Bridesmaid Dress Alterations

[Deleted User]

I just took my dress in to be altered and it was WAY more than expected. i was thinking around $30-$40 which was the cost for my last bridesmaid dress alterations, but this one was $70! are any of you paying this? kinda a lot after an already expensive bridesmaid dress.

Kniblet

I paid more than that due to what all had to be done.

Alterations for bridal gowns are normally more than BM dresses.

jerseydevil

My wedding gown cost about $300 to be atlered. It's very pricey.

What did they need to do to alter it?

graysquirrel

That sounds pretty cheap to me. My wedding dress is costing me $350 to alter and that was pretty much just to add a bustle. I'd say that you got off pretty easy. 

[Deleted User]

I say that is reasonable. My wedding dress alterations and bustle cost $275.

aerinpegadrak

I'm pretty sure she's talking about a bridesmaid dress, not a wedding dress...

It depends on what you need done, and where you're doing it.  An independent seamstress will probably offer better prices than a bridal salon (especially a place like David's Bridal, which has notoriously expensive alterations).

RebeccaB88

I've paid $125 to alter a $250 bridesmaid's dress.  I'm an odd shape and short, so it needed a lot. 

AutumnFair

It really depends on a number of factors. The main ones are your area and how much work you need done. A smaller town is going to be much cheaper than a huge suburb city. Also try to find a local taylor instead of a bridal salon, local taylors are WAY cheaper, my friend had to get some stuff alter for her BM dress and she got quoted about 3 times the amount at the bridal salon than the taylor. 

greygarnett

All depends where you go, the seamstress at my dress shop was roughly 20$ an hour for her work and a local taylor I found was only 10$. It depends what you need done and where you go. Some of my girls did it at the dress shop cause they didn't have much to do and it was convenient but my MOH went local because she is a size 4 bust, 8 waist and 10 hips!! So she ended up paying about the same as the other girls since she went with somebody else.

Kate61487

ditto PPs - the cost can change a lot based on what you need done, but a local seamstress/tailor will definitely be cheaper than a bridal salon.  If you think it's too much then shop around a little

[Deleted User]

I paid about that to alter a dress for my (now ex) SIL's wedding a few years ago.  It really needed to be altered to fit each girl - it was two piece and both the top and bottom had to be altered.

That being said, there were a few girls who tried to get away with not having it alter.  You could even tell from far away in pictures who had theirs altered and who didn't.  Sometimes it's a necessity- albeit expensive.  Usually you should shop around, get a list of prices (for each change they have to make) and don't go to David's.  Sometimes where you buy the dress is really expensive and it's better to go elsewhere.