Jingles

You kind of expect a bridal store to be a happy place, right? If so, you'll be as surprised as I was that nobody smiles at Jingles. I was in and out fast--just long enough to see what they had and move on to friendlier stores.

Pros: Nice Labels

Cons: Tattered dresses, mean people

Posted 03/28/09

Two of my bridesmaids and I decided to make a trip to the various bridal shops/boutiques in the Richmond area this past Saturday. We were excited and ready to get on the road! Our first stop, Jingles. We pull up to the location off West Broad street and see a sign that says Trunk Show. If you knew me you would know that I am not your typical bride. I have not been buying wedding magazines, tearing out wedding dress ideas, or feeverishly visiting wedding websites. I am busy with work and scouting out event homes for our destination wedding. So when we went out this day I was more or less previewing locations and seeing what they had to offer. This way I could nail down a few locations to make appointments with. I mean, who wants to schedule an appointment with a shop that doesn't carry dresses that peak your interests. For all I know Jingles could be a whole in the wall of a place with nothing to offer. Side note - My proffessional background is sales, marketing, advertising and a kean eye for customer service. Back to my point - My bridesmaids and I walk in and have a look around. We look for a sign in sheet. There is none. So we continue to look at dresses. We decide there are two I like and want to talk with a consultant. Thats when it happens. We are approached with a sinister "can I help you?" we turn around and before we can say anything the woman/owner barks at us. She makes it very clear that they are booked with appointments and that if we wanted to try anything on we would have to schedule an appointment. Before we could tell her that we just wanted to jot the item numbers down she rips the two dresses out of my maid of honors hands! I, at this point, tell her their will be no need to schedule an appointment. Watch out ladies - if you want to put yourself in an even more stressful situation... go to Jingles!! You wont see me there. lol

Posted 09/16/08

My matron of honor and I went shopping at Jingles today and found the boutique very impressive!! Not only were we able to browse the bridesmaid gowns at our own discretion, but we were helped every single step of the way. We had a blast with the associate who was helping us, she actually played a very significant role in our experience. She was very helpful and knowledgeable, but more importantly, you could tell that she loves what she does and goes above and beyond to make sure that your time is well spent. I recommend Jingles to any bride in the metro area, don't drive to DC, you'll find everything you're looking for at this boutique-and if you can't find it, they will find it for you! We found some wonderful dresses at great prices-$200 and up-we can't wait to get back in the store and try more on!

Pros: Knowledgeable, honest, great space for trying gowns on with great lighting

Cons: None

Posted 08/02/07

I was surprised at both the description and the review. Although I am on a very limited budget and went in (alone!) wearing jeans and a T-shirt, everyone there was not only very helpful, but unobtrusive. That's hard to find when you are shopping for bridalwear and people's incomes depend on their sales. I have had problems in stores at times with people acting snobbish, but that was not my experience at Jingles.

There was a sale rack where I found my dress for $800. Yes, that's expensive. But, the $800 dress, marked down from $2000 was a real find. It was the only dress I was comfortable in.

I almost didn't even stay in the store, because the prices in the front were so high. But when I asked if they had lower-end dresses they showed me to the proper rack. And, there were a few other dresses less costly than mine. But, when I tried the dress on just for the heck of it (I really didn't think I'd spend that much on a dress) it was so beautiful that I couldn't stop thinking of it for weeks afterwards.

One of the things I really appreciate about Jingles is that no one insists on coming into the dressing room with you (I'm a pretty private person and I don't like that. Also, I find it sort of insulting that you aren't trusted enough to put on the dress without destroying it.) The consultants shared honest opinions about what worked and what didn't, and they waited outside of the room to help. I even told them I didn't think I could afford something so expensive. They still helped me and were very friendly and nice and didn't pressure me at all. I was given a card as I left.

I eventually bought the dress and was happy to hear they would keep it at the shop for me. I go back and try it whenever I like, and everyone is still very nice.

So far, so good.

I will add more after the fittings, but didn't feel like it was the right thing to do to not share my experience. I would hate someone to not give Jingles a chance. It's near all of the other bridal shops on Broad St. and it's an excellent chance to support local small business.

Hope the review helps!

Pros: Interesting bridesmaid dresses, Help with no pressure to buy, found a perfect dress

Cons: I did fall in love with a dress priced higher than

Posted 06/11/06

Unfortunately, I have visited Jingles for both debutante and wedding events. In all cases, unless you arrive wearing designer clothes, with a mother or family friend appearing to help you pay or are as snobby as the help ... you will be ignored. They have gorgeous gowns, but part of the fun is the experience of trying them on, getting excited and looking for that gown to make you feel like a princess.

Each of my experiences have ended short b/c I didn't want to tolerate the trite, rude and haughty treatment. Plus ... I'm not alone. Because gowns are limited in Richmond, Jingles usually lands a visit by default. After discussions with fellow bridesmaids and debutantes, all have arrived at the same conclusions.

Avoid it if you can! It's worth the drive to D.C. to have a pleasant, exciting and fun experience for the dress of your dreams.

Pros: Quality of Dresses

Cons: Attitude, $$

Posted 03/05/06