I tried on 3 wedding dresses at Kleinfeld, the bridal shop from ‘Say Yes to the Dress,’ and fell in love with the cheapest one

• I had a faux bridal appointment at Kleinfeld from “Say Yes to the Dress.”
• I tried on three gowns ranging in price from just over $2,000 to $7,000.
• I was surprised by the style and price point of the dress I liked best.

If you’re anything like me, you picture Kleinfeld Bridal from “Say Yes to the Dress” when you imagine trying on wedding dresses.

Kleinfeld is famous for its exclusive selection of dresses, and its pricing reflects it. According to the store’s website, Kleinfeld’s gowns start at around $2,000 and can cost tens of thousands. The store’s most expensive gown, designed by Pnina Tornai, retails for a whopping $80,000.

Countless brides have found their dream wedding gown at the New York boutique, both on-screen and off, and I’ve long been curious about Kleinfeld, both as a fan and a wedding reporter.

When I got the chance to have a mock bridal appointment at Kleinfeld, I immediately said yes, eager to try on pricey dresses I couldn’t afford in real life.

To my surprise, I fell in love with the most affordable gown.

I visited Kleinfeld, the iconic bridal salon where “Say Yes to the Dress” is filmed.

Marissa Rubinetti, the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Kleinfeld in New York, invited me to visit for a behind-the-scenes tour in 2023.

While I was there, I had a bridal appointment with a real Kleinfeld consultant. She knew I wouldn’t be buying a dress at the end of the appointment, but she treated me like I was a real bride throughout the experience.

To start the appointment, I was led to the hallway full of dressing rooms that looked familiar.

The dressing rooms, which I recognized from “Say Yes to the Dress,” are just a few steps away from the main floor, where brides model dresses for the people accompanying them to their appointments. Kleinfeld employees refer to them as “entourages.”

Rubinetti said Kleinfeld has standard fitting rooms for brides and consultants, as well as a few VIP rooms for clients where an entire appointment can be conducted.

“If we have a bride that has more than three guests, we’ll put them in a VIP room so that there’s a little bit more space,” she said. “They could get crowded on the floor.”

I was taken to a standard fitting room for my appointment.

A dress-free conversation with my consultant kicked off my appointment.

I worked with Briar Moroschak, who had been working at Kleinfeld for a little over a year when I met her.

As we settled into the dressing room, I made myself comfortable on a corner chair, and Moroschak plopped down on the pedestal in front of the mirror next to me. I immediately felt comfortable with her, like I was talking to a girlfriend rather than a woman I had met moments ago.

Moroschak said she starts her appointments by asking brides about their wedding venues and the overall aesthetic they envision for their weddings.

“I just want to talk to you first,” Moroschak said of her approach to brides. “I want to know your personality because your wedding dress is a reflection of who you are at the end of the day.”

She only talks to brides directly about dresses after she gets a feel for who her clients are, discussing different silhouettes and fabrics. She said she even looks at brides’ Pinterest boards.

Then, it’s finally time to try on gowns. Moroschak and I decided it would be best for me to try on three dresses with different silhouettes and embellishments since I was trying to get a well-rounded dress experience.

I didn’t expect to like the first dress I tried on: a sleek fit-and-flare gown.

The Naomi gown designed by Anne Barge was the most affordable dress I tried on at Kleinfeld. It cost $2,410 at the time.

The crepe gown had a structured bodice with off-the-shoulder sleeves. Ruching flowed across the gown to give it texture, and a short train flowed from the skirt. Pearl buttons also lined the back of the dress.

When I saw it on the hanger, I wasn’t sure I would like how the gown would look on me because it was so simple. It also looked like it would be tight, which can make me self-conscious.

I typically gravitate toward lacy, A-line dresses, so I didn’t expect to be blown away by a form-fitting wedding gown.

I was shocked by how much I liked the dress.

Moroschak immediately proved why she’s the expert on bridalwear. I felt stunning in the Anne Barge gown.

I loved how secure the structured bodice felt, and the gown hugged my curves in all the right places without feeling too tight on my stomach or hips.

The train elevated the dress, as did the pearl buttons lining the back.

I felt like I was wearing the dress rather than the other way around, and I realized that a simple gown opened the door for fun accessories. Moroschak added a veil embellished with pearls to the look, and I really felt like a bride.

I also got to pair a ring with each gown I tried on.

Kleinfeld partnered with Zales on a line of lab-grown engagement rings in 2023. I was able to pair a different ring from the collection with each gown I tried on, fully transforming me into a bride-to-be.

I wore a $4,229 two-carat, pear-shaped ring in rose gold with the Anne Barge gown.

Modeling dresses in the showroom was just as fun as it looks on TV.

I was a little embarrassed when I first left the dressing room in a wedding gown, but I found myself grinning as I walked to my pedestal, making eye contact with other brides. It felt like we were part of a special club.

Although I was mostly focused on seeing how the dress looked in the showroom lighting, the thrill of being one of the Kleinfeld brides on the floor was intoxicating.

The entourage I had with me during the appointment also made me feel beautiful with “oohs” and “aahs,” channeling the energy I love seeing when I watch “Say Yes to the Dress.”

I’m sure wedding dress shopping is fun in many places, but I quickly saw why Kleinfeld is special.

Next, I tried on an A-line dress from Martina Liana. It was the silhouette I had been most excited to see.

The $3,658 gown was the type of dress I always imagined wearing, so I was thrilled when Moroschak brought it to my dressing room.

The bodice had a square neckline and straps that flowed into a low back, and it was adorned with floral lace.

The full skirt, which was also covered in lace, was crafted from layers of tulle. The fabric pooled into a train.

As I put the dress on, I noticed Moroschak’s skill with zippers. She got me into each dress without using clips to keep them together. She was an expert through and through.

The dress was beautiful, but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.

Looking at myself in the A-line dress, I was surprised to feel less confident than I did in the first gown.

The dress was stunning, but I thought it hid my figure instead of showing it off.

The bodice cut off just under my chest, making me look shorter than I was. My waist was also lost under the full skirt. The dress became the center of attention instead of me, which wasn’t how I wanted to feel in a wedding gown.

I was also surprised by how heavy the gown felt.

As I was zipped into the dress, the embroidered bodice and layers of tulle weighed me down almost immediately.

Before I walked from the dressing room to the floor, Moroschak had to help me gather the dress in my hands so I could walk freely.

I had previously helped friends carry their skirts at their weddings and thought it seemed glamorous. There was definitely a charm to the feeling of carrying a big skirt as I walked, but I could imagine it would become tiring and annoying throughout an hourslong wedding day.

The idea of dancing or even walking down an aisle in such a big dress seemed cumbersome. I found myself longing for the light crepe fabric of the Anne Barge gown.

On the other hand, I felt a wave of giddiness when I put on a tiara with the Martina Liana gown.

Moroschak wanted to give me the chance to try several different bridal looks during our appointment, so she paired the A-line gown with a tiara instead of a veil. She picked the $590 Moi et Toi Ranier tiara from Eden Luxe Bridal.

I don’t often wear a tiara in my day-to-day life, so putting one on at Kleinfeld felt like an adult version of playing dress-up. The crown made me feel regal, but the veil I had worn before felt more bridal.

Throughout the appointment, Moroschak checked in with me to ensure I felt comfortable and beautiful as we put on each dress, which she said is integral to her process as a consultant.

“The biggest thing is establishing trust with your bride,” she told me. “We need you to leave feeling the best instead of stressed.”

I was also impressed by how much Moroschak knew about the dresses and accessories I tried on throughout the appointment. She told me she spends hours studying dresses on Kleinfeld’s website and even tries on gowns at the store when she doesn’t have clients.

We paired the A-line gown with a more modern ring.

I slipped a $6,669 toi-et-moi ring onto my finger as I tried on the A-line dress. I marveled as the ring, which featured an oval-shaped diamond and a pear-shaped stone, sparkled under the boutique’s lights.

Like the tiara, I probably wouldn’t wear such a big ring in my actual life, so having an excuse to put it on was a blast.

Pnina Tornai designed the strapless ball gown I tried on to round out the appointment.

I lived out my princess fantasies with the $7,000 dress from the Pnina Tornai Love Collection, as it reminded me of a grown-up version of the gown Mia Thermopolis wears to the ball in “The Princess Diaries.“

Rubinetti described Tornai as Kleinfeld’s “most important designer,” as she has an exclusive relationship with the store. Brides can’t buy Tornai’s gowns anywhere except for Kleinfeld; the store even has a boutique dedicated to her.

The Pnina Tornai gown I tried on was the most intricate of the three I wore that day. The strapless neckline was slightly scooped, and the semi-sheer bodice was adorned with lace.

Layers of fabric sat on my hips, giving the skirt volume. It was also adorned with lace, featured a dramatic train, and had a three-dimensional flower at the waist. A corset tie in the back tied it all together.

We amped up the drama even more by pairing the gown with both a tiara and a veil.

Everything about my Pnina Tornai look was over-the-top, from the gown to the lace veil and the ornate crown.

I also wore it with a 2.5-carat, oval-shaped ring from the Kleinfeld and Zales collection, which typically retails for $6,669. The ring made my look feel even grander, as did the $489 Swarovski Crystal Calista tiara from Eden Luxe Bridal.

The ball gown was surprisingly supportive.

I always imagined brides who wore strapless wedding gowns spent their big days pulling their necklines up, but this gown showed me that wouldn’t be a problem with a well-made wedding dress.

The corset-style bodice lifted my entire torso, making me feel secure. The bodice also seemed to take some weight off the layered skirt, though it still felt quite heavy.

Although the gown was more comfortable than I expected, I couldn’t stop thinking about what a big wedding you would need to have to pull off a dress like this.

After trying on all three gowns, the Anne Barge dress called to me the most.

Before the appointment, I assumed I would be drawn to gowns with full skirts and lace and that I would feel self-conscious in a form-fitting dress.

To my surprise, I fell in love with the understated elegance of the Anne Barge gown. The silhouette made me feel secure, and the fabric was light and easy to move in. I could easily picture myself dancing and celebrating in a dress like that.

Although the Anne Barge was my favorite, I loved things about each gown. The lace on the Martina Liana was stunning, and it made me curious about what an A-line dress with a slightly longer bodice would look like on me. Likewise, thanks to the Pnina Tornai dress, I felt more open-minded about strapless gowns.

I see why Kleinfeld is so beloved in the wedding industry.

I got the bridal treatment from the moment my appointment at Kleinfeld began.

Moroschak ensured I felt confident and cared for throughout my time trying on gowns, and the supportive energy in the showroom set the tone for the experience.

I saw brides celebrating when they found their dream dresses with their loved ones, and their consultants seemed just as excited as they were. It made me smile, both because I was happy for the brides around me and because it felt familiar to what I had seen on countless episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress.”

Moroschak told me she had the same experience when she started working at Kleinfeld.

“This is such an iconic place to work with the show and everything, so when I first started working here, I thought it was going to be not as magical or not the same as the show in any way,” she said, adding that the reality was even better than what she saw on TV.

“The owners are so nice, and they really take care of you. It feels like a small business, but it’s a household name,” Moroschack said. “They see this as a family, not an operation.”

Even though I wasn’t actually picking out a gown that day, I’m glad I got to experience what it’s like to be a Kleinfeld bride.

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