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Luxury Weddings
justcallmesamson
member
losing weight for wedding- what to do about the dress?
I've been working really hard over the past few months and am losing 1-2 pounds per week (yey). I'm getting a little freaked out about what to do about my dress.
My wedding is in September 2014. I'm a jean size 16 now, but expect to be a little smaller, maybe a 12, when I go to look at dresses in January. What happens if I lose another 30-40 pounds in between when I buy the dress and my wedding day? I know they can take it in about 2 sizes, but after that do you just buy another dress?
Do I buy a dress in January and hope that it can be adjusted in August? Or do I wait until the last possible minute to order, maybe April? Or do I just wait until the very last minute and try to get a used or off the rack dress that I know will fit?
I wanted to have a fancy dress for the ceremony/dinner and then change into something less cumbersome for the reception. The cost isn't a huge issue for me, but I hate the idea of having to buy a second dress right before my wedding because the one I chose no longer fits or flatters. Has anyone else gone through a similar situation?
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Re: losing weight for wedding- what to do about the dress?
Congratulations on losing weight!
They should be able to take it in. I was a bridesmaid in a wedding last year and the dress I wanted (we got to pick our dresses in a certain color) was five sizes to big. I took it to get altered and she did a great job.
NO.
It is super risky to order a dress a size smaller. It is much easier to take away fabric than it is to add it. To me, its not worth the risk.
OP, when you go look for dresses, talk to your sales person. Tell them your concerns. They will be able to steer you in the right direction. And while loosing 1-2 pounds a weeks is amazing! It will be near impossible to sustain for over a year. At some point your body will platuea and you will begin to loose weight slower.
Also, depending on where you are looking for dresses, ordering in Jan might be a little late. Some designer dresses can take up to 9 months to be made. And you need to allow time for alterations.
NO.
It is super risky to order a dress a size smaller. It is much easier to take away fabric than it is to add it. To me, its not worth the risk.
OP, when you go look for dresses, talk to your sales person. Tell them your concerns. They will be able to steer you in the right direction. And while loosing 1-2 pounds a weeks is amazing! It will be near impossible to sustain for over a year. At some point your body will platuea and you will begin to loose weight slower.
Also, depending on where you are looking for dresses, ordering in Jan might be a little late. Some designer dresses can take up to 9 months to be made. And you need to allow time for alterations.
^I admit to fears about this too, especially since we started looking at strapless options, but for alterations purposes, better too large than too small. Weight loss works differently for everyone. There is no guarantee that you'll drop multiple complete dress sizes--depending on your body type and program, you could lose a jeans size or two without losing a dress size. You can also lose inches and fat without really changing sizes at all--I can lose about 20 pounds and still wear the same pants because the next size down is still snug.
@crazycatlady3 here is my dress. It was the biggest ballgown I could find.
The day i ordered my dress, i measured a size 6. Then a week later the shop called to tell me that the dress had been discontinued and they couldn't order me my 6, but i could have their sample (a 12) for a very large discount. I met with the seamstress (whose previous position was with Vera Wang Couture) and she said it would be no problem whatsoever to resize the dress. IN HALF. She pinned it up and it looked great - at that point they basically take the whole thing apart at the seams and rebuild it. Because of the shop's error with my original order, they are doing ALL of my alterations free of charge.
My point is, there is absolutely no issue with ordering a dress several sizes too large - a good seamstress can make it fit you like a glove. But NEVER buy a dress that is too small. It will make you miserable if you can't fit into it. I'm not trying to lose weight for the wedding, but when I get stressed I sometimes forget to eat...so I am putting off my final fitting until 2 weeks out just in case it needs to be taken in a little extra. but i doubt it will...i've been exactly the same weight for over 4 years at this point so something ridiculous would have to happen to change that.
Also, i'd keep your gown on for the recption...i mean when else will it EVER be socially acceptable for you to hang out all night in a big poofy gown that has been tailored to fit you exactly perfectly? NEVER. Live it up while you can!
When I ordered my dress in February I was a street size 8, almost 10 and ordered a Martina Liana in a bridal size 12 since my bust measured a larger size than my hips and waist. My wedding is next weekend and my dress was taken down to a street size 4, almost a 2 and looks great!
My dress took 7 months to arrive but some styles they quoted 9 to 12 months.
Talk to your consultant when you look if you are concerned. The seamstress told me 3-4 sizes is very doable. I will warn you that the alterations can get pricey at that point.
Good luck and GREAT job on the weight loss!
Totally. I asked my seamstress if it was easy to make a 12 into a 6 and she said "I've made a 12 into a 2 before." Don't worry too much about it!
@vt&dt
I'm totally like you. I'm about a 4/6 in the waist/chest and an 8/10 in the butt. I found a place that did custom ordering to avoid having to take it in too much. It came in a few weeks ago, and the bust is still a little too big (at least the sweetheart makes me seem to have some boobs), and it was pleasantly a little loose across my lower belly, and I may even want it a little tighter on my booty.
The salon said they will take it in up to two size for free with what I paid for the custom measurement and ordering. They can take it in even more for added cost. Anywhere can take it in enough for added cost, which is way cheaper than having to order a new dress. Wait as long as you can to order if you are worried about losing too much weight, but don't order undersized.