Freedom Brides

nd initially received great service, the alteration process became unexpectedly costly, confusing, and emotionally exhausting. I found the perfect wedding dress right away. Jenny was warm and welcoming, and I purchased the gown for $500, with an additional $200 quoted for alterations (sleeves, length, and back adjustment). I was thrilled. A month before the wedding, I scheduled a fitting and discovered the sleeves no longer fit. Jenny re-measured my arms and confirmed my measurements hadn't changed. She admitted the situation was baffling, as only the lower part of the sleeves had been altered. I trusted her expertise and didn't anticipate that the cost of correcting this would fall on me. I returned for a second fitting on 5/7 but Jenny had a personal emergency, so she was not prepared and nothing on dress was changed and she meant to cancel me but for some reason I did not receive that message so I showed up, a 35 min drive one way. I was scheduled for a 3rd fitting on 5/14--just five days before my wedding. At that fitting, I was shocked to find completely new sleeves from a different dress, with a different pattern, attached without my consent. The back of the dress was also still incomplete. The unexpected change made me anxious, but I remained understanding and asked if some original sleeve elements could be reintroduced to maintain a cohesive look. Jenny agreed to add lace back at no extra charge. Then, on 5/16--two days later--I was blindsided by a $682.50 invoice. Jenny described the work as a "reconstruction project," citing hourly charges for the seamstress's work on the waistband, sleeves, back, fittings, corset, and more. At no point had this cost been communicated, and I had not agreed to such extensive work but ultimately it had to be done if I wanted a dress at all. Jenny referenced posted shop policies, but my unchanged measurements and lack of prior notice made the charges feel unfair. She insisted she was doing me a favor , that I should be grateful for all the work and gave me an example of a similar bride whose arm muscles grew over a weekend of moving out. I felt rushed and cornered into paying the full amount without reviewing the invoice in detail. She also warned that one more invoice would follow for that week's remaining work. Jenny said she had to leave town and delegated final coordination to the seamstress. On 5/17--just two days before the wedding--I met the seamstress to pick up the dress. She did a great job reapplying some original sleeve elements, and I was happy with the result. Jenny had promised to send the final invoice that day, but I received it a week later: an additional $341.25. She noted she'd waived charges for her own time, implying the total could have been higher. After the wedding, I carefully reviewed both invoices and found numerous inconsistencies: charges for fittings (advertised as free), work from dates I was unaware of, and charges Jenny had previously promised to waive amongst other details. I emailed her with my concerns and offered to pay a portion of the second invoice. To her credit, she responded by dismissing the invoice entirely, which I genuinely appreciated. The end result: a beautiful dress, but an experience marked by unnecessary stress, miscommunication, and surprise charges. Brides--be cautious. Ask detailed questions, confirm all pricing in writing, clarify what constitutes "adjustments," and plan fittings well in advance. Good luck, and happy wedding! Thank you, Jenny and team, for your efforts and for ultimately ensuring I had a wedding dress for my special day.