Congratulations! You finally find your dream dress. Wedding dress alterations are as significant as finding your dream wedding dress.
Buying a wedding dress is just the beginning of the journey. The gown of your dreams needs a few wedding alterations to suit your body and style perfectly. After all, your dress might be one of the big-ticket items in your budget, so making sure it fits properly is essential.
To help you feel comfortable and gorgeous in your dress on your big day, Aphrodite bridal boutique provides wedding gowns alteration service for your convenience in Orange County. We offer our brides a full range of wedding dress alterations at Aphrodite bridal, including shortening, reshaping the train, and adding embellishment. We believe that your dress should best represent you and your style. Our wedding dress tailors are ready to make any necessary changes to have a fit wedding gown. Our experience and attention to detail are just a few reasons our team can perfectly shape wedding gowns according to your expectations.
This blog post talks about the common bridal alterations and answers the possible questions. Keep reading to see our tips for wedding dress alterations and bridal fittings.
Contents
- 1 What Are the Common Wedding Dress Alterations?
- 2 When Should you have Your First wedding Dress Fitting?
- 3 How Many Fitting Will You Need?
- 4 How Long does a Dress Fitting Appointment Last?
- 5 What if I Lose or Gain weight before my Wedding?
- 6 How many sizes can you alter a wedding dress?
- 7 How Much Does a Wedding Dress Alteration cost?
- 8 What You Should Wear For Alteration
- 9 Can you alter a dress that is too small?
- 10 Conclusion
What Are the Common Wedding Dress Alterations?
Alteration of the bride’s dress is a complicated and delicate procedure. In order to have an elegant alteration, a professional tailor should be accustomed to every detail of wedding gowns. Here are common alterations for wedding dresses:
Adjusting the hem
One common alteration is adjusting the hem because wedding gowns are generally made in standard length for brides (5’10’’), so there is a high possibility that you need hem adjustment unless the designer order the dress with a different hem length.
Adjusting straps
Wedding dresses are usually available with long sleeves because it is easier to shorten a long sleeve than make a short sleeve long. Depending on the type of dress strap, this could be a simple alteration!
Adding in bra cups
If you’re looking to add a little lift to your wedding gown, bra cups can be a great way to smooth out the shaping of the dress and make your dress more comfortable and fit.
Bustle
A professional seamstress can make your bustle invisible until you need to use them. Bustle is a term describing getting your train up off the floor by attaching it to the back of your dress.
Adding a sleeve
Maybe you fall in love with a strapless wedding dress or a dress with thinner straps, but you want something with more coverage on your arms. Your tailor can add a sleeve and make it what you want. Alteration helps you to make necessary changes and have your dream dress.
Altering the neckline
Altering a neckline is a relatively small change that makes a considerable difference in the overall look.
Taking in/Letting out the sides
A talented seamstress can make a fitted dress for you. As professional seamstresses, we take in or let out sections of the dress to fit like a glove on your body.
Adding layers
If you like to have a giant ball gown, something that stands for itself, our professional alteration team helps you with that! Maybe you would like to add a layer of sparkle tulle, which is our specialty at Rita bridal.
Custom Accessories
Sometimes, brises choose to have a headpiece or veil that completely matches their dress. Our alteration team helps you find a matching lace and tulle as if the dress and accessories are from the same designer.
When Should you have Your First wedding Dress Fitting?
Almost all wedding dresses need alteration because each body shape is unique. There are no such things as standard body shape, and every dress needs alteration even a bit! No matter you buy your dream dress from a fancy bridal boutique or go for a rental wedding gown, if your dress needs alteration, it is crucial to have a plan in advance. The complexity of the alteration you need depends on the fabric and material of the gown. If our seamstresses have enough time, we can have several fittings and deliver your dress in the best shape.
How Many Fitting Will You Need?
Brides always have different experiences during alteration. The number of fitting you need depends on the dress’s fabrics and how much your body changes before the wedding. At the first meeting, the seamstress starts pining and tucking the materials. At the second fitting, the essential changes have been done, and the bride has a better idea of how the gown fits. Two alteration sessions can be enough but prepare to have three fittings! Schedule your final fitting two or three weeks before the wedding to avoid body changes.
How Long does a Dress Fitting Appointment Last?
On average, your first wedding dress appointment may last about an hour. If you plan to make customization (adding sleeves, changing the neckline), the first appointment will take the longest. In the following appointments, each fitting lasts less than 30 minutes.
What if I Lose or Gain weight before my Wedding?
Most seamstresses recommend altering your wedding dress about three months before your big day. In this period, you will not experience drastic weight changes that will affect the look of your dress. After your first fitting, you’ll have two or three additional appointments, one or two a month before your wedding and the final fitting about two weeks before your wedding. Your wedding dress tailor has many opportunities to ensure the dress fits you.
How many sizes can you alter a wedding dress?
According to our experience, you can alter a wedding dress two sizes down and a size up. A dress could also be recut if you need to take more than three sizes in. However, your seamstress could make other special alterations depending on your size or the dress’s current size.
How Much Does a Wedding Dress Alteration cost?
As you know, wedding alteration costs vary concerning fabrics, style, and details of the dress, so we can’t tell you about alteration costs in advance. Our suggestion is to consult with your seamstress.
What You Should Wear For Alteration
We recommend our brides bring the undergarments and shoes they plan to wear on their wedding day for all wedding dress alteration appointments. The shoes and slip will determine the length of your gown to have an image of the overall look of the wedding dress. Be sure to bring the shapewear and jewelry to have an actual image of yourself on the wedding day.
Can you alter a dress that is too small?
Generally, it’s easier to take in a wedding dress than to let out. If you are a plus-size bride, a professional wedding dress tailor is also able to alter your wedding dress if it’s too small. Most wedding dresses are can be let out by an inch or two, but if you need to go up for several sizes, your tailor can add up a lace-up corset back our gussets. (Fabric panels that blend into the sides of the bodice).
Conclusion
Every wedding dress needs alteration, even a bit. Wedding gowns come out in standard sizes, and alteration is an inevitable process.
Wedding dress alteration is not a simple process; delicacy and attention to detail are crucial.
At Aphrodite Bridal Boutique, We try our best to have the necessary modifications on your gown as long as required. We won’t be happy with the results as long as you are so glad. What kind of alteration do you need? Our bridal alteration experts do what level of alteration you need. Whether you need simple tweaks or complete recycling, we are here for you. We hope this guide prepares you to confidently navigate your wedding dress alterations and enjoy the special moment. If you want to book an appointment, call us now
References:
(2022,Jan.25).A Bridal Stylist’s Guide to Wedding Dress Alterations. BRIDAL FINERY.
https://www.thebridalfinery.com/blog/dressalterations
(2021, Ague, 26). 12 Wedding Dress Alteration Tips from an Expert. (N.D)
https://www.wedding-spot.com/blog/wedding-dress-alteration-tips
Jacqueline, T. (2020, Oct, 6). 12 Tips for Wedding Dress Alterations You Should Know About.
https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-ideas/tips-for-wedding-dress-alterations-fittings
Simpson, M. (2022).What You Need to Know About Wedding Dress Alterations.