I cannot, in good conscious, recommend The Alteration House. My entire experience there with my wedding gown was a living nightmare. Me and 4 of my bridesmaids took our dresses here for alterations. My first fitting was okay. They did some pinning after we discussed my vision for the fit. My second appt, my dress had been altered, though was still entirely too big and ill fitting on the bust. The lower portion of my fit and flare dress was altered to flare out disproportionately and was visually lopsided, the right side flaring out about 5 inches below the left side. The seams on my chest were bulky and frayed at the neckline, and not sewn together and the seams that run vertically down my bust were now made clunky and buckled out.
Around this time a few of my bridesmaids had brought their dresses in for alterations as well. Two of them were satisfied with their minor alterations(lifting shoulder straps) and two of them have required multiple appointments to fix what, could be and should be done in 1 appt, based off of my prior experience with bridesmaid dress alterations. My third appt, 3 weeks before my wedding, I tried my dress on and still the bust was gapping and loose and the unrepaired issues mentioned on my second fitting were still present, but now the detailed back of my dress was cut along with the shoulder straps cut off, and the lopsided lower portion was now made MORE lopsided. 3 weeks before my wedding and my dress looked more disastrous each time I went back. I saw zero progress. Finally, 2 weeks before my wedding, my other bridesmaid messaged me saying she had just had a second fitting and her dress still wasn't correct and the sleeve was made too tight and she was having to now come back AGAIN 4 days before the wedding for what was hopefully the last time. At that point, after 2 bridesmaids affirmed the same struggles I had been experiencing, I decided that I had zero faith in this company to make my dress look at all wearable. I drove up their with my maid of honor, and we both asked Jackie for our dresses back so we could go elsewhere. She was reluctant, and told me she didn't want to release my dress in the condition it was in but, I told her I had to take it. For once we agreed though, I wish I didn't feel like I had no other choice than to take my chopped up bridal gown elsewhere 2 weeks before my wedding on a Hail Mary that somebody could fix the damage that The Alteration House caused. While Jackie was removing pins, she was telling me the 70 years of experience the seamstresses collectively have, and the vision she had for my dress. But during each fitting it felt more like a seamstress apprenticeship, than a business full of experienced seamstresses who are confident and competent in their work. She did take accountability for 1 portion of the gown and said "I don't know why my seamstress did that." The owner, Jackie, also missed a large opportunity for some service recovery to apologize and try to make right instea dof trying to save face and telling me that she hoped I don't bash her on review sites. I had paid for half the total of the alterations at my first appt, and Jackie said to "call it even" and not pay the second half. I believe if she ran her business with more integrity, she would have offered me a full refund of what I paid, tip included, since I left that day with absolutely nothing positive to say and a dress that was completely trashed. Not one alteration was done well. Later that evening, putting my dress on at an alternate seamstresses business(who thankfully got me in the same day), I realized my dress hadn't been touched since my appt a week ago. We were then down to 2 WEEKS till wedding day and my dress is literally cut open in the back, my shoulder straps were unattached, the base of my dress hadn't been shortened, and the ill fitting spots on both the bust sides front seams, and lopsided bottom were exactly the same, and my bustle wasnt done. STILL, nothing had been done over 5-ish weeks and 3 fittings that could be considered "finished". The new seamstress was so kind and willing to try to help, but felt discouraged about the damage that was done on the front bust seams of my gown.
Fortunately my gown was able to be fixed by a different seamstress in just a week, and it was lovely, but I am just so sad that this has been my experience with the most important dress I'll ever wear.
Please go anywhere else. The Alteration House completely ruined my bridal gown and left me and 2 of my bridesmaids with much stress, scrambling 2 weeks before my wedding day. read more
