Crème Couture — Attraction in Guelph

I chose Crème Couture for my wedding dress because my relative had a good experience there. My consultant, Jocelyn, was professional and kind, and I purchased my dress in July 2023.

On the day I said yes to the dress, Michèle (the owner), took my measurements and assured me that a size 4 was perfect. I wasn’t shown a chart or referred to my measurements, which in hindsight was something I would definitely ask for. Trusting their expertise, I accepted their recommendation.

When my dress arrived in Feb 2024, it didn’t fit. We had to force it past my thighs and hips. Despite my petite frame, Michèle suggested that my strength training was the issue and advised me to put it off. She hoped this would help the dress fit better by June. Although the dress looked off, I was told the top would fit properly once the bottom did.

Once I was back during the month of June, the dress still didn’t fit. The seamstress asked if opening the dress by an inch on each side would be enough, which surprised me because I expected her to know. This was the biggest red flag. Michèle suggested another fitting in July.

A week ago, I returned for my second alteration appointment. They managed to fit the dress around my hips (still not sitting exactly as it should), however the top sat too low on my chest. The seamstress said the dress could be taken in on the sides to mitigate the issue, which it did not. Since I was not presented with a solution to my problem, and because I was told by the seamstress and Michèle that it did not sit too low, I decided to proceed with the alterations. We paid over $850 for alterations. Before I left, I asked Michèle to retake my measurements, as I had been repeatedly told that I was the issue and that the dress was the correct size. She measured me and compared my current measurements to those from July 2023. To my surprise, she had originally sized me down to a size 4 (which measures 24 inches around the waist), even though I measured 24.5 inches. At that moment, I realized they had made a mistake with my dress size. They should have sized me up to a size 6 (25 inches around the waist). Michèle then claimed that the consultant would have suggested a size 4 or 6, and that I would have chosen my preference. However, I was never given that option or the information at the time.

That night, I compared my own dress to the floor model and noticed big differences. Upset and stressed, I emailed the store. The next day, I called them and ended up having to visit the store again to sort out the issue. Upon arrival Michèle asked that I try the dress on again to figure out a solution, which she eventually did. I asked why this wasn’t considered during my alteration appointment the day before, but I did not receive an explanation. At this point, I was no longer comfortable leaving my dress with them due to their repeated failures. I informed them that I wanted to take my dress with me to find another seamstress. Michèle insisted on bringing the dress back to their seamstress to fix the sides they had adjusted before I left, but I did not feel comfortable with that. I politely declined, and she became frustrated, holding my dress and stating she was going to take it back regardless. I had to assert that she was not allowed to do that because it was my dress and I had already paid for it in full. This argument lasted about 15 minutes before she finally agreed to return my dress, and I demanded a refund for the alterations, which was granted. I was truly shocked by this extremely unprofessional behavior.

Later I consulted with an external seamstress, who confirmed that the dress was indeed a size too small and validated all of my concerns, which were certainly not addressed at Crème Couture.

My experience at Crème Couture was horrible. I expected to be treated with honesty, and not to be gaslit into thinking the issues were my fault. By no means do I recommend coming here. It was a very stressful experience having to look out for my dress instead of the establishment guiding me with...

In my opinion, the way this store operates is very misleading and unprofessional.

When I first tried on my wedding dress, the stylist clipped me tightly into the gown to show a beautiful, sculpted silhouette. I was told this was the same style I would be ordering. When the actual dress arrived, it fit me perfectly in size, but the entire shape and silhouette were completely different. It wasn’t a sizing issue at all, it was the structure and design that looked nothing like the version I was sold.

Even the store’s own seamstress said, “Oh, those girls sometimes clip you into dresses creating an inaccurate silhouette.” That confirmed what I suspected, I was sold a look that doesn’t actually exist in the gown they ordered.

The same thing happened with the sleeves. The stylist pinned the stock sleeves tightly to my arms, but during alterations the seamstress told me they couldn’t be made that way and would have to be loose and baggy. Again, what I was shown couldn’t actually be achieved.

When I tried to address this, things went downhill. While confirming my appointment to speak with management, the owner, Michelle, unexpectedly got on the phone and demanded to know what the meeting was about. When I said I preferred to discuss it in person, she snapped, “Oh, so you just want to blindside me and hit me over the head with it?!” extremely unprofessional.

During our in-person meeting with Michelle and the store manager Jocelyn, I explained everything. Michelle dismissed her own seamstress’s comment by saying, “Seamstresses don’t know anything about being in sales and sales tactics.” That statement, to me, says everything about where this store’s priorities lie, sales over honesty.

Each time I mentioned what the seamstress told me, Michelle would say, “I’m so sorry she said that to you,” which felt like brushing it off rather than taking accountability. Immediately after apologizing, she’d undermine the seamstress’s statement by again talking about “sales tactics.”

She insisted there was “no difference” between the photos I had showing how the dress looked when clipped versus the actual dress. My fiancé and I even showed the photos to two outside seamstresses who both confirmed there was a clear difference, but Michelle just said, “Everyone has their own opinions.” If there really was no difference, why did her own seamstress have to pin and re-engineer the gown everywhere to make it resemble what I was originally shown?

At one point Michelle said, “I’m a nice person,” which didn’t reflect how she was treating us.

Another concern: I had already paid for my veil, and during that same meeting she casually mentioned that it was already in the store even though I was never notified. When I said this, she blamed it on me “leaving her in the dark” about our meeting, which supposedly “shut off communication.” That felt dishonest and unprofessional.

She did agree to refund the cost of the sleeves, but even that became stressful. She sent the wrong e-transfer amount, became irritated, said, “I need to be alone, I’m stressed,” and left us waiting before finally sending the correct amount.

At the end, Michelle asked for a hug. It was an unexpectedly tight hug that, to me, felt more like an attempt to smooth things over and rewrite the interaction as positive, rather than showing genuine accountability.

Overall, I found this business defensive, disorganized, and lacking transparency. This experience caused me major stress during what should have been an exciting time.

My advice to future brides: -Take your own notes and photos during appointments. Don’t rely on what’s clipped or pinned; it may not be what you actually receive.

In my personal opinion, I would not recommend Crème...

I recently had the pleasure of getting my wedding dress from Creme Couture, and I couldn't be happier with my experience. From start to finish, their team went above and beyond to make sure my dress was absolutely perfect for my dream wedding day.

First and foremost, I have to commend Ashley for her incredible alteration skills. She worked her magic and transformed my dress into an absolute masterpiece. Her attention to detail and expertise ensured that the fit was flawless and the dress looked like it was made just for me. I felt like a true princess when I put it on, and I owe it all to Ashley's amazing work.

But my positive experience didn't stop there. Michele, one of the consultants at Creme Couture, was instrumental in helping me find my dream dress. She had an incredible eye for style and understood exactly what I was looking for. Michele was patient, attentive, and genuinely invested in making sure I found the perfect gown. Her guidance and expertise made the whole process enjoyable and stress-free. I was so late in finding my wedding dress, but she made sure to not stress me out.

I also want to mention Jocelyn, who was in charge of scheduling my appointments and making sure everything ran smoothly. She was incredibly organized and attentive, ensuring that all of my appointments were scheduled at convenient times and that I felt comfortable throughout the process. Her warm and friendly demeanor made me feel like I was in good hands from the very beginning.

What sets Creme Couture apart is their exceptional customer service. Every member of their team went above and beyond to make me feel special and ensure that my wedding dress experience was nothing short of perfection. They listened to my needs, addressed my concerns, and made me feel like the most important bride in the world. Their attention to detail and commitment to customer satisfaction is truly commendable.

Overall, I highly recommend Creme Couture to any bride-to-be in search of the perfect wedding dress. With their skilled alterations led by Ashley, expert consultants like Michele, and a dedicated team led by Jocelyn, you can trust that your experience will be nothing short of amazing. They truly understand the importance of making each bride's dreams come true and they deliver exceptional results. Thank you, Creme Couture, for making my wedding dress journey a truly...