Proms & Promises

My friend and I are both getting married and wanted to try on wedding dresses. I had a specific dress that I wanted to try on and they had it here. I had to e-​mail her a few times (after finding out they had that dress) before she responded and set up an appointment with us.
We got to our appointment and someone who was walking to their car came over and knocked on the window. She said that they were closed (as in permanently) and it happened unexpectedly. She also said there were no dresses in the store for us to try on (we could see dresses so I’m not sure why she felt the need to lie, honesty is acceptable). I am assuming this was the owner because she was an older woman and asked us not to tell any other wedding dress shops about her closure.
I am amazed that she was leaving the store literally 10 minutes before our appointment and was not going to call or wait for us to show up. A courtesy call would have been fabulous. I am not surprised she has been forced to close.

It looks like my review was conveniently deleted. But, I need to post it again. Let me choose my words carefully as I don’t want to be misunderstood. DO NOT SHOP HERE. I won’t comment on the lack of organization. Nor, will I talk about the ineptitude of the owner and help. And last, I won’t talk about how my wife’s shoes were not ready on a pre agreed time for our wedding years ago. yeah… don’t go here.

This is what I received as a message from the owner:
Danielle, I am sorry you had to wait a few minutes on a Sunday morning, If I know I don’t have an appointment booked, I may or may not be there to open at exactly 12 pm. If you did not have an appointment as you said you did not, maybe it was your frame of mind that lead you to think that I was «Barking». I do not «Bark» at any person that comes into my store unless they «Bark“at me first, or show little respect for my merchandise. I do not recall your visit or what transpired. You may not believe it but there are very many people out there that just want to breeze in, go thru all of the merchandise, mix everything up as if they were in a department store thinking there were people to clean up after them, take pictures etc then run out of the store onto the next place on their list. Danielle, I purchase my merchandise with my own money for my clients just like every other small business boutique and I am very protective of how it is handled. The size of my store is the size of my store, obviously, you had something different in mind .If you are the kind of person that is so quick to post reviews like this, you aren’t the client I am looking for. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
Unilocal is to review site for our OPINIONS. I shared mine and received a nasty reponse from the owner. I went in to her store to see if what she sold was what I was looking for. I can imagine that Betty does have a lot of rude and high maintenance people come in her store and treat it disrespectfully. I did not do this and was still treated rudely. I am in sales as well and I have to be able to sell myself to my clients as my product. If I am rude, no matter how good my product is, the client won’t buy.

Regarding the owner’s response to my review: I find it trully appauling that you blame your customers for not «having called in advance» because you «must have been busy». You did not seem busy as you sat there with your chin on your hand glaring at us as we looked through your books. I fail to see how we «inconvenienced» you as the sole business owner and employee. By the looks of the other reviews and comments for your business you might want to consider the following 1. Being nice to your customers regardless of whether they made an appointment or just walked in 2. When and if you are busy and overwhelmed with other customers orders do not use it as a crutch and instead apologize and offer your help for another day and 3. If you really do not want walk in customers perhaps hanging a sign that says «by appointment only». It is very hard for me to believe that you are «so busy» when we were clearly the only customers in your shop at the time we were there and by the sound of your reviews your «following» is most definitely not that large. Focus on building a customer base instead of running brides to be out of your shop with your rudeness and excuses — this may help in the long run, only a suggestion from an unhappy could-​have-​been-​customer.

The sign on the door said «Courtesy is contagious in Kenmore»… but I’m doubtful about that after this trip.
We were not greeted when we came in. My friend and I were the only ones in the store aside from the shop keeper (who never bothered to introduce herself). When we explained that we had an appointment for 6 but were early because we finished work early we were made to feel unwelcome, as if we were an inconvenience though there was no one in the store.
My friend was there to get measured for a dress for her friends wedding. I was hoping to have some help looking at styles that would flatter my body type, because my friend only gave me a color and length requirement for the dress. The shop keeper pointed me in the direction of the dresses with the required length, but offered no help beyond that.
They store has no dresses beyond a size 12/​14, so my friend and I were out of luck. She could at least squeeze into one to get an idea, but I couldn’t even do that. So I was stuck with the hangar test (hold up the hanger in front of me and look in the mirror). Never once did the shop keeper come to check on us and offer suggestions.
I came away feeling VERY disappointed. This is my first time being a bridesmaid and I was looking for a fun time trying on dresses.
I will not go back.
I will not recommend it to others.
I will discourage others from going there.
Boo to you Proms and Promises!

Yes, Betty’s a very nice lady. She’s helpful and good at what she does. I bought my wedding dress from her at a wedding expo and set up an appointment for alterations.
However, her boutique is small-​very small. I expected some sort of bright spacious store with a large sign when I dropped off my dress for alterations. Instead, I found a tiny un-​assuming sign with a cramped store over-​flowing with dresses. I felt so claustrophobic in there.
At least my appointment was quick and easy and my dress barely needed any major alterations. That and when it was finished, it was on time. My dress was clean too. And that was ALL that was good about this.
The thing that disturbed and angered me the most, was that she lost my bra. No, I am not kidding about this. I had this awesome strapless push-​up bra that worked perfectly with my dress and thinking it’d be safe with my veil, I left it in the bag with it. BIG BIG mistake! When I went back for my final fitting, it was gone. Too bad, because it was expensive too. She was apologetic and she did knock off about $ 20.00 from my alterations but now that I think about it, I should have demanded that my alterations be free.
One more thing, my dress was a corset back and there were loops that went all the way down the back for the ribbon. WERE– there WERE loops that went all the way down. I know for a fact that she removed four of them from the bottom and lied about it.
I should have done more dress shopping and done my homework on other boutiques. Well, I’m passing this advice on to you. Do your homework and some serious research on numerous bridal shops and do not go with Betty and Proms & Promises.

I bought my dress from Proms and Promises at the Bridal Show in Tacoma in january. The girl that helped us there was a sweetheart! We really enjoyed working with her, to bad she was just hired for the event. Betty called me in May and let me know my dress was in. I called and left a message asking for a 10 am appt considering we had a 2 hr drive and wanted get home before the traffic started in seattle. She returned my call and was very rude, saying she couldn’t make a 10 am appt because she didn’t open till 12 and THOSE WERE HER HOURS! Could of just told me that without being such a bitch. So I agree on a noon appt, and that she had a 1230 appt following us.
We drive up the day of the appt, and get there at 1135 just be be safe, and to be sure that WE weren’t late. Come noon there is no one there. 1215 another customer pulls up to return a tux. 1225 a third customer pulls up trying to also return something. In this half hr she was late we called the emergency number SEVERAL times! By this time I am just pissed and upset that someone could have this bad customer service. She finally gets there at 1230 and is giving us dirty looks. And making excuses as to why she is late. I dont give a shit as to why your late. You own a business and told me to be here. SO YOU BE HERE ON TIME TOO! I honestly did not even want to go into the store. This was supposed to be an exciting time for me! Im 26, im getting married for the first time. THIS SHOULD BE FUN! and it was nothing close. She helps the other girls first, which was fine, they had quick things. I have never in my life been so uncomfortable that I now have to go in and undress in front of this bitch. The only good thing was my dress. Its perfect. I LOVE it. but wish I would of gotten it somewhere else, which would of been REAL EASY. This woman is SO DAMN LUCKY that I am a VERY easy going girl, and not a total BRIDEZILLA…
Then we were told that the dress came with the bustle while at the wedding show from the sales gal. And it didn’t. She just blew it off like it was our fault. She said she could do it for a small fee. but there was no way I was letting her touch my dress OR giving her anymore money!
This woman needs to get the hell out of the dress business. buying a dress should be fun, especially a WEDDING DRESS!!! DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM THIS BUSINESS!!! I will NEVER refer her to anyone!!! ZERO STARS! DONT GIVE THIS WOMAN ANY SERVICE EVER!!!

I have to express my sincere disappointment in dealing with Proms & Promises. I ordered a dress in mid-​February for my upcoming wedding … It was ordered on rush basis but I was informed that it wouldn’t arrive until the 22^nd of April — which was VERY close to my wedding date. Fortunately the dress came in a week early which made me very happy — but when I saw it the workmanship was shoddy and the color was horrendous. The swatches were not true to color…
I scheduled an appointment to see the dress and get fitted for alterations. When I came into the store it was very busy so I had to wait for a fitting room — no problem. The owner brought the dress out to me so I could look at it. I saw it and was surprised because it didn’t look like I expected it to look — the color was off. (BTW I had spoken with the owner the day before just so I could find out the color base and was told it was gold instead of silver (I was expecting a silver tone — I expressed my disappointment in that phone call).)
I tried the dress on and was again disappointed with how it looked on me — and it looked like there were areas that didn’t get «tucked» or finished; the top area was MUCH bigger and crumbled on one side. The workmanship just wasn’t up to par and appeared shoddy. I stood and let the owner put the pins in where needed. I asked about having the dress shortened and was told «no you don’t need to shorten it» but she did and even the other customers commented how much better it looked. I brought shoes with me that didn’t work with the dress (the shoes were not right for anything) but it turns out that I needed dark shoes anyway — I don’t know of any bride that wants to get married in a dark dress and darker shoes!!!
I kept making little comments that I wasn’t happy with the color/didn’t like the color of the dress. I was told by the owner that maybe on my wedding day when I have my makeup on and hair done I would be happier. If I could change the color of my skin to match the dress it might make me happier but hair and makeup does not affect the color of a dress — if you don’t like the color, you don’t like it! It was not the color I saw on the swatch when I ordered the dress!!!
She had even commented that I would need to have the men in the bridal party change the color of their shirt — because white wouldn’t match. It’s less than 2 weeks and I would have to have the groom and 6 «groomsmen» change their attire — it would also mean changing my flowers even the décor! I left the store in total distress/​dazed — realizing I had ordered and paid for a dress that I wasn’t going to wear and absolutely hated. I came back later with my fiancé and the tie the men were going to wear — it no way did it match!
The store owner was initially indifferent to my comments, then offered her apologies but at no time made any move, effort, comment, etc. to ease my stress — my wedding is a couple of weeks away and I have had to rush out and find another dress, shoes, etc.. .. I gave the owner plenty of opportunities to offer some sort of concession but all I got was ‘you ordered it, you paid for it, you get it — end of story — I can’t help you. Heck in my mind even a gift certificate to McDonalds would have made me feel like she cared just a little bit about me and keeping me as a customer!
If you decide to go to the shop you may not feel like a customer should feel. .. You’ll be made to feel like you are a nuisance and a bother and you should be grateful that you are allowed in the store. As we all know customer service is a major part of a business staying in business… this business seems to continue even though that essential piece is missing. Happy customers make happy referrals — I can’t in good conscience refer anyone to this store just because I have been made to feel like this is ALL my fault for ordering and paying for a dress that is substandard and in a color no one in their right mind would wear.
Some sort of concession would have a made a difference — instead I feel like I am wrong for even stating that on this very important day of my life I want to look beautiful — this dress was the exact opposite. And I’m spending time, energy and MUCH more money trying to find something that «will work» for me. In this economy people really can’t afford to just give money away — If you go to this store, you run the risk of giving way too much and receiving very little or nothing at all in return.
Weddings are stressful enough without having THE essential piece so messed up. I will contact the manufacturer and see what they can or are willing to do – again to me anything is better than what I received thus far.

I found my dress at a wedding expo back in July 2010! I was so excited and it was $ 100 off the ticket price buying it that day (even though it could be ordered, so it wasn’t buy as is!). What a deal!!! My mom paid for what she thought was the entire dress at the wedding expo. We were not informed at the time that the «cathedral length» would cost us extra (which was what I had tried on). We were informed the buttons would cost extra, but we expected that. We left the expo so excited — a perfect dress for $ 700! During the purchase my mother and I made it clear to Betty the dress had to be ordered ASAP because I was going to be moving across the country to New Hampshire with my fiancé, so I’d have to try on the dress over Xmass before the move for a first fitting.
We got a call two weeks later that the store couldn’t run my mom’s card, they were missing the expiration date. I returned Betty’s call to give the expiration date, I was informed they also couldn’t order my dress because they needed my measurements. What? Why didn’t you measure me at the expo? Why are you waiting to tell me this, when I call about the credit card? So, I made an apt at 9am to meet Betty at a second wedding expo the following weekend in Tacoma to get measured.
Come 9am she was no where to be found, I searched the unopened expo high and low, and finally found her outside in a trailer. I literally knocked on the trailer door to get her attention. She completely forgot about our appointment; I had to remind her who I was. Betty then measures me, but seems unsure on how to do it. And tells me she has to measure for the «Cathedral train.» I’d been to 4 other brideal stores and was never told the train had to be measured. My instinct told me something was not right. I asked Betty how long she’d been doing this. She replied something like 30 years. So, I thought I must be crazy, she must know what she is doing. However, I still walked away feeling like the dress order was not going to be right and un-​confident in Betty.
A few weeks later I called Betty to make sure the dress had been ordered. NO it had not! She also was rude enough to tell me she thought I should order 2 – 3 sizes up since I had gained some wait since she saw me last. She asked me to get my own tape measure and measure myself & give her the measurements over the phone! WTF? Now I really thought she had no idea what she was doing! Why else would she have me measuring myself when she’d just measured me two weeks prior??? So after agreeing it’s better to take a dress in than to have nothing to take out (if it’s too small) I agreed we should order the dress a size up; she insisted two sizes up. Since I’ve never ordered a wedding dress I finally agreed, still feeling uncomfortable about the entire thing. By this time it’s September and the dress had still not been ordered!
At the expo Betty told me they had all different mantilla’s I could look at that would match the dress. So, in November I decided to make an apt. with her to look at Mantillas before my move. I called Betty and asked whether I walk in or if I needed an apt. Betty told me her store would be open, so I could walk in. However, since I was moving soon and it was a long drive, I told her I would rather an apt. So we scheduled an apt on the phone. she took my name and number & again said she had mantillas.
My mom and I show up for our apt & Betty had forgotten about us! She did not know who I was! She forgot she had an apt with us & had an apt with someone else scheduled! I was so angry! We drove almost 2hrs to get there & she double booked us, & was unwilling to help us until she met with her other appointment! I start looking at the vails/mantilla’s and realize she doesn’t have a single mantilla. So I asked her about it, and she says, «oh I don’t carry those. What you see is what I have.» HOLY F I was so mad! Then, she tells me to look through a magazine while she helps her «scheduled appointment.» My mom’s temper went through the roof at that point. Betty tells us we owe money on the dress. When we finally got her to go through the Math with us we realized she was charging us wrong. Betty was charging us twice for the buttons and she was charging us twice for the taxes. My mom & I literally had to do the math for her to show her what she was doing wrong. It felt like a screaming match was occuring and Betty was unwilling to say she f’d up. And I still didn’t have my dress come December! Thankfully her ‘appointment’ waited outside to tell us to try Cynderlies in Edmonds. We did, thier service was excellent and I found a mantilla.
It’s January 23, 2011 and I just got the call my dress is in; only I now live in NH and can’t do my first fitting until my next flight in, which won’t be for several months! And my dress was more like $ 1200, not the initial $ 700 we were quoted and paid for. There is NO WAY I’m letting Betty alter my dress! My parents are picking it up & we’re taking it elsewhere!

I, too, am surprised by all the negative reviews about Betty and Proms and Promises. I am the owner of a DJ business that specializes in weddings and I’ve known Betty for years now and all of the brides I’ve sent her way have been happy with her from start to finish, whether it be wedding dresses or bridesmaids dresses. I would hope that those who are looking for one of a kind dresses and don’t mind working with a local, small business give Betty a chance. She’s not David’s Bridal… she’ll take care of you if you work proactively with her and not wait till the last minute to get what you need. My $.02 in years of sending clients Betty’s way.

I bought my dress at a bridal show from a small and very wonderful store in olyimpia. They reccomended since I live up north that I go to Proms & Promises to have my wedding dress altered. I called once to set an appointment. I looked on their site but found no store hours, so I called them and asked if they were open on Tuesdays since it was my only day off at the time. The woman on the phone was very rude and belittling telling me that «We are not open Tuesdays, we are NEVER open Tuesdays» in a very mean tone. I apologized (not sure why I was the one apologizing) and then asked when their store hours were.
After getting a day off that my mother and I could set an appointment that WASNT a Tuesday, I called them back to set an appointment for a another day. The woman had to ask me several times what kind of dress it was and I had told her multiple times it was my wedding dress! The woman was cold and rude the entire time on the phone, and seemed to want for nothing but me to shut up and hang up my phone.
I wish I would have read these before setting an appointment. My mother and I are looking at other places to go now, and are going to cancel our appointment. I dont want to deal with someone so rude and unprofessional.

Rude. Rude. Rude
Rude from the start on the phone, rude when I walked in for my appt. She is just plain bitchy– I was shocked!
First of all her store looks like you’re stepping into the 80s. Tacky. But I still went in with an open mind and friendly attitude to look at the bridesmaide dress I needed. I should have ran away!
she ranted to me as she was helping me get measured about a customer on the phone… so unprofessional!
When I asked if I would need the dress shortened a bit becuse it was too long for a cocktail dress (way below my knee) she replied with a snear, «you’re going to a wedding, not a party… you are a bridesmaid.» Who does she think she is?
Because of her bad customer service, I got the size of the dress I needed and bought it online.
I’d give this place a 0 star if I could!
Do not go here!

c/​p-​ing my review from Citysearch, although slight change in my star rating («A-​OK» is more accurate than «I’m a fan»).
I had been shopping around for a gown to wear for my engagement party. I went to all the big department stores and couldn’t find a thing, except for a green dress from Nordstrom that cost nearly $ 400. Yikes. Besides, my mom really wants me in red. (We’re Chinese.)
I was scared to go in because of all the negative reviews I read, but I thought it was worth a shot. I could always leave the store if Betty was being nasty.
When my fiancé and I walked in, Betty was at the counter and asked how she could help. I told her what I needed a dress for and that I was looking for red. I told her I was a size 10 – 12, and she went to the racks and pulled pretty much anything she had in my size that was red. She even pulled a few 8’s just to see.
I followed her to the dressing room, where she provided me with a bustier in my bra size. Then she proceeded to help me try on the dresses. All the while, she was very pleasant. She explained how some dresses fit differently due to the cuts. We finally chose a beautiful $ 200 red dress dress with a pretty white ribbon at the waist. She was very honest in telling me her opinions — I was never insulted. It was a difference in shades of red that she was advising us on that helped me pick the dress.
We got it altered: hemmed and a few other adjustments since I have mild scoliosis, which she noticed on her own. She had 1.5 weeks, and didn’t charge me for the alterations until I picked it up. When I walked in for the final fitting, she had the dress up waiting for me. Tried it on and the hemming was perfect even with my uneven hips. She took out the sides a bit, which made it fit better. And she had to take in the front of the left side because my body twists. That part wasn’t perfect, but it still looked good.
The entire time she was attentive to me, and she was very personable. I could only wonder about all the negative feedback — perhaps these people were there during really busy seasons?

Lord. I should’ve listened to my instincts and also been more pushy with the bride-​to-​be about going somewhere else for the dresses. Instead, I hoped for the best and now I have a bridesmaid dress that is shorter in the back and there isn’t any extra material on the hem to let it out.
So everyone’s remarks about the owner is true-​she can be very blunt, sound sorta rude and not very customer service-​oriented. She’s not one of the super cheery ladies you’d hope for when trying to pick out bridesmaid dresses. But I was ready for that. I didn’t care, as long as we could find the dresses for my best friend’s wedding and get them on time. The owner has a right to tell customers to treat the sample dresses carefully but the quality of service has to balance out somehow.
So the dresses arrived a couple weeks ago, so before my best friend left to move down to where her fiancé is (and where the wedding will be), we went together and the owner pinned the dress at the length I’d need it at. Then she told me that I can come pick it up a week before I left for my trip. I was feeling very wary about the pick-​up date being so close before the day I’d fly off (just in case it needed any adjustments) but I just shook it off.
So today, I go to pick-​up the dress. I get there at noon, because that’s when the shop opens. I see a group of girls standing outside the store. 12:05pm, still closed. 12:10, the girls leave. 12:15, a couple more ladies drive up and wonder why the store is still dark. 12:20, I give up waiting, then leave to run my other errands.
Then I come in around 2pm, try on the dress with the shoes I’ll be wearing for the wedding, try on the dress and think, «Hm… it looks higher in the back…» but hope it’s just the angle or that it’s just because I didn’t take my jeans off while trying on the dress and maybe it was the jeans clumping up in the back. Since I didn’t bring anyone with me for a second opinion, I have no choice but to pay for it and take it home. Then I tried it on again later sans jeans and asked my mom if she saw what I saw-​she said yes. AUUUUGH. asdghskjdgskjdghdsg $ 43 for tailoring the dress shorter in the back!!! Not happy. I can understand if my butt is a little big, but shouldn’t the owner have calculated that into the length alteration?
Crap.
[6.16.09] Update
A couple hours after I wrote this review, I got a call (went to voicemail) from the owner saying that she was contacted by Unilocal about my review and asked me why I didn’t say anything to her before I paid & left with the dress. If they’d read her the entire review, she’d know that I didn’t think that it was really uneven when I tried it on at the shop and have no time whatsoever to go back and get it repaired.
I’m no expert with alterations but there is also no more material left at the bottom of the dress so I wonder how someone would be able to fix it. Of course this offer to fix the dress for free was sandwiched in between statements that what I did was unethical and that I’m slandering her business. Boggles my mind and makes me wonder if she doesn’t know about the other people that left her 1 star reviews.
I told the bride-​to-​be about this situation and it’s a good thing I told her because her sister (another bridesmaid) was going to take her dress back there for alterations. After measuring & calculating her proportions, the owner was adamant that she get a dress size which the bridesmaid was very unsure about. When she finally got the dress and tried it on, she was swimming in it — she has to get the entire dress taken in.
People tell me I should ask for a refund for the tailoring but I don’t want to deal with this issue anymore after writing an update about this experience (and I’m also voicing the opinions of the bride-​to-​be). I stressed about this because I want the best for my best friend and her wedding. After talking with her about this problem, she said that it’ll look like I’ll have to buy new shoes to go with the dress so that it won’t float in the back, which after trying on different shoes, looks like will have to be flat sandals. So maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that the back came out shorter; now I know that I won’t be crippled by tall high-​heeled shoes by the end of the wedding.

I’m very surprised to see the negative feedback on P&P. Based on these reviews I wouldn’t reccommend getting anything altered there but it’s not like you can only get alterations there just because you bought your dress there.
I bought my Prom dress here and will probably buy my wedding dress here. I’ve always reccommended everyone I know here and every person that has gone here has purchased an amazing dress perfect for them at an exceptionally reasonable price.
The owner, Betty, is kind of a bitch. But take into consideration that this woman pours her entire life into this shop and deals with dumb teenagers and bridezillas all day. You can’t blame her for taking pride in her job and being a stickler about plastic over the dresses or hanging the gowns perfectly back on the hanger. Thank god she does that because my prom gown was in perfect condition as well as her other gowns which is a far cry from gowns in the mall and other boutiques that are shoved together on a rack without any protection and the fabric is snagging and sequins falling off. Anyway, if you can give her a little love she’s a sweet woman.
My gown was gorgeous and Betty was very helpful. The coolest thing is that for proms she has one of a kinds, she keeps a book of all the highschools and every time she sells a dress she makes notation of the girl’s name, her school and what dress she got so if another girl at her school wants the same dress Betty can make sure she doesn’t sell it to the other girl. It’s like insurance that you will be the only one in your dress which is awesome because who the hell wants a dress from the mall that everyone else could get. Anyway, I really love this store and have had great experiences. Please do check it out. Just go elsewhere for alterations.
4 Stars.

We recently purchased our bridesmaid dresses for an August wedding here and I had posted an okay review. That was before I went in to get my dress altered.
When we ordered our dresses they assured us that these dresses were true to size — so we went with what the measurements and the sales lady said to order.
BIG MISTAKE
None of our dresses fit.
I’ve lost weight since orginally being measured, but not enough to make the dress not skin tight. Luckily my dress can be altered to fit better, but the other bridesmaids have not fared as well. A bridesmaid — who wears a size 14 in real life — was ordered a size 12 dress that doesn’t even zip up.
Save yourself the stress — go somewhere else for your bridesmaid dresses.