Thank you so much for altering my wedding dress! You were always so happy and upbeat, it was a pleasure dealing with someone who truly enjoys what they do.
Melissa Foster Tappen 2/2/2013
WOW! Absolutely incredible! Mary Rita was commended by 3 friends. She is really is amazing.I had two dresses, but the one I really l loved was a tad small, She reassured me anything was possible and she could make either dress work for me. After meeting with her in person, not only did I get my dream dress but I had such peace and joy! She truly put me at ease about my dress and how she would make it work.
She not only made it fit perfectly, she made it a sweetheart cut in the front and her Bustle was absolutely phenomenal, it looked beautiful, and I was able to dance the night away in it. You could not even tell what she added, her hooks were beautiful and they looked like part of the dress. She color coordinated the under bustle making it simple to bustle. I I felt like Cinderella with her trimming my dress, she added her own additional special pieces like the sixpence coin and a bit of blue on the underside.
I truly cannot say enough about her. The most wonderful experience ever! She made having my dress altered a joyous time, I so looked forward to fittings with her because she “always” made me feel so awesome. I would say she must be the BEST in Bakersfield. I can’t imagine how anyone could be any better, her talent is Unbelievable, her personality it the best and her prices are more than reasonable. I was super blessed to have had her recommended to me.
She also altered my daughters bridesmaid dress. I must brag, of the four Bridesmaids hers by far was altered the best. She did things we didn’t even know to ask for because she knew it would make it look better. After meeting with my daughter and learning her taste, she is so creative and added the “special touch” since it was the :Maid of honor dress. She used some of the material that was removed to make an adornment on the front side of the waist along with a vintage brooch and Jewelry. We LOVED it.
I highly recommend Mary Rita and would even say you are missing out if you go Elsewhere!
Thank you Mary Rita, you made my One and Only Wedding Day “‘Extra special”
With much Love and Many Blessings to you.
Misty Besinaiz 10/20/2012
pearl buttons added mantia veil
I had the pleasure of working with Mary Rita Nommensen of Sew Elegant Bridal Veils and Alterations for my daughter’s wedding. She did the alterations on my daughter’s wedding gown and my mother of the bride dress. She transformed my daughter’s lace wedding gown that was multiple sizes too big into a perfectly fitted gown that looked like it had been custom made for her. My dress came out fitting impeccable, too. The veil she got for my daughter complimented her gown perfectly.
Mary Rita has extensive experience in the wedding and the fashion industry and offered us a lot of advice and suggestions. She was very professional and always had our dresses ready to try on for our scheduled fittings. She is very detail oriented and passionate about her work, which is first-rate. I highly recommend Mary Rita Nommensen, especially because her customers leave laughing from her stories and satisfied with a perfectly fitted dress for their important day!
-Karen Martinez 8/2/2012
Dear Mary Rita of “SEW ELEGANT”
Words cannot say how grateful I am for all your amazing talent that transformed my “dress with a vision” into my wedding gown that I’ have always dreamed of!!!
When I sent you the picture of my dress it was a “do your thing, we can let it out?” “Do you think we could add something to it?” kind of dress…Who knew! Even though I loved the shape of the dress and the lace and the tulle, I still felt like I was uncertain of it’s possibilities. But I could not resist the affordable price tag. I felt like, Oh well, I can’t lose.
I bought the dress and brought it over and in the first ten minutes my dress was like Cinderella Going to the Ball! I cried and felt like it was the most beautiful wedding dress I had ever seen! My heart melted. You gave me every detail I was looking for and in your magical special way you just knew what I wanted.It truly became My Dream Dress!
Although my wedding gown was perfect for me in every way I had mentioned that it would be sad to change for our reception because my soon to be husband and I love to dance. I knew that we would be very busy with pictures and guests and wanted to move freely. So I said I was considering another gown just for the reception.
When my dress couldn’t get any more amazing you worked magic again. You said “you don’t need another dress! Lets make the bottom of this dress detachable. It will be no problem and you will love the freedom and comfort you will get while still wearing your elegant gown!” My mouth dropped! Once again—magic!
My husband and I made it part of the festivities. Instead of a garter, he ripped off the bottom of my gown and twirled it up over his head!! Our guests went wild! We danced the night away! I was so comfortable, cool, easy moving and glamorous!!! Only you could do something so totally extraordinary to a wedding gown!
So when I say words cannot express my feelings when I hear the words my friends and family still say…”THAT DRESS!!! and I think of you! To add more gratefulness because of you and your “MAGIC” my little “something” of a dress turned into quite a big deal of a dress. It has been the poster gown for “Brides against Breast Cancer” and what an honor for the Bridal Association to Kern County to use my dress for its poster dress! It has also walked the runway at the Bridal Show always dropping jaws!! It was recently featured with you in Bakersfield Magazine representing one of your FABULOUS dresses for Sew Elegant.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. All my love and gratitude!
Sheri Shoemaker 8/8/2012.
Dear Mary Rita,
I just want to thank you for the wonderful job you did on my daughter’s wedding attire. When we purchased her classic ivory ballgown from Costco, I was thrilled when it was delivered to our doorstep. That is, until I was hit with the realization that we were on our own for alterations. The dress needed a bustle, and beyond that, who knew? I had no idea where to turn. Luckily, I asked around and someone gave me your number. From the moment we met you, I knew we were in good hands. You were so easy to work with, answering questions, lending suggestions, guiding us through the process, and offering reassurance along the way. I felt like we hit the jackpot finding a wedding gown expert right here in Bakersfield!
In the end, the gown fit perfectly, and the color coded bustle loops were a snap to use. I managed to single-handedly bustle the gown in the church foyer in less than 5 minutes. You even embellished the slip to make it fit comfortably and stay in place–something I never would have thought of. Most impressively, you created a beautiful headpiece that transformed my 30 year old veil into something modern, elegant, and stunning, then dyed it to match the gown. As a finishing touch, you embellished her garter with an applique from my original headpiece, so she could carry a bit more of my wedding tradition with her on her big day. All of this for less than half of the gown designer’s flat-rate fee for alterations, which I would have had to drive to L.A. for.
It was a joy to watch my beautiful daughter walk down the aisle on her wedding day. She looked stunning in her gown and veil. Mary Rita, I can’t thank you enough for the major part you played in her big day!
Sincerely,
Lisa Boles Mother of the Bride 9/26/2012
Photo by Kelli’s Keepsake Photography
Dear Mary Rita,
I want you to know how wonderful it was to do business with you. When I first contacted you, I was concerned because I had just met with an alterations person who asked me if I had any suggestions on how to shorten my daughter’s wedding gown! She was suppose to be the professional and she was asking me! We knew we were in trouble, so we promptly left that establishment.
Our next stop was the Bra Shoppe, where we happen to mention our previous encounter and frustration with the alterations person to the owners. They immediately gave us your name and number. I called you as soon as possible, and while I was on the phone with you, you were looking up my daughter’s dress online so we could discuss our hemming and alteration options. This proactive approach was all I needed to know–you were the alterations professional for us!
We made an appointment with you, and when we arrived you were able to tell us how you could alter the bodice of the gown, shorten the gown to the appropriate length, and create a truly unique way to bustle the gown for ease of walking after the ceremony.
Your prices are the best in town, your work is impecable, and your knowledge of sewing techniques is vast. Thank you so much for everything you did for us. We recommend you to anyone who asks about alterations, especially wedding gowns.
Thank you again,
Terri Smith 6/2/2012
Words cannot explain how thankful I am to have met Mary Rita. When first meeting Mary Rita, she made me feel so comfortable and excited about what she would be able to do for my wedding dress and veil. Mary Rita has talent like no other alteration specialist out here. Her kindness, very sweet personality, willingness, and hard work ethic made my experience with her, one of the best ever. Planning a wedding is one of the most important, exciting, yet stressful events of your life, not to mention the wedding dress being one of the most important. I knew that once I stepped foot in Mary Rita’s home that I was in good hands. She was able to take my ideas and make the most gorgeous wedding veil ever! My long cathedral crystal, embroidered monogram veil was to die for! She definitely made me feel like a princess and made my wedding dress fit like a glove and so comfortable. Every fitting was such a fun time. I always left her house with a smile and excitement to the extreme. I am so thankful for Mary Rita’s alteration and creation in veils. She made my wedding attire exactly what I always dreamed of!
Victoria Garcia 9/2/2012
I absolutely loved what Mary Rita Nommensen did to my wedding dress! It looked like a different dress when she was done and I loved it!! She has great ideas and make everything so easy and stress free! She is very reasonable and I would highly recommend her for your alterations!!
Jackie Moreno 9/22/2012
I can’t express to you how pleased I was with your work. It’s been several months since my wedding and I’m still getting compliments on my dress. Thank you so much for making me feel as close to perfect as possible on my wedding day.
Brianne Moore 11/5/2011
I used Mary Rita Nommensen for all my wedding dress alterations. She was amazing to work with and her work is just breathtaking !
Ashley Wood Shafer 6/16/2012
I was married last October and I desperately needed I my dress hemmed, let out, taken in other places, lets be honest.. Fixed in general! Mary Rita saved my dress and made my wedding day! She was so lovely to work with and made me the happiest bride! My wedding was wonderful and when my (now husband) saw me he got teary eyed, and softly whispered, “you look amazing!” I owe it to her! She also was kind enough to add a little something extra that made me have precious memories forever. A cute little sixpence with a tiny blue rose. This representing the sixpence that gives you luck and wealth in your marriage and the blue rose of course being your “something blue”. I was so thrilled I showed it off to everyone! She also added colored ribbons and showed me how to use them to bustle my dress. That made it so much easier and faster. My dress was perfect and I felt like a million bucks! I really did look amazing, thanks to Mary Rita!
Jessica Lucey 10-20-2012!
All I can say about Mary Rita is wow! What a talented lady! I ordered my dress online and absolutely hated it once I tried it on. It was nothing like I had envisioned based on the original pictures that were online. By God’s grace I stumbled upon Mary Rita’s website and was immediately blown away by her work. I called her and from the first phone call she was the nicest and most caring person I had talked to in regards to wedding attire. She took the time to make me feel like family even before we had ever met; and she was even able to work within my month time limit from the very first time I called her.
Once I took my dress to her I knew immediately that I had made the right decision. She walked around me and began to put a beautiful lace trim around the hem of my train. With each fitting I began to get goosebumps because I finally felt like I had found my wedding dress; the dress every little girl dreams of. I can honestly say that Mary Rita is my first choice when it comes to having anything altered and I would recommend her to any bride looking for a alteration specialist to either alter or make your wedding dress your own.
Thanks again Mary Rita for all you have done for me. I will call you if I ever have anything else in need of alteration.
Nicole Rainbolt 12/28/2012
Well I can honestly say it was a true miracle the way I met Mary Rita. During the time of my upcoming wedding I was working at Kern Schools Federal Credit Union. I had purchased my dress at David’s Bridal and of course they said I had to get the alterations done with them as well. I was stressing about the alterations they said I needed, which was almost the price another wedding dress! I prayed I would find someone who knew how to work with wedding dresses and was still reasonably priced. And then God sent Mary Rita! I was working one day and I happened to call down Mary Rita to help her with her transaction. She took notice of my engagement ring and asked if I had someone for alterations already. I explained to her what David’s Bridal was going to do and how much they would be charging. Then she told me her story and how she had been working with Little White Dress and worked in New York’s fashion center for many years. She gave me her business card and the date was set.
She added sleeves and matching lace beading to my strapless dress. Matching lace appliques were added on to my dress to make a beautiful bustle which was different from the original 18 point bustle that David’s wanted to do. I was completely excited and could not wait for the finished product! The icing on the cake was my veil. She embroidered mine & my husband’s initials into the veil and added beading around it. The veil looked AMAZING and it matched the dress perfectly! I could not have been happier with the work that Mary Rita did with my dress. She truly is a very talented woman. Anyone who puts the care of their dress in Mary Rita’s hands will NOT be sorry!
Sincerely,
Kayla Rodriquez 6/9/2012
As you can see Alexandria’s dress fits so beautifully, it was a great pleasure working with you. I’m so glad we met you!
-Elizabeth Dean (mother of the bride) 3/30/2012
www.IQphoto.com
Hello Mary Rita!
The wedding went great! You did a great job! Thank you so much for your help! It was such a pleasure to work with you and get everything done before my big day! 
Thanks again,
Amber Pratt Boatwright 10/6/2012
Having Mary Rita do my alterations was one of the best decisions I made planning our wedding. She was so helpful, cheerful and her work was impeccable. She was most accommodating for me with my work schedule and her experience and her professionalism is nothing short of amazing. I had a French bustle done, meaning my dress bustled underneath my dress. She color coded everything so I could get bustled in a flash after the ceremony.She also nicely packed my dress so I could take it on the plane since I was doing a destination wedding.
Thank you again,
Laura Alford-Bargnesi 9/1/2012
Mary Rita did such an amazing job in my wedding dress! She took the zipper out of my dress and made a lace up to make sure that it fit in the day of!
If weren’t for her I probably would have gone crazy! She turned my dream dress into more than I could fathom! She was there to ease my stress level and worked so hard to make me comfortable in my wedding dress! Thank You!
Jillian Pedrow 9/15/2012
Dress looked amazing.
Thx Nikki
11/4/2011
Appreciation and thanks goes out to you Mary Rita. You made my daughters wedding dress absolutely perfect. Along with all the additional dresses that came to you, at the last minute. With no hesitation you took care of everything perfectly. Thanks again for pressing the dresses too. This additional touch not only saved me time not needing to use the dry cleaners, but saved me money as well. Mary Rita you are amazing!
Terry Newman 6/16/2012
Good Evening Mary Rita! I hope all is well with you! I thought I would share some photos you. I got SO MANY compliments on my wedding dress. Thank you for making it so spectacular. It was gorgeous! I loved changing the zipper to the pearl buttons, and adding the tiny rhinestones and the lace details.Thanks for everything!
Ashley Kammeraad 6/30/2012
Photo by www.madeulookphotography
I got Married back in October I had so many things to get done before our wedding day and my dress had a few things to get done as well. I entrusted Mary Rita with it and had no doubts it was in great hands! She worked with in my time frame and I have no complaints on my dress! I have to give Mary Rita a huge Thank You for her work it was such a pleasure to have met her and entrusting her with my wedding dress.
Lolita Alaniz 10/6/2012
In December I flew into Bakersfield to visit my mom for Christmas. We decided to stop by a wedding dress boutique after she picked me up from the airport. This was my first attempt at finding a wedding dress. The wedding was scheduled for the end of June. The boutique was closing so everything was discounted. I found a Melissa Sweet dress that looked great with my body shape. The dress was a floor model and the top organza layer was beyond repair. The owner of the boutique mentioned that she knew an amazing seamstress that worked magic. We met with Mary Rita a few days later at the boutique and discussed our options on replacing the organza. We decided on replacing the organza with georgette fabric and adding a little lace. One week later I found out I was pregnant. I was going to be seven and half months pregnant at the wedding. Mary Rita kept her cool and told me to enjoy the pregnancy. She said not to worry she would transform it into a gorgeous dress that fit me perfectly. The dress had to be completely reconstructed. She had to continually open it up because I just kept growing and growing. She ended up added a beautiful corset that allowed me room to grow and made the dress much more comfortable. The end product was beyond anything I could have imagined. It did not look anything like the original dress. The georgette was light-weight and flowed elegantly. The bodice was redone in lace and was on of my favorite parts of the dress. The corset was gorgeous with lace appliqués surrounding it. I was concerned about dancing in the dress. I was already a little unsteady on my feet since I was carrying an extra 25 pounds. Mary Rita put small pearls around the dress at calf length and loops on the inside of the bottom of the dress. I attached the loops to the pearls and it made the dress 6 inches shorter. It was such an awesome idea. I was able to dance all night without a worry and it gave the dress a billowy look that was beautiful. The dress was perfect. Mary Rita went above and beyond my expectations. I cannot thank her enough. She really does magic.
Amy Henry Flagstaff, Arizona 6/23/2012
Mary Rita is fabulous! Not only was the price right but the job was done right the first time. I have finally found a reliable seamstress that, not only got my wedding dress perfect, but can handle any other job I send to her. Thank you Mary Rita!
Sara Hurley 12/2011
.My experience with Mary Rita was very delightful and one of the least stressful things when planning my wedding. She was very efficient and did great quality of work. I took my dress in and she had it finished in no time! She even put a cute small flower on the inside since I had not found anything for my “something blue”. I would highly recommend her to any future brides-to-be. Thanks so much Mary Rita!
Mary Whitener 9/11/2011
I found a cocktail style dress for my simple wedding ceremony at Little White Dress however it was a bit too large. When I asked the girls who I should take my dress to for alterations, they immediately told me about Mary Rita. From the very first phone call to the final fitting, Mary Rita was so fun and had great ideas. Her work is flawless, and she can complete your items on any timeline. I have worked with her since my wedding, and again I could not be more happy with my dresses. She has a great personality, listens to everything that you want done and very easy to work with!
Stacy Bainton-Shapiro 2011
When stress turns into weight loss the week before a wedding it can be a brides worst nightmare, especially if you are crazy enough to be at a 5 day horse show the week before your wedding as I was. Thankfully Mary Rita ( having wonderfully made custom show clothes for some of my clients before) assured me after a single fitting before I left town that all would be right with my dress and not to give it another thought. She was so right my dress fit perfect and was pressed and ready to go when I picked it up, she even sewed a blue flower and a lucky silver coin into the dress. Something so simple yet so special. Thank You so much for taking care of me!
Xoxo Mandi Kissack 4/21/2012
I went to Mary Rita two months before my wedding so she could help alter my dress from hell. I had ordered it online and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Luckily she could fit me in. She made my dress fit wonderfully. Also Mary Rita spruced it up by putting pearl buttons down the back, and made my front sash A LOT more pretty. She took in the train, fixed the bodice, and even put a six pence on my dress. One thing I really liked was she listened to what I wanted and just made small suggestions. She even put a little button on the dress so when I was done dragging it around I could pin it up (thank goodness!!!). I will never be getting married again, but if i were to I would not hesitate in calling Mary Rita again because she made all the difference.
-Krisstal (A Very Happy Bride.) 10/13/2012
Mary Rita,
Here is a pictures of my dress. It looked gorgeous and fit perfectly! Thank you for your work on it and for helping make our day so beautiful.
-Julie Brady 5/19/2012
“Thank you, Mary Rita, for your beautiful alteration of my Mother’s veil for my daughter, Katie’s wedding. Your suggestions and your delicate work created the perfect veil. Katie, my mom and I will always have wonderful memories of how she looked in her grandmother’s veil on her special day.”
Sincerely,
Sue Benham 6/2012
Mary Rita,
Thank you so much for the fantastic alterations! The finishing touches of the rhinestone buttons and beading turned a great dress to the wedding dress of my dreams!! The beaded veil was the icing on the cake. All my love
Lindsey Watkins 3/30/2012
Dear Mary Rita,
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for making my wedding dress so special and personal to me! It fit like a glove and it finally felt like my dress could not have been more perfect! Everything that day was amazing and I felt amazing because I was in a dress that felt like it was made just for me!! Thank you again.
All the very best,
Madeline Symn 6/23/2012
Mary Rita is wonderful! She is a true professional with a creative eye. She altered my wedding dress to fit my body and had great suggestions that gave my dress that special look. I will continue to go to her for all my dress alterations. She’s the best!
Sandra Taylor 3/10/2012
Photo by Kandid Kamera
Mary Rita it was such a pleasure working with you! Your fun personality and great attitude were evident from the first phone call and from that point on I knew I would enjoy working with you. You gave my wedding dress such a special touch and made it unique, I loved it. Your prices and service were great and I will highly recommend you to friends and family. Thank you Mary Rita for a beautiful job! By the way the garter set you made for me was beautiful along with the matching bag!
-Olivia Frausto 7/14/2012
Photo by Misty Dameron
Hi Mary Rita!
I wanted to THANK YOU VERY MUCH for all that you did for my wedding!! Everything turned out PERFECT! I loved the grey polka dotted ring pillow & garter! Thank you so much for being so flexible & willing to make me exactly what I wanted!! And the veil was absolutely stunning I was very pleased with how everything turned out & will absolutely recommend you to anyone asking for veils & alterations.
Mary Rita did such a wonderful job on altering my wedding dress! I am very petite (4’9″) so my dress needed to be taken in and hemmed quite a bit. Mary Rita was so kind with a friendly and bubbly personality that made the whole process of altering my dress painless. In addition to fixing the fit, I wanted to take the sweetheart neckline down a little because I am so petite. Mary Rita made that look great and also added bra cups for an extra lift. She also added a side bustle, using beautiful rhinestone beading to match the dress. A tiny blue rosette ribbon and sixpence was also sewed into the inside of my dress. I loved that special touch, it’s the little things that count. My dress turned out absolutely beautiful and I received many compliments including the most important of all – from my groom!
Thank you for everything Mary Rita !
Sylvia Buchanan (Newland) 10/6/2012
Mary Rita’s number was given to me from a family friend who trusts her to do her children’s formal and prom dresses. I wasn’t sure what to expect at first, but when Mary Rita invited me in to her home I knew I was in good hands. She has a lot of experience in altering wedding dresses. She altered my dress in a short amount of time, for a decent price. I was completely happy with my dress and she made everything very simple. She’s so friendly and welcoming. She really did an excellent job with everything. I cannot thank her enough!
Apolonia Sanford 10/20/2012
