When Charla and Isaiah were planning their wedding, they were meticulous about every detail. However, as they neared the day, one of those details, the wedding dress from Alonuko Bridal, suddenly went very awry. Charla, who shares content on Instagram as Zayandla alongside her partner, Isaiah, then took to the platform in July as she tried to get her dress sorted for her August wedding. The resulting post, where she called the London boutique, racked up 455K views.
She provided her viewers with context in the on-screen text, bluntly noting, “I ordered my wedding dress a year ago… IT’S STILL NOT HERE.” In the call, Charla asked the Alonuko representative about the shifting delivery dates. What was supposed to be sent by the 17th of July was shifted to the 25th of July. Then, in the email that prompted the call, she learned that the dress was now going to be shipped out across the Atlantic on August 3rd.
The representative responded to her, saying, “The team did advise that they do require an additional few days. However, it is in the complete finishing stages. So there is a possibility it could go before Thursday, but that is the absolute latest thing that they are giving me at the moment. I really do apologize again for this, because I understand how frustrating it must be for you as well.”
Locked into the deal
Charla was unsettled by what seemed to be a new setback. So she brought up the possibility of some compensation. She told the representative, “I know that you all have mentioned that there’s no possibility for getting money back, but at this point, I… I don’t understand how providing a poor experience, when I submitted my dress a year ago, doesn’t allow for a potential refund of some sort of money.”
The representative told Charla that she was unable to guarantee a refund without speaking to the team, citing “unforseen circumstances” because they “make everything by hand.” The tension and frustration were palpable through the call. Even though Charla was preternaturally calm, Isaiah walked in and out of the frame, visibly frustrated.
Once the call concluded, he counted out the problems, “It’s not going well. The dress is not done. The labels for shipping has not been sent. They’re not giving us our money back.”
Their followers were outraged that a dress worth thousands of dollars came with such issues. One user told Charla, “You need to name and shame this company. They’re making a dress, not creating a vaccine for Ebola. What unforeseen circumstances? Did they forget how to sew?” Another suggested, “Dispute the charges with your bank. If you have proof they didn’t complete by contacting date. I would give that to the bank.”
Thankfully, the dress did eventually arrive three weeks before the wedding. With it came a new hurdle: getting the alterations done. In a follow-up post, we see Charla frantically calling local tailors to find someone with availability. When asked about what needed to be done, she offered her best guess since she wasn’t a seamstress, saying, “From what I can tell, it’s a little too long. It’s big on me, so I’m assuming a couple inches would need to be taken off of it.”
According to Turkish couture house Lucidbride, the process of ordering from abroad is meant to be a “quiet, well-mapped process,” but it relies heavily on clear timelines anchored to the wedding date and transparency. Lucidbride advised brides to look for “guided measurements, an atelier that reviews your numbers, visible production updates and tracked shipping.” They noted that if a boutique cannot explain its process well, it’s a warning sign that they aren’t safe to order from.
Ismatrya Wedding Dresses emphasizes that time is a bride’s biggest asset when dealing with international logistics. They recommend that brides order at least 6 to 8 months in advance to account for production, shipping, and potential alterations.
As for Alonuko Bridal, it’s a London-based label founded in 2012 by Oluwagbemisola Okunlola. The brand is celebrated for its hand-designed embroideries and illusion tulles, particularly for women of color. While the company has received international recognition from outlets like Vogue and Essence, Charla’s ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the complexities inherent in custom bridal couture.
The story did have a happy ending. After the wedding, Charla posted an update showing off the final look. She appeared thrilled, showing the tulle bottom and the bustle of the train. “It all worked out. Thanks everyone for helping me,” she captioned the post. Her followers were relieved, with one writing, “Wow that is stunnnin! worth the wait but idk about the headache lol. I’m happy it worked out.”
Published: Sep 5, 2026 10:34 pm