And How to Avoid Making them

Is it time to start thinking about alterations? Yes! It is never too early to start thinking about alterations or educating yourself on them. I’m going to share with you some mistakes brides make when it comes to this process so that you don’t have to make them! After-all, you just spent an arm and a leg on a dress, let’s at least make sure we finish the process correctly!

1.     Don’t do alterations

This is a massive mistake that I see made time and time again. Brides think they don’t need alterations... I am here to say, there is no dress/woman who doesn’t need alterations.

The thing about wedding dresses is that most come in standard sizes of 2, 4, 6, 8, etc. However, most women are not the same size in their bust, waist, and hip. We are an 8 top, 4 waist, and 10 hip or some variation of that usually. Which means that size 10 you ordered to accommodate for your hips, will need altering on your bust and waist. Otherwise, what was the point of finding a dress you loved at $x and not showing its true potential.

Now that is a larger area of alterations, but it can be as simple as a strap dart bust dart, or sewing cups in. All have one thing in common, they help complete the look of the gown and tailor it to YOUR body. The goal is to make the gown look as if it was made for you!

2.     No budget for alterations

The # 1 reason most brides don’t do alterations is that they didn’t budget for it or don’t see the value in it. They spent all of their money on the dress and didn’t consider what alterations would be. Now I can say it is very very hard to know what alterations will cost. But, wouldn’t it feel much better to budget a few hundred dollars for it, come in under, then have extra money and a great looking dress? Makes sense to me!

Now “how much should I budget for alterations?” Well the range is so so wide, but I would try to budget for $500-700 just to be safe. Factors that change this number can be the material of the dress: if your dress is silk, or a beaded lace that is more difficult to work with (hint: alterations become more expensive with more difficulty).

3.     No shoes during alterations

If your store tells you that you can get alterations done without your shoes, they are lyinggggg to you!! Do not, I repeat, do not get an alterations appointment or consultation without wearing a shoe. If you plan to wear complete flats or go barefoot that is a different story, if you plan to have some small – high heel height, you need a shoe. This is because you want the hem of the wedding gown to be perfect. If the hem is too short, you can see your feet, if it is too long, you trip. If you don’t have your shoes picked out, what you should instead do is bring the height of shoe you are going to wear to the wedding at your appointment. Then, as the dress is being altered go shoe shopping for a shoe with that EXACT heel height. If its 4.25 get a 4.25, no 5, no 3.5, but 4.25! Then thank me later. You can also bring multiple shoes to try on with the dress and then return the others. I see majority of brides do this.

4.     Start too soon/wait too long

This one will vary by store and by seamstress. What you need to know though is if you wait too close to your wedding date you might incur rush alterations fees, especially if you’re in a peak wedding season where seamstresses are very busy. If you do alterations too soon, your weight may fluctuate, and you risk a scare, day of.

“When is the perfect time to start alterations?” At a salon I used to work at we always said 3 months, then you can space your appointments out and relax about the process. If you don’t have 3 months total, no worries, we were high in demand and there are tons of seamstresses that are incredibly talented and can work with any time frame. What I recommend is asking the salon where you purchased your gown who they send brides to and when is the recommended time to start, because they all truly vary. However, if you are 5 months out from your wedding and they say to start alterations 2 months before the wedding, call and book your appointment to start at that recommended time, even if you are 3 months in advance. This will ensure you get appointment when it is time to start. This helps the seamstress know what work to expect down the road and how many projects he or she can take on.

5.     Don’t get a bustle

Big mistake if you opt out of a bustle because you want to cut costs. Now I understand if you can’t pay it, that is a different story. Trust me, I know weddings are expensive. What I’m saying is maybe prioritize this over something else in the budget if it makes sense to you and your situation. Bustles are great for brides with any length of train, that dance, that are very mobile and want to talk with people, and that care for their gown and want it to stay in excellent condition. Good news is the cost of bustles are relatively cheap in terms of alterations. Keep in mind this price will fluctuate again due to length, layers, and material of train. I promise you will be happy you have it day of though instead of putting the hanger strap around your wrist and carrying your gown on you all night.

6.     Unprepared with undergarments

I know it’s hard to know what to wear under the dress. But look back at the photos of you in the dress when you purchased it, were you looking for more pushup? Do you need a bra that is backless? Looking for that perfect nude thong? It is much easier to feel confident and excited at your fitting when you are secure and look complete. My tip is to bring a few options to try at that first fitting if you don’t know what you’re going to need or like. This way, after trying your bra options, you can be pinned to a certain fit and measurement. It is important to then stick to those same undergarments because when it comes to tailoring a gown, every cm counts! Here are some undergarments I recommend:

Let me know if you need any alterations expertise! I’d be happy to go more in depth.