Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

Well, I have been dealing with a less than forward, in my opinion, very shady bridal shop for the last 3 months! In retrospect, this is my fault since I didn't listen to my 'inner voice' that was screaming to not do business with these people but I just need to warn anyone that is thinking about doing business with the Bridal Couture of Manhasset.

I walked into the Bridal Couture 3 months ago and fell in LOVE with a dress. It was just so perfect but I couldn't/wouldn't afford it. It was very expensive. So the shop said I could purchase the sample for half the price. The sample was in relatively good shape (one spot on the back and front) so I agreed to do it with a stipulation that the spot on the front would come out. I fought them tooth and nail about making the sale contingent on the spot in the back coming out but we met in the middle agreeing that if it didn't come out we would apply an applique to it in lace (I loved how it looked). Also the back of the dress had pulls on it due to the fact that they put the clips on it...the store said those would come out when we take it in and I stupidly I believed them. Now the owner created a HUGE scene in the store at this time. Saying you can't see the spot on the back so she wouldn't make the sale contingent on it coming out. My best friend, who is also a phycologist tried mediating and the owner, with nothing else to retort, just said can't you see you are making her very upset! She continued to berate me with various degrading comments such as I wish I never agreed to do business with you, etc...in the middle of the store! 5 people walked out at that point. So she had half my money, in cash, at this point and I couldn't back out. So we wrote the 2 things on the contract and left it at that...Now fast forward to Saturday!
Saturday I inspect the dress and there are various NEW pulls on the dress that were never there....She insisted they were always there but I have pictures and they are not there! Then I inspect where the spot was on the front of the dress and well yes it is out BUT there is a lighter spot in it's place. When the cleaners took the spot out the place where they treated it got lighter! When I told the owner this she said well I upheld my part of the contract, the spot is out so no refunds, take your dress! I was irate....I just kept my cool and said that this is not the dress I ordered and I am not taking it...well she held her ground and swore she upheld her end of the contract ...no refunds! I was stuck....Now I tried on the dress and you CANNOT see the spot at all (it is the size of a pea) on or unless you are really inspecting the dress but still can you believe that!?! In all fairness she did offer to put the money I paid for the sample toward a new dress at an additional cost of over $1,600 more! I would not give this women another dime of my money! (Mind you I have been dealing with the owner all along-noone can do ANYTHING without the owner). So I walked out of her store with a huge bad taste in my mouth and my dress.
The way I figure it is this women lost out on over $12,000. My best friend is getting married in June and she was going to get her dress from them. So you add up Bridesmaid dresses, her dress, Mother of bride, etc. I just cannot believe she has such shady business ethics...Yes I removed the spot, but at what cost? Ruining the dress. Thank god mine is not ruined in that the spot is about the size of a pea and is on the bottom of the dress but some things she was not forthright about and lied about when I asked her about now have to be completely changed. We are redesigning the back of the dress because of it. Now I am a true believer in the saying 'everything happens for a reason'. If I did not believe this I would be going insane right now. My bright light is that I think the dress will look ten times better once we redesign it. I am excited about that BUT the way this women does business is shady at the very least. OH AND my mom was trying to appeal to her as a mother and told her about how my sis also bought a sample from David's Bridal...WELL the owner just talked down to her...'Well what do you expect they bought a dress from David's Bridal'. LIke we are not worthy. Everyone that walked into her office she brought into the conversation and belittled my mom for buying a dress from David's Bridal! WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT!?!


It is not only me. I have spoken to so many people that have had similar things happen to them their including my next door neighbor! Just be careful when dealing with these people. In my opinion, they are sharks and turned what should have been a very happy thing into a miserable experience.

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

i'm so sorry for your experience..i hope you love the dress and i'm sure it will be beautiful no matter what you see on it

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

I am so so sorry that you had to deal with this. Hopefully, the dress will end up looking gorgeous and hopefully you won't have to invest too much more money in it.

I am personally going to be really careful about where I get my dress. I've heard so many horror stories all around that it scares the crap out of me.

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

I am so sorry for the problems you are having w/ your dress. but i am glad you warned me. See, i saw a dress in Bridal Couture about 2 months ago that i fell in love with, but i was just passing by and not ready to really start shopping (my wedding is in 06). When i inquired about the dress, the lady was pretty friendly and told me the designer was having another trunk show in Novemeber and i should come back then when i had more time. so i made an appointment. but the truth of the matter is that i am very hesitant about going since i have heard so many shady things about them. and now you are one more person that has had a horrible experience. see, i am so excited about buying my wedding gown (like every girl) and i don't want to have to stress out about that at all (already have enough) so i was thinking of playing it safe and cancelling so i don't get my heart set on a dress and then have all these really bad experiences!!!!
the only thing is that i was having trouble finding another salon in the area of nassau/brooklyn that carries that designer, and i really like the designer. so you can see my dilema. the only other one was the Wedding Salon of Manhasset and they don't have a great rep either. so i am stuck. just out of curiosity....who was the designer of your dress????

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

who is the desinger you're looking for??

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

Eugenia Couture

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

I'm sorry to hear about your awful experience. Thanks for sharing. I will be sure to stay away from that place when I go dress shopping. I hope it's smooth sailing with your dress from now on.

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

I must say that I am not a person to speak badly about people or places but because weddings are one of the biggest events of our lives everyone should be honest and forwarn others. SO... I had a horrible experience almost 3 years ago at Bridal Couture when I was a bridesmaid in a friends wedding. They ordered the wrong color dresses and the wroing sizes and they were not helpful and they did not admit their fault. It was so frustrating and horrible that I swore I would never step foot into the store again. Now, many of my friends are getting married and I basically forbid them to go there b/c the people are so obnoxious and it would ruin their entire experience. So far they ahve all listened and boycotted the store.

Buckles...I can only hope that the experience you had with your dress doesn't overshadow the happiness of your planning and your day!

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

---

Posted by useralison

I must say that I am not a person to speak badly about people or places but because weddings are one of the biggest events of our lives everyone should be honest and forewarn others. SO... I had a horrible experience almost 3 years ago at Bridal Couture when I was a bridesmaid in a friends wedding. They ordered the wrong color dresses and the wrong sizes and they were not helpful and they did not admit their fault. It was so frustrating and horrible that I swore I would never step foot into the store again. Now, many of my friends are getting married and I basically forbid them to go there b/c the people are so obnoxious and it would ruin their entire experience. So far they have all listened and boycotted the store.

Buckles...I can only hope that the experience you had with your dress doesn't overshadow the happiness of your planning and your day!

---

Thank you so much everyone. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Seriously, I will make the best out of the situation. My seamstress is just an absolute doll and I know that she will make the dress look amazing when it is all over. The dress is spectacular, really. I just know way too many people that have had trouble with Bridal Couture and I really just needed to let others know of my experience so that they can make an educated choice when buying there dress. Watch the sales gimmick and when entering into a contract, watch the wording. Yes the stain came out but at what cost...making the spot worse! Yes it came out so I don't have any legal standing not that I would want to mar the wedding with legalities!

How did your Bridesmaid dress situation turn out? Did they order you new ones?

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

Sorry you had sucha bad experience with them. I bought my dress from them and had a pretty good experience but I know the manager/owner you are talking about. You think she would get her act together and take some customer relations classes. Most people in there are very nice (my salewoman and seamstress were great!!!) but she is very rude and in my opinion doesn't know her business well at all. I hope your dress comes out wonderful - I am sure it will.

Re: Well, I picked up my dress-My Dress Drama Continues!

Sorry that happened to you. I also could not believe the treatment the bride (I was the MOH) got from them a few years ago. I was totally turned off by them and their attitude.

For future brides - please check the BBB about your vendors and if something doesn't feel right in your gut it's usually not....

Brides have a lot of buying power and should use it wisely.....