Picture this: you’ve invested thousands of dollars in a one-of-a-kind wedding dress, only to discover that your custom designer has been allowing others to wear your unique gown for your special day. That’s what allegedly happened to a Reddit user who shared her distressing experience on the platform in December 2023. She found out that her wedding dress designer had used her bespoke gown for a photoshoot in France, without her consent.

In her puzzling story shared to Reddit in late December, a user named @HungryHippo1892 explained that she decided to work with the unidentified designer after she tried desperately to find the perfect gown in stores.  According to The Knot Real Weddings Study, in 2023, the average cost of a wedding dress was approximately $2,000 but the bride went above and beyond to stand out. According to the now-deleted post, the user dropped over five figures to create a special dress for her big day

Initially, @HungryHippo1892 mentioned that the experience with the designer began smoothly and professionally.“We had excellent rapport with each other, and I sincerely enjoyed working with her. She listened and executed every design idea I had. Of course it was a collaborative effort, and what we created was super special.”

The designer maintained excellent customer service even after the ceremony, offering to “fix a small tear and dry clean the dress” for the bride, but things took a turn when her designer informed her that she would be heading to France for a big photoshoot.

Months later, @HungryHippo1892 was shocked when she saw photos of a model wearing her unique wedding dress on the designer’s social media page following her trip to Europe.

“My heart instantly shattered into a million pieces. I feel like she broke my trust. This dress is so sacred and special to me and I can’t bear to see a stranger wearing it,” the bride penned. “I know it’s just a dress and I’ll probably never wear it again, but it’s so much more to me. I also paid so much for this.”

Reflecting on the dress’ sentimental value, she stressed that the dressmaker didn’t even ask permission to take the cherished gown “[halfway] around the world” and let a stranger wear it for a photoshoot.

Netizens react on Reddit.

The comments section lit up with reactions from netizens who were just as puzzled as the disappointed bride by the designer’s actions. Many agreed that it was wrong for the dressmaker to use the bride’s one-of-a-kind gown for the photoshoot without permission. 

“She stole your property. You paid for that dress. I would definitely cause a huge stink about this,” wrote one user. Another person on Reddit penned, “She took it without permission and will most likely profit off it. Totally wrong.”

In response to a netizen who inquired whether her contract included a clause allowing the designer to use her gown for photoshoots, @HungryHippo1892 clarified, “The only contract I signed was for the price quote, which I, of course, paid.”

One user offered a suggestion on how the dressmaker could rectify the flub. “She really should have asked for your permission to use your dress in the photo shoot…At a minimum, she should pay for the dress to be cleaned, not charge you for the repair, and make something else for you for free, as compensation/rent for using your dress this way.”

The bride agreed, simply writing, “I really like this solution. Suing her feels a little aggressive, I’m not mad right now – I’m more so just sad that she broke my trust. Thanks for you comment :).”

We agree! This was downright wrong. Would you have reacted the same way? Tell us in the comments section.

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The post Bride, Who Spent Thousands On Dream Custom Wedding Dress, Furious When Gown Appears On A Model Unauthorized appeared first on MadameNoire.