When to order the dress and hope for an excellent seamstress...

emilycasari

I'm about 14 months out from the big day, but I found my dress over a month ago.  It's beautiful and is flattering even though I gained 30 lbs about a year ago and I'm at my highest weight ever.  I've tried it on at 2 different shops in the area, and one says I need to order it 12 months out and the other says only 8 months.  I'm totally a worrier, so normally I'd just go with the safer bet, but I'm just starting my weight loss now.  I keep telling myself once I get back to my "normal" weight, then I can get fitted and order it.  Everything I lose after that (because I really want/need to lose about 20 more after that) would just be bonus and I'll have it altered.  However, I've heard that taking in a dress more than 2 sizes is really expensive and can be disasterous.

How have you picked when it's time to order and when you can squeeze in a few extra weeks to lose a few extra pounds?

If it helps, this is my dress: http://www.sotteroandmidgley.com/dress.aspx?style=JSM1379&page=0&pageSize=16&attrib29=265&keywordText=

It's got ruching the whole length, but the corset will definitely help with last-minute weight loss..

entropicbeauty

Considering how form fitting that dress is and how much of a b*tch it will be to alter, I would wait as long as you possibly can to order. Go with the 8 months out.

jjswin

I was in the same boat as you and I talked to a bunch of seamstress' to see their thoughts. With my dress they could take it in up to 3 sizes and it not be a big issue. 10-12lbs is about one dress size. So I ended up ordering my dress 1 size smaller then my current weight then (12 months out) and then if I needed to take it in another size or two I could with no issues.

marston258

I have worked as a professional seamstress, although not with wedding gowns. I would agree that things may start to look funky if you have to take the dress in more than 2 sizes or so. I would maybe compromise and go to the place that can get it in 8 months at about the 10 month mark to give yourself some time to lose weight. See if you can find out now the brand and style number of the dress just in case there are any problems. That way, it will be easier to potentially find it online or contact the manufacturer direcly.

 I would say you have more to worry about the more the dress is fitted. If you are talking about a ballgown and only the bodice is fitted, it will be less of a problem than if your dress is a mermaid, sheath, or trumpet. Also, keep in mind that if it only has to be taken in 1 size, they can usually just use 2 or possibly even 1 seam to take it in from. If you are talking 2-3 sizes, and your seamstress is going to do it right, they should be using multiple seams to remove the excess fabric, which will cost you more because it will take them much longer to do.

Also, alot of wedding gowns come with extra seam allowance so they can be let out about 1 dress size in case of a last minute emergency! Find out if your dress has this. If it does, and you are confident that you will not GAIN any weight, even if you don't lose any, it might actually be OK to order 1 size small. That way if for whatever reason you don't LOSE the weight, they could still let it out to fit you. Just check to see what the seam allowance is first.