Ellie’s Bridal Boutique

Our trip to Ellie’s was excellent. My friend, the bride to be, was super nervous because it was her first time trying on a wedding dress of any kind. Emily, the sales associate, helped us have a great time trying on dresses. She was friendly, professional, and answered our questions without pushing anything on us. She was clear about staying within the budget, my friend’s style, and alteration options. The dress selection was gorgeous, the store was comfortable to browse, model, and watch my friend try on dresses, and a nice walk to the King St metro. Bravo Emily, thanks for making our day.

Ellie’s was dirty, disorganized (dresses literally SHOVED on racks, falling off hangers, some of them just strewn on chairs). The sales girl did not ask me about what style I wanted, but rather told me to just start pulling dresses. She didn’t pull any suggested dresses for me and did not assist me with trying on the dresses, aside from putting on clamps. Each time I walked out of the dressing room she did not tell me anything about the dress, she didn’t discuss any styling options, or even show how the bustles would look. At the very end of my appointment, I was trying on the last dress and a PIN was hanging off the dress and went right into my thumb. Additionally, all of their dresses are a size 20 and as someone who is fairly slim, there was no good way to get a sense of how these dresses would look on me. Also, they all seemed very cheap… average price point was around $ 1,500 and you definitely pay for what you get. All in all it was a horrible experience, I would recommend staying FAR, FAR AWAY from Ellie’s.
As a sidenote, I had WONDERFUL experiences at Carine’s and Hitched, both in Georgetown. I am pretty sure I found my dress at Hitched and can’t wait to go back! The sales girls were SO helpful at each store. Each store was clean, organized, and beautiful. Completely unlike Ellie’s.

I had been searching for eight months for a gown that suited me. Each time I scheduled an appointment and went to a salon, I felt like I was being handed gowns for my quinceanera –_–
Not at Ellie’s.
When I walked in, I explained that I didn’t have an appointment, but my wedding date got moved up, and I needed to find a dress soon, or I wouldn’t be able to order one in time. They responded with a very clear «if someone finishes up early, you’re more than welcome to take some of their time.» I appreciated this because they didn’t string me along, and I know that it is highly unlikely to get a short-​notice appointment, especially in the middle of a sample sale.
I selected about six dresses that I wanted to try on. A woman ahead of me finished and they said I could try on the gowns! They never rushed me. I found the gown I wanted early in the trying on phase, but they kept handing me gowns that they thought I might like, just to make sure that I had the one I wanted. They didn’t try to throw the most expensive dresses at me. Best of all– they listened to what I was looking for. They didn’t make me look like a débutante or like I was attending my quinceanera for that matter, they helped me to find exactly what I was looking for. Also, they let me know that the gown I selected was 10% because it was from the sample collection. They didn’t have to do that, because I wouldn’t have known.
I can’t completely describe how nice everyone treated me.
They took absolutely all the stress away, and I can’t imagine why this store doesn’t have better ratings.
Thank you, Ellie’s!

Nice small salon. Went on a weekday and I was the only one in there which was nice. Nice space, and great music playing (acoustic versions of alternative music). Dressing rooms were too small, and I’m a small person. So I had to leave the room half dressed to get the attendant to finish clipping me. Consultant was very nice but the other consultants were just chilling on the couches on their phones since no one was in there. Thought that was slightly unprofessional.
Overall, a good experience. Would go back if they had something I really liked but they did have a good variety.

I made an appointment with Ellie’s last weekend and had a great time during my visit. The store was having a sample sale that day (I didn’t know when I booked my appointment) so the store was a bit hectic. Because I had an appointment I had a dedicated associate and room. The seating area was a bit strange because there was one platform with mirrors and two rooms that used it. My party was off to the side a bit so in order for me to see them and see myself I didn’t use the main platform and relied on other mirrors. My sales girl was amazing and made me feel super comfortable and pulled some great dresses. I ended up not purchases my dress from Ellie’s because I fell for a dress at another store, but my experience was great!

This review is only for my purchase of the dress, as I chose to not get alterations done here.
I went to Ellie’s thrice: once for a regular appointment, and then for their sample sale (where I bought a current-​season ballgown for $ 700 off), and then with another engaged friend was looking for her dress.
I don’t remember the name of the sales associate we got – she is a cute little lady with an accent (not one of the korean ladies that also work in and run the shop). She is such a sweetheart and treated both me and my friend so well. The experience at Ellie’s is so much different than at most other places – they do not treat you like a «princess», per se, but are very courteous, attentive, and kind. The first appointment I had, I went way over – and they never ran me out or made me feel as if I was overstaying my welcome. When I bought my dress at the sample sale, Even though it was hectic, they helped me get in and out of dresses and even took detailed photos so I could send to friends and family and make a final decision.
My friend also really loved it here. I suggested Ellie’s after we went to another bridal store in Fairfax which had almost all dresses in sample size 6 (ladies, you know a bridal size six is like a size 2! As a busty girl, it was difficult for her to find dresses that fit in there). I suggested Ellie’s and they were able to accommodate us immediately (we called in and they fit her in, and on a Saturday, no less). Ellie’s was perfect for her. They had a huge selection of dresses that would fit her and the price range was super reasonable (from about $ 800 to $ 3,000 dollars, with most right under 2k). They also let her take photos of all the dresses, which was important because her mom lives in another state. She found the dress that she intends to buy there.
All in all, Ellie’s was the best of all of the places I personally went (and I went to Katherine’s, White Swan, Bobbie’s, Ann’s, Alfred Angelo, and David’s Bridal). I’m happy to have given them my patronage.

When I went for my second dress fitting, I asked for a 4pm appointment but they were not able to accommodate so I left work early to make it there by 3:30pm. When I got there, they said they wouldn’t be able to see me for another 20 minutes because the alterations were not finished (even though it had been 2 – 3 weeks since my first fitting). The woman working the front counter informed me they never tell people when they are running 20 minute since that is fairly common. When I did finally try the dress on, the halter still had not been taken in and there were exposed safety pins in the torso area that I was not warned about. The seamstress who ended up helping me was very nice, and I did get some money taken off the alteration cost. However, I would have expected better service from such an expensive place.

I had a great experience with Ellie’s! The first dress I tried on at Ellie’s was the one I chose. I ordered the dress in November 2014 and the dress arrived in March (my wedding wasn’t until August). I also got my alterations done at Ellie’s. The dress I chose was rather difficult to alter (it was a backless dress), but Manuela in the alterations department was fantastic to work with. She was able to fix the dress to fit my body perfectly and just as I had imagined it. She was patient and responsive to my requests and questions. Manuela was also able to get the dress done in time for my wedding (which was in New York) and gave me tips on how to keep the dress from getting wrinkled until the wedding. I got so many compliments on my dress and am fully satisfied with my purchase and experience at Ellie’s!

I’m pretty sure I found my dress at Ellie’s — but I am not sure if I want to buy it from them. There are so many things about it that make me concerned about making such a big purchase from them. For one thing, I never got a call to confirm my appointment (which I had made almost a month previously because I was interested in the trunk show) and when I tried to call them, the phone rang, and rang. No option to leave a voicemail. I tried 3 times that day during their business hours before I gave up.
Despite that, I went because I was interested in the trunk show — and wow, the place was a zoo. My consultant, Susanna, was great and the reason this is not a 1 star review. She immediately found the dress that I came to the trunk show to try on, and it was perfect. Unfortunately, about 15 minutes into the appointment, the manager (or maybe owner?) pulled her away to deal with another bride who had come in with an alteration issue (or something, I’m really unclear on exactly why she left) and so I was left for 30 minutes without a consultant. I tried on a few more dresses, getting into and out of them mostly on my own. (The manager did stay around to help with a zipper, but offered no comments or other help beyond that.)
When my consultant finally came back and I was back in The Dress, I couldn’t commit to buying it even though I loved it so much. I guess this, plus the lack of response on the phones, just soured me on the experience and made me not trust them as a place to make such an important purchase from.

The absolute worst.
I can forgive the salon for being tiny — it’s Old Town, and space is expensive. What I cannot forgive is their rude, unprofessional staff.
Ellie’s was my second wedding dress trial. I arrived on a Saturday and met my consultant. My MOH and I were the only customers in the store.
After trying on two dresses, the owner (?) of the salon arrived and started a screaming fight with my consultant over her schedule/​hours. While this was happening, I was standing in a tiny, dingy changing room in just my bra and panties, waiting for the consultant to put me in another dress. They got loud with each other (I could hear every word) and heated; it was uncomfortable embarrassing to overhear. They screamed at each other for so long I almost put my clothes back on and walked out.
Honestly, I wish I had bailed at this point, because it only got worse.
My stylist eventually reappeared, and I offered to leave. She insisted that I should stay and went on with the fitting. But then she proceeded to take her bad mood out on me!!! I don’t blame her for being angry after fighting with her boss, but to take it out on a customer is unacceptable. She was short, snippy, and blamed me for asking for «low back» dresses when I really (according to her) wanted «open back» dresses.
I couldn’t wait to escape this terrible place. It was truly bridal hell. Avoid at all costs, unless you enjoy being ignored and subject to an angry staff meeting right there in the showroom.

I was not impressed by Ellie’s. It had by far the worst customer service of the 5 bridal salons I went to around DC.
I went into Ellie’s for my Saturday appointment. I arrived on time, at their opening. The saleswoman told me to go and pick out the dresses I wanted to try on while she waited – she offered me NO help at all, even though I asked. Her response was «It works better when the bride does the selecting». So I spent 10 – 15 minutes digging through racks, not really knowing what I was looking at, how the dresses would fit, etc. I finally found a dress I liked. I asked if the saleswoman had any other suggestions based on what I wanted (lace, dropped waist, below $ 2,000), and she said no. REALLY? There is only 1 dress in the ENTIRE store within a $ 2,000 budget like this??? Every other store I went to had multiple, or at least the sales people had some alternate suggestions.
So I kept the dress I liked on while waiting for my dad to return from buying coffee. Within 10 min (30 – 40 min from my appointment time starting) I was kicked out of my fitting room. While moving my stuff they lost an article of my clothing, which they never found. I gave it another 5 minutes for my dad to arrive, and once he did I got changed. By this point (45 min after the start of my appointment) the sales person had another customer, I was sharing a fitting room with another girl, and I was ticked off.
The dress could have been «the one», but the experience left me with such a bad taste in my mouth that I didn’t buy it, and kept looking elsewhere.

I was in Ellie’s for a long period of time to help a friend pick out a wedding dress. My friend picked this shop and visited a couple of times before settling on a dress.
I found the shop clean and the staff friendly, and realistic, on what a seamstress could do, how long it takes for a dress to come-​in after ordering (I’ve planned my own wedding and could confirm their statements to the shock of my friend who did not know how long these things take), and the process of alterations.
The staff was very friendly and did not push dresses that were more expensive — they kept within the budget and did not show any dresses that were out of the range.
In seeing some other reviews, I want to comment on the one with the receipt in particular. Sales tax must be charged if you purchase an item at a location that is required to charge sales tax; it doesn’t matter if you reside in another state (online sales are another issue altogether). This shop owner would have to still pay the tax even if you don’t believe that you need to do so.
LOCATION DETAILS: Located near King Street, there is on-​street parking. There are rush-​hour restrictions and 2-​hr meters.

My experience at Ellie’s was less than thrilling. I went in in search of a bridesmaid dress for a wedding I am in – I had contacted them in advance with the brand and style numbers I was looking for. They told me they had them, I made an appointment, and arrived early/​on time for my appointment today.
As the experience has been with most other bridal shops in the area, having an appointment for a bridesmaid’s dress apparently does not matter if there are brides who have walked in off the street. The shop seemed completely unprepared for me to be there, even though we had been in contact a few times to confirm. The associates were perfectly nice but not a single one of them gave me any attention. I realize you’re going to make a bigger sale and commission on a bridal gown, but that doesn’t make me a lesser customer. The associate essentially sent me to the basement where the dresses are kept and said, «try on whatever you’d like.» I had multiple people check in on me but every time I asked for actual help because things weren’t working out, they basically brushed me off or gave me half-​assed assistance. In my experience, if someone has contacted you asking to try on specific things and makes an appointment, you generally have those specific styles pulled and in a fitting room waiting for them. But no. I had to sift through racks of dresses to find what I was looking for, and even then the associates didn’t have the ONE dress I had specifically asked to try on, even though I was told by whomever I made the appointment with that the dress was available. And when things seemed to not be working out and I asked them to help me find other dresses, the associates looked rather annoyed and went off to find someone else to help me.
I didn’t think I was being unreasonable asking an «expert» for help finding the dress that I needed, but at Ellie’s I felt like an inconvenience. No customer should ever feel that way, nor should they have to deal with the incompetence and lack of preparation that was thrown at me this afternoon. I eventually found a dress that will suit the wedding, but I can guarantee I won’t be ordering it from Ellie’s.

«Horrifying» is right!
The first thing I noticed upon arriving was how filthy this little shop was! The dresses were literally grey with dirt, ripped and covered in makeup stains. I didn’t even want to try them on…
The desks are the first thing you see when you walk in and they are a cluttered mess. The dressing room was covered in pins and I definitely stepped on some.
My bridal assistant was absolutely NO help at all. The only dress she pulled for me was strapless which was the ONE thing I said I would never ever wear… She was on the phone the whole time either texting or talking to a contractor that is supposedly fixing up the place.
The bathroom was tiny and gross. Carpets were dirty and ripped, dresses were crammed onto tiny racks. Everything just looked super outdated and destroyed. I was literally shocked.
The only thing they have going for them is that they have a good range of prices. Whatever your budget they have something that you could afford or splurge on. But the experience of ‘saying yes to the dress’ is definitely not a glamorous or reassuring one here. I’m just so frustrated that the attendants were so useless and very pushy.
Would not return, would not recommend.

I just want to say a big huge THANK YOU to the staff at Ellie’s Bridal. In the end of September I turned in my mother in laws’ wedding dress, which was her mother’s wedding dress (from the 1930’s) to be dry cleaned. The dress had originally been ivory, but had aged to a perfect and even tone of champaign. I also made an appointment to pick up the dry cleaned dress so I could then show it to (who I thought was just going to be my father and I) my family when they visited in early October. My family LOVED it. Thank you for doing a fabulous job at the dry cleaning, and for letting me show it off to them!
The appointment turned unique in the sense that I wasn’t prepared at all. I was wearing bright blue, 100% cotton g-​ma styled panties (my in laws were in town… gimmie a break…) and my hair was super intense. My sales team member handed me some hair clips out of her own hair to help style me up-​which is SO SWEET. She asked me and my father what sort of styles we wanted to see. I really liked that she involved my dad. Most girls bring their girlies with them, but I just wanted my pops-​cuz he’s the fricken best.
We went to the front of the store to look at dresses, but I was getting nervous. Our budget was pretty low. Like… half the price of half the cost of their lowest priced gowns. But-​being the person I am, I really wanted the experience of shopping with my father. My mother and I basically ended our budget conversation with ‘lets look at bridesmaid dresses, or Forever 21, or something definitely in our budget…’ Which I was prepared to do. Until SIncerity 3808 happened. I tried it on, and my dad LOVED it.
Needless to say, I of course loved it. I had an emotional moment with my team member in the dressing room with a separate dress. But-​I think when you see yourself in wedding dresses over and over again, it hits you! You’re getting married!
My team member told me about the fall dress sale Ellie’s was having, and I would be able to actually purchase it. But when I called to book an appointment for that weekend, I inquired about the new price, but it was still so over budget.
Ellie’s bridal team pulled a miracle, and with a few angels fro up above I was able to pick up the dress! I am so excited to be wearing this instead of something else on my big day. You all are truly amazing, and have made this Seattle girl very, very happy.

My consultant was Njeri and she seemed to know the dresses well, and was really pleasant to work with. Njeri is the only redeeming thing about this place. She put me in a dress that I would have never pulled myself, and it ended up being «the dress».
The overall appearance of this shop is dingy like everyone else said in their reviews, the dresses are crammed and out in the open, and the dressing rooms are small. I was willing to overlook this because Njeri pulled dresses in my price range, and really knew what would look good on me.
This is pretty much where the decent experience ended with this shop. I was told I needed to order the dress right away because it would take at least 4 – 5 months for it to come in (now I am realizing this was just a ploy so I would order it right away). I was about 9 months from my vow renewal, so I should have know better and done the simple math based on her saying it takes 4 – 5 months to come in!!! I asked if I should wait because I wanted to lose weight, and I was told to still order it; they would be able to alter the size.
I ordered the dress, and paid half for the deposit. A little over a month after ordering, I got a call that the dress was already in! This annoyed me because I would have definitely waited to order it 1) because it would cost less in alterations if the sizing is more accurate after losing weight, and 2) I didn’t want the dress hanging in a bag for 8 months.
Well, there’s nothing I could do about this and I guess it’s better that it arrives early rather than late. When they called to let me know it was in, I asked them if I could come try it on to see what the sizing was like since I have lost few pounds and I bought a sash and jewelry. They said it was fine and that NO APPOINTMENT WAS NEEDED since I wasn’t getting alterations. I waited about two weeks after they called, and called again on a Saturday morning to confirm I could come in, and was told a second time that no appointment was needed.
My friend and I made our way over there, walked in and waited a good 5 minutes to be greeted. Finally, the store owner who is EXTREMELY rude, came over and asked what I needed. I told her why we were there, and she very rudely told me that an appointment was needed, they can’t just take walk-​ins, and that their rooms are always booked. I explained to her that if that’s the case, she needs to train her staff since I was told twice by two different people that no appointment was needed.
She rudely told me to wait, and she would see if it was even possible for me to try it on. She disappeared for 5 minutes. In the meantime, I wanted to show my friend the color of the bridesmaids dresses, and another staff member approached me and rudely said «You can’t try on any bridesmaids dresses unless you have an appointment.» I replied that I was simply showing my friend the dress color — not trying things on. Wow, these people have ZERO customer service skills!
Finally, the owner came back and took us to their even grungier basement. There was NO ONE down there. Not sure why she would give me a hard time about an appointment when the dressing room was wide open and no one came down there the entire time I was there (about 30 mins.) She pulled the dress out, hung it up and walked away. Alright then, I suppose I have to figure out on my own how to get into the thing. I got into the dress, and walked over to the mirror, and saw how filthy the stand was in front of the mirror — YUCK! I was afraid for my dress to even touch the floor.
I also asked her to try on some veils, and she ignored me. When I was done with the dress, she told me I needed to pay the remainder of the balance. HMMMM… I thought you did that when you took the dress home? I was taken back again by her blunt rudeness, so I paid for the dress, and left the shop. What a horrible bridal experience.
I came home and thought a lot about how 1) they weren’t storing my dress in the proper bag — it was in a plastic bag which could actually yellow the dress over time and it was in a dingy basement and 2) just how rude they were. Then I read some reviews on how bad their alterations were and decided I didn’t want my dress there for one more minute. I found another place that is going to alter it, went in today to pick up the dress up and took it out of that horrible place. I refuse to give that place one more cent of my money towards alterations.
Again, their only saving grace was Njeri, but in the end I was annoyed I was told that I needed to order it 9 months in advance by her as well.
I have to add an update to this review and changed it from 2 to 1 stars. I just looked at my receipt and realized that I was overcharged for my dress by the owner. My remaining balance was 800.39, and I was charged 830.00. I have read in other reviews that this has happened — so I don’t believe this was by accident. Long story short, stay far away from here if you are looking for a great bridal experience.

Horrifying.
The window displays should have been a giveaway that this place would leave a lot to be desired but we continued onward. We had an appointment but the initial greeting was as if we were in the wrong place. The shop’s desk space is cluttered and right at the front of the store so this is the first thing you see — ugly black metal desks. The bathroom is filthy and comparable to a gas station or low end nail salon. I couldn’t believe the trash on the floor, etc.
There are tons of dresses crammed onto many racks for you to sift through. Good luck. I found this overwhelming and the dresses were filthy (yet same prices as other nice bridal boutiques). I didn’t want to put the gowns on frankly. After it became clear they weren’t ready for our appointment and I could see how dirty the place was I decided against trying on any gowns and politely excused myself.
Not the experience one would hope for for such a special occasion.

nice shop with a decent selection, but there is only one large mirror to try on clothes and discuss options/​details. there are about 4 –5 dressing rooms (one or two with mirrors in the room), though. we had an appointment, but other people trying on dresses were there and we danced around each other to share the mirror.
if you are a plus size bridemaids (or bride) sample dresses were available only up to about a 12 – 14 and in some cases a 16 was available.
metered street parking was readily available for a Saturday afternoon. we were able to walk about a block or two to king street and enjoy the eateries and light shopping after.

Marie is now gone… along with my amazing experience dealing with them as well… I digress…
I literally almost saw red when I went for my second fitting the other day… I was trying on my dress and ELLIE! YES ELLIE the actually owner came downstairs and asked right in front of me, «Can you hurry up with her… (referring to me) the 11:00 appointment came in early and I want to take her» I was dumb founded… I was only 15 minutes into my fitting… STANDING in my wedding dress… And she wanted me to hurry up and get out…
After that they wanted full payment… and my dress wasn’t complete… the belt had not been put on… and my final alterations weren’t done… I didn’t understand why I had to pay in full if my dress wasn’t complete… I had already put down half… but I went on and paid…
For what was suppose to be my final my measurements were totally off… they had pulled my belt way to tight… which completely threw off my measurements… So I had to go back there a few days before my wedding hoping they got it right… which thankfully they did…
Ellie I am saying this directly to you… the ONLY two people there that were professional was the tall black young lady and your seamstress… You have a rude staff… Your people are totally unprofessional… and you ma’am are a terrible business woman… I will NEVER recommend any brides to be to come to you… you were the most stressful part of my wedding process… and I will NEVER come back to you shop again.

SO I stopped by this Ellie’s Bridal Boutique to help my friend match a pair of shoes to her wedding dress. Now, ladies, bringing most guys to a bridal shop is like bringing your dog to a production of The Nutcracker, we’ll be intrigued by the costumes and shiny objects but we will have little idea of what is going on. Of course, there is the chance that we have stumbled onto an episode of Bridezilla. in which case, we will be expecting some level of potential bloodshed (kinda like a Hockey Mach)
But, I am a loyal friend, so I soldiered on and met her at the shop. My first impression was that that my friend looked stunning in her dress and that I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful bride. My second impression was that there was a sea of white, fluffy dresses from which to choose. However, all the white did seem a bit blinding, and I wondered if those in the bridal industry had ever considered something in red flames or green camo. Recalling that episode of Bridezilla, I decided to keep my mouth shut. The shoes we revealed, and I thought the attendants had done a really nice job of helping my friend pick out the perfect slice of footwear for the dress… From a guy’s perspective though, even if they hadn’t, would anyone even see them under all that flowing ivory? (Air Jordon’s would so rock and be much easier for dancing.) Remeber Bridezilla: That’s right focus on the shoes. The attendants made several suggestions on these shoes vs others, and I was impressed with their patience and friendly manner.
And then the pivotal moment came that all men dread: The question. «What do you think of these shoe?» My response, silence.(Come on, Man, that’s why you’re here. Say something!!) My friend: «I think their heel might be too high. I think they might look like stripper shoes. What do you think?» (Stripper shoes? Is that necessarily a bad thing… Remember Bridezilla, man) «I think that They look perfect!!» (nicely done ;)
My input given, it was quickly determined that the great shoe hunt must continue. My friend and I were out the door to do more bridal stuff, but I was left with the impression that this shop offers some wonderful options for any bride. I also thought the attendants were very helpful. I didn’t see the owner, but then she might have been doing bridal research with such shows as Say Yes To The Dress, Duck Dynasty, and Bridezilla. ;)