I live in California, but my whole family lives in Washington, so I found a cute little boutique close to my home town that sells Cocomelody dresses (super budget friendly but still stunning). The shop was fairly new and didn’t have many review, but the ones they had were good, so we felt it was promising. The first try-on experience was wonderful. I was the only appointment for the day so I got to try on whatever I wanted and wasn’t given a time limit, which was super helpful because I had no idea what I wanted. And then I found “the one.” There were happy tears and hugs and lots of pictures taken, and then it was on to measurements and paperwork. The shop owner told us that she would hold off on placing the order until their Labor Day sale (three weeks from that day) so we could get the sale price since I wouldn’t be able to come back into town for the actual sale. She then told us that with the dress being ordered in September, it should arrive to the shop no later than December. We left the shop feeling so excited and grateful to the shop for being so kind and accommodating, and going above and beyond for us. Not to mention I was on a high from finding my dream dress, with so much time to spare! I couldn’t have been happier.
Fast forward to December. I hadn’t heard from the bridal salon owner or her assistant with any updates about the dress and was getting a little anxious, so I reached out to see if it had arrived at the salon yet. It took me calling and leaving multiple voicemails and emails before I finally got a response. The shop owner’s assistant informed me that unfortunately there was a miscommunication with the manufacturer and there was a delay in production because of it. Since the dress was being made overseas in Japan, she said factories take December and most of January off for the holidays, so my dress was delayed and wouldn’t be to the shop now until February. I figured that sounded odd, but somewhat reasonable, so I decided to just be patient and wait until February.
February comes along and, once again, no update from the shop. So I call and leave voicemails and emails again, and finally get a response from the owner herself days later, saying that she’s so sorry but there was yet another delay. The dress was now set to arrive at the shop at the end of April. She sent me the manifest from the manufacturer and it showed the estimated date of arrival, so I booked a trip back up to WA for early May to FINALLY try on my dress.
I get to the salon in May and finally get to try on my dress, and just as I expected it’s too long (I’m 5’ tall) and the bust was too large, but I was assured all of this could be fixed no problem by their in house seamstress. The seamstress happened to be the owners daughter, which wasn’t a surprise, it’s a family owned business. The owner called and asked her daughter if she could pop in to take my measurements and assess the situation. Shortly after, in walks the daughter, and she doesn’t look thrilled. She kept complaining about how she had just gotten back from the gym and was covered in sweat… but she got right to taking measurements and looking over the dress. She explained to me that she would hem the front of the dress and keep the train, would shorten the straps, remove the built in padding and place two darts in the bodice to help it lay flush on my rib cage. She also said she would make a bustle and cover it with lace so it wouldn’t show.
Once we confirmed the game plan, she let me know that due to other projects she already had lined up, she wouldn’t be able to start on my dress until end of June. I was a little nervous about the time frame as my wedding is set for the middle of October, but she assured me that she would have it done no later than end of July, beginning of August. Now, due to my inability to travel back up to WA for more fittings, I knew there as a possibility that it wouldn’t be 100% perfect, but with the timeline she gave me, I would have plenty of time to find someone in my area to take care of any additional alterations if they were needed.
Once again, I don’t hear from the shop, and it’s now the middle of August. I send yet another email asking about where we are at with the dress, and the owner respond saying she’s sorry and that her daughter fell behind. She asked if I could send over my measurements just to double check everything, so I do. At this point, I’m getting very concerned with all of these delays, and it’s not adding up. I decided to go back and check the manifest she had sent me back in February. Upon further inspection, I noticed that the shop didn’t place the order for my dress in September like they had said, but in December THE DAY I REACHED OUT TO THEM. So, the delay wasn’t with the manufacturer, but because they forgot to place the actual order. I was FUMING, but there was nothing I could do about it now except just pray that my dress would arrive in time.
Again, radio silence around the time my dress is supposed to be shipped out to me. So I reach out. Again. But this time I don’t get a response. So I try again, and nothing. So my Mother sends her an email and a text, and what do you know, not even ten minutes later I get an email from the owner saying “So sorry for the delay, my daughter is finishing up the dress tonight! I will ship it tomorrow and send you the tracking info once I send it.” Super fishy sounding…This was last Monday. The next day, no email, no tracking number. My mom texts her again asking about the dress and why neither of us have heard from her. And again minutes later I get an email from the owner saying “So sorry! I didn’t realize my daughter and her kids were sick, so she didn’t take the dress to the post office! I promise I will ship it tomorrow and send you the tracking.” At this point, I’m livid, but still trying to remain hopeful. I’m three weeks from my wedding, I need this to work out. FINALLY the next day I get a tracking number and it says the dress will be to me on Monday the following week.
Which brings us to today. Tuesday. I had the dress shipped to my sister-in-law’s because I didn’t want my FH to peak at it. So I go over after work to FINALLY try it on, and my anxiety was through the roof. I get there and see first thing, the box is comically small, like I couldn’t believe they actually fit my dress in such a small box. When I open it, I see that the dress is sitting there, not in a garment bag, but loosely wrapped in clear plastic sitting on top of the garment bag. No padding, no tissue, no protection whatsoever. My heart was already sinking. Then I tried it on. I immediately burst into tears…
The dress was somehow too short on the front on one side, and too long on the other. The hem of the tulle layer was not only cut unevenly, but so jagged that it looked like it was chopped with dull kitchen scissors. The bodice wasn’t touched. She never removed the padding, there were no darts put in place. There was so much gaping that the front of the dress literally didn’t touch my skin. She took too much fabric off the straps so the dress was gaping on the front but somehow super tight on the shoulders and I’m the armpits. Where she took in the straps, the seams were unfinished with raw edges and loose threads sticking out the sides. I could have torn them apart with my bare hands. She didn’t even leave extra fabric if I needed to let them out… The bustle was made from cheap elastic that looked like it was just thrown in a random spot on the back, not even attempted to be hidden by lace, and attached to a giant clear button that sits to the right of the zipper. Once looped around the button, the train was so heavy that the loop kept trying to pop off the button. It looked like she spent maybe a few hours on the few things she actually did, and what she did do is so poorly done that it can’t be repaired…
I’m two weeks away from my wedding having to scramble for a new dress, and I’m absolutely devastated… With all of this taken into consideration, would I be within reason to ask for a refund? I genuinely don’t know what to do…
**TL/DR: Poor communication from bridal salon, multiple delays, and a hack job later, my wedding dress is ruined with two weeks left until my wedding. I want to ask for a refund, but don’t know if I can…
P.S. If you took the time to read this whole thing, you are my kind of people and I appreciate you going on this rollercoaster ride of a read with me.
