‘Helpless': Bride lashes out at Sydney wedding boutique over dress
In an emotional social media clip, Jade Zane, 37, was in tears as she warned her viewers about the 'nightmare' she claims to have endured at the hands of the Ivory Room Bridal in Paddington.
'I spent almost $15,000 on my dream dress from there and it has come and it is massive,' she wept.
The mum-of-three revealed the dress was 'not just a little off but eight centimetres too big in the chest alone.'
'I'm heartbroken. I've been quoted $4,000 in alterations just to make it wearable,' she claimed.
Ms Zane said that she had originally given the business the benefit of the doubt, so she emailed them with her concerns.
'The reply was so generic they pretty much told me 'that's just how it is' and 'you'll have to alter it yourself,'' she claimed.
'I emailed them again telling them it wasn't good enough and that they were in the wrong and I've had no response.'
As it turns out, Ms Zane isn't the only one who claims to have had a bad experience.
Bea, not her real name, told news.com.au she also left her bridal appointment at The Ivory Room in tears.
'I chose them because I'd seen a lot of influencers go there, and liked a few of their dresses online,' she said.
'When I went in, they gave me a really short amount of time to actually look through the floor to pick out a dress. They rushed this whole process and made me feel like they just needed to get me through and were more focused on the time than actually helping me find my dream dress.'
Bea claimed that instead of enjoying what was meant to be a special day for her, she felt forced to quickly pick random dresses off the racks because she was being 'constantly reminded of the time' by shop assistants.
Bea said that despite not saying she liked any of the dresses she tried on, the sales assistant was quick to tell her the prices for all of them and the time it would take to order.
'She mentioned I would have to put in my order today if I wanted to get any of the dresses before my wedding. It was like she didn't even take into account how the appointment went and that I hated all of them, she was just like, 'right so here's some paperwork.''
'I then went outside and cried,' she added.
The luxury wedding dress boutique, based in Sydney's ritzy inner-city suburb of Paddington, opened its doors just five years ago. According to their website, the space offers brides a taste of luxury complete with a private bridal suite, champagne and macarons upon arrival.
With dresses ranging from $5,000 – $17,000, it's no wonder you'd expect the experience to be perfect.
In a six-minute response video, the founder of The Ivory Room, Nicole O'Connor, said it was 'absolutely devastating' to see.
In a statement, Mrs O'Connor told news.com.au that she is 'very sorry that Jade is distressed.'
'All of our designers' dresses are made to the closest size – not to a bride's exact measurements. We advise our brides at multiple points that alterations are always required to achieve a personalised fit.
'It is further explained that any alterations are not included in the price of a dress and as such, are an additional cost to the customer. This is not only because gowns come to standard size/split size but also because a bride's measurements may change in the time between measurement, order and dress delivery six months prior to the wedding date. We clearly explain all of these points in all appointments, confirm in the post-appointment quote email, and clarify in the terms of our contract, which all brides are required to read and sign prior to placing their order.
'In this particular instance, Jade was measured on 23 November 2024 and the dress came as per the size ordered. Jade then had a dedicated dress pick up appointment on 14 May 2025 where she tried the dress on, was remeasured and given the forum to raise any concerns. Jade did not raise any concerns and actually stated how happy she was with her beautiful wedding dress. She signed off on her measurements taken and her satisfaction with the dress. It wasn't until six weeks later on 25 June 2025 that Jade contacted us to express concerns with the sizing of the gown and the cost of alterations needed.
Ms O'Connor said the store 'immediately checked with the dress designer', who assured that the dress was made exactly to the measurements.
'We then checked our quality control records and measurements taken of the bride on order (23 Nov 24) and pick-up (25 Jun 25) and noticed a significant size reduction, which, in our industry, we encounter often for some brides-to-be in the lead up to their special day.'
'We advised Jade that the gown correctly matched the size ordered. We also explained, as clearly stated in all of her appointments, correspondence and her contract, that alterations are always required and are at the customer's own cost,' she said.
'We are very sorry Jade is distressed and have been in contact with her today to provide support and try to find a resolution.'
The Ivory Room did not respond to Bea's claims.
Victorian bridal stockist Champery Couture told news.com.au that they'd be more than happy to 'hook Jade up with a free dress.'
'We're happy to help her out,' they said.
'Alterations should never cost $4,000, they should be a thousand dollars if that.'
They suggested booking measurement appointments three months in advance 'to avoid these mishaps.'
Unlike others, they weren't so quick to pin the blame exclusively on Nicole's Ivory Room.
'They're actually not in the wrong when it comes to the sizing situation here. The designer should be stepping in to help,' they said.
'But we do feel for Jade.'
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