Seattle Wedding Dress Specialists

bespoke, couture wedding gown made with heirloom and imported fabrics to be preserved under Seattle Wedding Dress Specialists' care in March and was given an estimated 6-week turnaround. Understandably, this process may be time-consuming, and I wholly trusted their ability to deliver their promise after speaking with Will Erstead, one of the co-owners. The total cost for cleaning and preservation was $898.54. Half of the cost was to be paid upfront, and the second half was to be paid upon pickup. I expected a general update at the 6-8 week mark, but after hearing radio silence, I attempted to call multiple times (goes straight to voicemail, with different messages); left voicemails that were never returned; sent emails that were never returned; sent messages via Instagram (since their post comments are disabled); and had my partner drive by to check on the status. I was filled with dread and anxiety, thinking the worst when I never heard back -- was my dress damaged? Was it stolen? Why wasn't anyone answering my inquiries? The website instructs customers to schedule an appointment to pick up their dress, charging $50 even if their dress is not ready. I showed up without an appointment on the one day that I saw someone in the storefront. I waited for an appointment to finish up and expressed my concern that I hadn't received any communication from the business. Hearing my dismay, the customer in front of me was concerned about the timeline and asked Will about timeline expectations. Will placed the blame on their storage box vendor and did not address the business's lack of communication and failure to meet customer expectations. I asked to see my dress before it was boxed up, and Will hurriedly and covertly boxed it up in the back. I repeatedly asked to see the dress and once again addressed my concern about the business's poor communication, and not once did I receive an apology. Will unboxed my dress, only for me to see that there were stains on the hem of my dress, a broken silk button from the back of my gown, and pleats from my silk chiffon train flattened out. The gown did not look like it had undergone any professional cleaning, and I cannot be completely assured that it had undergone any preservation. It felt like Will had hoped I wouldn't see the damage. SWDS would benefit from improving communication, setting realistic expectations, sharing updates on progress or challenges to build customer trust, and taking full ownership of their mistakes. If there had been any challenges or roadblocks that kept them from delivering on their expectations, I would have understood entirely had it been communicated. Instead, I was left to wonder, agonize, and expect the worst. When I was reunited with my dress, I was aghast by the condition of my gown. For many of their customers, a wedding gown is a timeless, priceless treasure that has been entrusted under Seattle Wedding Dress Specialists' care. They have done a great disservice to me, and while I was offered a refund for their failure to meet expectations, I cannot recommend their service to anyone. I implore you to consider finding an alternative business if you wish to have your wedding dress cleaned or preserved. This review does not apply to their alterations service, which I did not receive.