We Just recieved the distinguished Talk Of The Town Award 

**** 4  Stars!!! Please check out  http://talkofthetownsearch.com/aw_search3.asp

Here is a sampling of letters, cards, emails and reviews that we have been sent.

“How do I even begin?! Icontacted Viva Amore a month before my wedding from 6 thousand miles away. We had a constant conversation by email with them sending me tons of pics of dresses they were getting in that fit my wish list. I looked at wedding dress retail stores in Hawaii and tried on beautiful gowns that were totally out of my budget. The week of my wedding I flew into Boston and headed to Viva where you they already pulled some dresses for me to try on. This was on the Tuesday before the Saturday we were married on. After trying and retrying and back and forth and a budget consult with the fiance, I finally decided on a dress Anita had spotted for me. At 7:30 pm they sent me to their tailor Janette who stayed open a half an hour late for me. We did a fitting and even altered the shape of the dress a bit. I picked up the dress on Friday a.m. Wow! No high end boutique or retail store with a Newbury St. Address could offer that kind of service and I’d still would have had to spend 3xs what I did for a gorgeous dress.

The only thing missing was a pair of shoes. I had overlooked the seasonal shoe selection problem. All creams and ivory colored shoes at stores were GONE! I bought a pair of black pattens but after trying them on Friday when picking up the dress, I was heartbroken that they really weren’t fitting. So the most amazing part of the story, other than that Mena and Anitta are just awesome to try dresses on with, is that on a Friday eve in rainy, rush hour traffic…Mena, my hero, drove all the way from Watertown to Marblehead to bring me 4 pairs of shoes to try on and I found THE pair..she also threw in a hanky and garder. I’m telling ya, I’ve not had this kind of care and service in years. They take their work personally and they will treat you like a friend who they care what you get. They aren’t selling dresses on commission, this is their business and they are trying to build the best they can! I wish all the brides out there would check out  Viva where they could have lots of options with amazing service. I also hope in the future they can expand and accommodate grooms as well. I myself would fly back to help paint and arrange. Believe me they are worth every second you spend going to them! Blindly trusting them was one of the best things I did in my overwhelming wedding planning. Thank you ladies! I felt so glamorous once that dress was on! Perfect!”

Take Care,

Dana

Mena, Thank you so much for helping me find my perfect dress. I was so happy I stuck with getting a second dress…… I had my photographer take this picture for you after I changed!….Thank you so much!!!! I will be seeing you soon. I have 3 weddings to go to this year. Love, Audrey

 

Dear Mena and Anita, Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love the dress and the shopping experience was so much fun! I’m 53 and thanks to Mena I’ll look great on my wedding day! – Nanette

 

Hello Mena,

My daughters, Sarah and Emily,  and I met you several weeks ago on our  trek down from Vermont for find Sarahs wedding gown. Sarah found her beautiful dress from your shop and is so happy. She also found a great feather hairpiece to wear at her reception. To make a long story short, my dog, Django, also found Sarah’s feather and devoured it – all but the actual comb part. We’re all devastated – except maybe the dog – and I’m hoping you could find a replacement for us. I’m attaching a picture of Sarah wearing the particular feather she loved. Any chance we can get another?  Django will not likely be out of the doghouse for a while yet, so he’s hoping for good luck as well. Thanks – we had such a great experience working with you and your daughter.

A few days later we recieved the follow up…

Mena,

 Many thanks for your help with the dress and sending a replcement feather so quickly. Have a wonderful day! Sue

 

I was browsing the web and found a cute website for a eco-chic bridal store right on the watertown/cambridge/belmont line.  So I stopped in, and was blown away.  Don’t let the exterior give you the wrong impression (it’s not great), but inside is a cute, intimate boutique, with a knowledgeable mother/daughter team that makes for a great combo.  Anita and Mena compliment each other nicely and provide unbelievable personal service (for gowns that can cost $600!?)

For the space, there are tons of beautiful gowns, all severely discounted, and most with tags on them.  Unbelievable options for brides in many sizes.

I had a gown, but found myself oogling over the deals there.  Great headpieces (which is what I went in for), cool undergarmets, and a great line of eco friendly dresses made out of hemp silk that were gorgeous.  

I’d say some of the deals are just as good as going to Running of the Brides but with private dressing rooms, a boutique atmosphere, and a much more relaxing experience.

You’d be crazy to not put this at the top of your dress shopping list if you live in the Greater Boston area.

PS  They are also trying to be as green as possible!  Nice extra!!!

What a wonderful store! Anita was extremely helpful, nice, and knowledgeable. We both picked dresses out together for me to try on, and it almost seemed like she understood what I wanted more than I did! The dresses were gorgeous, and after having been at other stores with far higher prices, I almost couldn’t believe how wonderful these gowns were. They were way less expensive and much much better!  Most of the dresses I tried on needed minimal alterations, they fit so well and were so flattering! My only problem now is, which one to pick?! – Joan

OK ladies, do not waste your time with all those other bridal shops like i did (five dresses later!) i tried the very best and was ready to give up when i found viva Amore!!! This shop is ran by a mother (Mena and her daughter whose name i forgot) team who are so delightful, knowledgeable, honest and so much fun my maid of honor and i lost all track of time we ended up spending half the day there!!!! They have dresses for every body and price range. I left with my whole wedding outfit, they carry it all for a beautiful bride did i tell you their beautiful gowns compete with Newbury Street with out the price i love this place Deborah

 

Even though it’s Thanksgiving weekend and I still need to clean up from this weekend’s feast, I had to sit down and write a 5-star review for Mena and Viva Amore before I forget all of the wonderful details of my visit yesterday.
 I am  a regular stressball and after having watched so many episodes of “Say Yes to the Dress,” I really wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to purchasing my own wedding gown.  Since I am not the type to have dreamed of my wedding since I was a little girl, I also came in with very little information to go on.  I thought I wanted a pick up style but told Mena to suggest options as well.

Shopping for my gown at Viva Amore has been one of the most rewarding and FUN parts of wedding planning thus far.  This was only the first shop I went to and if you are trying to avoid the craziness of David’s Bridal or Filene’s running of the brides event, this adorable little shop is for you!  I was Mena’s first customer of the day and even though she was short-handed that day, I never felt that her attention was not on me.  She was honest (”honey, that dress doesn’t do anything for your figure”), sassy (”girl, let me show you how to push up those boobies!”), and good for the ego (”wow, that dress was made for you”).  Even though I went crazy and tried on at least 15-20 gowns, Mena didn’t get mad, but instead helped me narrow down my selections AND didn’t do it based on price, but rather which dresses flattered my figure best.  When I was down to just two, she asked if it was okay for her to solicit opinions from other customers.  Really, the dresses here were so affordable (even more than David’s Bridal!) and in such good condition that I could have bought two and still not exceeded my budget.

At the end, I surprised my mom and younger sister (and even myself) by purchasing a gown on the spot.  And how could I not?  I got a great deal on a designer gown that didn’t break the bank.  When I told my fiancee how much I spent, he was shocked and very proud!  I even got a veil and Mena took the time to show me different styles that would complement my dress.  When I show the dress to people and have them guess how much I spent, they are definitely surprised when I told them how much I really paid for it at Viva Amore.

Mena ended the transaction by referring me to a seamstress which was really helpful.  I seriously didn’t think gown-shopping would be so easy, fun, and affordable.  When I told Mena I was going to do a review on Yelp, she got giddy  . . . it’s good to know that this mother-daughter team takes their reviews seriously and actually reads them.  In fact, that is how I learned about this establishment.  So as a Yelper, I am doing my duty and spreading the word about this amazing shop.  If you stop in, please say hi to Mena and tell her that you read my review.  Good luck! Emma

 

This shop is very deceiving, it seems very small from the outside but as soon as you go inside its like finding treasure! Its full of the most amazing dresses all at brilliant prices to fit any budget.

The two “Diamonds” who are Mena and her daughter Anita were so brilliant, fun and patient, they made choosing my wedding dress a fantastic and enjoyable experience. To walk in off the street to such a welcoming and accommodating place was so great after a few stiff and starchy receptions from other bridal shops (who shall remain nameless!)

I have come from the UK to marry an American guy so my own mother could not be there to help me choose “the dress”, this for me was a little emotional but Mena was like a surrogate mother for the day! Thank you Mena for your patience and understanding!!
I shall be returning to Viva Amore very soon to choose accessories and take my mother to meet Mena and her daughter…
This shop has ticked all the boxes for me, I feel lucky to have found it.
Goodluck to them in the future – I shall be recommending them ALOT.  Olivia