A woman has revealed how she altered a wedding dress for her friend as a favour – but now she is facing being sued for ‘ruining’ the frock.
Taking to British parenting platform Mumsnet, the anonymous woman explained that she was contacted ‘out of the blue’ by an old friend to alter the gown because the bride-to-be didn’t have time to take it to a professional dressmaker.
The woman hesitantly agreed, but revealed she didn’t charge for the job, as it was ‘a favour’ to help the bride out last minute.
However the woman who lent the dress to the bride messaged her threatening to sue, saying she ‘ruined’ her dress by having it altered, and now she won’t be able to ‘use it again’.
Many forum users rushed to comment, saying the original owner of the dress was being ‘ridiculous’.
A woman revealed on Mumsnet that she altered a wedding dress for her friend as a favour but now she is being sued for ‘ruining’ the dress (stock image)
Taking to the British parenting platform, the woman explained that she was contacted ‘out of the blue’ from an old friend to alter a wedding dress because she didn’t have time to take it to a professional dressmaker
The post read: ‘I have a “friend” haven’t seen her for few years we drifted apart. Her wedding has been cancelled twice, once with Covid, and once with her mother’s sudden death.
‘Her original dress is too big now she’s lost loads of weight. She contacted me out of the blue to ask would I take up her new dress as she hadn’t time to get a dressmaker because they are eloping.
‘I make my own clothes so it’s something I am able to do. I said yes if you’re in a fix. So she brought me [the] dress, said it was from her other friend and it needs turn[ing] up.
‘When she tried it on it needed a couple other small things fixed too where it was badly constructed.
‘I cut 19cm off the dress and hemmed it (4 layers) and spent ages unpicking the back seam and straightening it. I then made a waist sash out of the hem as asked.’
The poster continued: ‘She collected the dress two weeks ago. I did this as a favour so no money or anything changed hands.
‘The bride’s other friend contacted me on Facebook and said I’d ruined her dress. Said she was going to see a solicitor because it was ruined and she couldn’t use it again (it’s a wedding dress made with fairly cheap fabric and wouldn’t have cost a lot to start with and was badly constructed). when I gave it back, it was in better condition than what I received.
‘Can she sue me for doing this? As far as I was aware it was the bride’s to do with as she pleased. I’ve messaged the bride and she hasn’t replied.’
Many rushed to the comments saying the bride’s friend was being ‘ridiculous’ and has been watching to many American law dramas
Many suggested that the bride’s friend is ‘being ridiculous’, saying she can’t actually sue because there was no contract or money involved.
One person said: ‘There’s no contract, no money has changed hands. I bet they just want to scam some money out of you.’
Another said: ‘Of course she can’t. She’s being ridiculous.’ Another added: ‘Lol tell her that even half an hour of a solicitors time will cost her more than her dress did in the first place.’
A fourth said: ‘She’s watched far too much American TV. You can’t sue someone just because you’re unhappy about something.
‘You have no contractual relationship with her and you didn’t steal the dress from her, so she can’t sue you, so relax on that score and block her.’
However others suggested that the dress owners issue should be with the bride and not the woman who made the alterations.
One person wrote: ‘No good deed goes unpunished! The dress owner’s issue is with the bride. She was a proper CF if she had 19cm taken off the length and various other alterations made to a friend’s dress without permission.’
Another said: ‘Clearly the bride didn’t tell the friend she was having it altered and now the friend is upset that it’s too short for her.
‘This is a miscommunication on their part. Friend should have told bride she wanted the dress back, bride should have told friend it’s too long and she would need it to be altered. Not your problem at all!
Someone else added: ‘Not your problem. You acted in good faith for a friend, I don’t think there would be any grounds to sue you. This is between the two others. Keep your messages safe. Print a copy.
‘Perhaps a response to say ‘this matter is between you and X. She contacted me and asked me to adjust the dress which I did in good faith to the specifications given. I will not be discussing this further’. Then block.’
Meanwhile a fourth person agreed: ‘The ‘friend’ needs to take it up with the bride who asked someone to alter the dress for her. Not your problem; you weren’t to know.’
A number of commentators suggested that the dress owner’s issue should be with the bride and not the woman who made the alterations
‘Make sure you take screenshots of you conversations with the bride in case they disappear.’
However others suggested that the woman was in the wrong to alter the dress without the owner’s permission.
One person said: ‘You were aware the dress didn’t belong to your friend, so you should not have altered it without the owner’s permission.
‘I’m surprised you agreed as I wouldn’t want to be responsible for potentially ruining a wedding dress! However the fact you had to cut 19cm off indicates the owner is considerably taller than the person she lent it to, and must have realised it would have to be altered to fit, otherwise it would be dragging along the floor and look rubbish.
‘Most wedding dresses have to be altered in some fashion to fit the wearer which is why they’re not really suitable to be lent out, the moral of the story is don’t lend your precious items out.’
Another agreed: ‘The bride told you the dress was someone else’s. I therefore wouldn’t have made any permanent alterations without explicit permission from both the bride and the owner – turn up hem and add darts that could be removed, but no cutting.
‘However, the legal waters of deciding who is responsible for the damage look decidedly muddy and I doubt it would be worth her while to sue.’
The original poster added: ‘I just want to add. The dress is perfect. It is in better shape now than it was when I got it. It seems the owners issue is I’ve shortened it to fit the bride. The owner is somewhat taller.
‘Thank you all. I have a string of Texts from bride where she explains what she needs and why she is asking me ( that she has no time to go to professional)
‘It also shows I said I’d rather not as I’m not a professional. Then I say I will do it as a favour but do not want payment as I’m not a professional. (I already have a paid job and don’t need to be muddying the tax waters by taking on sewing jobs too.
‘I have two messages from her saying the dress fits her better than ever now and it even hangs on her body better.
‘I’ve not replied to the dress owner but I have messaged the bride on every platform I have for her. I will keep all the evidence I have just in case but thanks for putting my mind at rest.’
Some suggested that the woman was in the wrong to alter the dress without the owner’s permission
The woman later shared a new message which she received from the angry bride. It read: ‘I was so b***** shocked you cut so much off the bottom!! Who even does that? All you had to do was fold the hem up a bit and put a stitch on it.
‘It didn’t matter if it was dragging a bit. I didn’t ask you to fix the back seam – you did that to make yourself look good.
‘I will be wearing a cardi so no one will see it. Xxxxx is p******( off at me now so I had to tell her you did it not me. She can fight with you about it. I have enough on my plate with the elopement.’
The original poster added: ‘I’m lost for words. She was delighted when she collected the dress that it fit her so well and she said herself the little sash I made from the hem really finished off the dull waistline!
‘I’ve blocked them both and I’m going to put this down to experience. Shame on me for falling for a sob story. No wonder people don’t help each other out anymore. I hope someone tells her there is no folding hems in wedding dresses. Arrrggghhhh. I’m so annoyed!’