I can't even begin to say how talented Maria is. She not only does beautiful handiwork, but she also designs her own formal wear, gowns and jewelry. I have a wedding dress story that started out very depressing and resulted with a happy ending thanks to Maria. I had my first alterations done by someone else here in Maine and the results were nothing short of awful. I am not a complainer, nor do I like to give bad reviews, but I did for this circumstance because I felt it was important for future clients. This was seen by a number of people and friends and there was a unanimous response--it looked nothing short of terrible. It is a lace dress and needed to be taken out, yet she took parts of the lace from the front and back of the dress to use on the sides instead of the extra material from the bottom. I also supplied a jacket that she forgot about. There were holes throughout the dress, no exaggeration. The craft was sloppy, threads hanging all over, even thread balls in some areas. Maria found a bin left in the train of the dress!!! Thank goodness I took my dress to Maria. She was devastated at the work that had been done. She calmly took my dress and looked it over with me piece by piece. Although she was shocked at the poor craft of the alterations (it literally looked like someone had taken sandpaper and rubbed the sides of the dress), she immediately started thinking of a resolution. She had to get creative with fixing it and proceeded to show me applied lace that could be used to cover the holes and rips in the fabric. She did all of the needlework impeccably by hand and the dress looked even more beautiful than it did when I took it off the rack. It was now one of a kind. She used lace from France and had to cut it by hand to make it look organic over the original lace of the dress. I received SO many compliments from friends and family. The result of Maria's work is stunning, impeccable and professional. Also her calm demeanor and care for her craft show in the way she approaches the job and handles the dress. Future brides, please take careful consideration for who you go through to alter your dress. I can say confidently that Maria is your best bet in the Portland area. read more

I cannot recommend Maria highly enough! She is incredibly talented, kind, and her attention to detail exceeded every expectation I had. My wedding dress was made entirely of lace and needed to be hemmed while preserving a long train. I was so nervous about altering such a delicate dress, but Maria flawlessly hemmed it and perfectly recreated the lace along the bottom. You would never know it had been altered--her craftsmanship is truly exceptional. She also noticed a few areas around the bust where the lace placement looked sparse and thoughtfully added lace to create a more balanced, beautiful design. It honestly made my dress look even better than it did when I bought it. One of my biggest concerns was wearing the dress strapless. With a larger bust and after having two kids, I worried I'd need to add straps for support. Instead, Maria added internal structure to the dress that kept everything perfectly in place. I felt completely secure and comfortable all night long, and I never once had to worry about adjusting my dress. If you need wedding dress alterations, Maria is the person to go to--especially if your dress has lace. It's clearly her specialty, and her talent is unmatched. I am beyond happy with the care, skill, and love Maria put into my dress. She made sure every detail was perfect, and I couldn't have been happier with the final result. I would recommend her to any bride without hesitation! read more

Maria is an absolute miracle worker! I was recently in my best friend's wedding and we picked out a stunning dress for the five of us to wear. I, however, was devastated when my bridesmaid's dress arrived. The waist was perfect, but the bodice was HUGE on me and it was far too long. Finding Maria was an absolute godsend! Not only did she take in the dress where it needed to be taken in, we added straps, chopped off about 4 inches of extra fabric, cut out a second lining of the dress, and did A LOT of work on the bodice to make it fit. On top of her exceptional skills in that regard, Maria made sure that I was comfortable, felt beautiful, and really took the time to listen to my suggestions and how I wanted the dress to fit. If you want quality work for a formal dress in Portland, look no further. Maria is one of the kindest women that I have had the chance to encounter and her work is top-notch. After three fittings and many hours, I took home a dress that was comfortable, fit like a glove, and that I was very excited to wear. I look forward to working with Maria again in the future! read more

After getting called to pick up my wedding dress from my original seamstress because it was too difficult to alter, I was panicked. I had 3 weeks until I left to elope in Italy and my dress was 2 sizes too big and needed about 8 inches taken off in length. Maria was my angel. My dress had very intricate lace and was not an easy project but Maria was able to work her magic and make my dress fit like a glove. She was extremely knowledgeable and experienced so she was able to help me thin the bottom layer to make it less heavy and altered the length by cutting and replacing the lace just perfectly! I'm just 3 short weeks, lots of hard work, and many late nights she turned my frumpy dress into my dream wedding dress. If you are looking for alterations for lace Maria is hands down the best person for the job! Maria is absolutely amazing and I couldn't recommend her enough. read more

Marie Antoineta to the rescue! My daughter's gown ($2500 designer dress) needed major alterations because the first seamstress practically ruined it. Thank goodness We found Maria. We are new to Portland or we would have located her sooner. Well, she had about five weeks to redesign my daughter's gown. She worked so diligently and creatively and we were stunned what a spectacular job she did. You have to understand that Maria is not just a seamstress, but a true designer, When you enter her shop, you are surrounded by beautiful couture. She has designed and executed many finished products. They are exquisite. Matching ensembles of dress and coat. She can take your ideas, develop a one-of-a-kind outfit and you will look devine. Do NOT look anywhere else, head straight to Maria Antoineta's Bridal, old downtown Portland. Diane Merrill, Plymouth, MA read more

Maria is the consummate professional. She carries only the best fabrics and has the keen eye to put the right fabrics together. I met Maria with a few ideas and pictures of gowns I liked. With her stylish eye and professional artistry, she created the perfect dress for my morning wedding. Pictures do not do it justice. Most of all, it fit like a glove. A special thanks to the fabulous Maria for spending hours with me at the last fitting. You would not let me leave until every aspect of the dress was perfect.....and it was. You were comforting when I was being a nervous bride and somehow I knew it would all turn out well. There is nothing like wearing a dress designed and customer made for you. I will definitely be returning for another "occasion" dress next year. Thank you....thank you.....thank you! You are the greatest! read more

Maria is absolutely incredible. She is an artist an absolute master of her craft. She took my wedding dress (extensive beading and silk chiffon) that was gorgeous but ill-fitting and turned it into elegant, sexy, and comfortable perfection! I cannot even begin to tell you how much she altered this dress. She made it open back, she built an internal elastic band so it hugged my curves, she made it fitted to my bust so I did not have to wear a bra, she made it quarter length sleeved and hemmed (while keeping all the detailed beading!!!) Not only did she make my dress better than I could have imagined but she was immensely communicative, kind, warm, and affordable. I genuinely feel that she was like a wedding fairy godmother- always there with positivity and a hug!! I love this woman, and you will too!!!! read more

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the service I received with Maria Antonieta. My alterations appointment in Massachusetts where I moved from was canceled last minute 2 months before my wedding, and Maria Antonieta took on the challenge of altering my difficult gown on this constricted time frame with her already packed schedule. My lacy dress had to be altered several sizes down (I had lost 40 pounds since I bought it) but Maria Antonieta handled this like the true expert she is with absolute care, respect, and brilliant artistry. I cannot imagine going to anyone else with my dress; Maria was so kind and reassuring to work with and her work is immaculate. My dress fit me like a glove at the end and the extensive lacework and hook Maria Antonieta sewed in for the train were stunning. read more

We are delinquent in writing to rave about Maria. Our daughter found herself in one of those unthinkable situations where the seamstress in San Fran told her that dress she special ordered could not be altered to fit her - 2 weeks before her wedding and days before she was to fly east. She scrambled and found a gorgeous dress in a second hand store but it needed to be fitted and have some minor repairs. with limited options she bought it and found Maria who despite working night and day to fill other orders squeezed her in. Someone picked up the dress while we were at the rehearsal dinner and it was absolutely glorious. What a work of art. She is an artist and a miracle worker and you will not find anyone this talented in any city. Thank you Maria - Michelle & Emily L read more

Maria was amazing. She helped me bring my grandmothers vintage dress back to life with a modern twist for my rehearsal dinner. She started by taking out the shoulder pads and cutting the sleeves up a bit from my elbow and she did everything by eye and even cut the lace while I was wearing it. She is a perfectionist and extremely detail oriented. She listens and can read your personality to make the dress 'you'! I wish I had had known of her earlier as I would have loved for her to do my wedding dress! She was so sweet though and added a loop to my wedding dress to be able to dance and show off the train (as I was not super happy with my bustle from another seamstress). I would absolutely recommend her! She is such a sweet person and an amazing at what she does. read more

A wedding dress that has been touched by Maria has been imbued with magic. Maria's superior design and tailoring skills are a combination of Old World European training and modern fashion sensibility. Much more than that, however, is her ability to understand the bride's vision and then translate it into the perfect wedding dress. I trusted Maria to take apart my own treasured wedding dress in order to create a new one for my daughter. It was a trust well-placed: The result is beyond anything we could have hoped for. Throughout the entire process of discussion, design, and fittings, Maria made my daughter feel so beautiful and special- just like the dress she created. read more

Maria did an incredible job with some fine detail work on my wedding dress! She was so kind, responsive, and reassuring. It's obvious when you step into her shop and first speak with her that Maria is a professional with lots of experience taking care of special garments - not to mention the people who will be wearing them. She not only skillfully completed the job that I needed (invisibly, on the sheer lace of a wedding gown), but also made a suggestion for a small change on another part of the gown. I decided to make this change, and I'm so glad I did - it made the dress feel even more personalized and special. I had a great experience working with Maria! read more

I'm currently meeting with Maria for the complicated alteration of my beautiful, one of a kind wedding dress that belonged to a family member. I'm so grateful that my friend recommended Maria- she is wonderful, and Portland is so fortunate to have her skill here in our small city. Maria is experienced and insightful, carefully handling the gown and asking thoughtful questions that assured me that I was in good hands. Leaving my first appointment with Maria I felt that I had met my fairy godmother. I highly recommend Maria for design, alteration and consultation. The new location at 322 Fore Street on the second floor is bright, charming and convenient. read more

Maria performs miracles!!!! I bought my wedding dress online three months before my wedding day, and even though Maria was overbooked, she agreed to do the alterations on my dress. My dress did NOT fit my chest at all, and she was able to redesign the entire bust area of my dress by adding fabric she had that matched my dress perfectly! She also did a very unique bustle that I got so many compliments on. She is truly an artist, and her work is immaculate! She is also such a kind person. Maria reassured me about my dress at every fitting, and her work gave me so much confidence for my big day! Thank you so much!! read more

Maria was amazing and saved the day with my wedding dress. The dress was a very delicate silk, and she was able to not only squeeze me in last minute in the two weeks before my wedding, but she was also able to make significant corrections to the tailoring of the dress that hadn't been done properly at the shop where I purchased it. Maria was so careful and meticulous in making sure the dress fit perfectly and that the train fell exactly how I envisioned, and she was such a pleasure to work with. You can really tell that she cares about her clients, and her skills are superb. read more

Maria was a Godsend to me when my son was getting married. I had a hard time finding a dress so I ordered one online. With only a week to work with, Maria fit me into her very busy schedule, making time for me and the dress perfect! Not only does her work speak for itself, she is kind, lovely and so incredibly stylish and elegant! Just like a favorite hairdresser, you will want to keep her forever!! I look forward to working with her again in the very near future, when I take that gown back to her to shorten it into a cocktail dress! She is amazing! read more

I love Maria and I love my gown! She crafted my mother's 40 year old wedding gown and veil into the perfect dress for me! She made extensive modifications to the back of the dress to make it fit and you never would have known, her work is incredibly polished. Her final touch was my custom Obi, which I never would have thought of without her! She made me feel right at home and has a big heart, you don't meet people like her every day. If you're looking for an extremely talented seamstress who is creative and wonderful to work with look no further! read more

I have been working with Marie for decades. She is my "go to girl!" Over the past 3 decades, I bring all my alterations for fine clothing to Marie. She always makes my clothing fit me perfectly, and makes me walk away knowing I am going to look as good as I possibly can! She can tackle any job, and correct any mistakes made by other tailors. She is a magician. Marie is passionate about her work, not to mention, one of the nicest people I have ever met! If I could have given her more than 5 stars, I would have! read more

Maria is a godsend. She turned my beautiful wedding gown into a masterpiece. It took five fittings, endless hours of diligent work on her part, and her immeasurable talent to make my dress what it is today. She is not only a master at her craft, but also funny, kind, thoughtful, and a complete sweetheart. Maria is flexible when it comes to booking appointments, communicative about her process, and over delivers. I would recommend Maria to any bride looking to find a seamstress she can trust. Maria is THE one! read more