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New York City’s Famous Kleinfeld Bridal

April 26, 2009 | editorial team

Over the past few days I’ve been in New York City meeting up with wedding industry professionals and blogging friends (more about that later!) and I was lucky enough to get to visit the world famous mecca of wedding dress shopping, Kleinfeld Bridal. Let me tell you, it does not disappoint! You may have seen it on the TV show “Say Yes to the Dress”, but there is just nothing like visiting in person. From the moment you walk in the door you’re treated like family, and as large as this incredible super store is, every detail of your gown shopping experience will be personally and thoughtfully handled with care.

Kleinfeld Bridal, 'Say Yes to the Dress' wedding dress shop in New York City, images by Junebug Weddings

Kleinfeld owner Mara Urshel gave me the guided tour herself and spent literally hours showing me every inch of the gorgeous 35,000 square foot Manhattan space they moved into just a few years ago. Kleinfeld Bridal has been in business since 1941, and a number of their over 200 employees have been working with them for more than 20 years. A sure sign of a successful and caring company! Mara introduced me to every single staff member we walked passed, from the dress consultants, to the executives, to the seamstresses, beading experts and book keepers, and she knew every single name and personal story. I was so touched by the warm welcome each employee offered, and I saw the same treatment being passed along to the brides as well.

Kleinfeld Bridal, 'Say Yes to the Dress' wedding dress shop in New York City, images by Junebug Weddings

Kleinfeld carries an amazing selection of dresses in every size, shape and color. (Including Monique Lhuillier, Pnina Tornai, Lazaro, Alita Graham, Melissa Sweet, Claire Pettibone, and many, many more.) Each bride works with her own personal dress consultant to find the perfect match (which is Mara’s favorite part of the job, seeing the perfect match of a woman and her dress!) and then the fitting process begins in which Kleinfeld’s own in house team of talented fit specialists and seamstresses alter each dress to fit like a glove. No detail is overlooked and no expense is spared, I saw these incredible professionals at work and they are true experts! In addition to the wedding gowns here there are, of course, the accessories. Shoes, jewelry, veils, head pieces and wraps abound and are so much fun to pour over, and lucky moms can also shop the mother-of-the-bride salon.

Kleinfeld Bridal, 'Say Yes to the Dress' wedding dress and accessories shop in New York City, images by Junebug Weddings

I had a fantastic afternoon soaking in all the excitement going on at Kleinfeld, and getting to photograph such beauty was a joy. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Mara and the whole team for welcoming me in and sharing with all of us a peek into the legacy of Kleinfeld Bridal! Be sure to visit their website and check out their blog, “Behind the Seams”, to learn more.

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11 Comments

  1. I love Kleinfelds! I bought my wedding dress there and so did my sister. I wish I could go back and do it over again.

  2. I was just watching the show last night; it’s so dramatic to see the reaction of the bride when they wear the dress that they want. Brides come in with a budget and they always pick a dress that makes them go over the number they first had in mind. Then, they have to figure out what they can tweak in the budget to justify the dress they want. This just got me thinking, if I’m being too conservative with the number I have set for my wedding dress. I guess I better start tweaking…

  3. I love the photo with the red dress. I makes me want to wear red for my wedding. What a show-stopper.

  4. I had such a different experience than most. I hated everything about the store and their salespeople. They didn’t listen to a word I said and brought the worst dresses to me. A huge waste of time. They pushed the trunk show dresses on me, even though I told them I wasn’t interested in that line, no matter what.

  5. Kate, I’m so sorry to hear that! It wasn’t my experience at all, but I know that every store is certainly not for every person, with the 15,000 brides that go through their doors every year there is no way it can be a great personality match 100% of the time. I’m sure that if Mara and Ronnie (the owners) knew that you were unhappy at the time they would have stepped in to help, and will be very sorry to hear that this was your experience with Kleinfeld. As I walked around with Mara she would actually peek in on all the shopping and fitting sessions to meet the bride and her family personally and ask if they were having a good experience and if they needed anything at all. Her home phone number is even on her business cards that she hands out to people! I hope that you ended up finding the dress of your dreams in a wonderful way, and that your wedding was just as you envisioned it!

  6. Oh I love these photos, the tones in them are perfect! I love that show! What fun to be in NY and get to go to the B-LIST! We were super excited to sponsor such a cool event for such an awesome group of women!

  7. wow. these photos are just amazing. i think every bide would want to visit here

  8. Great photos!! Red dress is very beautiful.

  9. I miss Elise the last few new episodes. What has happened with / to her ? mwhaines

  10. wow i simply love those white pair of shoes, simply too beautiful. I wish i could have them to gift these tom y girl this valentine’s day.

  11. Does anyone know if the red dress is a Pnina? If not, who is the designer? Would love to know ASAP! Thanks’

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