Gather around dear friends, I have a story to tell.

Once upon a time, and every once in a while, despite our best efforts, shipments arrive late. For a special occasion, that can have devastating consequences…a day late for a christening, baptism, first communion, or wedding might mean that a valued (as well as busy and likely stressed under the circumstances) customer may have to run all over town at the last minute trying to find a replacement outfit, or worse, not be able to find what is needed at all.

Though the significance of these special days is truly in the people involved rather than pieces of clothing and accessories, we all want things to be as perfect as envisioned for a lifetime. It literally breaks our hearts when we receive news that a deadline was not met. In an effort to lessen the possibility of this happening to you, I’d like to explain a few things that may be helpful to know when planning your online special occasion purchase.

1-About us: We have an amazingly talented and caring staff working full time to meet your needs. Every (and I do mean every) effort is made to fulfill all orders in a timely manner.

Our shipping policy lets you know the time frame within which you can expect your order to leave our facility. We offer a handy delivery chart to demonstrate the number of days it takes for your order to be delivered to you based on the day we receive your order. (Be sure to notice if you’re ordering a made-to-order item: construction of your garment will add one week to the time listed on the chart.)

On very rare occasions, we experience human moments that can affect the delivery time of your order. In these circumstances, our policy is to do anything and everything within our control to get it to you on time. (Things we can control: processes within our facility. Things we can’t control: processes/transit within a shipping company.)

2-About our shippers: We offer the shipping services of two companies. It is important to note a few things about each, as they both have pros and cons. Regarding both companies–once your package leaves our facility, it is beyond our immediate control.

United States Postal Service: Our free shipping offer utilizes the US Postal Service (aka USPS). The biggest benefit of this service is the speed with which most packages are delivered–usually within 2-3 business days. That said, there is a major drawback that can make a big difference in a time crunch:

• The USPS is not guaranteed to be delivered in a specific time frame and can take up to a week…more, if your package happens to get lost.

UPS: Our express shipping services are provided by UPS. UPS offers in-transit package tracking and guaranteed delivery dates. The important thing to know when selecting the level of service you need is this: the ‘day count’ begins the day after your shipment leaves our facility. (Example: Next Day is delivered the next business day after shipment… Second Day is delivered two business days after shipment with the day after shipment being the first day. If that doesn’t make sense, refer to our delivery chart.)

It is important to keep in mind that Saturday is not considered a business day, so if you’re ordering on Friday and need your order tomorrow (Saturday), you have to specify Next Day with Saturday delivery. If you’re ordering on Friday and need it Saturday, be sure to CALL us so we can let you know if it is possible to ship your order same day or not.

3-About you: Yep, you! It’s important for you first, to be informed and to understand the specifics when the time is short. And second, to let us know if there’s a problem so we can help you resolve any delivery issues. If your package hasn’t arrived as expected–let us know! We can often ship an emergency replacement in time if you give us enough notice. If you call Friday afternoon after our shipments for the day have left, about a gown you need on Saturday…our hands are tied. There’s nothing we can do but cry with you. And we will. But we’d rather not. {smile}