Bridal Alts 101: What to Know Before You Book
You’ve said yes, sent out your save-the-dates, and found your dress. Congratulations! Now what? Most ladies have never had a bridal gown altered before, and it’s a lot different than having a pair of pants hemmed. Wedding planning can be daunting; It’s an important day, you want to create something meaningful and special, but most of us aren’t out planning weddings every other day. You have so many details to consider, and you don’t know what you don’t know. As fun as it is, it can be a lot. We feel you. And we’re here to help.
Today we’re going to share our top 6 things you should know before you book your bridal alterations.
When should I book My Bridal Alterations?
As soon as you have your dress you should begin looking at seamstresses and reaching out to get scheduled. You may not need to be seen right away, but depending on your goals and needs it may take more time than average and it’s better to be prepared and have a timeline than to miss out. Average wedding alterations take about 10-12 weeks from start to finish.
Additionally, it’s a bit like the dentist, appointments are scheduled in pairs and sets and frequently fill up by season months in advance. The earlier you reach out and book, the more options you will have for an appointment that will fit your schedule.
How many appointments should I expect?
Every Dress is a little different, and it depends on your dress. However, at minimum, you will have two appointments: your initial fitting, and your final pick-up appointment. These are scheduled at the same time to keep timelines on track, guarantee available pick-up appointments once you are set up as a bride, and ensure everything goes smoothly. We will always do our best to accommodate reschedules, as necessary, but due to the nature of our business- it is not always possible.
Some dresses will also require a fit check roughly four weeks prior to your final pick-up. You should plan for this if you are having custom work done- like the creation of sleeves, or if you anticipate any kind of weight change in your body. This is more prevalent in fitted gowns.
What are the ‘typical’ bridal alterations?
Almost every wedding gown needs alterations of some kind to make it fit properly. Depending on the dress and your goals, these can range from minor fit adjustments to major restructuring.
The most common alterations we see on almost every gown are:
· Hemming: this makes your gown shorter for ease of walking and safety.
· Bustling: this is how you manage your train after your ceremony so that you can celebrate and move hands-free.
· Bodice tailoring: the amount of bodice tailoring will depend on the size and cut of the dress. A mermaid gown typically requires more tailoring than an A-line or a sheathe.
· Bra cups: most gowns come with bra cups- even sample gowns. But most of those bra cups are not ideally shaped to truly fit the female body and as well all know, we are not a one size fits all industry. 95% of gowns need bra cups swapped out to something better shaped, with more support, in the most appropriate size to your body.
What Should I bring?
Aside from yourself and your gown, the most important thing is your shoes! This will ensure a proper hem is pinned. If you don’t have your final wedding shoes picked out, you will at least need to know how tall you want to be, and bring shoes of a similar height.
If you are a shapewear gal, and are planning on it for the big day, you will also want to bring that with you as well, as it will affect how your gown sits on your body. However, we do want to note that much of the time, bride’s decide to forego shapewear in the shop because a properly fitted gown should do the work for you, and some shapewear can actually prevent your gown from staying put in one place.
Any accessories you are considering using for your big day. You don’t have to have it all figured out- but if you’re considering something, feel free to bring it to your appointment. This is your time to play with your look and decide what ‘Bridal’ feels like to you.
Have a vision before you come!
We’re happy to help you narrow down your look if you are caught between a few great options. Sometimes, your dress itself will help us narrow down options depending on the cut, and sometimes we need to pin things for you to see and then take some time to sit on it and decide before you commit to something.
We love creative freedom, new projects, and bringing love stories to life. It’s what we do. We love challenges, and if you have a vision or an idea we want to help you create it exactly like you picture it in your head. That being said; we can’t execute an unclear vision.
Take some time before your appointment to look back at any pictures from when you purchased your dress, look at your wedding Pinterest board (come on, we know you have one), your wedding colors, your shoes, accessories etc. Put together in your head how you want to look and feel for your wedding day. Are you a veil bride, or a hairpiece bride? Do you want a blusher or would you rather go without? Inspo pics are a great place to start!
We can be tour-guides and present you with options based off your vision and your gown; but you have to know the destination you’re aiming for! The more details you give us, the more we can design an experience that is specifically made for you.
When is Payment due?
Once the fitting fee is paid and your appointments are booked you are all ready to go until your fitting appointment. Payment is due in advance of sewing and we will only ever bill for what we are currently sewing.
This means that if you do all your alterations at once, we will bill you for the complete alterations at the end of your appointment. If you are breaking up your alterations into parts, we only bill for whichever part of your gown we are starting on.
We collect payment in advance of sewing for your own safety and peace of mind. We never want to be in a position where sewing has been completed, and we are holding someone’s gown hostage as collateral for payment. Once a gown has been dropped off and payment is received, your timeline and completion date are guaranteed.
When in Doubt, Just Reach out…
If you are unsure about how something works, or if something will affect your alterations, we’re always just a call, text, or email away. The best thing you can do is stay in communication with us and let us know as soon as you have any concerns so that we can be as proactive in helping you get what you need as possible.
We can’t wait to be part of your love story!
XO,
The Town Seamstress Team
