The Bridal Salon at Saks Jandel

Five stars for Saks Jandel, in particular Jennifer J. I adored my wedding dress and the process of working with Jennifer (SJ Manager) and Kim (SJ Head Seamstress). Let me walk you through why this boutique and team are so fantastic:
— Jennifer is knowledgeable. She knows the designers, the trends, how dresses fall on different body types, how dresses can be altered – the list goes on. My mother and I could ask any question and she always knew the answer (and in retrospect was always right!).
— Jennifer will find the dress that is perfect for YOU. She won’t try to sell you something that won’t show your figure in the most flattering light. Her goal is to make sure you look good, and you’re happy with how good you look.
— Jennifer is the most calming, soothing member of the SJ team – which is good because she works with high-​stress brides! She managed to always make the experience pleasant.
— From my conversations with other past-​brides, there is always a stage during the alteration process where the bride feels the dress isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do. I had that moment, and Jennifer coordinated an additional appointment with Kim so we could walk through the pending changes. As you can tell based on my five-​star review, on my wedding day, the dress was superb!
— Kim is a magician and an absolute master at what she does. The dress fit me like a glove, and better. Brides are picky and our insecurities, which may be invisible to someone else, are nonetheless important to us. Kim fixed every detail until the dress was stunning and flawless.
Thanks to Saks Jandel, Jennifer, and Kim!

I didn’t end up buying my dress here, but the service and selection were amazing. My budget was NOT high, (for reference, I ended up buying a new with tags Nicole Miller dress for $ 500 on ebay), but there were definitely great deals to be had here, and prices ranged from about 1,500 on up, with FANTASTIC deals on samples that are very well cared for. Service was great and not snooty at all. Definitely don’t write this place off.

I was so pleased with my experience at Saks Jandel Bridal Salon! Cristina was very helpful and responsive when I was trying to make up my mind. Once the dress was purchased, she was on hand to provide general guidance and make recommendations for alterations. Cristina and the staff made dress shopping easy, fun, and low-​stress. All my needs were met and I would recommend Saks Jandel Bridal Salon to anyone without hesitation.

My consultant, Jennifer was truly sweet. I brought my 16 month old son to the appointment, so she was very patient with me. She gave me her opinion when asked for what she thought looked good on me. The shop is small, but plenty of choices. The dresses are very pricey, but it is a nice shop though.

I was a little wary of The Bridal Salon at Saks Jandel after noting that some people have had less-​than-​stellar experiences with the smaller, and somewhat «snooty» atmosphere and associates. Out out of sheer convenience however, I went anyway, and Saks Jandel ended up being the first place I went to try on dresses, and it was an awesome experience!
My friends and I worked closely with Nasim, and she was a sweetheart! She was very warm, polite, and accommodating, and was forward and honest when I asked for her opinion. I came in and was upfront about not purchasing a gown right away (I need some time to get in shape first!), and Nasim still treated me with the utmost respect and patience, and I couldn’t be more appreciative.
They have a relatively small selection of gowns compared to other bridal salons, but this salon is definitely about quality over quantity! Most of the dresses are absolutely stunning, and for all you Vera Wang lovers, it was heaven! They also have a beautiful selection of veils and sashes.
I didn’t purchase a gown from here, but after the warm and comfortable experience, I would tell brides that the salon is definitely worth checking out. Be sure to ask for Nasim too! :)

I found my Vera Wang dress here, so of course I would give them ⁵⁄₅. The ladies here were great and not pushy on trying to sell you a bunch of stuff. And they were very informative if any up coming trunk shows we’re coming up that you could take advantage of on dresses, jewelry, or veils. My dress was a mermaid style gown. Kim, the seamstress, worked with me for all my visits. The salon was also kind enough to let me try on the dress one extra time so I can be sure the dress fit perfectly. I would highly recommend this place. It is a pricey place, so set a budget for that dress!

I visited the bridal salon in July, and I loved the experience. Having made appointments at several salons by this point, I felt that Sakes Jandel provided some of the best customer service. The sales representatives asked thoughtful questions and took into account my responses when selecting dresses. I didn’t feel any pressure to purchase a gown outside of my budget or to make a decision right away. And the gowns at this salon were exceptional. I loved Saks Jandel so much that, although I ended up selecting a dress from a different salon, I am planning to make another visit to look at veils and accessories.

I just got back from my trip to SJ, and I have never had a more horrifying experience. I am getting married next year and have just started my search for the perfect dress. I specifically made an appointment at SJ to try on the Vera Wang Gemma gown which I have fallen in love with, and was super excited about seeing in person. When I arrived, I received a decent welcome, although I feel it could have been a bit more welcoming. I chalked it up to the pretentiousness of Chevy Chase and just went with it. I believe I was greeted by Jennifer and she gathered some information about my wedding. Then, as soon as I told her my cup size, the appointment was over. I was told that NO dresses they had in the store would be able to accommodate me and nothing was pulled for me to try on. I was told that in order for me to have a dress, I would have to pay 1500+ dollars in alterations, which included ordering extra fabric, cutting the top off of a dress, and reconstructing the bodice. Even with all that money spent, there was still no guarantee it would be perfect. Additionally, I was made to feel my budget was just too small for this shop. While I don’t have an unlimited budget, over 4K is plenty to find a dress and shouldn’t have been belittled. In the midst of the explanation of the «solution» Jennifer and the manager repeated how this was a common issue with brides that came into their shop. Now, if this is a common problem, why is this shop doing nothing about it? I understand if their designers do not make dresses in the cup sizes needed, but IMO that means you need to step up your alterations department so they can handle the «common issue.» Now, I am not a size 2 or 4, but neither am I a size 14 or 16. I knew that the sample wouldn’t fit perfectly, but i expected to be put into something to get an idea and possible by the dress of my dreams. In suggesting alternative shops, the manager from SJ directed me to a plus size bridal shop nearby. No offense to the plus size ladies out there, but I have worked my ass of to be the size that I am. If I am a size 10, don’t direct me to a plus size shop. I found that to be the largest insult and so unprofessional. I have big tits, yes, but something else could have been done. I don’t care how long the store has been open (since 1880 according to Jennifer), and obviously the longevity of the establishment has done nothing for its customer service. Moral of the story, if you are not stick thin, with no boobs, this shop can’t accommodate you and won’t even try to do so. My mom drove two hours and I drove over an hour, for nothing. I will never recommend this shop to anyone.

This is a beautiful salon with a beautiful selection of designer gowns. I worked with Jennifer who was knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming. I was a bit hesitant that the staff would be rude due to the upscale nature, but I found the complete opposite. While I did not find a dress there (I was looking for something specific), if you are looking for a designer gown, this is definitely the place to go.

I had the best experience buying my wedding dress at Saks Jandel and felt the need to share it with Unilocal so future brides could benefit. First of all, the dress selection is amazing — probably the best in DC — beautiful, designer dresses that aren’t found at many (or any) other stores in the DMV area. And most importantly, my experience working with Cristina couldn’t have been better. She was an absolute joy to work with from start to finish. From the first day I went in to find my dress to the last fitting I had — she made sure everything was perfect and that all my requests were fulfilled. Most importantly she was just so nice and accommodating and made you feel 100% comfortable as she knows its one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a bride.
I honestly had been to so many other bridal salons, but Saks Jandel stood out from the rest on all accounts — from the quality of the dresses to the first rate customer service.
I just got married two weeks ago and am already sad that I can’t wear my dress again and that I won’t be interacting with Cristina on a regular basis. Good luck to all future brides and hopefully you have just as great of an experience as I did at Saks Jandel!

I was not expecting to purchase a dress here. My mom has a bit of a thing for Vera Wang and I thought it would be fun to try on dresses as a bonding moment. I do feel a bit badly about that. After a brief interview with Cendy, she managed to assuage my fears about strapless gowns and had me in the most beautiful dress. She was a joy to work with, and my mom and I decided the first dress was «the one». Cendy was very attentive and helpful in followup visits. I visited other salons afterwards and nothing matched the experience I received at Saks Jandel. I recommend you make a midweek appointment if at all possible. While when I visited on weekends they were very accommodating, my midweek visit was very relaxing and we had the entire store to ourselves!

I gave this bridal salon only three stars but it may be completely unfair on my part. In their defense my wedding is only two months away and I am rushed to get a dress. Because of this, I was only able to select from sample gowns and I had to get in their quick. I chose the absolute worst day: I had to be at the hospital early and my monthly friend was visiting me so every part of my body was larger including my chest. Needless to say I was incredibly emotional before I even entered the store.
I would say I was met with kindness when I came into the store (I entered through the main entrance and was directed to the bridal salon). When I entered the bridal salon I would not say the welcome was extremely warm but it also did not feel unwelcoming. They offered me something to drink and we looked around the store at sample gowns. The one I really wanted was unavailable in the full runway look with a sheer overlay and sleeves but I find it strange that the dress was not taken out for me to see.
Anyways, I found a dress I really liked. I am considering making the purchase. I was a little turned off when they suggested spanx (I’m a street size 4 and have recently bought a dress from Nordstrom that was a size 2). Once I told them it was my time of the month they backed off a little. It made me unsure of whether or not the dress looked good on me. I think I need to return with my mother for an honest opinion because they really made me feel unsure.
I also noticed on the way out I asked for them to retrieve a fur hat of mine. I accidentally said my mink hat when in reality it is a rabbit hat. But I noticed the salesgirl checking the inside. I guess to see the brand name? Very distasteful but the important thing is do I love the dress and was the service tolerable. It was definitely much better than Betsey Robinson!

It has taken two (count them two) years for me to write this review. I bought my wedding dress from Saks Jandel and had a horrible experience. I thought about giving two stars because the dress turned out perfectly but I decided to go with one because the excution had nothing to do with Saks Jandal.
I went to SJ on two occassion before I picked out my dress. I bought my dress at a trunk show and the designer was present and Cristina handled the transaction and I really enjoed working with her.
The dress I purchased required one adjustment so that I could wear a bra. When the dress came in the backing I had requested was not there as my contract had stated. Cristina was not there the day I went in for the first fitting, Jennifer was. From the get go she disputed my claim that I asked for backing and said her store would not pay for that adjustment that either I or the designer had to do so and I would have to work with the designer.
I very much felt that I purchased the dress from a store so that the store could work with the designer. Further, my contract was with the store not the designer.
To make a long story longer. Jennifer would not budge. She even told me if she had been there the day I bought the dress she would not have encoraged me to buy the dress I selected (who says that!!!).
I called the designer and he agreed to do the alterations no charge. So, I flew to his studio and he did them within 24 hours. That was the silver lining of this experience. I had never had a dress made for me in my life much less work with a deisgner on it. And he and everyone at his studio were just so awesome, so nice, so PROFESSIONAL. The dress fit me perfectly and I could not have been happier.
But working with SJ on the dress really put a bad taste in my mouth. It was the only part of my wedding that was stressful. To this day I encourage my friends to avoid SJ as a bridal store. If you want one of the designers they carry then hop on a train and go to New York City.

I waited for a bit to post a review because I didn’t want to review the place poorly out of frustration… I wanted my review to be honest. Yes, their selection of dresses are absolutely stunning, but the women here are a bit older (not contemporaries of most young brides), and they are immediately concerned with price. I get why, so please don’t get me wrong; however, I feel starting with the budget sets a sales-​y tone for what should be a more fun, special moment. I also found that the women here were not really listening to my likes or dislikes at all. For example, I happened to mention how I hadn’t wanted a mermaid dress, but after seeing one on me, I was more open to that SORT of style. The young lady who helped me proceeded to grab the most mermaid-​y mermaid dress of them all, not flaring till my knees –_​_​_​_​-​. Now, to keep this review more brief, I omitted the various things I expressed my dislike or like for to her.
What I cannot stress enough is how stark, cold, and business-​like this particular salon is. Having been to others, I just didn’t feel a fun, happy, warm energy from the employees. They didn’t make me feel special, like I did at other shops.
All in all, this place has gorgeous, VERY expensive dresses and provides excellent service from a very professional, business-​like perspective. I was hoping to have a bit more fun with my dress shopping, and find a more fun dress (less hoity-​toity) so I took my money elsewhere.
I will leave you with all this and with but one caveat: there is no denying that if you want a Vera Wang, this is your shop.

Talk about a swoon-​worthy selection of dresses! When I first walked in, I wasn’t sure what to expect since you have to walk through the normal shop to reach the bridal salon. And the shop isn’t exactly my style. But as soon as I rounded the corner into the bridal salon, I was in white dress heaven.
I tried on a number of incredibly gorgeous Vera Wang gowns (the reason for my visit to this salon to begin with), as well as some beautiful Oscar de la Rentas. Cristina was fantastic, and is clearly experienced in the bridal realm. She was able to read me and showed me gowns that were truly my style, while not forcing me into anything that I was too hesitant about. She also successfully chatted with me throughout the somewhat awkward process of stripping down to my skivvies between each dress. Sure, it was small-​talk, but it didn’t feel forced and there weren’t any awkward silences. I seriously felt like a million bucks while in the salon… probably a result of the revolving door of breathtaking dresses I tried on.
If you’re looking for gorgeous designer gowns and a flawless experience, check out this salon.

I came here to browse and the salesperson’s responses to all my questions were one-​word answers, and she did not once give me even a half-​smile. The atmosphere was so uncomfortable that I left before even trying anything on. On top of that, you have to pay for parking, the traffic was bad getting into Chevy Chase, the dresses are extremely expensive, there are so many competitor salons out there, half the people who wrote reviews for this place didn’t even end up buying their dress here, etc. etc. etc.

i live out of town and was interested in purchasing a certain vera wang dress at the saks jandel sample sale. i am in process of opening up a bridal shop overseas that will carry new dresses for sale and some sample dresses for sale and rent. so my partner and i had our sights on a specific vera wang sample that only saks jandel seemed to have.
from the beginning cristina, at saks jandel was extremely sweet with me. i asked numerous questions, asked for detailed photos to which she responded quickly, attentively and kindly. but because my phone sale was a bit out of the ordinary, jennifer, the manager took over. from the beginning jennifer acted like she had no time for me and even one question was one too many. now please understand that i understand the need to take care of customers in the store and that they may be short staffed — i was very kind and patient with jennifer repeatedly. BUT what turned everything south was when i asked if the dress would come with a vera wang certificate of authenticity. at this point jennifer became very rude and short with me and told me that they have been in business for over 20 years and don’t NEED to provide certificates of authenticity.
i was willing to look past this if i received some sort of proof that the vera wang dress was in fact authentic. when i mentioned this to jennifer she announced to me that they were not allowed to sell to anyone that may rent a dress due to company policy. this was odd to me considering she knew of my intentions for the dress from the beginning and was about to issue me the invoice for the dress until i asked for proof that the dress was in fact authentic.
basically, if you want to be treated like dirt and sold a dress without proof of authenticity then by all means go to saks jandel.

Cristina helped me at the Bridal Salon at Saks Jandel and was terrific (maybe I’m slightly biased since we share a name but, really, she was great). Her service was very attentive and we went through as many dresses as I was interested in. Unfortunately, this salon does not allow photography so my dress of choice had to remain alive solely in my memory. Following our visit, Cristina followed up with me on several occasions. Customer service is, therefore, lovely at Saks Jandel.

I was expecting Saks Jandel to be a snooty place (like Hannelore’s in Alexandria) but I couldn’t have been more wrong! Cristina was so sweet and made me feel comfortable and not at all stressed. She didn’t rush me and was only encouraging.
The only reason I didn’t give 5 stars was that the salon was much smaller than I thought it would be. They didn’t have as many dresses as I had hoped, however, they had MY dress. Who can go wrong with Vera? A definite must-​go for all new brides!

Another homage to Cristina and the dresses at Saks Jandel…
I went back to try on dresses for a second time and Cristina again helped me out. Once again I went away impressed with her honesty and professionalism. She had remembered my five favorite dresses from before and had them ready for me to try on.
Cristina’s previous appointment was still in the salon, debating whether she was going to purchase a gown. She had buyer’s remorse over a previous purchase from another store and was clearly agonizing over whether to buy her dream dress. Although it was a gorgeous gown and the future bride had clearly been idealizing it, the dress did not seem to best take advantage of her figure. When the bride asked what Cristina thought about the dress, she diplomatically stated that perhaps this wasn’t the dress for her.
I didn’t end up buying my dress here but may go back to check out their veils and accessories. Overall I had a very positive experience!