Anne did my wedding gown alterations PERFECTLY. She was patient, professional, and my gown turned out exactly as I wanted it to. She always responded promptly to my emails and was flexible when I had to reschedule appointments (I travel frequently for work). Anne was also willing to squeeze in alterations for my bridesmaid, who was coming in one week before the wedding from Australia - her gown also turned out just right and right on time. We put the time on her calendar well in advance, and Anne stuck to it. She is kind and very very talented, and I recommend her without any hesitation! read more

anne ventresco is a wonderful woman! she specializes in custom bridal gowns and bridal alterations, and her work is spectacular. if you are looking for something unique, or just need someone to do quality alterations on your gown, send her an e-mail at annesews@jps.net. you won't be disappointed! and fyi, my dress was... * taken in around the bodice * taken in around the derriere * hemmed all around (including train) * zipper was replaced * bra was put in, so i wouldn't have to deal with special underthings ...and it came out to $130, including tax! read more

i almost forgot the woman who spent 3 appointments getting my dress to fit me! she's funny, easy going and totally works with your vision while giving you her thoughts on what works. plus if you accidentally forget your stuff at her office she doesn't make you feel bad. read more

Anne and the dress she made for me was absolutely my favorite part of the whole wedding process! Anne is a complete artist and she took a dream concept and sculpted it into a reality. I looked forward to our time in her sewing room. She always made me feel as if I was the only bride she was working with, even though I could see by the stacks of dresses that I was one of many. With my friends and family living on the east coast, Anne was a natural at jumping in and being the girlfriend I could giggle with or the mom I looked to for advice. I walked into her studio nervous about being the center of attention on my wedding day, and walked out a confident bride feeling more beautiful than I ever imagined I could be. read more

This is a really late update but just wanted to mention that I couldn't be happier with how my dress turned out. Anne did a wonderful job without exceeding her quote. Highly recommended! read more

I heard such great things and I emailed her, but the email bounced back. I found her phone number online and left a message, but she never returned my call. Why is she online if she doesn't respond to potential clients? I ended up going to Yun Yun Wong in San Fran instead, which worked out. read more

Anne is truly the gem of the Oakland Hills. She altered my Amsale wedding dress and created a matching veil with a beautiful lace trim. This was all for a fraction of the price you would pay at any bridal shop or tailor. Anne is also so kind and patient, and does fabulous quality work. Most recently, Anne altered a bridesmaid dress and added an elastic band that worked wonders for my flat chest. I've also referred three other friends to her (one bride, two bridesmaids), all of whom enjoyed their experience with her. She does have a cat, and I am allergic to cats. However, I smiled and braved it every time since there is no one else like her. read more

I just went to my final wedding dress fitting and am thrilled to bits with the dress. Anne did an exquisite job, put up with my vacillations and confusions, and always steered me in the right direction. I loved every single moment of collaborating on my dress with her and my whole family adores her. read more

This review is long over due! I was lucky enough to have Ann respond to my inquiry to have my Enzoani 10 layer pleated tulle wedding gown modified for my October nuptuals last year. Ann is a very busy lady and is a expert at her craft- which is why she is not the most responsive to emails as most of the day she is working on wedding gowns. If you are lucky enough to have her respond to you and take you as a client, you are in EXCELLENT hands for your gown. With a 5 foot long train and extensive lace and beaded detail, I had to find someone who really knew what they were doing to help me with my special day attire. Throughout the course of the multiple visits, Anne was always so nice and thoughtful and made some really spectacular suggestions on how to make my wedding gown even more beautiful on my frame than I imagined. With over 10 layers of tulle under neath the top lace on my train, Anne suggested taking out the under layer pieces and taking it off to make a petticoat that I could untie after the ceremony and therefore bustle the rest easily (and much more beautifully) than having one big PUFF under my dress!. This was something none of the other seamstresses that I took my dress to ever mentioned once. ITs these little things andn suggestions that make Anne stand apart from the rest. I think the rest are probably good at what they do, but i feel like its like mass production, vs Annes service and detail is really uniquely catered to your body and also your dress. She is really a super skilled and experienced seamstress- especially with wedding gowns. She also made me a fantastic head piece of different items that I purchased myself here and there- including a center piece vintagy looking broach, another piece from a fabric flower, and some white feathers. The piece was completed in just a few weeks her suggestions of adding some of my extra lace and tulle to the headpiece was genius! It was certainly something special to have a headpiece made of individual unique pieces that I found myself, to create one -one of a kind piece for myself. Sure its easy to surf the web on etsy to find something- but anyone can buy that I am one that really values originality and uniqueness, not copied cat things. She also made me a custom viel to go with my dress- for a third of the price of any viel you can get at any bridal store. Score! Besides making my wedding gown stunning- I also enlisted her to make me a custom blush colored silk organza mini party dress with feather trim. It was a beautiful cute party dress with a sweatheart neckline, embellished with crystals across the top trim with individual one inch organza layers zigzagging horizontally across the dress on the front and back. The bottom of the mini skirt had a row of blush colored feather trim and florets that she hand made herself. Instead of attaching the trim to the dress, she sewed on individual buttons so i could eventually take it off and dry clean the dress. Genuis! I wouldnt have though of that myself really. I had a pic of a similar dress i really loved for the reception, but unfortunatley it only came in white which I didnt want. With Annes approval, I took my blush colored crystal studded pumps on over to britex in sf to look for the perfect blush colored silk organza and crystals. Many, many fittings later and endless hour of work on Anne's part, my dream party dress came to life! the dress prooved difficult to make at the very end according to Anne but it was perfection. I was so happy with both dresses after all the fittings that I told Anne I had to have another special project for her to make so I could keep coming back to visit her =) Her prices are also really reasonable, her quotes were about 40% less than any other tailor i went to. She works from home so her overhead is low. Ladies, if you can get anne, make the trip across the bay bridge and go for it! read more

I just picked up my wedding dress from Anne on Saturday and it is perfect! She was a pleasure to work with and I love how my dress came out. I had it taken in slightly, hemmed and the neckline altered and it came out just as I envisioned. For those of you worried about the "communication" thing, don't! At each fitting we scheduled the next and while sometimes it can be hard to reach her by phone (she has a lot of dresses to make pretty) she always responds to email. Even though I was worried at first because she doesn't confirm your appointment, she never forgot or was late to a single one. She is reasonably priced too! I highly recommend her and can not wait to show off my dress on my wedding day! Thanks Anne! read more

Anne made a custom wedding dress for me, and it was spectacular! I brought in a picture of a designer dress and asked Anne if she could re-create it, with a few changes. Although the process was lengthy, it was totally worth it! Anne created exactly what I wanted, and sought my feedback on every aspect of the dress, just to make sure it was perfect. I felt that she responded to all of my input, even when I was being super-picky. I also felt like I should have paid Anne way more, considering all the time she put into the dress and how beautiful it turned out. Real designer dresses are such a rip-off! If you can get an appointment with Anne, I highly recommend going with her for custom dresses and alterations! Thanks so much, Anne! read more

Anne Ventresco - Sewing & Alterations Near Me

it was a bit hard to get a hold of Anne at first, but once i did i knew why. she did an amazing job altering my wedding dress! she was so patient and worked with the most ease- that even when i was running from my office to make the appointment I would forget about everything being in her studio. i took the dress in october 2010 for my march 2011 wedding, so we had tons of time to alter the dress, I even left the dress there until the week before the wedding. :) Thank you again anne all your wonderful work!!! read more

I heard about Anne from a friend and was thrilled that she was able to alter my wedding dress. Anne's alteration prices were half of what I was quoted elsewhere, and she also made a veil for me. She was very easy to work with and flexible with her schedule. Anne was very sweet, with high attention to detail, and she made my dress perfect! read more

After watching Anne do an amazing job with my sister's wedding dress the year before, I went to Anne for my wedding. Anne did a fantastic job with my dress and it was a pleasure working with her. She helped build the support into it that I needed for a strapless dress, created an elegant bustle, and altered the body to fit perfectly. I highly recommend her! read more

Anne was terrific and I highly recommend her. She came highly recommended by the store where I purchased my dress. It was a bit difficult to get in touch with her at first, but I was persistent immediately emailing her a few times asking for her availability... my first email to her was 5 months before my wedding. I felt I had plenty of time to reach her and when she replied she was very accommodating. She was willing to makes appts after work and on weekends. My last appt with her was just days before I left for my wedding. She was incredibly patient and professional. When I first received my dress from the store, I was a bit disappointed as I did not love it as much as when i had ordered it (because it needed to be altered). By my last appt, I was loving my dress again thanks to Anne. If you have time and patience to get in touch with her, she is well worth it. I would recommend her over and over. read more

Anne was referred to me by a friend. My friend's wedding dress was gorgeous and she looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day. I had a bit of a challenge for Anne since I wanted to wear my mother's dress that she wore in 1970 but with an updated look. My mother is no longer with us so there was a lot of emotion tied to the dress and although I liked the the original design, it was a bit matronly. I sent Anne my ideas to adjust and modernize the dress and she magically made it happen. I got to wear my mother's dress on my wedding day but also felt like it was my own. That to me was priceless and I felt beautiful on my wedding day. I know my mother was smiling down from heaven and tickled pink that I was able to wear her dress. Thanks again Anne! read more

Anne is the best and I would use her again in a second!!!! All of my bridesmaids had their dresses altered by her also and loved her too! She is very knowledgeable, does a fabulous job, and is not overpriced! I had so much work done to my dress that she said it was practically a custom dress, she also made my veil and sash ... and I was shocked at how low the price was! I paid about a quarter of what I would have paid had I gone anywhere else. I went to a different, but reputable seamstress in Oakland before Anne and she was going to charge me about 4 times what Anne charged for the same work! Aside from the price, I do want to emphasize what a great job Anne does. Everything turned out perfectly. She's also very patient. I had a very indecisive and chatty group and she was always so nice, patient, helpful, and fun! She always seemed like she was having a good time with us! Thanks Anne! read more

Anne is amazing. I had found a wedding dress that I loved, but I wanted some alterations made to the basic shape, and I also obviously wanted it fitted to me. Anne collaborated with me on the changes to the shape, and made small incremental changes so that I could try it on along the way to make sure the final look was turning out the way I had envisioned it. She is super sweet, and also very talented. I can't believe how little she charges to do such wonderful work. I had her alter another dress of mine during the time of the wedding fittings- she did great work on this as well, and would've forgotten to charge me for it had I not reminded her. I was so happy with the way my dress turned out, and I loved the experience of working with Anne. read more

Anne is amazing. She is very patient and listens to everything you say. She really wants you to love your dress and will do alteration after alteration until you are satisfied. She is also very organized and keeps notes on what you want done and if you're going to lose weight, etc to make sure the dress is altered in a timely fashion based on how your body may change up until the big day. She also has a lovely family, I once showed up too early (got the appt time mixed up) and sat with her family who offered me food and drinks while I waited for her. She came recommended from various co-workers who raved about her work. After having alterations done by other people who charge twice and much and are not nearly as skilled as Anne, I would give her more stars if I could. read more

My wedding was two weeks ago and I had to come back and write an updated review. My custom wedding gown turned out absolutely stunning, as did the veil Anne made for me. I got so many compliments on them and felt like the most gorgeous bride. Too bad I can't wear it out all the time! The entire process was wonderful and I'm really really glad I decided to go the custom-dress route. I highly recommend Anne for anyone who needs help with their wedding dress, whether it's simple alterations or a complete custom gown. Her pricing is very very reasonable and she really knows her stuff. I'm sorry to see so many people had trouble getting in touch with Anne - I never had that issue myself. She always returned my emails within a couple of days. read more

Anne's fittings offered a welcome place of peace and relaxation amidst the whirlwind of wedding planning. The gown was beautiful. Not only is she masterful at her craft but she is kind. I have recommended many friends who have not been disappointed. read more

I notice that most of the low star reviews had to do w/ Anne not being responsive. Though I was lucky to have reached Anne, I must say that if they were able to reach her, they would've loved her. Of all things, Anne was super responsive and had to deal w/ me, the indecisive bride. I saw her often enough that I felt her home was my second. She was accommodating to all my requests, even when I had changed my mind many times. Not only that, she was able to make me a 2nd veil few days before the wedding. Anne was awesome. She was patient. She was kind. I've already referred 4 brides and counting and they're all happy with her work. Oh, on another important note: her alterations were reasonably priced compared to her competitors. Trust me, I got a few quotes from others, and Anne's pricing made them looked absurd. I will miss seeing Anne now that my wedding has come and gone. read more

I love Anne's service. I hated my bridesmaid dress. It made me look fat and 75 years old. But the place where I got the dress suggested Anne to me, so I called her and set up an appointment. Anne altered my bridesmaid dress in two weeks. She had to take in basically everything from the skirt, to the hips, to the bodice, etc.,etc. And in the end . . . it looked GREAT!! I got so many compliments on my dress and I still get compliments to this day. Yay for Anne!!! read more

I just picked up my dress from Anne! 3 visits in 1 month and everything is perfect! The final quote was actually lower than what she quoted me for. Her price is extremely reasonable (comparing to some others that quoted me twice as much) and the quality of work is great. I would highly recommend her to any bride that wants a drama-free experience. I mean, seriously, we have enough to worry about. read more

Anne is, truly, as good as it gets. I would absolutely echo the reviews below: her attention to detail, perfectionism, and warmth is second-to-none. She met with me four times until we were both completely satisfied with the fit of the dress, had thoughtful suggestions (like sewing a bra into the dress), was very responsive to e-mail, and was always warm and fun to chat with. The view from her studio ain't bad, either! I'm was nervous about basically every part of wedding planning, but felt completely at ease handing my dress over to her. Look no further! read more

I cannot say enough great things about Anne! Anne has altered two wedding dresses for me, including revamping my mom's vintage wedding dress. She was so thorough and very fair with her pricing. I got to know her as a person and enjoyed all my visits with her. She gets booked really quickly for the year, so don't wait too long to make your first appointment! read more

Sweet, sweet Anne - I absolutely adore her! Anne did my wedding gown alterations and made my Chinese Cheongsam gown! Both turned out beautifully!! I thoroughly enjoyed my bi-weekly visits to Anne's, she was so fun to chat with and was always so helpful with other wedding things like shoe dying, where to buy beads - she even taught me how to clean my iron! She's just so patient and sweet, always willing to listen to what you want. For me, I wanted to lose more weight before my wedding and she let me take in more three days before my wedding, now that's good service! Bottomline: I love Anne and am going to continue going to her to make other dresses, just so I can see her! Brides, you won't be disappointed, email her! Thank you, Anne from the bottom on my heart! read more

I had the pleasure of working with Anne on the evening gown for my wedding reception. I guess I was lucky that she responded to my email. I mentioned that I was referred by the Wedding Party, and I got a response and appointment time after 3 days. I bought a bridesmaid dress, and wanted it tweaked to look more like an evening gown. She made really good suggestions, and was able to transform the gown into something amazing. She was very patient with my suggestions and my mom's as well, and had the experience to know what would work and what wouldn't. What I love about her, and really respect, is that she doesn't take advantage. She doesn't raise her prices simply because its bridal. She didn't charge extra for every little thing, and actually has extremely reasonable prices for how much work she puts in. She is a lovely person, down-to-earth, and easy to work with. She also graciously pressed my wedding gown, even though she wasn't the one who altered it. When I got it back, she had carefully placed tissue paper and tulle around the flower at the waist to keep it from getting crushed. This attention to detail is priceless! I didn't have any problems getting responses to my emails, and she was always ready for me at our appointment times. read more

If you have a dress that is almost perfect, but not quite, Anne will help you design it, and then sew it, so that it is perfect! Anne is very detailed-oriented, a perfectionist and has a great eye for design. Her schedule gets booked fast as wedding season gets closer and closer, but once you get her, she is super patient and will never rush you. The first time you try to contact her, you may have to email twice. Be sure to send her a small photo too. She spends so much time with you to make sure that your dress is fitted perfectly. She explains things very clearly, is super nice and her prices are amazing! She is definitely worth a big tip! read more

I'll just add to the chorus of praise here: Anne is a gem! Anne did the alterations for my wedding dress and for a dress I wore my rehearsal reception. She does exceptional work, charges very fair prices, is completely professional and absolutely lovely to work with. The alterations involved substantial reconstruction to the bodices of both dresses, yet she was able to have the work done in a month (which was a requirement for me). A colleague of mine also used her services on my recommendations and was just as delighted. read more

If I could give her more stars I would. I've changed my mind about my wedding dress about 100 times, and she just goes with the flow. It's just been put into silk from muslin, and I'm getting really excited. She's great to work with, her work is beautiful and she's sooo cheap. Whether you bring in a picture, have a pattern, describe something, or have a dress you want to de-construct and totally change, Anne's your woman. read more

Send polite emails and book her early-- it's well worth it! She's as talented and hard-working as they get, and my dress fit amazingly. She also made sure to see the dress on me the week before the wedding, in case there were any fluctuations in weight or anything else that wasn't quite right, so that everything would fit perfectly on the wedding day. Plus, she's wayyyy more affordable than some of the other seamstresses out there (I got a quote from someone else who's highly rated on yelp, but not nearly as kind or easy to work with as Anne, and she quoted me much higher than Anne did, so it was a no-brainer to work with Anne). She's wonderful! read more

anne is the best. you dont even have to know exactly what you want, and she can still make everything and anything happen. anne always made me feel relaxed and happy, and never gave any pressure on me in terms of what my dress had to look like. she is super collaborative and the nicest, nicest person. i'll be sure to use her when i get married next time. haha. kidding. read more

I can't say enough about Anne - she does incredible work! I knew as soon as I met her, she was who I wanted to alter my dress. She made me feel comfortable right away and her costs are so reasonable! My dress had a LOT of layers and she did an amazing job - she even created a simple & seamless bustle...it looked like the dress was made this way! She took the time to create great instructions for care of the dress and how to do tie bustle. She really cares about her work, about your dress and your big day- and it shows! read more

I too have created a Yelp profile just to validate Anne online. After exploring every bridal botique and superstore in the bay area, I heard about Anne from a friend of the family and it was one of the most valuable pieces of information ever - she helped me create a perfect, stunning dress, making lots of gentle suggestions that the design-challenged (me) would never have considered. She also did bridesmaid dresses for me. Anne sewed right up to the last minute to make sure the dress fit perfectly and even altered a strapless bra to ensure everything was comfortable and stable:) I've referred all my friends to Anne, and still give her number out as an engagement gift to the truly deserving read more

Anne is amazing!!! She is patient, creative, and takes her time making sure that everything is perfect with your alterations. I found her in June 08 and she squeezed me in the whole month of July to have my wedding dress completed on my special wedding day 8-8-08! I had a one of a kind unique Melissa Sweet dress that was intricate and detailed to say the least. We met 5 times and I almost started crying when I tried on my completed wedding dress. Anne took her time with me deciding on what bustle I sould use (under or over bustle) and even added a halter to my neckline since I was uncomfortable revealing my shoulders and neckline. Not only is Anne amazing, she recommeded other vendors to get my veil at (Dori Ann Bridal in Castro Valley) and suggested ways of helping me transport my dress to Lanai, Hawaii! I had great fun with Anne and she makes you feel comfortable and listens to your thoughts, even though you may waiver from one decision to the next. Anne is amazing and I recommend you taking your wedding dress to her as I wouldn't trust anyone else. I'll try and post up some pictures of my dress as soon as I get them back from the photographer. Oh yea, I forgot one other detail, she is amazingly priced and doesn't charge you and arm and a leg for all her detailed work!!!! read more

I heart Anne. What a lovely woman. Finding someone I trusted with my dress was my most difficult wedding task. I was relieved when I found Anne. At this point I dont even remember how many times I met with Anne. My dress, like me, was high maintenance. The fabric and design were so delicate any pound I shed or gained landed me right back in Anne's sewing room. Anne worked patiently with me right up until the week of my wedding. She had her own milestone happen in her life but did not hesitate to make time for me. Her prices were so reasonable I felt like I was robbing her. read more

I can't say enough about Anne! She was very nice and worked wonders on my wedding dress! I was not loving my dress when we started and she made it fit perfectly. Whenever she had an idea she tried the cheapest option first, and they worked every time. I would have expected the bill to be equal to the cost of the dress, but I was pleasantly surprised. You really can't go wrong with Anne! read more

Anne's schedule was already booked to make a September wedding dress but she still accommodated other services for my situation. A true professional and great human being. Thanks Anne! read more

I haven't received a service with such great satisfaction that would make me take the extra step and time to write a review. As many of the reviewers here have already put it, Anne is truly wonderful! Before I brought my wedding gown to Anne, I had visited many other alteration places which had high ratings from yelp, but none of them presented the dependability that I can trust my gown with. Finally when I met Anne she understood right away what I needed and provided additional helpful suggestions. In the beginning I was only planning on taking the top in and adding French bustle but trusting that she would do a great job, I decided to adjust my dress with balloon hem as well. In the following fittings, she worked with me patiently, examined the work and identified areas that needed improvement without me asking. She continued to work on the dress until it was perfect. At the end she even steamed my dress and provided detail printed instructions on bustling. I love Anne, she's so sweet and a joy to work with. read more