Sophie's Gown Shoppe

Sophie’s was one of the four Bridal Shops in London I visited while searching for my perfect wedding dress. I actually ended up at Sophie’s twice because one of their dresses made it to my final 2. Sophie’s wasn’t the worst shopping experience, but it certainly isn’t the best. Here’s why: 1. Sophie’s is the only store that does not allow you to take pictures of the dresses you try on. At all 3 of the other stores I visited, we were encouraged to take pictures so that I could go home and remember the dresses I liked or didn’t like. 2. They will not tell you the design or style of the dress you like unless you pay them $50. Every other store I went to wrote down all the style numbers and encouraged me to check out the dresses online so I could get a better idea of how they look when they are sized properly (all the dresses I tried on were too big). Sophie’s will keep track of your favourite dresses in their database, but they won’t let you write them down unless you pay them. One can only assume that the two rules above are to protect their business. They don’t want you to bring your pictures or the style numbers to another store and buy from them instead. I understand that to some extent, but here’s what bothers me: the sales consultant kept asking me if I had found any other dresses at other stores that I liked. I said that I had and she kept asking me if I could remember the names. Since other stores wrote them down for me, I did know exactly what they were. The sales consultant then told me that if I decided on one of the dresses from the other stores, she could order it in for me from Sophie’s and price match the other stores (I asked if she could do better than price match…such as offer a lower price, but she said likely not. So I have to wonder…what’s the advantage to ordering from Sophie’s then?) What bothers me about this scenario is that they have all these rules in place to ensure that nobody can steal their business…but they have no problem stealing business from other places. I get it --- that’s business/life, but it just doesn’t sit right with me. Although Sophie’s has lots of selection, the atmosphere isn’t great. The place needs a good cleaning and renovation. It’s just not a pretty place when compared to other places in London. They only have one good spot to try on dresses. It’s a little stage with 3 mirrors and chairs below for your friends/family to observe from. The first time I went to Sophie’s I had made my appointment weeks in advance. When I arrived, I was taken to the smaller dressing area (one mirror, very crammed). While I tried on wedding dresses in the back, the big stage with the 3 mirrors was being used by girls trying on prom dresses. I’m not saying they don’t deserve it, but I’m about to spend at least 5x the amount of money on a dress and had made my appointment well in advance. Sophie’s specializes in weddings so I feel that brides should be treated with a bit more priority. The second time I went (again, had made the appointment well in advance) I did get the bigger dressing area but had to share it with another bride. Our families/friends were all trying to fit in the observing area...but there was not enough room or chairs for everyone to fit comfortably. The sales consultant I worked with was helpful, but she didn’t seem to enjoy what she was doing. I was just another girl looking for a wedding dress. The second time we were there was to re-try the dress that had made it to my final 2. Since I still hadn’t made my final decision, she made it seem like it was really annoying that I was there again. Overall, I’m not saying DON’T go to Sophie’s. I’m just saying that they are there for business, not for your experience. If you find a dress there – great! But do yourself a favour and check out some other places in London such as Lavendar (adorable little shop with the nicest employees – this is where I got my dress in the end!) and Ballet’s. Both Lavendar and Ballet’s will make you feel special and the employees there are just as excited as you are.
2 7 years ago (15-05-2018)

Voula was an amazing help by choosing the perfect dress for me! Her spirit and positive energy made this an outstanding experience and one I enjoyed. I greatly appreciate her help and would definitely recommend visiting Sophie’s Gown Shoppe! Thank you again, all the best.
5 7 years ago (20-04-2018)

Erica was fantastic and friendly however, after the experience I had while searching for my wedding dress (I was told there was only dress within a three thousand dollar budget that would be suitable for my wedding) I should have known better than to order my bridesmaids dresses from here. I understand that I ordered them a little late (end of January, but also as first time bride I didn't fully understand how long they would take) but assured that if we paid to have them rushed they would be ready by March 14th, after 4 phone calls to see where in the shipping process my dresses were as there was only a week and half till my wedding and alterations that needed to be done (although I'm sure for an additional cost they probably would have offered to do the alterations in a rushed time frame) Needless to say, costumer service ends as soon as you pay for your purchase, if you're even able to try on various options....) Wouldn't recommend.
2 7 years ago (03-04-2018)

I just picked up my dress from Sophie's and couldn't be happier with my experience there! Erica has been amazing throughout. She was so kind and caring, and really helped to calm my bridal craziness! Thank you so much, I am so excited to get married in this dress!
5 7 years ago (27-03-2018)

I am one of Sophie's Bridal supplies and I have been doing business with them for over 35 years. I can assure you that there are very few bridal shops in all of Canada that have as great a reputation as Sophie's Gown Shoppes. First of all as we all know, nobody is perfect, however when an error is made, no matter who's fault it is, Sophie's does everything in their power to make it right for the Bride. Regarding an issue I read today about bridesmaid dresses received in the wrong colour and having to call China for replacement dresses on time. It would normally take a few days to get a confirmation if replacement dresses were even available, but when we got the call about this matter, we were able to rectify the problem in a few hours. Dresses will be shipped on time for the wedding and Sophie's is going out of the way no matter what additional costs are involved to look after this order. Sophie's has the buying power of five stores, the largest independent bridal chain in Canada and the respect of the entire wholesale bridal industry. When they call and ask for our assistance, we will stop everything to address their needs. There is no other bridal shop in Canada that can make that claim. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND EVERY BRIDE WHO LIVES NEAR A SOPHIE'S GOWN SHOPPE TO VISIT THEM AND ENJOY THE WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE THAT SOPHIE'S OFFERS. We say this with the confidence of selling them thousands of wedding gowns, bridesmaids and mother of the bride dresses with nothing short of 100% confidence. With over 48 years of experience as a Bridal supplier, I have never written as positive a review as what I offered here. I am true to my word and Sophie's Gown Shoppe is tops in Canada.
5 8 years ago (12-12-2017)