Memories Bridal & Evening Wear — Attraction in Kalamazoo

I went to Memories Bridal & Evening Wear in Kalamazoo, Mi today to try on dresses for my upcoming vow renewal in October. I have to give a shout out to Kelsey M. She was so kind and helpful. Whether it was helping me carry my 60lb stroller wagon up and downstairs, because I had my 3.5 year old twins with me and the wagon was the best option to keep them contained while I tried on dresses, to helping me find styles and sizes that fit me and my body.

Kelsey M. Was so patient and kind, especially when my toddler twins were restless and short tempered, as toddlers are. She was smiling and kind to not only me, but my children. She helped me find 3 styles I really liked and ultimately one that stood out among the rest. After the appointment she texted me the details of the dresses I liked, prices and names and then the names of seamstresses in the area. She did this so effeciantly. I feel like she went above and beyond.

I just can’t thank her enough for her excellent customer service, kindness, knowledge and smile. She was amazing!

• adding to my review**

I also want to thank Kelsey K! She was fantastic as well. The day after my visit to the store, Kelsey went above and beyond to help me find some minor detail options for altering the dress. I wanted to add removable sleeves and she was helping me try to find a similar fabric or option to bring my idea to life. She was able to find some lace appliques and fabric that would match the dress. She was texting me all through the day, working so hard to help me. I felt so privileged to receive this kind of care. All I can say is wow, and thank you!

I also need to shout out the amazing alterations team recommended by Memories. I spoke with Todd, Diane and Paige. And I am stunned at their kindness and professionalism. I feel like I won the lottery. They were all so willing to help me make my dreams come true, and honestly I could cry. They didn’t waste any time setting up an appointment, texting me ideas for fabric or sleeve designs. Todd was so very helpful, kind and open to my ideas. Diane was exceptionally helpful. She talked with me for over an hour on the phone, making me feel like I was a valuable client even though her schedule was booked up, she cared that I felt heard and validated. With all this help, it was difficult to choose who to work with because they are all so amazing. I booked with Paige who is also just as wonderful. I was even more shocked to hear that all the seamstresses support one another and consult each other to provide the best option for a client. I am just beyond impressed.

Memories, you have one amazing team. Thank you for making this process just flawless. I’m so excited for my bow...

Update: I just got a call from the owner and she explained everything that I wasn't told when I called for updates in the past, which made me feel a lot better about the situation. She also offered me a discount for the troubles. I feel much better and that my voice was heard and that I was finally given full information about the dress situation.

I found a dress at this bridal shop at the end of January. My wedding is in July. I had an appointment at one other bridal shop that afternoon (since Memories was the first place I looked for a dress) and the sales woman told me that if I left now, she couldn't guarantee that the dress I liked would still be available, since there was only 1 left in the country in the size I needed. She even went downstairs to check that this was the case. We said, "what if we call back in an hour if we decide to order the dress?" We were told again, that this was the last dress available in the country, and this is the only way they could guarantee I would get the dress in ample time for the wedding. Otherwise they would need to order it directly from the designer, and that would take too long. She said (and wrote on the receipt) that the dress would come in at the end of April. So, trusting her judgment, we cancelled our next bridal appointment, ordered the dress, and put down the deposit (half the cost of the dress). Fast forward to the end of April, I call Memories and discover not only is the dress not in, there never was just one left in the country; they always had to order it from the designer, and now it wouldn't be in until mid-June! After several back and forths between the purchasing manager and the designer and myself, I was told that there would be a rush put on the dress and that I could expect it at the end of May/mid-June. They apologized that I was given incorrect information at the start, but couldn't tell me why I was given erroneous information in the first place. Today, I called since it's the beginning of June, to see if my dress was in yet. I was told that the purchasing manager is watching for it and that once it leaves the designer it will be overnighted. I asked if they could give me any more information--if it would still be beginning of June, or mid-June, or when, since my wedding is next month, and I was told, "no...sorry." Once the dress comes in I will still need to get it altered since they don't do that on site. This is one of the biggest aspects of a wedding and I trusted the professionals with good reviews to not lie to me and to make me feel like they care about what's going on. I'm very disappointed and will not recommend Memories to any...

Tl;dr version: Memories is fantastic, and I had a great experience there but beware what seamstress you use.

Memories was my first stop when I was shopping for a wedding gown. I had a lot of anxiety about the process because I’m plus size. The ladies I worked with were friendly and professional. They had a great variety of styles and prices. I ended up getting a dress here that I just couldn’t stop thinking about while looking at other dresses elsewhere. It was truly a beautiful experience, and I will go to Memories if I ever need another formal gown.

I can not, however, recommend the services of the seamstress I used, Karen Sopjes. The initial fitting seemed to go well but when I went back to get my dress I had reservations that I really wish I hadn’t let go of in the moment. First of all, yes, I wore the same undergarments etc. as I’d worn the first time. I mentioned that the bodice still seemed too loose (it felt loose, and when I looked down I could see into the dress. It’s meant to be form-fitting), and she recommended that I use double-sided tape. Seriously. I let it go because I thought surely she knows what she is talking about and believes in the quality of her work. In retrospect, the fact that she kept dismissing my concerns and then talking about how busy she was with prom season was a huge red flag.

Fast forward to my wedding day. We got the dress on, and almost immediately there were problems (in case you’re wondering, no, I didn’t lose any weight). It would not stay up. It would not stay in place on my body. My bridesmaids tried tape; it wouldn’t hold. They tried safety pins; they just pulled my bra down or wouldn’t stay clasped. Since it wouldn’t stay up I kept tripping over it. I couldn’t hold my dad’s arm as he walked me in. He held my arm while I had to use both hands to hold up my skirt. Most of the photos of me are awful because you can see how the dress was not correctly altered to my body, and even worse, you can see my bra band. It looks so tacky. I spent $650 basically just to have a few hook-and-eye closures attached.

If you’ve read this far just make sure you advocate for yourself. Being polite is great, but there is nothing wrong with insisting that your seamstress does the job you are paying them for correctly. I gave Memories a 5* rating because it is deserved, and it is not their fault the seamstress did a bad job. I couldn’t find a website or social media page for her, though, and if she is still on their list of approved seamstresses, I believe my experience warrants a...