Pay no attention to these bridezillas! I went to Davids Bridal in Olympia with my mom this week, and had a wonderful experience. My consultant (Samantha) was nice, helpful and not at all pushy. She pulled four or five dresses based on attributes I described that were all totally gorgeous, and exactly to my specifications. It was busy, and understaffed, but the manager on duty and the alterationist both had time to introduce themselves. The woman in charge of alterations even helped me look at strap, bustling and hemming options on three or four dresses I tried on! Talk about going above and beyond!
Ultimately, Sam found my dream gown. Luck, too, as it is one I don't think I would have ever pulled off the rack on my own! Oh, and did I mention that they didn't push? Not once did I feel coerced into buying anything. Yes, the extras (garment bags, preservation, alteration, etc) cost money, and yes, they want you to buy everything from them, but honestly, they are a retail shop, that's how they make their money. Don't expect to go shopping for a wedding dress, or anything wedding related for that matter, and not have someone try to SELL you something! If you don't like cost of alterations, or another service they offer, go somewhere else. If you ask up front, they will tell you up front what you should expect to pay.
The staff at the Olympia David's Bridal are really wonderful, helpful gals. Go there! Try some things on! It will absolutely be worth your time.