | Report Abuse

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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After reading these reviews, I have to post about my experience. I have to say that I had a wonderful experience with Hannelore's from the second I called for an appointment until I picked up my dress the day before my wedding.I had been to 7 dress shops in the area and I was very frustrated and confused. Not that I'm overly picky...I have a large bust that I am self-conscious about. On the day I went to Hannelore's, I had had a terrible experience with a shop in Manasas (the owners daughter was trying to sell me a very frumpy gown and wouldn't let me try anything that looked different). I called Hannelore's and asked if they had any last minute appointments. They did and we met with Patricia that afternoon. She was so fantastic! Patricia asked about the other shops I had been to, the dresses I had tried on that I liked, what I did not like, and my price point. We looked through the racks and pulled out SEVERAL dresses. They were having an Ann Barge trunk show but we looked through the entire store together. Next thing I know Patricia, the owner, the owner's daughter, and the designer from Ann Barge are all helping me. The designer was helping us with ALL of the dresses (not just Ann Barge). I must say that I have never experienced that level of customer service and professionalism. They all were so sweet and offered up great advice. Their opinions were direct and honest but never harsh.

I must have tried on over a dozen dresses but never felt rushed or pressured. I found an Ann Barge dress that I wound up buying. I happened to walk by it and saw the lace on the bottom....and that was it. I was in love.

I thought about it overnight and bought the dress the next day. When you purchase a dress with Hannelore's, you also sign a sheet acknowledging their alteration prices. Of course you can have some one else do the alterations too. I stuck with Hannelore's because I knew they would do a good job. This dress had a lot of rouching on the bodice. And they are clearly proud of the work they do there.

My only bump in the road came with the bridesmaids dresses. One dress had the wrong color sash. But this was obviously an error the manufacturer made.....the tag and paperwork attached to the dress was correct. They just sent Hannelores the wrong dress. This was corrected quickly and in the amount of time they promised.

Would I recommend Hanelore's? Absolutely...100%. Everyone was I met was friendly, helpful and professional....even the salesman in the tuxedo department (I was browsing). But I would also recommend that brides be honest and realistic about their budget vs. dress quality. This shop carries more high end dresses than low end.

I may have witnessed one the bad reviews listed below. Some brides can be just as bossy and rude. It's a highly emotional thing to pick out your wedding dress. We want everything to be perfect and just like how we pictured it in our head. But sometimes we can have a hard time articulating that perfection ( I did!). These sales women want the same thing we want....to find your perfect dress. Please keep that in mind while you shop. And recognize when a saleswoman is trying to push you toward their vision or trying to help you find yours. Patricia and the team at Hannelore's helped me find my vision and I am truly grateful.

Posted 07/19/09 | Report Abuse

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Despite the bad reviews, I decided to visit this store anyways and had a good experience. My consultant allowed me to look through thier selection and pick out dresses that appealed to me. In addition, she also pulled some dresses she thought I'd like. I think many brides looking for dresses in the 1-2K range would be dissapointed here. Most dresses start at 3K, with the avg. price being around 4K. If you are looking for a higher quality dress, then make an apointment, show up on time, and have a ball!

Posted 07/18/09 | Report Abuse

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In response to the review @ Alterations. ANY high- end store charges for any work done to the garments that they sell. If you don't need any alterations then guess what no-charge! So the work costing the same amount of $200.00 in another store proves we were more than fair.

Posted 06/04/09 | Report Abuse

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As the mother of the groom looking for an outfit, my initial experience at Hannelore's was fine. The store manager, Kimberly was very friendly the first visit and let me in without an appointment 10 minutes before closing. I was impressed with that, and amazed to find a beautiful outfit, not the stuffy mother of the groom typical dowdy thing I expected.
My husband was with me when I purchased the outfit- we paid the down payment. It was absolutely our understanding that the alterations were to be included with the purchase. (way over my limit- 950.00) Kimberly worded it in such a way, that we were in total shock when they charged me an extra 200.00 when I came for my first fitting!! There was nothing in my contract saying a word about the alteration fee. Only the balance left on the outfit was included. I came back to the store, and let the management know that I thought they should be more truthful with their customers regarding the alterations, and took my outfit from them to another highly recommended tailor in Alexandria. The fee was actually the same, but I feel vindicated. (MY future daughter in law had her alterations free with the purchase of her gown)

Kimberly was very over the top friendly when I first came- acting like she really cared, was funny, etc., but rather cool to me on the phone when I inquired about the shipping time of my out fit. Also the same when I came to pick up the dress. It seemed like it was all an act to get the sale, then she was totally detached.

I doubt I will ever step foot in that store again for anything.

Posted 05/22/09 | Report Abuse

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I would not recommend Hannelore's. All this reviews are so true, they pretend to be soo nice to you but in reality you have to work around their schedules. The raised voices, their snobby tones, the rudeness with this place is beyond crazy!! Sadly it starts with the Store Manager to most of the sales people who feel that they have the right to treat you like that. I have had to ask them and tone down their voices in a number of situations when I call. The only reason I gave them 2 starts is because of one of the sales consultant, Patricia, she is great! If it wasn't for her, I would not have survived in this place. She really does try to help you, recommend, and give you her time. She is def busy, probably bc everyone wants to speak directly to her.

Posted 03/10/09 | Report Abuse

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There is no customer service at Hannelores. They are so nice when you first come in, but after you order with them, they change. My bridesmaid dress came in. I went for 4 fittings. Every time I went in, there was a problem....from having stains on the dress, to snags, an alterations issues. They blamed ME for the snags on the dress. They blamed ME for the alterations saying my body was crooked. Come to find out, not only do I supposedly have a crooked body, but 2 other bridesmaid do to! WOW! They are all about the money. That is all they care about. Please don't give this shop the honor of your business.

Posted 12/01/08 | Report Abuse

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I went to a number of bridal shops in the DC area and found this store to have the most rude employees. Before looking at the dresses, I showed the sales associate pictures of dresses I liked and told her the cost range I would like to stay in. Apparently they have nothing under $2000. After that, she was not interested in helping me at all and didn't want me try on any dresses. She then proceeded to tell me I was too large for any of the dresses to try on. Please keep in mind i am a size 6. So, if you have lots of money to spend on a dress and are either a size 0 or 2, feel free to visit the store. If not, don't bother. There are too many other shops with just as wide of a selection in this great city. I would never recommend them to anyone. And, when I talked to friends about my appointment, they all said they had similar experiences or knew someone who had. I am surprised this company is still in business.

Posted 11/06/08 | Report Abuse

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Despite all the bad customer service reviews of Hannelore's, I decided to go only because a certain designer was holding a trunk show there. My experience purchasing the dress was okay because I knew pretty much what I wanted and I fell in love with my dress. After the dress came in, every experience with the store was a nightmare. I had at least four fittings and each time they could not get the alterations right. All that needed to be done to the dress was the hem and the bustle. Because of all the issues with the store not being able to get the alterations done correctly, my final fitting was pushed back to a week before my wedding. I tried it on and the dress was still an inch and a half too long - I was tripping over it. I was very frustrated at this point because I needed to take the dress that day because I was going out of town for my wedding. These people are supposed to be professionals - how could they not get something as simple as a hem right and even after numerous fittings?!!! I told the store that I needed to have the dress that day because I was leaving town and they agreed to fix the dress AGAIN and have it ready that afternoon. I picked it up and took it home and as I was examining the work that was done on the hem, I noticed that there were holes throughout the lace, all over the hem of the dress. I could put my finger through some of these holes. I immediately called the store, which was closed. I left a message for the manager/owner of the store and never received a call back. And because I needed to leave town for my wedding, I couldn't get back to the store to show them what was done. And at that point, I didn't want these people even touching my dress after all the damage they did to it. I had to take the dress to another seamstress to fix all the holes. The seamstress could not believe how poorly the alterations were executed. My dress got fixed and no one was able to tell where the holes were, but knowing that my dress had holes all over it and I actually paid money for those holes really bothered me. Doing business with this store was a complete nightmare!! I didn't buy a sample dress, I purchased a new dress from the designer and paid several thousand dollars. No bride should have to go through what I had to endure. Buying your wedding dress should be a special experience and this store took that away from me. I will never recommend this store to anyone, it's not worth the risk.

Posted 11/03/08 | Report Abuse

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This is the first review of anything I have ever written, but the service at Hannelore's was so atrocious that I feel compelled to get this information in the public domain. I hope it will be helpful to other brides.

This weekend my mother and I were treated with complete and utter disrespect at Hannelore's. I went into the store very excited, looking forward to my first weekend of dress shopping, and ended up leaving on the verge of tears, completely upset and disappointed. Isn't dress shopping supposed to be fun?!

They do have a good selection of dresses, but good luck getting to see them. As other reviewers have pointed out, they do not want you to look through the racks here. Therefore, if you get a bridal consultant who is incapable of selecting the right dresses for you, you are out of luck.

Upon arrival for my appointment, the sales woman only asked a couple of questions on which to base her selection of about six dresses. She did not even ask my budget, but when I told her I was not interested in the Monique Lhullier trunk show with prices starting at $4000, her rude attitude was unleashed.

Apparently a dress budget under $4000 is not worthy of good service at Hannelore's. When I made the appointment, they informed me that dress prices start at $1500. I would think there are quite a few dresses to choose from between $1500 and $4000. My unfriendly consultant could not seem to find more than about six.

When I did not love any of the six dresses, I had to ask to see more dresses. Rather than offering to bring others and asking more questions to determine what other styles and dresses might work, the sales woman rudely informed me that "it was not about trying on a lot of dresses, but rather finding the right one." Obviously she had failed to do that, and did not seem terribly interested in working any harder to find that right one.

To make matters worse, she asked me three times where else I had shopped for gowns. I found this question completely inappropriate and evaded it to the extent possible. Then she informed me that "our brides only shop at Hannelore's." First of all, I dont know of any woman who has ever shopped in just one store for her bridal gown. And secondly, why would she even say something like that? Was it to imply that I was not a Hannelore's bride"? I would think that if a sales woman is confident in her product and service, she will be confident that a costumer will ultimately buy from her, regardless of how many other stores are visited.

Finally, when I confronted the sales woman about her poor service and mean attitude, she shamelessly accused me of having the problem. I was shocked and promptly walked out without looking back.

Hennelores lost yet another sale because of their poor customer service. Even if I had found the dress of my dreams (which I might have, had the sales lady been more helpful), I would not purchase it at Hannelores on principle alone. This type of behavior should not be rewarded. News flash Hannelore's -- a recession is upon us! You might want to rethink your sales strategy or you will not be able to compete in this market.

There are too many good, customer-oriented bridal stores in the area to waste your time at Hannelore's. Skip it!

Posted 10/27/08 | Report Abuse

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My experience with Hannelore's was absolutely nothing like what is described in the other reviews on this site. I came to Hannelore's after accompanying a friend to the shop when she was looking for her gown. Their selection was amazing and the staff was professional and kind. When I got engaged I came back to Hannelore's after being disappointed with the selection at other local shops.

I can't say enough about Hannelore's and their bridal staff. They went above and beyond to make our wedding day perfect. The day before our wedding we realized that my veil had been misplaced during my parent's home renovation. I was so upset, but my quick thinking bridesmaids gave Hannelore's a call on the off chance they had another veil exactly like mine. Amazingly they did. Sherrie, the business manger, actually drove it to FedEx herself and shipped it overnight to North Carolina where I was getting married. To top it all off, they let me borrow the veil and paid for shipping! I couldn't believe it! Who would do that for just a client? I felt like family. It was amazing service and perhaps one the kindest things someone has done for me in a very long time. I loved the way my dress and veil looked on my wedding day and I can't say enough about this shop.

Not only did they come through for me in a pinch, my entire experience with the shop was positive and professional. Danielle helped me with selecting my gown. After listening to what I was looking for she found the perfect gown on the first try. Hannelore herself helped me with the fit and I couldn't have been happier with the dress. Danielle always made time for me when I came by to try on the dress. I would send any bride to Hannelore's they literally made my wedding day.

Posted 09/01/08 | Report Abuse

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I've read so many bad reviews about this place that I promised to myself that I would never-ever go in there. However, never say "never". After we've been to several salons in Alexandria on this day (and all of them had UGLY dresses with plenty of sparkling stuff as if you're a Xmas tree) my girlfriend suggested to stop by just to take a look since we had some free time before our next appointment. I do agree with all the reviewers here that the service is not the best (it's actually pretty bad). But since I'm coming from Europe I"m used to it and moreover I was ready morally to get a rude service, so I just didn't pay attention to it. First the consultant didn't want to let me look around, but I told her that I know myself what to do and she let me do it. The dress that I finally have chosen to be my wedding dress was the first one I saw. It was in the sale section and was almost 5 times less its original price. At first the consultant was quite reluctant to give it to me, but I insisted. Then we went upstairs and looked at couple of more dresses. I do agree, that they don't like it when you're choosing your dresses yourself, but my advice would be - play as if they're not there. I was just ignoring them and looking at the dresses. I should give the consultant a credit - once I put on the dress that was on sale she told me that this is THE dress. She didn't try to sell me more expensive ones (although I was looking at some dresses in 4-5K range). I ended up paying $900 for the dress an $500 for the veil. I think it's a pretty good deal for a dress that originally was round 5K. My advice if you do decide to go there - be bold and don't pay attention to the staff - just do what you have to do. I did look at ALL the dresses that they had there although they kept telling me that we don't have enough time (as I didn't have a previous appointment and they just squeezed me in b/w other people). Just be rude and do what you need to do - after all it was worth it. After this I went to Vera Wang and a bunch of other fancy salons, but I couldn't find the dress as beautiful and at the same price. Again, my advice - come here prepared not to pay attention to the staff and then you'll be fine. Hope this helps :)

Posted 07/11/08 | Report Abuse

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I went to try on bridal gowns and Khem assisted me. Don't go here if you are modest or shy- they stay in the dressing room with you the whole time--I think they assume you will tear the dress if you put it on yourself!Emailing them is a slow process-sometimes they never respond. Also, I am getting married and taking photographs outdoors-- so I found it very odd that in order to see the accurate color of a bridal gown will look like in natural sunlight (I never knew there was so many shades of white or ivory--- true ivory, yellow-ish, gray undertones, candlelight,ect ) You need to see your gown in REAL natural sunlight, like by a window. Instead, all they have is the God-awful hideous fluorescent lights in the showroom and dressing rooms!! I asked to see this gown I loved in natural light as I am getting married outdoors and I basically had to go down a long hallway and crouch down in a back secretary's office to hold it in a glimspe of sunlight!!! What a headache!

Posted 07/09/08 | Report Abuse

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I hate, hate, hate this place. I don't understand how they can be so rude! I was so looking forward to trying on wedding dresses. It sounded like so much fun!!! It was dreadful! My sales lady was just terrible. She would not let me look at dresses and kept telling me she knew what I wanted. How does she know what I want when I have never met her and never explained what type of dress I liked. She brought me 5 dresses to try on, I hated them ALL!!! She would not listen to me. Moreover, I told her my price range and she continually brought me dresses that were thousands over it and told me I really needed to consider spending more. The worst, worst worst part is how they treated my aunt. My aunt gave blood earlier that morning and had a band-aid on her arm. They acted like she was horribly diseased and every time she would walk around the store, they would yell at her not to touch anyone! My poor aunt was so embarassed and all she had done was donated blood that day. It wasn't even bleeding, it was just a band-aid. My aunt is also responsible and would not have stained any of their precious gowns. Do yourself a favor, go to Jeanette's in Manassas. They have some of the same gowns, in fact some are hundreds of dollars cheaper. DON'T GO TO HANNELORES!!!!

Posted 06/23/08 | Report Abuse

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I went to Hannelore's with a friend who was getting married a few years ago. They were rude and haughty. The woman managed to insult the university that the bride and I attended before we even got started. My friend is very modest and self conscious and the woman refused to let her dress herself. I understand that a lot of places do that, which might have been okay if she hadn't driven my friend to tears by the time were leaving. My friend is very tall and somewhat full figured but not outside of the traditional size range. She had difficulty finding a dress that flattered her shape. The sales woman reassured us that my friend would find something by telling us a story about how she once had an "obese midget" come in to look for a dress...so we'd certainly find something for my friend to wear. As if this wasn't insulting enough to my friend, she went on and on about how ridiculous this other woman looked and how she couldn't imagine why this woman had even bothered to look for a wedding dress...she belonged in the children's section. They don't let you pick 3-4 dresses on your own and select the rest for you.

We were apalled but we are slow learners so we went back this year to look for my wedding dress because they have some of the nicer designers. Different sales lady but the same condescending service. I'm 31 so I should have been allowed to put my own bra on. Do yourself a favor and go to Hitched or Riziks in DC - they have lovely dresses and lovely service.

Posted 06/17/08 | Report Abuse

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Agreeing with my mother in law's comment below, if we would have read the reviews before hand, we would have not even bothered with the place. AWFUL. Far from CLASSY. STUFFY...and I could go on. I have had such great experiences dress shopping other than Hannelores. The staff has to be pretty unintelligent to be so rude to their customers...who do they think they are and who do they expect you to be? They were lucky I was in a great mood that day...and I am lucky they didn't ruin the rest of my day!

Posted 05/27/08 | Report Abuse

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Had I read the reviews before our apt. I would have skipped this so called establishment altogether. This is suppose to be a wonderful joyful occasion for the bride to be and also for anyone experiencing it with her. NOT SO!!! Our sales person, Sally had such an attitude from the moment she found we were not from the surrounding area , and that the wedding was going to be out of state, and the date had not been set and a mere 2-3 thousand dollar price range!!! It was all down hill from there, but when the door to the dressing room was intentionally slammed in my face , I really should have taken my future daughter in law and simply walked out!! But we stuck around for more rude, degrading and abusive behavior!!! I continued to look around for more dresses in the style we had requested and found four which fit all requests. once again the door was slammed in my face as I approached the dressing room with dresses in hand! Needless to say it was so obvious we were not looking for the price range she had in mind. The first dress that was brought in to try on was 6,000 dollars!!! Of course it looked great on and was a favorite, but she never had another positive remark from that dress on. And the time frame they give you is ludicrous!! Especially if you are coming from out of town and on a holiday where the traffic may cut into ten minutes of your scheduled allotted time!! Not good sales technique if you ask me, but the clincher was my future daughter in law had to use the rest room and Sally's remark was you better hurry up you are almost out of time. And time it was , time to leave and time to tell all who cares to skip the wretched place with wretched people with wretched attitudes!!! No class to be found there!!!

Posted 05/27/08 | Report Abuse

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Every time I think of my wedding gown, I think of how Hannelore herself swatted my behind! I had snapped at her assistant who I thought was flirting with my husband to be. When I took my mother in law to pick up the dress, the saleswoman asked HER if she was going to pay for it.

Posted 05/25/08 | Report Abuse

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I had a horrible experience over the weekend with Hannelores!!! Khem was my consultant and she was so rude to me. I don't even know how you can act that way and still have self respect. She has no people skills and wasn't helpful at all. If you go there ask for someone else....or better yet steer clear of that horrible place!!!

Posted 04/13/08 | Report Abuse

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I wish I found this site before I went for my appointment. For years I couldn't wait to step inside Hannelore's as a bride...and when I finally did, it ruined my entire day (seriously, I had a morning appointment and was in a foul mood the rest of the day). I am still so annoyed by my treatment (I, too, had Nancy) that I can't even write it all out without getting my blood pressure going. If you want someone barking "Come with me" at you every 2 seconds (when you try to look at the dresses yourself), a consultant that does not not listen to what you want, and an all-around horrible experience...this is the place. Ugh!!! Meanwhile, places with much less cache, such as Lady Hamilton's in Arlington and Jeannette's Bridal in Manassas have consultants that couldn't be more wonderful.

Posted 12/12/07 | Report Abuse

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I would like to start off by saying how horribly rude Kim and some of the employees are at this store. I have never been treated so rudely and been laughed at by a "wedding consultant" when asked simple questions regarding my price range.
I would also like to say this is the worst customer service I have ever encountered in my entire life. If my price range was not "acceptable" to your employees, I would expect better treatment coming from people of such "high class" status. When asked what my price range was, Kim laughed in my face and remarked that you do not have any dresses in that price range even if they were 50% off. To top it off, she walked right by another employee and stated that I was "only $500" even though I was right behind her. I hope you would not want to be treated this way- degraded, belittled, inferior...insignificant. This is the type of behavior that validates your company's bad reputation, that I can reassure.
I will make sure that my friends who are engaged or soon to be will hear about this store and how they can expect to be insulted and mistreated!
It is apparent that even if I had told Kim my price range was no object I would have been treated insincere and dishonest. People like these women are rude and have cost your company plenty of business, not just by me, but by the same couple I coincidentally saw in Ellie's Bridal after walking out of your store...and everyone else your employees have mistreated. You can be sure this I am not the only unvalued customer that has walked out of your store, sure to never come back.
I will be taking my mere $500-2,500 price range to the local Landfill before I spend it on a dress at Hannelores.

Posted 12/02/07 | Report Abuse

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My first experience at Hannelore's was lukewarm, but I found a dress that I loved. I was told they would contact me when the dress came in...After several phone calls- I talked to an associate who said the dress had been in for 2 months! I paid for the dress in full over the phone and went to pick it up the following weekend. I had an appt for 10 am to pick up the dress. When I got there w/ my mom (who had never seen the dress) we waited for 40 min. before anyone would help us. This was after asking everyone in the shop for assistance. When they finally brought my dress in it was wrinkled into a ball. I could have cried! After inspecting the dress- there was a big dark mark on the front of the dress. When I approached the sales associate she said it was part of the silk and it was woven into the dress. As I was leaving the store 3 people were at the front desk just standing there. I didn't get a bye, thank you for spending thousands of dollars, or here let me get the door. As far as other reviewers comments about Hannelores preferring their customers be well-groomed- I could just laugh. One of the associates was wearing a black cocktail dress adorned with sparkles and transparent netting across the stomach...CLASSY!

Posted 11/17/07 | Report Abuse

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As many of the previous reviewers have said, this place is terrible. Let me start out by saying that I read these reviews before going to Hannelore's but I am one of those people who has to see for themself and I did. I actually went there twice. My first visit was a Saturday afternoon, I made and appointment and went with two of my bridesmaids and my mother. I told my consultant Nancy what I liked and she picked out all my dresses. She seemed very offended when I asked if I could look around a bit and told me there was nothing else I would like. She took us into the changing room which was very nice. The downside here is that you have NOOO privacy. She told me to get undressed and then tried to put a strapless bra on me, literally put it on me. I told her that I could handle that myself. was not offered a slip or anything. I just stood there, good thing I am pretty comfortable with myself! I stood there for several minutes half naked while Nancy slowly took the dresses out of the bag. Between each dress, I continued to stand in the room halfway naked. She made me take each dress off before getting another one out of the bag to step right into. She was extremely slow in putting the dresses away and getting another one out. This began to get a little uncomfortable and cold! I found a Amalia Carrara dress that I liked very much. The dress was clearly marked $5489. I got some info and left to think about it for a few days. Nancy called later in the week with some info that I requested regarding lengthening the train, which could be done. However, she told me that the dress was actually discontinued and it would cost me and extra $500 to order it, she also quoted the wrong price several times on the phone saying $4500 which I had to correct her about. I made another appt. to go back in for a second go 'round. I wanted to request someone else as a consultant but thought that might be rude so I stuck with Nancy.Upon our second visit we were immediately taken into the dressing room with the Amalia Carrara dress hanging in the corner. I tried on a few dresses and finally the Amalia one last. I confirmed that I really liked it. I told Nancy that I would call her with my decision the next day by 5pm. She did not like this at all. I tried to explain to her that I had one more dress to look at at another store. She spent about ten minutes trying to tell me and my mother that the Amalia dress was my favorite. She insisted on measuring me which I finally agreed to because I did not feel like arguing. I put the dress bag on and noticed a small tag on the inside. I looked at the tag which said $6400. Quite a difference from huge sign on the outside of the bag saying 5489. I quickly asked her about this at which point she said oh I guess that is the price, and continued to measure me. No apology, no "oh my goodness" nothing! A thousand dollar difference and she acted like it was two dollars. My mother and I were in shock. In fact the name on the outside of the dress did not match at all. Nancy quickly wrote it off by saying "oh sometimes people put dresses in the wrong bag" what?!?!?!? The money was not the problem, I was fully prepared to spend several thousand dollars on a dress. Needless to say I left the store crying, I was just so overwhelmed and frustrated I had to get out of there. Please, if you go here, make sure you are on your guard, and you bring a robe! I'm sure other consultants are more competent but my experience was terrible. Thank goodness I went to Katherine's the next day and they were absolutely marvelous!
Go to Katherine's. Their store is smaller but they have the same selection if you are looking for a top quality dress (Eve of Milady, Amalia Carrara, etc). Plus, they have a better working realationship with the designers making customizations easy.

Posted 11/06/07 | Report Abuse

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I definitely dont recommend this horrible place.
I had made an appointment at Hannelores which they confirmed via email. My mother had come in from SC, and my future mother-in-law had come from PA. We drove down from Baltimore (about 50 miles away). When we arrived, there was a sign on the door saying that they were closed. We couldnt believe it. I called and emailed Hannelores to get an explanation, and they did not return my call, but sent me an email without an apology saying that I would be receiving a call. It never came. I wouldnt want to be a customer of theirs and have an issue before my wedding, since theres a good chance they wouldnt return the call.
I honestly cant believe that they treated me this way and hope that other people avoid them. No one deserves that.

Posted 09/04/07 | Report Abuse

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If you are a bride with any amount of class, or respect for your bridal party, do NOT go to Hannelore's. The staff is completely rude and judgemental, and I have been told something different each time I speak to a different member of the staff. For example, I was told that I could pick up my dress during their "convenient" late hours on Thurday when they are open until 8 pm. When I showed up at 6:30, I was told that they could not find the dress, and it was not possible for me to get it. When I returned on Saturday as instructed, they had found the dress, but I was told that Bridesmaids are only fitted on Sundays. Additionally, I have to pay $65 for alterations that are minimal, at best.

The shop itself is big, and they do have a good selection. Perhaps it is the bad lighting, but every bridal gown looks off-white or dark ivory. Nothing looks "crisp", if you get what I'm trying to say. If you are going to sell yourself as the premiere bridal salon in the Washingon, DC area, I'm packing my bags and going to NYC to buy the dress. Because the overall attitude of the staff is less than desirable, and I am not going to do business with a store that cannot appreciate the concept of customer service. Unfortunately for me in this case, I had to buy the dress here as part of the bride's deal to get 15% off.

There are much nicer stores in the area. But if you have your heart set on checking out Hannelore's don't let them push you over. Put your big girl pants on and run the show!

Posted 05/05/07 | Report Abuse

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I must say, I have always heard mixed reviews about Hannelores, its either you hate them or love them. I personally loved them. I had first rate service when picking out my wedding gown and bridesmaind dresses. I also ended up using the tuxedo place for my husband and his groomsmen. Some of the staff is better than others and I have seen rude behavior. I personally didn't like the seamtress but I just think her personality was no hassel in and out, I don't want to be bothered. Either way, she was good at what she did and case closed. I was fortunate enough to be treated to first class by Mrs. Hannelore herself. She was the one that put my whole ensemble together and made me feel so excited about my gown choice and made me confident and beautiful in it. She also helped me with my veil and advised me on jewelry and shoes, without making me buy it from her. She did though throw in a free veil which was great.

One year later, my sister got married and she bought her dress at Hannelores as well and yet again, our experience was perfectly fine. I can tell they frown on walk ins and they do like polished customers. I mean I can't blame them. You don't want to be looking dirty when you are about to try on a gown costing close to a $1000 and up.

If you are lucky enough to be serviced by the owner, than I would book a appt with Mrs. Hannelore directly. She is well known in the business and she meets with the designers directly. I felt like I was in Europe on the runway with her. Everything went magically.

Posted 04/20/07 | Report Abuse

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I went here and had a decent experience. I made the appt the day before - staff was helpful and it only took a minute to get an appt for the very next day. I had a really hard to fit bridesmaid, and we had had some pretty depressing experiences at other stores that only carry sample sizes (she couldn't even get most of them on). Hannelores had larger sizes for her to try and were really nice and helpful in helping her find a dress that fit and looked great. They were a bit pricey, and alterations are not included, but she felt great about the dress and the shopping experience, so it was worth it. We payed a small fee (20) for a rush order, and they guaranteed the dress would arrive and be altered in time. If that doesn't happen, of course I'll be back to change my review...

Posted 03/24/07 | Report Abuse

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Again, no appointment, but any time I asked even a short question, I was given the curtest possible reply that the associate could muster before she made it VERY clear that I was not a priority or even an interest to her. They do have a great selection, but I'll NEVER go in there again simply because of the attitude of the staff. VERY aggravating.

PROS: lots of dresses
CONS: PRICEY!!! didn't see a gown below $1500. SNOTTY!!!!

Posted 07/07/06 | Report Abuse

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Great selection but bad service / inflated prices. I ordered my wedding gown and was charged a $100 rush fee to get dress in time and I am now 2 weeks away from my wedding and the dress still isn't here!!! I also was told that alterations were part of the price of the dress when I placed the order and now they are telling me that it is a separate charge. I ordered a dress from the designer Pronovia which apparently comes from Barcelona and then goes through NY and will hopefully arrive in VA BEFORE my wedding?!?!?!?!?

Posted 04/11/06 | Report Abuse

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I purchased my Paris tiara from Hannelore's, and was pleased with the variety. However, the staff is extremely rude!!! I am so glad I had already purchased my dress at Saks, because I don't think I could have stomached more time spent in Hannelore's.

PROS: large headpiece selection
CONS: rude, pushy, snotty staff......

Posted 03/04/06 | Report Abuse

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I tried on bridesmaid dresses here. They have a HUGE selection, so that was great. However, the service left me very uneasy, and I ultimately did not buy the dresses from them for this reason. Some of the problems I encountered were:

1) Slow response to emails (1 1/2 weeks), even though they gave me their email address.
2) Rude service. I brought my fianc in to see the swatch of the dress I had chosen, and they would not let me see the swatches for 2 seconds since someone else was looking at them. I just feel like they were being a bit unreasonable.
3) Disorganization and unreliability. When I went in to place my orders, Patricia sat down with me to fill out the forms. I came to discover that the skirt was mis-tagged, and when I pointed this out, she told me the true style number would cost $10 more. HANNELORE'S MADE A MISTAKE WHEN THEY TAGGED THE SKIRT, but they wanted me to ask my bridesmaids to pay $10 more, even though they quoted me the lower price from the tag. That is unprofessional, and I chose not to buy my dresses there.

Incidentally, I did find another store that carried the same dress maker and the dresses were $23 dollars cheaper! (Go to Bridal Visions in Falls Church and ask for Trina. She is professional, organized, reliable, and pleasant to work with.)

Overall, Hannelore's was good to try on dresses because of their huge selection, but go there knowing they are disorganized and unreliable. Pick your dress there, but order it somewhere else.

PROS: big selection
CONS: unprofessional, unreliable, disorganized

Posted 02/13/06 | Report Abuse

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The staff at Hannelores seemed very rude, and when I told them my budget they still seemed pushy and were directing me toward dresses that I could not afford. They have nice bridal and bridesmaids dresses, but I would not recommend them to anyone.

Posted 11/30/05 | Report Abuse

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This place was HORRIBLE to go to. The woman there are so unhelpful and are so rude. They make you feel very unwelcomed. The dresses are very nice and they have a good selection, but they are also very expensive. I would definitely recommend Ellie's in Old Town over this place. They were even rude to my mother!!! They just moved to a new location, which I have not been too. There old location was kind of cramped and old. Good selection of BM dresses and they also rent tuxedos there.

Posted 11/09/05 | Report Abuse

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In addition to great wedding dresses, they have a huge selection of bridesmaids dresses to choose from. It is great to go there to be able to try so many on in one place. The store is larger than most independent boutiques, and there is plenty of helpfull staff people around. They also have mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom dresses, as well as flowergirl outfits.

Posted 09/14/05 | Report Abuse

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I went dress shopping here even though I had heard the service isn't that great. I had no problems making my appointment so I went in with an open mind. I was there with only my mom and the woman critiized me for not having any bridesmaids with me-then she wouldn't bring my any dresses in my price range. When I told her my range again, she said I wouldn't find anything nice in that range and I should just go to a cheaper shop!

Posted 09/02/05 | Report Abuse

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My friend is getting married and we all went dress shopping with her a few weeks ago. She gave the salesperson her price range. The woman kept bringing us dresses that were over 1000 more expensive than she wanted...and when she said that she wanted a certain style, the woman told her that all of the brides seem to prefer another type of dress. We ended up leaving, and my friend was so disappointed about her first trip dress shopping

Posted 08/30/05 | Report Abuse

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While the dresses at Hannelore's are to die for, the service is very snotty. I wasn't too happy to be steered to a dress that was nothing like the photos I brought in and waaaay above my budget. That's just a waste of time. However the store's selection of high end dresses is amazing, definetly worth a visit.

PROS: High end dresses, big selection
CONS: snotty service

Posted 08/07/05 | Report Abuse

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Hannelore's is known for being extremely off-hand, but I always like to try something for myself before making a decision. I walked in, to ask about making an appointment and didn't realize that the woman sitting at the desk was the person I was supposed to talk to. I walked around the store looking for an availble person to ask how I could make an appointment and I could not even get a service woman's attention to ask how I would go about making an appointment. Finally I positioned myself in front of someone to ask, and she directed me to the front desk, who made me fill out a card with all of my personal information before she would even talk to me about making an appointment (most places have you fill that card out at the appointment). The desk lady kept leaving the desk while I was trying to ask her about availability, so I finally left. I felt like my apperance was being judged as well; I was wearing jeans and had my hair in a ponytail so I kept getting the "once-over" look. This occured on a week-day too, when bridal salons are usually quieter are more able to help people.

PROS:
CONS: Unhelpful, snobby staff

Posted 05/27/05 | Report Abuse

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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