You've done it – you've found your dream dress! There's no better feeling than knowing you've secured the perfect dress for your big day.
However, purchasing a wedding dress isn't a one-and-done deal. After buying the dress of your dreams, it's time to start thinking about alterations. The reality is that every wedding dress likely needs some form of alteration to ensure it fits your body seamlessly so you can look and feel your best on your wedding day and in the pictures you will cherish for a lifetime.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about wedding dress alterations so you can plan accordingly.
Wedding Dress Alterations FAQs
From timing and cost to DIY alterations, here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about wedding dress alterations.
Why Are Wedding Dress Alterations Necessary?
You might be thinking – why do you need wedding dress alterations if your dress looked great in the store? When bridal shopping, your consultant knows all the tips and tricks to help the wedding dress look great on you – oftentimes using platforms and pins to show you what an altered dress would look like. However, most wedding dresses are created in generic sizes for ease of production. And while it may be okay to purchase your average clothing in these sizes, you want your wedding dress to fit you perfectly!
Your body measurements will often deviate from typical sizing and some ways. Alterations ensure your dress is tailored precisely to fit your figure and your personal preferences for comfort and style. This can be something as simple as hemming a dress or more ornate like adding details or restructuring the dress to be tighter on your hips to create a more hourglass shape.
In short, every wedding dress will need to be altered in some way to fit the bride!
How Long Do Wedding Dress Alterations Take?
We don't need to tell you that planning a wedding takes exceptional time management skills. Most wedding experts recommend allocating enough time for three wedding dress fittings between the time you purchase your dress and your big day.
You can expect the first fitting to be the longest, around an hour, as a seamstress takes your measurements and discusses the alterations. Any subsequent appointments might be faster depending on any discussions.
The entire process of wedding dress alterations (as you will learn more about next) typically takes around three months from start to finish.
When Should I Get My Wedding Dress Altered?
While the timeline for wedding dress alterations ultimately depends on the extent of the work needed, most experts agree that you should schedule your first fitting to take place roughly three months before your wedding day, the second fitting about a month before your wedding, and your final fitting at the two-week mark.
Three dress fittings spread over this time period give a seamstress enough time to complete the alterations while also ensuring your body won't drastically change between the final fitting and your big day.
What Are The Types of Wedding Dress Alterations?
There are two main types of wedding dress alterations you will likely come across: Basic hemming and adding details. The former encompasses making your wedding dress fit your body perfectly. This includes everything from basic hemming based on your height (and shoes you're going to wear) to perfecting the shape of the bust and waist to help accentuate your figure how you want. This basic hemming not only helps the dress look great, but also ensures you don't have any wardrobe malfunctions on your big day.
Adding detail is a great way to further customize your dream gown. This can include adding things like sleeves, lace appliques, beading, buttons, a bustle, and more. These are more extensive alterations that may cost you more money, but can be a great way to help create a one-of-a-kind dress.
What Should I Budget for Alterations?
Of course, you'll also want to know what you should budget for wedding dress alterations. Again, this number may be different for every bride, but most seamstresses and boutiques recommend allocating anywhere from $250 to $900 for wedding dress alterations. You'll find that some salons charge a fee per service so you can choose which alterations you receive a la carte, while others charge a flat fee that covers anything you may need to ensure your dress fits you perfectly.
No matter which route you choose, make sure to factor in these costs before you purchase a wedding dress.
5 Tips For Your Wedding Dress Alterations
Now that you know some of the basics of wedding dress alterations, you might also benefit from these tips and tricks!
1. Bring Your Accessories to Every Fitting
Wedding dress alterations aren't just to fit your gown to your body. You should also bring along any accessories you're planning to wear on your big day to ensure your dress is being altered to include them. This means your shoes, jewelry, veil, and – yes – even the undergarments or shapewear you're going to wear.
Having all of these accessories with you during your fitting ensures your seamstress can take the proper measurements and you can envision what the final product will look like. While bringing your shoes may seem like the most important thing to mark the perfect sweeping hemline, even the jewelry you want to wear can affect the neckline of your dress! No accessory is too small to include during your fittings.
2. Have a Trusted Friend At Your Appointment
Brides juggle a lot when it comes to wedding planning. Just like how you may bring your entourage to find your dream dress, you may also want to bring a trusted friend or two to all of your fittings. Not only will they help you feel more comfortable (and take lots of pictures!), but they can act as a second pair of eyes and may notice details or have suggestions that you never thought of!
3. Be Specific About You Like and Don't Like
Just because you found your dream dress doesn't mean it can't be improved! It's important to be transparent and descriptive with your seamstress during all your fittings so your dress comes out looking exactly how you want it.
The three fittings give plenty of time for other improvements, so if you do or don't like something after your second fitting it can likely be changed before you take your dress home.
4. Think About Anything That Could Change
A lot can change between the time you purchase your dress and your big day. Many brides may set a weight loss goal over this time, however seamstresses recommend being at your goal weight or ideal body image at the first fitting. While you should definitely be thinking ahead of any major changes that could occur to your body, having the fittings at the right intervals ensures your likely body won't experience a drastic change before the big day so your dress will fit like a glove.
5. Trust a Professional Seamstress
You might be wondering how to alter a wedding dress yourself to save some money. While it may not seem that difficult to hem a dress, it's best to leave your wedding dress alterations to the professionals. After all, no one wants their dream dress to have an uneven hem or an ill-fitting bodice. Working with professional seamstresses means you'll receive the dress of your dreams tailored to your body, so you will look amazing in your wedding dress from every angle!
Wedding Dress Alterations at Alexandra's Boutique
At Alexandra's Boutique, we understand that wedding dress alterations can be a stressful part of the bridal process. That's why along with our large selection of show-stopping wedding dresses from designers like Stella York, Martina Liana, Maggie Sottero, and plenty more, we also offer expert on-site wedding dress alteration services for bridal gowns purchased at our store.
Our expert seamstresses and customer service will make the process easy and comfortable every step of the way to receiving your dream dress. Our standard bridal alterations package will include everything you will need to make your dress fit and feel amazing, including a bustle and full quality control check over the course of three fittings, all for $795.
Wedding season is right around the corner, and we have a limited number of appointment slots available that reach capacity quickly. We recommend booking an appointment with us as soon as your dress arrives so there is plenty of time for you to work with our seamstresses. You can book an alterations appointment over the phone by calling 508-679-8770 on Tuesdays and Thursdays or filling out the alterations request form on our website.
We look forward to helping you find and alter your dream wedding dress! Once you’ve booked your spot, check out this video from Enzoani on how to prepare for your appointment.