Mon Amie Bridal Salon — Local services in Costa Mesa

So... I picked up my wedding dress today and I want to tell everyone my story truthfully and then it’s up to you to decide if you want to trust this store or not.

They had told me that my dress would be here in April and it came a week ago (mid May) which makes my window for alterations very slim since we’re having a destination wedding and I’m leaving for Greece mid June. Anyway, they didn’t have many openings for appointments so I finally managed to make one for today (May 23).

At this point I should say that when I picked out and ordered my dress they had me sign a form that said alterations are between $600-800. I asked them at the time if thus amount is a set amount for any alterations because it’s quite big (given that my dress cost $2,130). They and more specifically Tina had told me that minor alterations are included in the price of the dress and that this amount is for the case that I for example drop 2 sizes.

So, today I went in for my first fitting having in mind that I don’t have to pay anything extra. After they put all the pins on my dress and I took it off they told me it will be $750 and they asked me to sign for it. I was shocked! The dress fit perfectly and the only thing they needed to do was the hem and the pins that hold the train up for the ceremony. They were asking for 1/3 of the total price of the dress extra for what I understand to be minor alterations and knew that they were included in the price. Also, my fiance and my maid of honor remember the exact same thing. That MINOR alterations were included.

I asked to speak to Tina or the manager and see if we can resolve the misunderstanding. They walk us to the “manager’s” office and I try to tell her what we remembered from our previous appointment with Tina. Sonya (the “manager”) said to me that alterations aren’t included without really explaining anything to me so then I called my fiancé because at the end of the day he will be paying for this (it’s customary in the Greek culture for the groom to pay for the bride’s wedding dress). Then I asked very politely Sonya if she could speak to my fiancé. I specifically said: can you please speak to my fiancé because he will be paying for this and he wants to speak to you? She turns around and looks at me angrily and says: I don’t have to speak to him! I was shocked! I then said: Yes you don’t have to but I’m asking you to because like I said he will be paying for the dress and wants to speak to you. And she says again: I don’t have to speak to him! And walked out of the office leaving us there not knowing what to think or do!

Then she came back and I tried to explain to her that I wanted her to speak to my fiancé because I think it’s an outrageous amount what they were asking for the hem and I couldn’t make the decision for him to pay such an amount and she started saying angrily again and again how alterations aren’t included. She called Tina who basically said the same thing as Sonya that alterations aren’t included. I honestly remember her telling me that minor alterations are included and that’s what my maid of honor and my fiancé who went to pay for the dress then, remember as well.

I then told her that I would rather get the dress and take it somewhere else where the price will be more reasonable and as I was speaking she stood up and left leaving me talking to myself basically! She came back 10 minutes later with the dress and said she removed all the pins and I could take it wherever I wanted.

From my experience with Sonya I felt that she didn’t care for my business. She just wanted to get it over with which is why she rushed to remove all the pins and be done with us. Honestly I remember Tina saying that minor alterations are included! In the 0.1% chance of me remembering wrong and this being a misunderstanding I didn’t once feel that Sonya wanted to resolve the matter. I felt that she just wanted to get it over with and not...

Well... To start I never thought I would cry out of sadness at a bridal appointment... But I did at Mon Amie!... But more on that later.

I arrived a couple hours early thanks to a cancellled appointment and I was hoping they could squeeze me in. Thankfully they were very accommodating and I was able to be seen immediately.

I browsed the dresses and found that most were above my price range (2500) so I was a little sad to be so limited, but they had many beautiful dresses and there were enough to see that were closer to my budget.

After talking to my stylist about the dresses and saying how I wanted one with a certain shape so it didnt show my stomach too much (I weigh about 163 currently and a size 12 and plan to lose weight before my big day) she said "How pregnant will you be on your wedding day?" I was floored... But I was about to pass it off because I knew I had talked about my stomach a lot to her so I thought it might be a more excusable assumption ... Not so insulting in that context, but when I corrected her she quickly said "oh I am SO sorry the people at the front said..." Honestly that was what was too much... Not only did she assume I was pregnant, but the front desk staff had thought so enough to SAY something to her, when I had given them absolutely no reason to think I was pregnant other than walking in the store as I looked. :(

I do carry a fair bit of my weight in my stomach but I cant help that and I am working on losing more weight. I used to be much heavier so part of it is extra skin from my previous 70lb weight loss and I can do nothing about it. Even so, this really isn't an excuse for the staff to make such assumptions, let alone bring it up to the potential bride.

I couldn't help my reaction. I was very upset and began to cry. She apologized a lot and was very nice but the damage had kinda already been done. That is the last thing I wanted to hear when trying on dresses and really ruined my experience that day despite her best efforts. The rest of the appointment she kept referring to me as "doll" and "beauty"... So she was trying... but it was kinda hard to feel beautiful after that. I did like one of the dresses I tried on but it was pricier than I hoped to spend and it is hard to imagine going back with my experience there. I just imagine the staff talking about my weight behind my back as they did before and...

Mon Ami was great when I hadn't bought my dress from them yet. They even fit me in same day on a Saturday during a trunk show. The sales woman was great and very accommodating. The buying process was great. The day of buying the dress they made me feel like a princess.

Unfortunately, that is where the greatness ended. I was so excited to finally get my dress but they ruined that for me. Once they got my money they were rude, couldn't fit me in to pick it up on a trunk show weekend (even though I already owned the dress), and then wanted to charged me an outrageously priced daily fee to keep it there until they could fit me in. The woman who greeted me when they finally could fit me in (causing me to have to leave work early on a Friday so I wouldn't get charged the daily storage fee and still get to try it on) was also rude to me asking me, "Aren't you just picking up the dress."- "NO, that was the whole point of me leaving work early, so I could try it on before taking it home- especially after paying the price I paid for the dress. This is my wedding dress!" At this point I just wanted to take my dress and run.

I intended on paying the extra money to just have my gown altered there (I was quoted $500). After my experience, I decided to look elsewhere for alterations. When the manager came in the fitting room to see how I liked the dress and if there was anything she could do, she also asked if I was using them for alterations. I informed her I was until today and my horrible experience- she did not even ask for a further explanation and just brushed me off and continued to fill out the paperwork so I could have my dress. HORRIBLE customer service. Trying your dress on should bring happy tears to your eyes. Sadly I just felt angry and used the whole time, like I did not matter. My poor mom who saved up and paid for the dress felt bad too, one of the most fun and memorable experiences became such a headache. The dress and veil are beautiful though and a great price.

To top off the whole horrible ordeal, I was almost home (I live 30 minutes away) and they call because they forgot to take the tag off the dress and veil saying I took it out of the store and want me to drive all the way back so they can do it. I THINK NOT! sorry! Bottom line- once they get your money they treat the brides like second...