10 Days before the Wedding. Bridesmaid Drop Out

Gotcha. My guess is that you won't be financially responsible for the alterations. The original bridesmaid or the backup will be responsible. The salon may call you if they can't get in touch with the bridesmaids, but you shouldn't be financially responsible.

Also, it's hard talking to people about money troubles. She may have been embarrassed or honestly thought she would be able to pay for it. $250 sounds like a lot for alterations. There may have been sticker shock there - I know I would be surprised if I were her. Either way, I don't recommend you get involved with the salon at all. Let those two figure out what to do with the dress.

I still think it was shitty of you to allow a bridesmaid to be replaced. The cousin probably feels terrible, she's only in the wedding so the dress didn't go to waste...

Wow, so much judgement here.

No, it is not your responsibility OP, just let it go. The other two ladies will have to figure it out between themselves. You have enough on your plate right now, so put it out of your mind. I am sorry that you are just now finding out so close to your wedding, but this is one of those things that you just have to let roll off your back.

How does it make me shitty if they both came to talk to me about the situation and asked me to let her participate because the original bridesmaid didnt want her dress to go to waste and she volunteered. She was told of these costs before she agreed to say yes to alterations. You cant tell me im the shitty one who basically let a seamstress take apart a dress and make almost a new one for it to fit her. Im not the shitty one here. She knew before saying yes to alterations.

Thanks @cantwait4thedate

Wait!! She knew alterations would cost $250 before she agreed to be a BM?

To avoid additional drama, tell her that you're sorry she can't be in the wedding and that you understand. Let her come as a guest, since she got an invitation and move on. I don't recommend you contact the salon asking about the dress, or mentioning the dress to either of them. Let them deal with the dress and you focus on marrying your FH.

For some people, their word is their bond. For other people, their word is just a bunch of meaningless words. I'm sorry you ran into this mess. I wouldn't have accepted that cousin's offer to be a replacement (or your friend's suggestion), but I can understand why you thought it would work out...so really, no judgment there. Listen, it's going to be okay. Your wedding will go on and however many BMs walk, all eyes will be on you. Stop stressing yourself out over any of this.

As far as the dress, you were not the customer -- not the original purchaser, and not the individual who took the dress in for alterations. My guess is that the seamstress will go after the cousin. I don't think there's a chance that she a potential action against you. She was one the who was measured and, I assume, the individual who signed the contract/purchase order/work order/whatever. Hopefully, the seamstress was wise enough to ask for a credit card number to keep on file, because frankly, it's just wrong to leave her unpaid and with a dress that has been custom fitted and is useless to anyone besides the person it was altered to fit.

ETA: As far as the $250 figure is concerned, I'm not sure that's a ridiculous price. I can barely thread a needle, so in my opinion, someone who can expertly custom alter clothing is worth her price tag -- especially if, as the OP said, the woman basically took a formal dress apart and remade it. Yeah, I could see that costing the customer a few hundred bucks.

This whole story is kind of odd. So the replacement BM, was this someone close to you? Or did she just happen to kind of fit the dress?

She probably doesn't want to pay the $250. I wouldn't, that's a crazy price for alterations. Anyhow if she ordered the work, then I guess it's on her.

Wow. Yep stay out of it and worry about your stuff and let them sort that craziness out.

I'd be pissed @ $250 in alterations just so "a dress didn't go to waste". WTF... bridesmaids dresses aren't even supposed to cost that much let alone that much in alterations alone. At the point she's not even stepping in to save the dress... sounds like they hand threaded it together piece-by-piece into an entirely different dress for that price.