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BM Dress/Bridal Boutique DRAMA - Thoughts?

ccandelaccandela member
Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
in New Jersey
Several months ago, my bridesmaids and I picked out the Bari Jay 103 bridesmaids dress.  It's lovely.  Last week it came into the shop and I went with two of my bridesmaids to try on the dresses.  As it turns out they were both wayyy too tight.  The girls had not gained weight or anything (they were remeasured which confirmed this) so the only conclusion that we could come to was that they were wrongly made.  Here is where the drama begins. 

The seamstress/owner acted as if it was no big deal and said she would just let the dresses out as much as possible so that they fit the girls. I was flabbergasted and said that I didn't want to risk the chance that the dresses would rip or split at the seams on the day of the wedding.  It was obviously a manufacturing mistake so they should go back to there to be fixed, or we should be issued new ones.  Her response was and I quote, "Do you know where these dresses are made? China." As if that was supposed to clear everything up.  I almost lost it and said, I don't care where these dresses were made or who they were made by.  It's not like we paid $10, my girls paid $200 per dress and the quality should reflect that.  I finally got her to agree to send the dresses back to Bari Jay but they won't be back until MARCH 22nd!! My wedding is on April 9th and this has me freaking out.  

I really don't know what to do but what I have learned from this experience is this:

Bridesmaids gowns are badly made and not worth the amount of money people shell out on them.  The process to get, alter, fix these dresses is arduous and time consuming.  And next time I get married (jk) or I'm in a wedding, I will buy off the rack at Macy's or Nordstrom or Lord & Taylor.  

If anyone has any suggestions on what we can do or has been in a similar situation please let me know. 

Thanks, 
Cat

Update: The remaining girls tried on the dresses today and fortunately, they all fit well.  Truthfully, the all looked spectacular -- the dress really is pretty... A little more calmly this time, I talked to the owner and she assured me that the dresses will be in in time for the wedding and she would do everything in her power to make sure all the bridesmaids look spectacular on the day of the wedding.  I feel better now, especially since my mom's dress was ordered there as well as the tuxedos!  
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Re: BM Dress/Bridal Boutique DRAMA - Thoughts?

  • maddie7maddie7 member
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    What bridal shop are you dealing with?  Sorry for your issues! I guess I lucked out in that department, but I made she the dresses were one $140.
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  • cindy91788cindy91788
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011

    Well, it is itrue that the dresses, and most wedding gowns are made in China, that is why it takes a long time to receive them after ordering them.
    I don't really think the seamstress was wrong in offering to alter them, rather then sending them back to the company or ordering new ones, due to it being in China. It is not suprising that the dresses wont be back until March 22nd because of that. You still run the risk of the dresses not fitting properly when you get them back from China, and then the time will be crunched on getting them altered (even if the girls need hems done, that will take some time). You might have been better off just having her let them out - if she said she could let them out, then they more than likely would've fit ok.

    I was in a wedding in December, and we had purchased our gowns from Nordstrom, but it was far from easier than buying from a bridal salon. We went to a few different Nordstroms, and they only had 1 or 2 dresses in each store, in a size 2. She had 5 bridesmaids, of all different sizes, so we had to order them off the website, and hope that the fit. The first dress I received, was way too small. Nordstrom said I could return it to the store for a quicker refund (and the store was 45 minutes from my house). But of course the store didn't have any dresses, so I had to order a bigger size. When that dress came, it was still a little tight. At that point, I just gave up, and was able to fit into it for her wedding.

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  • smw42smw42 member
    2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    Have you looked at the size chart for the designer? Is it possible that the store ordered the incorrect size based on the girls measurements. I was recently measured for a BM dress and they ordered two sizes up from my normal pants size because of the odd sizing.

    I think this is a problem with the bridal store and not with bridesmaid gowns as a whole. Is it possible for you to cancel/dispute the entire order and buy gowns off the rack at a JCrew or that type? How many girls do you have? I would not be confident waiting until March 22nd for the gowns to come in based on the experience you've had thus far with the bridal store.
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  • GiaspoGiaspo member
    Knottie Warrior 1000 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    Where did you buy the gowns?  I'm glad she agreed to send them back.  Don't worry - March 22nd sounds close but hopefully they will expedite everything and it will be OK. 

    I literally just made an appointment for this weekend to order THE SAME EXACT DRESS for my girls.  What color did you order?  Do you like the dress?
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  • Heather822Heather822
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_new-jersey_bm-dressbridal-boutique-drama-thoughts?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:90Discussion:2545aca7-eef5-4677-af42-addd86503124Post:afee61da-0634-4bab-a2dc-1a7164086bcc">Re: BM Dress/Bridal Boutique DRAMA - Thoughts?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Have you looked at the size chart for the designer? Is it possible that the store ordered the incorrect size based on the girls measurements. I was recently measured for a BM dress and they ordered two sizes up from my normal pants size because of the odd sizing. I think this is a problem with the bridal store and not with bridesmaid gowns as a whole. Is it possible for you to cancel/dispute the entire order and buy gowns off the rack at a JCrew or that type? How many girls do you have? I would not be confident waiting until March 22nd for the gowns to come in based on the experience you've had thus far with the bridal store.
    Posted by smw42[/QUOTE]

    <div><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#008080">I definitely agree with Sherri!!!!</font></div>
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  • ccandelaccandela member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    @maddie7 - I PMed you the name of the bridal shop.  I don't want to publicly trash them... at least not until i know how this is going to turn out...

    @Giaspo -- The dress really is lovely.  Good luck with your dresses.  I would have liked a darker shade of eggplant but i guess chiffon tends to run lighter... 

    @Heather and Sherri -- My sister is handling this (thank god for her) but I will suggest that she ask about canceling the whole order... 

    Thanks everyone!


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  • MissButtersMissButters
    100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    If it makes you feel any better, we had the same problem with my BM dresses (Mori Lee).  Only one fit without any alterations, and even she said she couldn't gain an ounce.  All three other girls had their dresses let out.  One was let out a lot (probably two sizes - that's how off they were).  They all looked fine and no one had a rip or anything.  Getting new dresses wasn't an option considering they didn't come in till the middle of Sept. and the wedding was beginning of Nov.  If it's only an inch I would just have them let out (and maybe see if the bridal shop will
    cover the costs)?

    Edit: and now I know the value of ordering from Ann Taylor or JCrew or something.  Knowing what I know now and if I had to do it again, I'd go that route instead of a 'Bridesmaid' dress.  I was trying to save money for everyone (the dress was $130), but I think my sister might have spent more on the alterations than the dress itself.  Boo.
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  • GiaspoGiaspo member
    Knottie Warrior 1000 Comments 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    Thanks so much.  We are ordering eggplant too and my only hesitation is that it is going to be too light. 

    Good luck with everything!!  If you decide to cancel the order altogether, I saw beautiful eggplant bridesmaid dresses at nordstrom.com.  Or, maybe you could order backup dresses online, then return them if the Bari Jay ones don't work out? 
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  • cindy91788cindy91788
    500 Comments
    edited December 2011
    testing.... can you see this?
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  • kasabbykasabby
    5000 Comments Sixth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I agree with Sherri as well. I would try to cancel the whole order and see if you can just find another place to get the dresses so you know they will be here with no problem.
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  • TaraK22TaraK22 member
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Comments
    edited December 2011
    @Giaspo and CCandela - I am having my 5 girls wear different dresses from the Bari Jay line, and one is 103! And I'm doing eggplant too! I posted several months ago about how Bari Jay f'ed up my order a bit as well......sucky!
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