You’ve found the perfect wedding dress, now it’s time to get the perfect fit. Alterations are a must when finalizing your bridal look. Here a a few tips to make the process as easy (hopefully) as finding the dress.
1. TIMING IS IMPORTANT
Wedding planners always recommend purchasing a wedding dress at least 10 to 12 months before your wedding. Some designers have ship dates up to 8 months after you place your order, and you don’t want to be stressed about your dress arriving on time or having enough time for alterations. We typically encourage brides to start the alteration process about 3 months before their wedding date, and have their final fitting a week to 10 days before. Custom alteration work takes longer, so make sure to give yourself extra time if you are planning on making major changes to a dress, such as altering the neckline or adding sleeves.
2. BUDGET
Alterations are an extra cost that you should plan for and budget separately from the cost of your wedding dress. Prices can vary depending on the style and structure of the dress and what needs to be done. Custom changes will always cost more than a standard hem and bustle.
3. BE REALISTIC ABOUT YOUR WEDDING GOAL WEIGHT.
We always suggest that you order the size that you are measured on the day you order your wedding dress, and never smaller, even if you plan on losing weight. It is easier to take in a dress than it is to let it out, so if you do end up losing weight, we can take it in to fit you, as opposed to ordering it too small, and not having enough material available to let it out.
4. BREAK IN YOUR SHOES
Once your find your wedding dress, start looking for your shoes, and wear them. Wear them around the house and break them in so that on your wedding day, you are comfortable and not tempted to change your shoes. Changing the height of your heel will change how long the dress is when you wear it, and you don’t want to have to worry about tripping while you are on the dance floor. Most importantly, you just don’t want to be uncomfortable. Even flat shoes need to be broken in if you don’t want them to hurt your feet after wearing them all night. If you choose to change your shoes, opt for something with a similar heel height.
5. HEM YOUR DRESS TO THE FLOOR
Make sure you walk around in your dress during the alteration process to make sure that the dress isn’t folding under and you are not tripping on it as you walk and dance. If you hem it too much shorter than the floor, you run the risk of it looking too casual or unfinished.
6. BRING UNDERGARMENTS AND ACCESSORIES YOU PLAN TO WEAR ON YOUR WEDDING DAY
What you put on underneath your wedding dress changes the way that it fits. Make sure you bring whatever undergarments you plan on wearing that night to make sure the fit of the dress will be the same. It’s also a good idea to bring accessories with you in order to get you over all completed bridal look.
7. BRING A FRIEND
It’s always a good idea to have an extra set of eyes when you are getting alterations done, but more importantly, you want to have someone who will be there on your big day so that the seamstress can show them how to dress you (yes, it will be at least a two person task) and how to do the bustle before the reception. If you cannot bring any one with you, ask to video tape the bustle so that you can show some one the day of the wedding.