Great Lakes Wedding Gown Specialists

wedding in Mexico for a cleaning and press. My dress was a sample gown purchased off the rack, and the bridal boutique provided a certificate for a free cleaning. Since the boutique recommended this business and they advertise themselves as “wedding gown specialists,” I didn’t hesitate to trust them with my dress. The cleaning and pressing took two weeks, and I picked up my gown a week before leaving for Mexico. At pickup, the clerk unzipped the garment bag, asked me if it was my dress, and then zipped it back up. I was not asked to inspect it—only to identify it. I went directly to my seamstress for a final alteration, and that’s when the issues became apparent. The beading on the straps now had loose threads hanging, and my seamstress immediately expressed concern. She stated the straps had been perfect before going to the cleaners, but now gemstones were loose and missing. She also said the dress appeared to have been tumbled, as there were new snags that had not been there previously. When I got home and inspected my gown more closely, I was devastated. Parts of the straps were clearly melted, gems were missing or loose, and my once-perfect dress was damaged. I immediately called the cleaners on Saturday morning (three days before leaving for Mexico) and was told to bring the dress in. I drove from Byron Center to Holland again to show them the damage. During that visit, the sales representative confirmed that dresses are placed in garment bags and tumbled as part of their cleaning process. She also acknowledged that the straps felt melted compared to my original fabric swatch and suggested it may have been caused by heat from the iron. On Monday morning, I received a text from the owner stating they were not responsible for the damage because I had “inspected” the dress before leaving the store—which is simply not true. I was never asked to inspect it. Why would I think to closely examine delicate straps if the dress was only supposed to be cleaned and pressed? The owner offered to replace the straps, but the materials available on such short notice were clearly inferior to the original. With less than 24 hours before flying to Mexico, this was not an acceptable solution. I ultimately asked for a refund of the $90 pressing fee, especially since the damage cost me well over $200 in additional fabric, seamstress work, and travel expenses. That request was refused. The stress, time, and emotional toll this caused right before my wedding were overwhelming. I strongly advise brides to go elsewhere for wedding dress services. This experience was not worth the “free” cleaning that came with my gown.