Ordering

Placing an order is easy.

1) When you have decided that you are interested in ordering a creation, e-mail me your contact information (name, city/state, phone number) with a brief note telling me what you are looking for.

2) At the first possible time, I will call or e-mail you to go over further details.

3) After we have come to an agreement on your choice, pricing, and delivered-by date, I will e-mail you a contract you will need to sign and return, either electronically or via snail-mail, with your deposit. Your place in my schedule will be held for one week. If you do not return the contract and deposit, then you will lose your place in queue.

4) I will send you a list of specific measurements needed for your creation. You will need to have these back to me by before the contract is final as they will go into the contract.

5) I create your garment, providing progress pictures along the way.

6) After your gown is finished and the balance paid, I send you your creation.

 

Order Changes

If client (hereafter: you) decide you’d like changes to be made to your order, additional fees will apply if supplies have already been bought or more are needed, or if the change will add significant time.  Please understand that it takes time and gas to go to various stores to buy the supplies.  Certain minor alterations, such as shortening a hem, likely won’t need an extra fee.  Depending on the stage the creator (hereafter: I) is on with your creation and the specific change, it’s possible that your order would need to be upgraded to a rush order.  So please be very certain of what you want when placing your order.

Changes to sizing will incur additional fees if fabrics have already been cut.  Additional labor changes may apply depending on the stage I am at with your ensemble.

 

Measurements

Accuracy of measurements is your sole responsibility.  If you are uncertain how to take measurements, contact me for help or contact a local alterations shop to assist you.  As all garments are custom made to the measurements you provide, I don’t offer refunds for gowns made to the measurements provided by you if it doesn’t fit.  Depending on how resalable I believe a gown might be, I may offer a credit or partial refund, at my sole discretion.  The measurement charts I use are located here.

 

Shipping 

All items over $300 are shipped UPS or USPS, unless otherwise requested.  Insurance is required.  If an item is lost, then money paid by the shipper will be used to remake your garment.  If my schedule would allow a rush order, I will upgrade your order for no charge.

You are solely responsible for providing a correct and current delivery address and keeping me informed if this changes before shipping.  Reshipping fees due to not keeping me up to date will be your responsibility, and must be repaid prior to reshipping.

International shipping can be expensive, and duties are your sole responsibility.  I am not responsible for time a package spends in customs.  This is out of my control and unpredictable.

Orders will not ship until all payments have been made and cleared, regardless of ready-to-ship-by date.  No exceptions will be made.

 

Payments

The greater of 50% of the total or the total supplies estimate must be paid at the time of order.  If you need a lower down-payment, please ask.  I often can lower the amount down.  50% is just a starting point.  At my sole discretion, the down-payment may be lowered and noted under “Payment Information” on page one of the contact.  This down-payment is non-refundable as it’s used immediately to purchase the supplies for your order.  The balance is due before your order is shipped.

At this time, I accept Square Invoicing for credit and debit cards, credit and debit cards directly, money orders, cashiers checks, and personal checks with advance notice.  Cash is accepted for in-person commissions.  Other methods will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  Paypal requires items be shipped within 21 days, which is not always possible with custom creations.  Money orders, cashiers checks, and personal checks must clear before your order is started, and can take up to two weeks.

If your personal check bounces, you will be assessed a $35-bounced check fee, and will have 30 days to send a money order or cashiers check including this fee.  Your place in queue will be bounced back to account for time lost.

If your money order or cashiers check bounces at any time, which will only happen in instances of fraudulent payment instruments, your order is immediately cancelled, the authorities notified, and future orders will not be accepted.

 

Taxes 

Washington and California residents, or any other orders sent to these states, must be charged sales tax.  The amount is automatically calculated by Square, and taxes, if any, are included on the invoice you receive.  Sales taxes are remitted to the states and are not counted as part of your purchase price.  This is not something I can control, and is mandated by law.  Residents of all other states are responsible for any use taxes that may be due on any mail order items.

 

Refunds 

All garments are made to your specific measurements and to your custom specifications.  Custom garments are extremely hard to re-sell.  For this reason, I do not offer full refunds.  At my sole discretion, depending on how resalable I believe a particular garment might be, I may offer a partial refund.

 

Collaboration

From time to time, I collaborate with Nora Azevedo of A Baronet’s Daughter Designs under the joint label NorAria Creations.  As added assurance that all orders are completed on time regardless of illness or other emergencies, etcetera, Ms. Azevedo may assist in part or full on any garment unless explicitly requested otherwise  I retain full liability to ensuring any work performed by Ms. Azevedo is up to all expected standards.  Any and all assistance will be disclosed in an accompanying document to your “Care and Cleaning” instructions.

 

Progress photography and updates

At my discretion, progress photography may be sent.  Photographs sent are to be kept confidential unless permission is requested and received in advance.  Please do not badger if your ensemble is not at an acceptable place for photographs.  Updates will be sent as appropriate.  Please do not demand daily accounting of what work has been completed.

 

Photography of finished ensembles for commercial purposes

Photography of finished ensembles for commercial purposes must credit the designer.  I must also be informed of publicly published material and, when possible, furnished with a copy.

 

Non-responsive buyers and abandoned orders

Creating a custom creation requires cooperation from the buyer in timely contact, measurements, etc..  If you disappear from the face of the planet and I can’t reach you via e-mail, phone, or mail, for a period of 30 days, your order will be cancelled, your order forfeit, and I may resell the garment or supplies to recover unpaid moneys.  I understand things come up and it can be difficult, if not impossible, to e-mail, but please understand I can’t be left hanging.  If you contact me after this period, I may be able to reinstate your order, although fees may apply.

Orders not paid in full within 30 days of ready-to-ship-by date will be considered abandoned, and may be made available for resale, unless prior arrangements have been made and approved by me.  Work that has been done and not paid for in a timely manner stresses my budget just as your employer withholding your paycheck for any reason would strain yours.

 

Acts of God

I am only human and can’t control the universe.  At times things happen, such as major illness, major injury, major inclement weather, natural disasters and federal emergencies that cause mail delivery to cease, etc..  These things are beyond my control and may hinder the production of your gown.  In cases of “Acts of God,” I can not be held responsible, but will do everything in my human power to work with you to come to an agreeable arrangement.  In certain cases I may offer a refund instead of proceeding.  Orders affected by “Acts of God” would be concluded on a case-by-case basis.

 

Exceptions

Exceptions to these terms can be made by mutual consent, and will be listed under Additional information on page 1.  At times orders may be slow and an order rushed for no fee, a partial-refund offered for a gown, etc..  But please take these terms as absolute and don’t count on exceptions I may not be able to make.