Traumatised "BIG DAY" 12/12/2020

I approached Fatima and Shireen at the store in Town Centre on the 7/11/2020 and they advised that they will be able to assist me with making my wedding dress to my hearts desire. I asked Fatima numerous times if she is sure that she will be able to get the job done in such a short period of time and she with a very friendly gestured assured me not to worry. I got married on the 12/12/2020. I made my 1st deposit to her on the 7/11/2020 and we kept in touch via watzup. She would then ask me and my brides****s to come for regular fittings and everytime she had a list of requirements ( certain heels and underwear, etc). We adhered to all of this. One week before my wedding she ask to see us (me and my girls) 3 times that week. We adhered to everthing and even though we pitched late for fittings (due to us all working) we always picthed. The Monday 7/12/2020 my bride****s dresses where ready and we could collect. I advised Fatima that I will collect everything at once. She asked me to come in for final fittings the Monday 7/12/2020 - the Wednesday 9/12/2020 and the and the Friday 11/12/2020. I did as she asked and my manager even allowed me to be excused from work early that week so that i can get my fittings done. Not once did I see my dress. She put me in a dummy dress all the time ever since fittings started. Whenever I asked for pics of the dress she would send to my phone and it looked exactly like my "dream dress". During fittings i would ask to see my dress and she would just respond and say they working on it and it will be perfect. On the 11/12/2020 I visited her store to collect everything - and guess what? My dress wasnt done. Fatima advised me that herself and Shireen will work right through the night to finish my dress. Remember for this whole period I never onced fitted "my dress". I was upset but left the store and told her im collecting the girls dresses the morning of my wedding as well as she said my dress will be ready at 6. I couldnt sleep as I was so stressed about what Fatima did. She charged me R5000 to hire the dress and R8000 should I want to keep it. I told her I really want to keep it as it's an uncommon style. I paid the R3000 in total and advised her that the R2000 i will pay the morning of my wedding (This figures is excluding my girls dresses and all the additional items she charged us for). The morning of my wedding I msg Fatima at 6h30 asking if I can come to collect. She rep**** saying they not ready yet. I got sick of stress. I couldnt control my emotions anymore and just started to cry. My grandma gave me a nice cup of tea to relax my nerves and at 8 I msg her again. With the same response. She is not done yet! The make-up artist and hairstylist pitched. NO DRESS as yet! My hair and make-up was done and at 10 i msg Fatima again and she gave me the same story. My dress is still not ready!!! So now our hair was done and make up and we where all without dresses. I told my girls I'm going to fetch there dresses and check up on what's happening with mine. My ceremony was scheduled for 12. I got to the shop at just before 11 and I had to wait coz she still had to run arounf for zips, etc. Eventually she showed me the dress (after 11 and I'm getting married at 12) and OH MY GOD!!!!!WHAT A DISASTER IT WAS!!!!. It looked like a torn table cloth. Yet Fatima assured me that everything will be okay and I look perfect and that she just need to finish it off. I burst out in tears coz its after 11, my ceremony starts at 12 and Fatima now wants me to wear this trash on my BIG DAY. I refused to wear that dress and told her what she did was NOT FAIR towards me and our families. She told me to pick a dress in her shop (she only had muslim gowns hanging in her shop and I'm a Christian lady) I had no choice - I picked a gown that was so big she had to alter it. She forced me to wait while she alter the dress and nagged for the R2000 difference. I told her I cant wait and had to leave as the video and photograher man was at my house already waiting. Fatima just didnt kept on nagging that I must pay her the difference and wait for the dress. I burst out in tears and at that time my husband (fiance at that time)called to ask if everything sorted as they leaving for church already. Tears just rolled down my face uncontrollably. I couldnt stop crying coz now my big day was a complete disaster. I went home without "her" dress and my cousin was gna go back to the store to collect the "Muslim" gown. When my aunt and grandma heard what she did they all started to cry because we spent so much money on the wedding and now I dont have a suitable gown to fit our theme. The video man and photohgrapher patiently waited in their car coz I looked like trash - my make up was s******. My hair (curls) where out and I was just a total mess. My husband kept on phoning as they wer at church already and it was after 1 clock. My aunt then manage to save my day and got me a suitable, elegant, decent wedding gown at ROSE BRIDAL STORE in Eastridge and thank God to Rose I felt confident in that dress. I got to church at 2 my husband was so stressed and had a headache already. Our whole program was out and everything ran late. Our families couldnt join us at the gardens as the reception was at 5 and we had to rush everything to get back to the reception. We got to the hall at 6 and our guests had to wait outside (from 4h30 for 5clock) as the catering company ddnt wanted to let them. Only once we arrived then they wer allowed to go in. We wer so embassed as our guests wer drained by waiting and we had to explain to them why we ran so late. The Sunday after the wedding Fatima msg me to congratulate me and raved about how pretty I looked. When I asked for my refund she advised that she ddnt tell me to go get another dress as she had an alternative dress in store. I was so upset as I used our honeymoon money to pay for the other dress. We couldnt go on honeymoon the Sunday (and lost our dep) and only left the Monday after going to her store. She was rude to my mother and told her that she ddnt deal with her and will not talk to her about the refund and I must go the legal route. I was blown away by Fatima's attitude. I want to share my story with others as this was a very traumatising experience - not only for me but for my husband and both our families. I got so sick on my honey moon coz of all this lady's stress and then she ddnt have the decency to refund me. I have shared my story with friends and neighbours and discovered that I'm not the 1st female that she did this too. Its a norm for her and then she blocks the numbers on watzup. She ddnt block me yet but does not respond to any of my msgs. Both Fatima and Shireen should be exposed for what they do to females. Its so unfair as u only get married once and want the best for ur big day. Fatima and Shireen made a complete mess of my big day. I am struggling to get hold of DIE SON newspaper as i want to expose her to the public and save the next bride from this emotional stress on her big day.