I want to start by saying that the alterations to my wedding dress were done very well. In the end,…read moreI was happy with the finished product. My concerns are not about the quality of the workmanship, but rather about the overall customer experience.
After it was explained that I would be driving more than four hours from another city for my scheduled appointment, I received a text about an hour before my arrival--when I let her know I was an hour away--asking if I could move my 11:00 a.m. appointment to noon. Although it was inconvenient, I agreed, found something to do nearby, and didn't make an issue of it.
When I arrived, however, she seemed to have forgotten that I was the bride. That immediately made me feel uneasy. I then changed into my gown in a very cramped area that was difficult to navigate, especially since I'm not a small person and my dress has a long train. Despite that, we discussed all of the alterations, and everything seemed to be moving forward. As I was leaving, I was informed that fittings lasting longer than 10 minutes incurred an additional $25 fee. While I wasn't thrilled to learn that after the fact, she spent a considerable amount of time with me and came highly recommended, so I agreed to pay it.
The following day, I received a text explaining that she had misplaced my original ticket and forgotten to take a photo of it. We had to go over all of the alteration details again so she could create a new ticket. When she did, I noticed an additional charge that hadn't been on the original. I pointed it out, and she corrected it, but by then I was becoming increasingly concerned about how disorganized the process seemed.
Another concern was the changing completion date. During my appointment, I was told my dress would be ready around mid-July. On the replacement ticket, however, the timeframe had changed to late July or early August. Since my wedding isn't until October, I accepted the change. I later explained that I would already be in town at the end of August and asked if the dress could be ready then. Instead of confirming, I was told she couldn't commit and that I should contact her a few days beforehand to "see what we could work out." Given the distance I had to travel, this uncertainty only added to my anxiety.
Eventually, I had my wedding coordinator reach out on my behalf to see if arrangements could be made. I was then asked to make a separate special trip in late July for the final fitting. Because I had become so anxious about the entire experience, I decided to skip the final fitting altogether and pickup my dress as-is. As a result, there were a few minor details left unfinished when I picked up my dress. Unfortunately, I was still charged for those unfinished alterations. I was later offered a refund for those specific charges, but only if I agreed not to leave a negative review.
That was the most disappointing part of my experience. Offering a refund in exchange for withholding an honest review felt unprofessional and inappropriate. While I truly appreciate the quality of the alterations themselves, professionalism, organization, and communication are just as important when entrusting someone with such an important garment. For those reasons, I cannot personally recommend this business.
