Vera Wang's Wedding Wonderland

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The very glamorous Vera Wang flagship store just opened this week. So much gorgeousness. For better or for worse, it effectively feels like two very different, conjoined boutiques. The front part is the designer collection, with furry vests, $500 camisoles and suspended headless mannequins: the feel is more fashion forward and modern. The back-half of the boutique is where all the magic happens.

Or so we thought. It's a given, the wedding dresses are stunning. The presentation of each one is amazing, so many exquisite details?but the environment seems a little too cold and austere for wedding dresses. The lighting was dim. There's a small patio out back, which seems like a nice touch, but the furnishings scream "Patios R Us" which isn't a great partner for Vera Wang. If we're paying $3,500 or more for a dress, we want to be romanced a little. But the staff were truly lovely—intuitively staying out of our way when we wanted to browse, suddenly reappearing like magic to answer a question—which lightened the atmosphere tremendously.
· Vera Wang [Official Site]