Dress Alterations

lmarie44

Hi ladies! I'm curious when people are planning on taking your dress in for alterations? I already know mine is going to need a few, I just don't know how early is too early and how late is too late. Any advice would be much appreciated!

kvruns

I've been wondering this too!  Mine just needs to be taken in around the bust area and that's it so I hope it isn't too big of  deal. 

I plan on contacting a place or two in feb.  need to decide where to go though.  All the places I know are on a different side of town so I'm trying to decide if I want to drive or find a place closer

Lindsey012

I am having my first fitting next weekend. I think it is a little too early, but my mom keeps nagging me to go . My dress is about 3 sizes too big (I got it off the rack), so I also want to see what she thinks in terms of how long the alterations will take, since it will need taken in so much. In my opinion, I think a month and a half / two months before your wedding day is a good time for your first fitting.

sames52915

My dress isn't even coming in until the first week in March, but they told me that I probably wouldn't have to start alterations until the end of March/Beginning of April (wedding isn't until 5/29/15)

lmcooper86

The woman who's altering my dress told me to bring it back after the holidays…which reminds me that I really need to call her! I would rather do them earlier than later, especially since my dress is 60 year old lace (it was my grandmother's) and I want the seamstress to have as much time as she needs with the delicate material. I would rather have the alterations done well in advance than be stressing about trying to find someone closer to the wedding. 

brittanykaylachandler

I brought my dress last week to the seamstress and going back on the 30th. She said I was ahead of the game, so I bet you have a few more weeks to wait if you want! 

cmarr684

I bought my dress the first week of June and I am still waiting for it to come in! They are making it custom to fit my height (5'1") so I am hoping I get a call soon...

I was the exact dress measurements and since they are making it custom fit my height I am hoping I won't need any alterations really. But I think I may have a bra sewn in...either way I'd like to go in March.

yogablossom

They told me that I shouldn't come in for a first fitting before March, so I guess my plan is to do a first fitting sometime in March.

swimchick713

I have an appointment on Feb 16 to get the alterations done. The lady said I should get the dress back by early to mid March. 

ajisailove

My dress is supposed to come in the end of this month (just bought it in late December) so I'll be getting my first fitting and determining alterations. I know tons of people recommend you get it done elsewhere besides the store but they offered really low prices when I was trying it on since the dress' hem and bust was perfect (I was wearing my shoes too so it definitely won't change). All I need is a bustle and to pinch the neckline down a bit to give it that sweetheart effect. My bridesmaids' dresses are waaay long, even on my cousin who'll be 5'10" in heels, so I've urged them to buy the dresses by the end of this month to ensure alterations will be done on time. But from the looks of things I'm doing this early! That's a relief.

bakersck

I will go in late Feb/early March when I fly back into my hometown.  Otherwise, I won't be back until the week before the wedding and that's not enough time

mrssursely

My first fitting will be the beginning of April, but I'm a 5/30 bride. My seamstress is estimating the work to take about a week or two; just need to hem it, bring it in in a few places, remove an illusion neckline, and remove some ugly trim that should easily come off with a seam ripper.

Now I just need to find shoes and my shape wear!

emster86

My first fitting is next week. It needs to be brought in, bustled and hemmed. 

alechiat

Wedding is May 23rd and they are having me come in for the first fitting March 17th.

jltobe23

I ordered my dress in March and it hasn't come in yet. I don't think they ordered it right away because the wedding ws so far away at that point. I was told it would come in 8 weeks before the wedding so I have no idea when I will go in for my first fitting.

badbnagdway

I brought mine to the seamstress yesterday to take a look. I need to have cups put in, some of the boning replaced/shortened, have a bustle put in, potentially hem the dress, and have my petticoat lengthened. Size wise the dress is perfect. The seamstress said to bring it back in for her to start work about a month before the wedding. She said that would be plenty of time for her to make the (minor) changes and have two fittings if needed. We set an appointment for April 2 to bring it back in, my wedding is May 2. 

I had tried on gowns at a bridal shop in town and they told me that they basically needed the dress way before because "it sits for a month in line before we start work on it". If I had taken my dress to their shop for alterations I probably would have needed to leave it with them in the next couple weeks. The way they talked about it did not inspire confidence, whereas the seamstress I chose said, "I will get your dress done. Even if I have to work nights, I always get the dress done". She has good reviews so I believe her. 

Bottom line determine sooner than later when your seamstress needs to get the dress. Big alterations take longer and may require more fittings. 

SpringBride216

I just made my first appointment for March 14th (I'm a 5/30 bride). I know I need the neckline modified slightly to be more of a sweetheart neckline. I'm also planning to lose 5-7 pounds before the wedding, so I'll probably need the dress taken in when the wedding gets closer. 

badbnagdway

SpringBride216 said:

I just made my first appointment for March 14th (I'm a 5/30 bride). I know I need the neckline modified slightly to be more of a sweetheart neckline. I'm also planning to lose 5-7 pounds before the wedding, so I'll probably need the dress taken in when the wedding gets closer. 

Honestly, I have lost 10 pounds since I bought my dress and it does not need to be taken in. It is looser around my middle and boobs, but it still stays up (and it's strapless). It depends some on your height, I'm 5'6", but for most people a loss of less than 20 pounds usually results in the dress just fitting "even better" rather than needing to be smaller. See what your seamstress thinks but t probably doesn't need to be altered with that amount of weight loss. 

lilacck28

I started this process really early. I got the dress in November, and when I picked it up, the owner of the shop said "oh... the alterations woman I work with is available right now... want to see her?" So off I went. 

At the time, she just took in the sleeves a bit and sewed in some cups, and nothing else. In January I went back and she's doing the hem  since I had my shoes, the bustle, lowering the cups (apparently I have low set breasts?), sewing on a belt, and maybe opening up the arm holes a bit. She might be saving the armholes for later. 

I hope its not too early, but things haven't seemed to fluctuated so.... 

SpringBride216

badbnagdway - good point! I'll definitely have to see what the seamstress says. It's already slightly big, but I could probably make it work as is if I stayed the same size. I'm curious to see what happens as I lose a few pounds, though.

lmcooper86

I have freaked out about nothing until tonight. I've been trying to get in touch with the woman who's supposed to be doing my alterations (she saw the dress back in the summer, told me to come back in the winter) and wasn't having any luck. I called about an hour ago and spoke with the person who's picking up her calls, because the seamstress' son is pretty sick and she's been away helping him out and isn't taking on any projects! She's going to be away for at least 2 weeks, probably longer, and then back and forth between home and her son after that. I don't meant to sound heartless, I really hope her son is going to be okay, but I did have a few minutes of freaking out. My dress is 60 years old and I don't want to pass it off to just anyone since the lace is a bit delicate. Our wedding planner already sent me contact info for a few other ladies so I'm hoping to get a new plan in place ASAP!

lilacck28

@Imcooper86 It will work out, don't worry! Getting new contacts is the biggest hurdle, and you've covered that! 

fwtx5815

My wedding is May 8 and my first fitting is March 28. I don't intend to do much other than get it bustled and maybe have it hemmed if necessary.

sames52915

I just got a call this weekend that my dress is in, and my first fitting is 3/21. My wedding is 5/29, and she said normally I could wait a few weeks but I've lost 20lbs since I ordered it so it might need longer to get right