I am a bridesmaid in my friends wedding this Friday evening (6.28.13). We went to Candlelite Bridal in Sheffield, OH which is close to where the entire bridal party lives. We went there because it was close, we heard good things, and we wanted to support a local business. Never again will I make this mistake.
We went to the shop to try on dresses on 2.23.13 and each bridesmaid picked out the style they wanted in the color of the wedding. They were really busy and seemed distracted (red flag #1). They took our measurements and told us our sizes. I tried on a 16 and they told me it didn't lay right and should get an 18 (red flag #2), I said fine because I figured they knew what they were talking about. We all put down our deposits and I outright bought the Jr. Bridesmaids dress for my daughter that they had in the shop. The grooms go to the same shop and get measured for their tuxes at the beginning of May.
Then nothing. Come mid-May we start calling to see when the dresses would be in. We kept getting the run around (red flag #3) and the "Oh, it should be in at the end of the month". June rolls around and still no dresses. We are calling every other day and keep getting the, "Let me check and call you back." with no call backs, or "They'll be in next week." or "Just another day or two". Finally last Thursday the bride gets the call! But only 2 of the 4 dresses have come in!!! The other two are suppose to be in on Tuesday. I call tuesday morning to see what is going on and they told me that they were waiting for UPS to get there with the dresses. 3 hours later I get a call from the bride to come up there. They had called her to come up to the shop because there was a problem. She goes up there and her groom tries on his Tux... it's too big! Then I go up there and one of the other bridesmaids has tried on her dress... it's too big! They get to my dress and one of the other dresses... they were the wrong dresses and not the ones we ordered!!! I tried on the wrong dress that they ordered (it was a 16) and it was huge in the bust and would need major alterations. They were not willing to give me the alterations free and I would still have to pay for the balance of the dress... the WRONG dress! And the other dress that was wrong was floor legnth (we all have short dresses) and was 2 sizes bigger than the other BM ordered. They said that they would make it short for free, but she would have to pay to take it in up top. And the icing on the cake... the Bridal gowns (one ceremony and one reception) are not finished!!! They said the seamstress has been on vacation and couldn't get to it until Thursday! The day before the wedding!
Please, please please do not ever buy from them!!! If they cannot get the bridal gowns done by the end of the day on Thursday, the bride is taking them to court. I don't want to see this done to anyone else!!!