Wedding Blog
I have been holding off posting about this until I had somewhat of a happy ending for you, and this weekend I bought a second dress so here it goes:
Do you remember about a month ago when I posted that my dress was on its way? And do you also remember when I blogged about my horrible dress shopping experience at the store where they wouldn’t let me take pictures? Well, that seems to be a handy tactic if you are a store who SENDS BRIDES THE WRONG WEDDING DRESS!
When the dress that was sent to me finally came I was shocked and disappointed to see that it was not the same dress that I had ordered. I was so shocked that I really didn’t know what to say or do, so I did nothing for about a week. It just laid there on the guest bed in its white garment bag, all lonely and sad like. It isn’t a horrible dress, and after I forced myself to at least try it on I discovered that it did actually fit and it was sort of flattering, but it just isn’t the dress I ordered.
I tried really hard to just accept that this was one of those bumps in the road that no one but me and my Mom would know about but I just couldn’t help feeling sad. As I said before, the dress wasn’t really high up on my priority list but still, I liked the dress I found because it was simple, sort of fun and completely “me”. This new dress, while similar, had way too much beading on it and there are now flowers on the bodice where before there were none. I am not a flowery kind of girl. It also has a fairly long train and, since I am getting married in a park, the fact that the dress I tried on in the store didn’t have a train was one of the things that I really liked about it.
After three weeks of silent torture I finally spoke up to my Mom and said that I wasn’t happy settling for this dress. “Thank God!” she said. “I wasn’t going to say anything because I was trying to be supportive but I don’t like it either!”. This made me feel a little bit better - not so unreasonable. I still didn’t know what to do though. It had already been three weeks since they sent the dress - if I complain now will my argument be as strong as it would have been had I called the moment I discovered that the dress was the wrong one? And, if I am not going to wear this dress - what will I wear?
Well, today I went back to NWL, the lovely store where I actually had a nice dress shopping experience and found that dress that just wasn’t “the one”, and I bought that dress that wasn’t “the one”. YIKES! What am I doing? I totally can not afford to spend another $1500 without knowing that I will get my money back from the first dress! Still, I did it. Nadia Williamson (the owner of the store and such a nice girl) gave me a very good deal so that made it a bit more tolerable but I am still in trouble if the first store won’t take the original dress back. I’ll keep you posted on how that discussion goes…
Anyhow, here are some pictures. Please remember that I am not wearing proper undergarments in either of these dresses 
.
This is the original, but wrong, dress. It hasn’t been steamed out yet so it wouldn’t look that wrinkly or puckered on the big day and it would still have to be altered somewhat. I also have the option of going strapless in this one.
And this is the new dress. It is actually a size too big so it will have to be altered quite a bit but the lovely Nadia is holding it in for me here. It is quite simple but elegant I think, even if it has a long train. Does the horizontal ribbon break up my body too much? I worry that it will make me look bigger than I actually am.
What do you think? Did I do the right thing by buying a new dress? Which do you think is more flattering? Do I have a hope in hell of getting the money back from the first one considering, since I have no pictures, that I have no proof of how wrong it is?
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I like the new one a lot better actually - I think it flatters you more than the other one. Great taste!
YIKES that’s horrible - I’m so sorry you had to go through that!!!!
That said - I also far prefer the 2nd one! It’s much more flattering, not to mention you actually look HAPPY in it! My take on dresses has always been that while I don’t care that much about “the dress,” I reeeally do care about feeling good and confident - and if the first dress wasn’t doing that, then I think you were 10000% right to get a new one.
I agree that your chances of getting money back are less good since you’ve had the first dress so long though…I would just try your hardest and if all else fails - ebay! It’s brand new and never worn with tags still on (right?) so I bet you can get back a good percentage on it. But YELL at the store a LOT first and try and get your money back!!!!!
I like the new one, too! Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have thought about the ribbon if you hadn’t mentioned it…but since you did…I can see where it would simply draw attention to your midsection. Not a bad thing, though! The dress will look gorgeous on you with or without the ribbon!
And as far as returning the other dress…do you have a receipt? You shouldn’t have a problem returning it if you have a receipt saying what you purchased, and then show them the dress you actually received.
Good luck!!
Great decision! I’m like you, not wanting flowers, a ton of beading, etc. so I know how you feel. Beyond getting a dress that you feel is more “you,” it actually does flatter you much much more. I love it! And btw, I think the ribbon looks great.
Good luck with trying to get your money back with the original dress. Was there a contract that stated which designer/style you bought? Even if they won’t take it back, you could try to sell it online….
The second dress is far more flattering. The band actually hits you in a great place and give you nice waist definition, elongating your torso.
I love it!
you look a lot happier and prettier in the second dress
good call!
i like the second one a lot better! i like the clean lines of it. i’m not super into beading and flowery stuff myself, so i can relate. good job finding a great second dress!
The second one is gorgeous on you! You look amazing in it– maybe the awful dress shop screw-up is a good thing in the end?
Something I have found in the wedding industry is that because most people get married only once, they realize they won’t need the services of bridal salons or caterers or whatever again. So they don’t take the time to complain and ask the store for a correction or refund. For every future bride out there - bring the problem to their attention! Perhaps it was an employee who made a mistake, give them a chance to fix it. Or maybe its a repeated problem that the BBB needs to be made aware of - try your best to get this resolved so that other brides either avoid this salon or are spared the problem because the salon is aware of the problem area.
I love the new dress–you look gorgeous! Although I actually like the first one, too. I really don’t think you could go wrong in either dress. You’re going to make such a beautiful bride!
i love the second dress…and i actually really like the ribbon! you look beautiful and so happy in it! i’m so sorry that you had to go through all that with the first dress. good luck with everything~
i love the new one! i think you look fantastic in it, and that ribbon is just enough detail…very elegant, and it draws attention to your hourglass shape, which is very flattering!
sorry this was such a bad experience!
The second dress definitely looks better, I really like it (with the ribbon, definitely)! Good luck on working with the first store. I hope you can get at least some of your money back somehow.
Oohh, so pretty. I like the second one so much better. What a beautiful back! And the ribbon makes the dress. Where it sits on you it also makes you look really tall and like you have really long legs.
The new one is gorgeous and looks amazing on you- do that one for sure. You look radiant, and the ribbon plays up how small your waist is. Great choice, and good luck dealing with the fiasco with the other store!
I definitely like the second dress better–and the ribbon, too! It’s far simpler and more elegant. Great choice!
Best of luck with getting your money back from the other shop–my fingers are crossed for you!
The material of the second dress appears to be much more forgiving. And the cut is adorable! I think the ribbon is a great little accent and gives your waist a subtle definition. Love it.
Go Bridezilla on the first shop for sending you the wrong dress. I don’t care if brides aren’t going to be repeat customers. For how much we shell out for dresses, we deserve the correct order. Good luck!
I totally love the second one on you. It is sooo much more flattering!! And your face says it all.
Good luck with the other dress (fingers crossed and knocking on wood!)
The second dress is my pick. It is a very flattering style for you. You look very elegant in it. You will be a beautiful bride. Oh and the second dress makes you SMILE!!
The new dress looks so good on you…much more flattering! Good luck with the other store…I can’t believe they did that!
I love the second one. I would speak with a lawyer about the dress shop that sent you the wrong dress.
1. you look stunning 2. you will get your money back and dont you back down about it. They sent you the wrong dress and that is there problem not yours. You must have a receipt or something that shows that what you ordered is not what you got. Even if it has been 3 weeks time is not of the essence here.
definately go back to the store and get refunded. they need to be held responsible for the mistake they made–be it an actual accident (and they simply refund you) or an employee/shop that doesn’t care (report them to the BBB). eitherway they’ll know that you’re an important customer.
i love the new dress.
it’s way more flattering, even w/ the belt at the waist.
lovely. just lovely!
I love the second dress on you
That being said, you probably shouldn’t have waited to let the first store know of their error. Being that it’s been a while, *and* you’ve bought a new dress the assumption might be made that you just changed your mind, unless there is some record of what they were supposed to order vs. what came in.
You look absolutely gorgeous in the new dress. Good choice.
2nd dress wins on you! (The narrow ribbons on the 1st dress seem too narrow in scale and busy and fussy.) The ribbon belt is nice. Ordinarily a waist sash can visually “cut you in half” and make almost anyone but a supermodel look shorter/thicker, but with the ribbon being the same color, it’s not bad that way. Even a minimalist dress needs just a little something to make it look “finished.”
Well, it seems you should be prepared to provide (if asked) a reason for delaying notifying the store of their error in sending the wrong dress (e.g., you were away on vacation, away at school, etc.). There must be some justification you can point to about the time delay between the delivery and complaint, since it’s not going to make sense to them that you hadn’t called in the complaint ASAP even if nothing could have been done about it immediately. Your receipt should clearly provide a design name/number or something you can point to. They will have to replace it with the actual dress you did order. But if you don’t want that dress either, maybe keep whichever will resell easier (once you notify the store of the error, they’ll want to replace the dress if the one they sent by accident costs more). Also you shouldn’t be asked to pay shipping for their error.
I think all the reason you need to give them about the time difference is that you were more concerned with getting a second dress, and didn’t feel that even if you had brought it to them right away that they would have been competent enough to actually exchange the wrong dress for the right one. Your main focus is on your wedding and what you need to do to make that happen the way you want it. Then you can worry about everything else. DO NOT let them make you feel like they have any right to feel inconvenienced by you. Quite the contrary.
If it was me, I would give them three choices:
1. They give you a full refund, and let you have something else from their store (veil, gloves, shoes) at a steep discount, regardless of if they wind up replacing your dress or just taking the wrong one back.
2. They give you a full refund and profusely apologize.
3. They refuse to give you a refund even after threats of being reported to the BBB, and then you tell them you will stand outside their shop and warn any potential customers of how shotty their business is. When faced with possibly losing thousands of dollars from those who hear your story, they’ll be much more willing to refund your money, and with a smile no less.
Love the second one, it looks great on you!!! As for the first dress, fight like crazy, there is no reason even waiting 3 weeks (less than 30 days) that you shouldn’t get a full refund and since they messed up the order you shouldn’t be charged for shipping or anything else. If need be report them to the better business bureau, it will help future brides to know what they are dealing with! Good Luck!!!!
I like the second dress better too, it’s more flattering to you. And, if you don’t like the train, you can always have it chopped off, you know. Make it into a stole. If you have time.
Regarding the first gown: don’t you have a receipt with the style number on it? I do. It’s possible they wrote the wrong style number down and that’s where the problem began. However, you need to deal with them. A bridal gown is not cheap, you should not have to eat the cost because they ordered you the wrong gown. Give ‘em hell. Call the Better Business Bureau. Point out that you are a blogger on a popular wedding site and that you will expose them. GET YOUR MONEY BACK. I’m sorry you had such an awful experience shopping for gowns, but I hope you learned something from it–not to let anyone treat you like that again. You deserve better. Stand up for yourself!
oh yeah, dress #2 for sure!! you look so pretty. very flattering indeed.
good luck w/ the return. threaten to sue (you are a lawyer after all) and that you’ll tell EVERYONE about your experience and will do plenty of bad marketing for them.
Thanks everyone! What wonderful support there is here in the bee community! I promise I did not try to look like those funny before/after pictures where in the before the person looks very unhappy and in the after they have huge smiles on their faces - it just sort of worked out that way. I am happy with my choice and even if I don’t get my money back from the first dress I think it was well worth it to buy the second one.
BTW, I do have a receipt from my first order and it does have a different style number than what is on the tag on the dress (145-4443 and 139-4443) but believe it or not the shop was still not very helpful. I called and spoke to the manager today. I expected an “Oh my goodness! How did that happen? We’ll get it sorted out right away” kind of response and instead I got a frustrated sigh and a “well, give me the info and I’ll look into it I guess.” What has happened to the concept of customer service I ask you dear readers? I asked for the owner to call me back when she had an answer for me. Hopefully it will all work out. If not, as some of you have suggested, there is always ebay!
I LOVE the second dress! It looks GREAT on you!!
You should get your money back. You shouldn’t have to settle for losing money a dress when they shipped you the wrong dress. I wouldn’t settle for selling it on ebay. You should write them a letter ASAP. This way you have it in writing that the number on the dress doesn’t match the receipt. Be sure to put in the letter that you called. Keep a copy of the letter.
miss pumpkin, did you pay by credit card? if so, call your company and dispute the charge asap! then tell the store you are doing it.
right decision here. #1 isn’t flattering
call your cc company and keep calling the store everyday until they give you the the refund. you will never get what you paid on ebay
You look beautiful in the second dress!! You will be a lovely bride! Personally, I LOVE the train and the ribbon detail - soooo pretty.
I’d file a complaint in small claims court if they don’t give you your money back on the first dress and I’d tell them that you plan to do so as maybe that will encourage them to do the right thing before it gets to that point. It was their error, not a “change of heart”, so to speak, on your part.
I love the 2nd one and I think it is much more flattering that the 1st picture. The ribbon defines your waist nicely and is lovely and classic. No matter what happens about getting your money back (which they should do) your smile in the 2nd dress says that you made the right choice! Congratulations on your new dress!
I love the second dress. So much prettier than the first and much more flattering. I hope that you are able to get your money back on the first. That shop seems all sorts of shadey.
I’m going to go with everyone else and say you look much better in Dress #2. I actually love the ribbon! It accentuates your waist in a really good way. You look great!
The 2nd dress is gorgeous. It’s looks amazing on you (leave the ribbon!) and very elegant. Love it!
your new dress was my dream dress!!!!!! I love that dress so much. Though it was not “the one” for me I still am in love with that dress.
Miss Pumpkin you are too nice! You should be able to get a full refund. I agree with the suggestions that others have made:
1) Call your credit card company and dispute the charge immediately (one of the reasons I pay for all wedding things on my AMEX whenever possible)!
2) Perhaps have someone else act on your behalf - I did this when I was having trouble communicating with one of my vendors: for whatever reason I just got totally flustered and couldn’t speak my mind with him…so I had one of my (very assertive, organized, competant, and articulate) bridesmaids step in and speak to him for me “on behalf of the bride”. Do you have someone (mom, sister, FMIL, BM, friend, etc) who can call this place and tell them that the bride is so upset over this gross injustice that she can’t even deal with them anymore, so now they’re going to handle it? Who knows, they might even respond better to someone who is not “so emotionally involved”.
3) DEFINITELY threaten (and/or actually notify) the BBB. The BBB is GREAT! They will contact the company and give them a chance to rectify the situation with the “complainer” before the complaint actually goes on file. Perhaps seeing that you are serious will kick their butts into gear.
Any way you look at it, this is completely horrendous, and they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it! (Oh, I also like the suggestion of hinting at the fact that you are a blogger with a wide audience)
Good luck, and congratulations on finding a great dress (the 2nd one, so fab!), even if your path was a little difficult!
ooh i think the second one is far more flattering. you look so nice in it. very pretty!
as far as the first dress is concerned.. you maybe out of lucky. but you could always ebay it or craigslist it. but on the other hand, if they totally ordered the wrong dress for you - you deserve a refund.
oooh, is that second one by mikaella? that dress is GORGEOUS! and it looks amazing on you.
good luck getting your money back on the first one.
The second dress is the best and you look gorgeous! By the way if they sent you the wrong dress they should give you your money back…go in person to the shop and discuss this with a manager. Trying to sell the dress at what it cost you is not gonna happen…The
the new one is sooooo much better! good choice and good luck!
[...] finally received the refund cheque from my first dress disaster in the mail today! It took them over 2 months to get it to me but at least it is now over and done [...]
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Mrs. Pumpkin, Saskatchewan, Canada
Blogger Since: April 10, 2007
Age and Occupation: 28, Lawyer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Farmer
Engagement Date: July 14, 2006
Wedding Date: June, 2007
About Me: I love movies, music and I am addicted to TV. When I have some spare time I also love scrapbooking and making personalized greeting cards and above all playing Hide & Seek or Duck, Duck, Goose with my two adorable nieces!
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