Dress Alterations Cost WHAT?!

tales2tellu

Hey knotties, I think I may have been taken in (pun intended) on the price of my dress alterations.  I had my first fitting the other day, and the grand total came to $795.  Due immediately.  I paid it, like a dress-besotted dweeb, but now I regret not shopping around.

Here’s how the price broke down:

$180 for hemming (about an inch and a half)

$180 for taking in the dress (from size 26 to 16)

$175 for adding a bustle to the train

$200 for adding the sleeves I wanted

Now, I could get the cost of the sleeves, or for reducing the size so much, but such a large figure seems a bit off.  It’s not a delicate, lacy thing either.  

I would love to get everyone’s opinions on this.  Thank you so much for your time and insight!

 

 

SP29

Well, I can tell you what I spent on mine. $140 to hem, $40 to bustle.

I can see a fair bit of money for taking the dress in so much, as well as adding sleeves. Hemming depends on the number of layers to the dress.

Bustle- depends on the style you went with (or needed to go with, in the case of your dress). My bustle was pretty simple. But looking at your dress, I don't think my bustle would work for your dress, due to the different colours. Perhaps that is why- the seamstress has to create something that is going to flow and not look choppy.

I also had to pay up front.

Pinksatin91016

I hear your pain. I had a similar situation at the vet recently with sticker shock that upset me. An ear infection on my dog added up to over $500 with all the different drugs and services and I was like "holy $h!t how is that possible?!?!". His ear is better now though.

Anyway, yes, adding sleeves, taking it in that many sizes, etc. all add up to a lot of work and sewing is a highly skilled craft. If every Tom, Dick, and Harry could DIY this it would be cheaper. But most of us can't so it's not.  I paid about $150-$180 to get a very simple chiffon two layer bridesmaid dress hemmed about five years ago. It just takes a lot of time going around the edge when it's a huge circle of fabric. Imagine how many hours it would take. A lot of fabrics need to be hand finished. For the dress in the picture, they will have to remove the trim, finish the hem and reattach it. To make the dress so much smaller it sounds like it will be a lot of reconstruction and time! It sucks that everything added up to so much money but unless you can sew very well and have the time, what choice do we really have?

I am nervous too. My fitting with my seamstress is this coming Wednesday and my dress is a few inches too small on me. I hope it's not a nightmare and she can help me. I only paid $300 for the dress so I hope I don't end up paying more than $300 in alterations but I know that's a possibility.

ernursej

I'm paying $300 for just hemming and taking in.

100yroldblinddog

 I can commiserate - I was surprised with an $820 alterations bill at my first fitting (letting it out, hemming, removing crinoline, adding cups, shortening straps).

STARMOON44

Seems reasonable to me. Dramatic size change, sleeves, and dealing with complicated detailing on the hem and bustle. 

PaperTigersx

This scares me I'm getting a bunch of tulle taken out of my dress and the length shortened. Am I going to run into this high amount? I was hoping it would only be 200-300

CMGragain

To change a dress from a size 26 to a size 16 means that your seamstress will have to take the whole dress apart and completely remake it.  It is more than just "taking it in".  You are asking her to completely remake the dress!  Five sizes!   Why are you doing this?  The dress will not look the same with such a dramatic remaking.
Is this a David's Bridal price quote?  Their alteration charged tend to be quite high, and I would never trust them to do a huge remake job like this.  Their work is only as good as their local seamstress.

CMGragain

PaperTigersx said:

This scares me I'm getting a bunch of tulle taken out of my dress and the length shortened. Am I going to run into this high amount? I was hoping it would only be 200-300

Hems on a bridal gown can be very expensive, especially if there is lace and/or trim involved.  This is gown has a huge hem, and $180 is not out of line.  I would question the amount charged for the bustle, though.

tales2tellu

Thanks for eveyone's advice and input! It's still a lot of money, but it's good to know that the amount is to be expected for the work done. 

It's amazing how stressful the wedding process can be; all of this work for one day, and hopefully the bride will never have to go through it again, so there's no benefit of prior experience! Thank goodness there's such a good community to call on for advice!

CMGragain, it's not with David's Bridal, and I'm comfortable with the ability of the seamstress. I never would have bought such a huge dress, but it was on sale as-is (and there were no other sizes or similar dresses in the store) and I fell in love with it. Added on top of that, I've lost quite a bit of weight since I first got the dress (a good problem to have, I think).

pinupbride6189

I have to agree with everyone else. My dress was all lace, so delicate and detailed, and for a hem, cups, a three-point bustle, and to have the top taken in a bit, it was $500.  So for the drastic change in size and the straps to be added, I'd imagine it would be a bit more.

ShesSoCold

My seamstress capped alteration costs at $250. So taking it in, hemming (which did include removing the lace bottom and adding it again), removing the train completely, adding cups and taking in the hips a little to alter the shape of the dress was $250.00. We paid extra to add a corset back but I don't remember what that was.

thisismynickname2

Just generally speaking, I think this is a good thread for anyone who hasn't bought a dress yet. That sample dress that seems like such a great deal is not when you have to pay out the wazoo to get it to fit you. 
That happened to a friend of mine; got a traditional gown for $300 and had sticker shock when it cost her another $300 or something to adjust it. I felt bad; she was on a tight budget and I know she wasn't happy.
A regular price gown that you can get as true-to-size as possible just may be the better deal, with less money in alterations. 
Also, there's a wide variety of costs for alterations. My sister bought her gown at a tiny bridal boutique in a tiny country town. They charged $10 for the hem. Ten. Bucks. For an $800 gown. Great deal! 

MesmrEwe

Sadly, looking at the work to be done, that's actually a fair price, and if anything low in some areas higher in others...  They're going to put a week's worth of work into the dress because it's not as simple as propping it up on the Ironing board to do the hem, they've got to take the trim off, shorten it, then reattach the trim...  Then moving a dress from a size 26 to a 16 is remaking the dress.  Then the subsequent trips to get the dress entirely "dialed in"... 

Quite honestly, if anything, I'd reevaluate because there are dresses out there that you can purchase for that kind of money and only do a bustle and hem...  But you need to do that quickly (i.e. within the hour if possible) if you want any chance at getting your money back on the alterations... 

MesmrEwe

tales2tellu said:

Thanks for eveyone's advice and input! It's still a lot of money, but it's good to know that the amount is to be expected for the work done. 

It's amazing how stressful the wedding process can be; all of this work for one day, and hopefully the bride will never have to go through it again, so there's no benefit of prior experience! Thank goodness there's such a good community to call on for advice!

CMGragain, it's not with David's Bridal, and I'm comfortable with the ability of the seamstress. I never would have bought such a huge dress, but it was on sale as-is (and there were no other sizes or similar dresses in the store) and I fell in love with it. Added on top of that, I've lost quite a bit of weight since I first got the dress (a good problem to have, I think).

As @thisismynickname pointed out in her reply, but to take it a step further...  Many vendors you'll deal with are doing the "Emotional Sale"...  It's the nickels and dimes of wedding planning that add up in a hurry to real money.  This service fee, that service fee, this tax on top of everything - That stuff adds up!  Always make sure you think "this is a business transaction, focus on your final total and bottom line like you're a business"... 

Also, if you haven't purchased a headpiece/veil, be aware that these are huge money makers for the bridal salons and one area where DIY is typically a cost-savings after time is factored in.  A simple veil is about $20 if you purchase a pattern to make plus the value of an hour of your time - obviously more elaborate is more money.  You can also find veils online, ebay!, or at JoAnn's/Michael's reasonably as well ($5+ depending on how elaborate you go)..  Same for headpieces/tiaras..

CMGragain

You can order this dress in your correct size from Pearl's Place at a great savings (Less than your alterations cost)  Sell that gown to a plus sized woman who will love it.

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Bridal-Collection/1516/?pg=0

http://pearlsplace.com/

MesmrEwe

@KnotRiley - Another Vendor post...