Wedding Dress Alterations: Everything You Need to Know
Wedding dress alterations are important to ensure you end up with a perfect outfit for your big day. They allow you to assess the fit and appearance of your dress and tailor it according to your preferences. It’s important to give yourself enough time for multiple fittings and alterations before your wedding day so your dress can fit perfectly. Additionally, you should remember to factor the costs of alterations into your wedding budget. Doing this helps you find the perfect fit for your dress and lets you feel confident as you walk down the aisle.
What are wedding dress alterations?
Wedding dress alterations are small changes made to a wedding dress that bring it closer to your preferences. These may include how the wedding dress fits in terms of both snugness and length. Alternatively, wedding gown alterations may be done for aesthetic reasons.
Professional bridal alterations are very common, with almost every dress needing some tweaking. This is because each dress and each bride is unique. Changes, even minor ones, are generally necessary to make sure the dress fits perfectly and looks the way you want it to for your special day. It is exceedingly rare to find a bridal gown that doesn’t require any alterations.
What is a wedding dress fitting?
Wedding dress fittings give you an opportunity to assess how well a wedding dress fits you. Based on this, you can figure out how to alter your wedding dress for the best results. Generally you should book multiple fittings leading up to the wedding. This will ensure you’re happy with the final product after a few rounds of alterations.
The entire alteration process is completed in two or three fittings, with the first lasting up to an hour. Your bridal boutique most likely has an in-house alteration service or a seamstress in charge of working on the shop’s dresses. If not, they will be able to refer you to a tailoring professional.
What types of wedding dress alterations are there?
There are a number of ways that wedding dresses can be altered so that they fit with your preferences. These may either help the dress fit your body or add aesthetic design changes to emphasise your unique style.
Taking a dress in
Taking a dress in is a popular alteration when you want to adjust the fit of your wedding dress. You may have found a dress that you really like but it feels a bit too loose. Rather than finding an entirely new dress, you have the option to take the dress in. A well-fitted gown should support and contour your body while accentuating and complimenting your body shape.
Hemming the length of the dress
A similar issue occurs when the dress is longer than you would like. By hemming the length of the dress, you can make it shorter. Hemline alterations allow you to wear the dress without the risk of tripping. Ideally a dress should be long enough that the hemline covers the shoes without being a tripping hazard.
Adding custom details
Adding custom details to a wedding dress helps to personalise it according to your preferences. Some of these may include off-the-shoulder straps, beading or other embellishment, train length, bustle strapless neckline alteration and sleeves.
Most wedding dresses don’t come with a bustle. They are typically sewed into bridal gowns during the alteration process. This keeps them from trailing the bride when she moves or dances.
How many sizes can you take in a wedding dress?
The amount of sizes you can take in a wedding dress depends on the dress in question. As a general rule, you can usually alter a wedding gown two sizes down or one size up. A wedding dress that needs to go down three sizes may require a recut, which involves additional costs.
Taking in a dress is generally much easier than letting a dress out. The amount you can let a dress out depends on the seam allowance of the dress. As long as there is enough material, a dressmaker is able to increase the size of a gown without affecting its structural integrity. However, your tailor may need to acquire additional material and the patterns could potentially be altered. If you have an issue with the patterns being altered, you may be better off seeking a similar dress instead.
When should you get a wedding dress alteration?
You should get a wedding dress alteration when you can think of ways to improve your existing wedding dress. This may be either for aesthetic or comfort reasons. Aesthetically, you may have alterations in mind that can bring the appearance of your wedding dress closer to your vision. On the other hand, you may also simply want your dress to feel better on your body. This is important for your wedding day, as you will be wearing it for a long period and want to have comfort and mobility throughout.
How much do wedding dress alterations cost?
The cost of wedding dress alterations varies depending on what you are having changed. You should expect to spend anywhere from $50 to $1,000, depending on the extent of the alterations. Make sure you account for alteration costs in your budget while wedding dress shopping.
Additionally, more alterations will generally translate to higher costs. Whether off the rack or custom made, you can expect every wedding down to require at least some alterations to fit perfectly.
While alterations involve additional costs, they are typically well worth it. An expensive bridal dress won’t look better than a cheap one if it isn’t fitting properly. Similarly, a less expensive bridal dress can be elevated with the proper alterations.
How long do alterations for wedding dresses take?
The time it takes to get a wedding dress alteration largely depends on the specific alterations you are getting. More difficult or extensive alterations will take longer. This also applies to the amount of alterations, as more alterations require more time. It’s important to talk with your seamstress or tailor to get a realistic expectation of how long your specific requests will take.
Tips for bridal alterations
Bridal alterations will largely be in the hands of the one doing them. However, there are steps you can take to get the best experience with your alterations.
Buy your dress early
Wedding gown alterations can be time consuming, so it’s important to secure your dress early. This gives you enough time to attend multiple appointments for fittings and alterations before the big day.
It’s advisable to schedule a fitting between 8 and 12 weeks before your wedding day. Ideally, your final fitting shouldn’t be later than two weeks before your wedding date. More extensive alterations require more time, so make sure you take this into account when planning.
Bring a supportive friend or family member
Having someone you trust with you can make you feel more at ease and relaxed. Additionally, they will provide an extra set of eyes and give you a second opinion about the dress. Most wedding salons also offer bridesmaid dresses, so bring your bridal party along to get bridesmaid dress alterations at the same time.
Keep your anticipated wedding weight in mind
It’s important to set realistic expectations for your body by the time of the wedding. Intensely dieting in the hope of fitting into a dress that is too small is unhealthy and unsustainable. It’s better to order an appropriate dress size and have the dress taken in if you do happen to lose weight.
It’s a good idea to get a dress with structure, such as a built-in corset. This can be easily manipulated to provide you with support. If you aren’t able to find a corseted dress you like, A-line silhouettes are also great for covering lingering weight.
Bring your wedding accessories
To get the full picture of how you will look in your wedding attire, it’s a good idea to bring wedding accessories to your fitting. That may influence which aspects of your bridal gown you want altered. For example, the style of gloves you wear could influence your sleeve length. Or perhaps your wedding necklace might affect your neckline’s type and depth.
Wear your wedding heels and undergarments
Similar to your accessories, your heels and undergarments are an important part of your wedding look. Bringing them to your fittings gives your stylist and bridal tailoring professional a proper idea about what your fit will be. Make sure you’re bringing the exact undergarments and wedding shoes you’ll be wearing to your wedding, including any shapewear.
Seeing what your outfit looks like with all the accoutrements gives you the clearest idea of what you will look like. In addition to aesthetics, heels have an effect on your height. This may influence what kind of alteration you get on your hemline. If you don’t have your wedding shoes yet, try to find some that are the same height as the ones you will be wearing.
Where can you find wedding dress alterations in Australia?
If you need wedding dress alterations, Sposa Group can provide them for you. They will help make your wedding dress perfect before your big day. If you’re keen to learn more about wedding dresses, visit us at the Sposa Group. We have a wide assortment of wedding dress styles, for all body types and aesthetic preferences and offer alteration services too. Contact us today or come to one of our locations in Melbourne, Canberra or Adelaide.
