Friend forced to sign a waiver agreeing to diet by wedding dress shop

[MotherofGoats]

Shocked. My friend has ordered a very expensive wedding dress from a well-known designer.... she went to be measured this week and was told that because she was "in between" sizes she would either have to pay £450 extra to have it made to her exact size or sign a waiver agreeing to lose around a stone before her final fitting, which is four months before her actual wedding next June. Is this normal? I think it's horrifying and toxic!

I strongly suspect that the wording of the waiver does not say the word diet etc but that you acknowledge that the dress did not fit when purchased and that the bride would accept the extra cost of any alternations required (if possible).

But that would be made to measure - she's just not willing to pay for it.

A friend of mine owned a bridal shop.

She had real problems with brides-to-be who ordered a certain size dress and then got pregnant, before the wedding, so it didn't fit. Some refused to pay to have it altered, so it was a real pain.

No, standard designed dresses come in standard sizes and it’s usual to have them altered to fit.

It’s very normal in the bridal industry to sign a waiver when ordering a size smaller than you’ve been advised.

She should have bought the size up then she could at least enjoy a meal to two before the wedding.

I worked in this industry for years. This is completely normal. She's asked for a size smaller and therefore is agreeing to lose weight to fit into the dress. It cannot be the dress shop's fault if she doesn't.

It costs them money and time to order it from the supplier. It's absolutely right that they shouldn't lose out if she doesn't fit into the size she orders.

She has the option to buy the bigger size. She is choosing not to.

What do you think would be a preferable solution from the dress shop?

I bet the waiver doesn't say that at all. I agree with them. It's to make sure she pays for what she ordered, surely.

This. I imagine they have been burned before, with brides ordering an 'optimistic' size dress, then refusing to pay.

She has essentially ordered a dress that doesn't fit her, yes? So she will need to lose weight or pay the extra for a dress that does fit. Her choice.

Sorry, I shouldn't have said she's agreeing to lose weight. I'm saying she's agreeing to accept and keep the dress she has asked for (which; in turn, will require her to lose weight in order to wear it).

No, it doesn't say that though does it.
It will say that if she doesn't lose weight and the dress doesn't fit by the final fitting, that it isn't their problem.
Ridiculous.

Typically the options are either a standard sized dress (off the peg), a dress altered from a template of set sizes or a fully made to measure dress.

Made to measure is a much more expensive service that she presumably doesn’t want to/ can’t afford to pay for.

So issue is that their sizes are too broad and can’t be tailored to people who aren’t close to the sizes they make?

That sounds like a pricing scam to me - they advertise as tailoring only being 200, but most people somehow can’t be accommodated and have to pay 450 to have it “specially made”.

Your original post refers to an extra £450 for a made to measure version or a waiver if she doesn't fit the smaller. She can buy a larger and have it altered but I suspect the alterations may also be £450 or thereabouts.

She had a choice to agree or not to buy. I assume the waiver is worded as previous posters have stated and not the emotive version in your OP.

I imagine this is what it is. Why couldn't she have the size up and have it taken in though? I got my dress secondhand and did this.

So I guess alterations actually just cost £450 not £200? Where did she get £200 from? - had they said that before or was it just her expectation?
I assume alteration prices differ from dress to dress.

Entirely standard and has been for decades if you order a dress that is anything more than a bit snug.

They really hate people ordering dresses too small because there is no guarantee they will fit and then you end up with a dispute and an unhappy bride and because of lead times no alternative dress.

Loads of brides intend to drop a dress size and fail or it doesn't come off where it needs to. Making a dress smaller is relatively straightforward, making one bigger is pretty much impossible.

I think it's horrifying and toxic!
I love the OTT shock horror 😂. Why couldn't she just pay the alteration fee like anyone else?!

If that was really how it was worded,

How much is the dress? I think she should seriously consider getting the bigger size and relax and enjoy the run up to her wedding. Money well spent for peace of mind.

I understand the waiver, and I can see why the shop wants to protect itself.

However, it sounds like they're putting people off going for the larger size by making the alterations more expensive if you do which doesn't seem very fair.

No it isn't going to be made to measure unless you pay for made to measure. Off the peg and then adjusted is what you will get from most bridal shops and there's only so much a dress can be altered. This varies a lot depending on design. It's much, much harder to make most dresses bigger than smaller. If the agreement was worded 'you must lose a stone' then yes that is not professional but it wasn't, was it? It was an agreement that she would pay the balance on the dress in question by a certain date, surely? What was the alternative?

I think it's pretty fair that they refuse to sell her a dress that's too small.

She could either, pay to have it made to measure.

Or, just take her business elsewhere. But any other bridal shop that's worth its salt, is likely to tell her that there;s no point buying a dress she can't get into.

I’m so confused

my wedding dress I paid for. I then went and got it altered? Though mine was cheaper off the rack….

It's about 21lbs per dress for me. Maybe a bit more on the bottom because I have big thighs and hips but quite small boobs and arms.

Or she finds an actual dressmaker experienced in making wedding dresses and has one made to measure. Bespoke to her design and measurements.

made to order does not equal made to measure.

Most bridal designers are made to order, why they have such a long lead time, but are standard sizing and not based on an individuals measurements - if this was the case the designers would have to remake the patterns every time. Most brides buy their size, or close to, and pay for alterations for the perfect fit.