Divine Designs Bridal Boutique

I am shocked at how I was treated by the owner! Yes, not an employee, the OWNER! Not once did she ask what I was looking for in a wedding dress, all she cared about was my price point. Snobby, stuck up, rude and inconsiderate....you would think the owner of a business would know better. I guess not. I suggest people go to Ania Bridal, where I spent good money for my dream dress and received wonderful customer service. People there where interested in what I was looking for and very patient. I can't say that about Divine Designs, don't bother...go to Seattle if you have to! Shopping for a bridal dress should be a special moment, you shouldn't be treated like that. :) more

I purchased my wedding gown in from Divine Designs in 2008. I had a fabulous experience in this beautiful shop. They had an extensive collection of high end gowns for me to select from and Monica's experience, style, and expertise helped me to choose the best possible option to suit my own personal style and my body shape. I ended up purchasing a $4000 Monique L'Huillier gown which I STILL love! I was so delighted with this first experience that I purchased a second gown from Monica for the rehearsal dinner, a sequined Vera Wang cocktail dress for $3500. Since then I have returned to Divine Designs to purchase several other non-bridal gowns for various black tie events that I have had to attend, and every time Monica and her staff have given me the best possible service I could ever hope to expect. I fully expect that I will likely purchase more gowns from Divine Designs in the future. (It is important to keep in mind that this shop carries only high end designer gowns, I believe that the starting price is approximately $2000. If you are hoping to spend less than $2000 there will not likely be anything for the staff in this shop to show you.) Every time I enter the shop I am greeted with a smile and made to feel welcome. This shop is truly a beautiful sanctuary, very clean and stylish. This is a very nice change from many of the other bridal boutiques that I had visited in Portland, which quite frankly seemed rather dirty and dingy in comparison. In addition to their extensive selection of high end designer gowns, their fabulous style, and their warm and welcoming environment, the staff at Divine Designs, and specifically Nahid, offers the best possible alterations for your gown that you could ever hope to ask for! Nahid works WONDERS! She is truly a magician! I would recommend Monica and her shop Divine Designs to anyone in the market for a wedding gown or other formal attire. You will not regret this decision on your special day! more

So disappointing. And the worst part of everything is that I ended up getting my gown from them because I couldn't find it anywhere else! Things weren't so bad until Monica came into the picture. She is rude, selfish, snobby and very inconsiderate. I was actually shocked by how rude her attitude was. I figured maybe it was an off day or something, but every time I went in for fittings or alterations, I got the same thing. I couldn't believe it! They have high priced gowns and it is just too bad that the service doesn't give you what you pay for. It is unfortunate that most of their gowns aren't found anywhere else in Portland...and really Divine Designs should be thanking their lucky stars for that! I wish I could warn every bride before they go in there. Just a horrible experience. To every bride who has to go there in order to get their dream dress...be prepared! more

I can't understand some of the reviews...my experience was truly first class. Following the advice on the website, I called and made an appointment with Monica (It turns out this wonderful lady is the owner), and scheduled an appointment. I am sooooooo glad I did! The boutique is ultra professional, from the dressing rooms and pedestals to the exquisite inventory, oh my, what an inventory! Monica and Nahid brought out so many wonderful dresses my head was swimming. Long story short, I wasn't planning to purchase anything my first time out looking, but when I tried on ""Miranda"" by Monique Lhuillier I knew it was the one. It turns out that Divine Designs is the only boutique in Oregon that carries Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Elizabeth Fillmore and others. (I know this because I got to try some of their gowns on, I felt like a movie star!) If you are in the market for a designer gown, go to the website and call for an appointment. I can't wait for my wedding day! more

Divine Designs has one of the best set ups in terms dressing rooms and mirrors. It is an elegant, spacious environment that really lets you imagine yourself on your wedding day with plenty of room for moms and sisters. Their gowns are not available for customers to browse through. They bring you gowns based on your likes and their experience and expertise in dressing brides, much like the popular TV show, Say Yes to the Dress. \r \r The best part of Divine Designs is Nahid, the alterations tailor. She is AMAZING. She has been doing wedding dress alterations for, I think she said 20 + years and it shows. She is the best. When I went for my fitting, she asked me detailed questions that really made me confident the dress would fit me perfectly. Some of the questions were, ""are you on your period and if so, do you normally retain water, what part of your cycle will you be in on your wedding day, when you gain and/or lose weight, where does it come from, do you gain or lose when under stress"". She also advised me not to drink alcohol before the wedding as she has seen customers increase up to 4 inches from having a few beers the night before, making them unable to zip the dress all the way up. All great advice! She also created an unconventional way to bustle my dress that kept the integrity of it and made it perfect for the dance floor. She is absolutely FANTASTIC.\r \r At the dress appointment, my dress consultant, Jessica brought me a number of dresses that fit the description of what I wanted. At the end of the fitting, she brought me one that upon first look, I absolutely did NOT like but decided to try it on based on her recommendation. It turned out to be ""the one"". I would never have picked it on my own and once she put it on me, that was it. I LOVE the dress and it fit my body type to a T.\r \r My only criticism is that the shop has a policy of only letting you try the dress on a total of three times, when you buy it, when you do the fitting, and one more time. For me, it worked out because I tried it when I bought it, I went back and tried it on to pick out accessories, and for the fitting but it made me nervous to discover that I was limited in trying the dress on, especially after making such an investment. Monica is very firm on her policies and will not give you any wiggle room. Make sure you read the contract and love the dress because this is not one of the shops that will negotiate with you on details after you sign.\r \r more

I had been looking forward to going to Divine Designs ever since their window displays caught my eye. I knew they were a high end boutique, and I saved over three months to be able to afford a $2-3k dress. But when I called, no one answered the phone or returned my messages. I was shocked. I guess I'll be going to Seattle, AniA or The English Dept. more

Monica took great care of me from the minute I walked in the door. She will ask your price range because she doesn't carry cheap dresses and doesn't want to waste your time trying on things you cant afford, but dont take it personal-I appreciated her honesty- and noticed some people who gave her reviews on here didn't but she is not snooty at all! She is very honest and doesn't kiss your ass or try to talk you into something you can't afford or pressure you to buy from her. \r \r This is THE ONLY store in Portland that carries designer dresses, and once you try one on- you can't go back to the cheap ones! I highly recommed this store for brides who want the best dresses and can afford to spend a little more! \r \r The setting is private so you dont have tons of random people around as you try on dresses and there is plenty of parking for NW Portland! Pros: Vera Wang, Monique Lhullier, pirvate setting Cons: n/a more

I ended up trying on 15 to 20 dresses. I went to Boston to try on dresses with my bridesmaids. I went to Seattle to try on dresses with my mom. And nothing I found was as beautiful or perfect as the dress I found at Divine Design. Everyone I worked with was incredibly helpful. I'm not tiny and they worked with my size and my budget to help me find a dress I felt gorgeous in. When I put it on at my final fitting I couldn't stop smiling. Now that the wedding is over I'm trying to figure out other opportunities to wear my beautiful perfect dress :) My only piece of advice is make sure you make an appointment and if you have anything you are concerned about give the staff a heads up on the phone. Pros: Dresses Dresses Dresses Cons: can be expensive more

I have never been treated so poorly in an establishment, especially one that is supposed to make you feel like a special bride. I will NEVER buy anything from Divine Designs or let any of my many yet-to-be-married friends waste their time on this hoity-toity, snooty, upturned nose of a place.\r \r PS I wouldn't have even given it a one, but a I had to rate it something. Pros: Nothing Cons: Awful service more

Does anyone know how to contact nahid??? more

Beautiful shop, Monica (owner) was AMAZING, helpful, supportive, knowledgeable.\r GREAT DRESSES, GREAT EXPERIENCE! Pros: location, energy more

The owner, Monica, was so warm and helpful. I made an appointment and came with my grandmother and sister/bridesmaid. I was very upfront about my budget, and she said she generally does not have gowns in my price range, but really worked to find something with me - she didn't try to sell me on a more expensive dress and be rude about it like other places I went to. We looked at everything from bridesmaid dresses that could come in bridal colors to discontinued gowns. She was so great, much better than anyone from other shops. I've had some awful experiences, but coming here was so relaxing and I didn't feel judged like at other places. I came back a few days later just to get an opinion from my mom and maid-of-honor, and once again Monica was wonderful and patient. AND she gave me some great advice on venues that I hadn't thought of. I couldn't be happier, and I can't wait until my wedding day so I can wear that gorgeous dress for my fiance as we get married!\r \r Thank you so much Monica, I think if I hadn't found your shop I don't know if I would have found ""the dress."" Pros: clean designs-nothing froo froo, wonderful service Cons: can be a bit hard to find- I'd call ahead for help with it if you don't know NW more

My friend and I were kept waiting forever, then she was told that they didn't have anything for her budget (which was not small!) and more or less kicked us out. Get over yourselves people... this is not a Paris atelier... Cons: Snobbish, rude more

I have never been treated so rudely. And we had quite a bit of money to spend. We were shown 6 dresses and then the women helping us (from my understanding the owner) decided she just didn't have any more dresses to show us, because we didn't like her ""ethereal"" idea of what the bride should look like. She didn't let us look at any of the dresses in her stock just picked ones she determined she wanted to show us. Pros: vera wang Cons: overprived, rude, no special touches more

I found an amazing Monique Lhuilliher dress here. This is not the place if you are on a budget, expect to spend some cash. Most dresses that I tried on were in the 2500 - 5000 range. And keep an open mind about what they bring out for you. It is amazing how a dress on a hanger can change dramatically once you put it on. Also make sure to make an appointment. Nahid was very helpful and also honest. She made my dress shopping experience very enjoyable. Pros: Nice new store, helpful staff Cons: parking lot gets a little chaotic on saturdays more

after that other bridal store in sellwood messed up our order, divine designs came through with a fabulous dress. it was a real treat! Pros: gorgeous dresses, professional service Cons: expensive more

I bought my wedding dress here after several people I know had (and they all had great experiences). Overall, the items offered are expensive, but they are exquisite--it's worth it. I had a little lower budget than some of my friends, and the dresses Nahid brought out for me were absolutely gorgeous. I ended up needing some rather drastic alterations to my gown, and Nahid worked tirelessly to make my dress look absolutely perfect--she is a PHENOMENAL seamstress and also just has a great eye for what will look good on brides. I highly recommend DD. Pros: Incredible seamstress, beautiful gowns more

Devine Design, is a place I would not recommend. My sister and I went to this place and we felt as though it was pretentious, the sales person has an edge and they had a limited selection. The person that was there on the day we were browsing should not be working with the public, she is not skilled in customer service, . I think that an individual emanating negative energy should not be assisting you with one the most important day of your life ...your wedding day. The lady should just should just hire some one that understand the service industry and reflects civility . My sister was visiting my from LA she is a runway model and she does commercials, so her opinion counts . She felt that Devine Design is lacking in many areas . Perhaps that day we were there was just the luck of the draw. There are some great wedding boutiques in Portland that cater to to customer and provide excellent service so do your homework before wasting time, energy and money. Pros: Parking available Cons: Poor public relations skills, limited selection and small space. more

If you are looking for a bridal gown in the Portland area, please avoid this store. The woman was rude to me, didn't listen at all to what I was looking for in a wedding dress, and after trying on about 3 dresses told me that they didn't have anything for me in their store. WOW. Pros: Great Designer Gowns Cons: Horrible service and you don't get to see all the gowns, they bring them out one by one more

Extremely impressive! After attending the Portland Bridal Show this last weekend, my mom, bridesmaids and I stopped at Divine Designs for bridesmaid dresses. We were greeted with smiles and were treated wonderfully. We were given champagne while my friends tried on dresses to model. In the end, we found the perfect Amsale dresses for girls. Monica and her assistant were so nice and helpful, very interested in the details of my wedding. It was the perfect ending to a lovely day and I feel so much more centered and focused on my wedding now. Monica, the owner, even gave me personal recommendations on photographers and videographers. They are a spendier shop than David's Bridal or others such as that, but the quality of the dresses is equal to my own wedding dress. I would recommend this shop to anyone of my friends. Pros: High quality, very knowledgable, friendly Cons: Parking, more