Aaaalterations

sep72fendr

For those ladies who have had alterations, did you tip your seamstress/alterer? If so, how much? My lady is awesome and I feel like I should, but I don't know what's acceptable or not. I've also thought about doing a gift card in a thank you note closer to the time of the wedding? Something that might be a bit more personal? Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions?

Spanks!

[Deleted User]

Hell no. It cost enough as it is. I got my alterations done where I bought my dress. Of course, if you are getting a great deal on them, then I would maybe reconsider a small tip or a gift depending on how well you know the seamstress. I think the gift card idea is fine.

kiyamurph

In Response to <a href="http://forums.weddings.com/Sites/Weddings/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_ohio-columbus_aaaalterations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:112Discussion:1dda7111-67fe-4acb-ac28-fe07e7f5ced6Post:bae22847-1102-4455-a843-82f3f85db7e2">Aaaalterations</a>:
[QUOTE]For those ladies who have had alterations, did you tip your seamstress/alterer? If so, how much? My lady is awesome and I feel like I should, but I don't know what's acceptable or not. I've also thought about doing a gift card in a thank you note closer to the time of the wedding? Something that might be a bit more personal? Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions? Spanks!
Posted by sep72fendr[/QUOTE]

Who are you using?  Do you mind sharing the cost?  I have no idea how much alterations are "supposed" to cost and what's reasonable.  What all did you need to have done to your dress?  I know for sure mine will need to come in at the bust and shortened a bit.  PM me if you need to.

sherise40

I am using Linda Hammond. She lives in Hilliard and works out of her home.
She quoted me $75 for my dress to be brought in at the top and thigh area (I have a mermaid cut dress). But  I am thinking I may need the bottom hemmed. But it shouldnt be anymore then $150 by what she was saying.
My dress has lace, beading, and all kinds of sparkle. She is a very good deal.
Her # is 777-6070
She is super sweet.

Jelenny

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_ohio-columbus_aaaalterations?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:112Discussion:1dda7111-67fe-4acb-ac28-fe07e7f5ced6Post:d588105e-17a8-4bbf-9baa-842776abad07">Re: Aaaalterations</a>:
[QUOTE]I am using Linda Hammond. She lives in Hilliard and works out of her home. She quoted me $75 for my dress to be brought in at the top and thigh area (I have a mermaid cut dress). But  I am thinking I may need the bottom hemmed. But it shouldnt be anymore then $150 by what she was saying. My dress has lace, beading, and all kinds of sparkle. She is a very good deal. Her # is 777-6070 She is super sweet.
Posted by sherise40[/QUOTE]

Does she only work certain days?  I need to find someone I lurk here a bit but my wedding is in WI so most things I don't need here.  Alterations is one of them.

and s<a href="http://community.theknot.com/cs/ks/user/default.aspx?membershipid=5002591913602548&plckUserId=5002591913602548" target="_blank" class="username_knot">ep72fendr </a>who did you use?

[Deleted User]

I know I paid way too much for my alterations. But over and done with now. It cost $250 for the alterations and the bustle.

sherise40

I dont think she only works certain days. She wa pretty flexible with me...just give her a call.

Jelenny

Perfect thanks!

buckeyesweetz

I was just going to post about this... Sorry I really can't answer your question Sep, but does anyone else mind sharing who they are using/have used? I really don't need anything done except the bustle and possibly the length taken up just a tad. How long does it take? I'm trying to decide if I should get it down in Columbus where the wedding is or in Virginia where I live.

green795

I didn't tip, but I sent a thank you card. I spent quite a bit, but she also had a LOT of work she had to do and my dress was made of beaded lace, which I'm sure was a b**** to work on. I don't think seamstresses expect tips, but a nice thanks you card with a picture of you from your wedding in your dress in thoughtful.

Kiyamurph and Buckeyesweetz- I used Linda Hine, who works out her home in Lewis Center (linda@sewperfectforyou.com or her website at sewperfectforyou.com). I had 3 total appointments about a month and a half before the wedding. I lost about 20 lbs between my last appointment and the wedding, but I had a corset back dress and wasn't worried about the dress fitting because it was adjustable. If you have a zipper closure, I'd recommend your last appointment 2 weeks before the wedding. My first appointment was for dress length, veil length, and taking in the bodice. Second appointment was making sure the first things she fixed fit well, and figuring out the bustle. (I'm pear shaped, A-cup, 5'3, and I've also got a curvy back-end, so traditional bustles didn't look right, and the beaded lace made for a heavy train. So we worked together to come up with something that was flattering and would stay up during dancing.) Third appointment- brought my MOH and tried on the whole ensemble to make sure everything was perfect. Linda showed my MOH how to do the bustle and lace my corset back. I think I spent around $400ish- that's higher than her average. Make appointments with someone who has a good reputation and I would get alterations done wherever you will be the most the last 2 months before the wedding. Sorry so detailed, but this was a topic where the advice from past brides helped me so much before I had to do my alterations!

buckeyesweetz

Green795 - that was VERY helpful! Thank you very much!!!

kiyamurph

Green795 - like I said earlier, I don't know squat about alterations, so forgive my complete ignorance.  But in order for you to spend $400, and you said it's more than her average, did she charge that much because you had a lot done, or does she charge per visit?  I'm not sure how it works.  What you said was really helpful though.  Thanks for the info!

sep72fendr

Okie dokie.

I got my reference for Monica Gwaltney from the owner of BigRock. Monica has been sewing for 40 years and she has worked with a kabazillion styles of dresses and things like that. I had a hard time finding a seamstress who would even go near my dress (yes, I splurged and bought a Vera Wang, i judge myself too sometimes). For $250, she gave me an unlimited amount of fittings for me. I have already done 2 fittings. The first fitting was a consultation where she went ahead and figured out everything that would need to be done to the dress, she pinned and tucked and smooshed and padded anything and everything. She went over with me in detail the hem lines, the layers of fabric that would have to be altered and how she would alter it. We set a date for 4 weeks after the first fitting for me to come back for a second fitting. Literally a week and a half after dropping off my dress, she called me and said that it was ready for another fitting. She had raised up the hem through the waist (which is a HUGE feat) in order to get the proper height of the hem, had taken in the sides, added padded cups to the boob area, and taken up the underlayers. The sewing was immaculate. She figured out while I was there that I would need to have atleast 2 more fittings because she didn't take it in enough the first time in fear of taking it in too far, same with them hem.

I can't even begin to describe how amazing she is. Her personality is so bubbly and outgoing. She just makes you feel warm and fuzzy. She also does "Bridal Party parties" where you get together with your maids, mohs, mobs, mogs etc and eat apps, drink wine etc, and the rest of the bridal party gets their alterations done there on the spot. It's an afternoon thing that Monica does with you at the location of your choosing or she can assist with finding a boutique to do it at.

I'm still amazed at the cost for the alterations. My friend at work had a Vera and she got her alterations done for 400, and said that was a steal.

SO. This is where I am at so far. I know I will have atleast 2 more encounters with Monica before the wedding. She also says that she will be there on the day of the wedding if I need her to be to steam all the dresses and get everyone perfect and ready to go. I guess I just feel like she def goes above and beyond the call of duty for a normal seamstress. But I adore her and appreciate her work for she is VERY talented.

Edit: Mine cost 250 because she charged me for 2 hemlines because of the amount of layers built into the dress. If it was a normal dress, it would be probably 160 or less.

sbzw8704

I contacted Linda Hine....wow, she's expensive. I only paid $250 for my dress, so I can't imagine paying the same amount for alterations. I think I'm just going to take it back to David's Bridal for that. Unless you get your alterations super cheap, I don't think it's necessary to tip. A thank-you card should do.

green795

OK, so I don't want to alarm anyone about alterations.  I chose her because she was well recommended by several people on the board, and she's been tailoring and making wedding dresses for over 30 years. She charged total work, not per visit. I would say on average, it would be under $250 slightly complicated work, but I can't remember what everything was itemized. I do know that if I would have gotten alterations at the dress salon where I bought my dress it would have cost twice as much. The reason why mine was so high is because 90% of my work had to be done by hand- without a sewing machine. I have a degree in fashion design, and there was no way I was touching my own wedding dress, but I had a pretty good idea of what kind of work needed to go into it. As I mentioned before, my dress was beaded lace. But the tricky part is that there were random clusters of floral lace with beadwork on top if it, so it wasn't a uniform design. 

She had to cut the beaded scallop hem from the bottom of the dress, without sacrificing much of the clusters. It couldn't just a straight hem like many dresses. I also had a long train that needed shortened with the rest of the dress. So imagine going around slowly cutting a pattern for about a 20 ft circumference, then having to re-attach that scallop hem once you're done shortening. We also went with a special bustle that had 10 hook and eye closures for the lace, and approx. 8 snap closures to keep the lace and lining together all day. (Most bustles have less than 6 snap closures or ribbon tie closures.) 

I had to have the top taken in considerably, at least 3 inches on each side. I say side because with the corset back closure the top couldn't be taken in like you would a zipper closure. Normally you could take it in at the zipper (remove zipper first, take away fabric, reattach zipper, take in tiny bit at sides if necessary or at darts, and most zippers don't have a lot of fabric at the edge, otherwise it wouldn't zip up). But with this dress, all of it had to be taken in at the sides (and trim a satin band that went around just under the bust and she had to worry about keeping the 3 handmade flowers affixed at the side of the bust in the same place as before taking in the sides), without compromising the beadwork around the bust, and had to take in from the darts a little bit. 

There were also 2 lining layers (1 for under all the lace, 2 for the skirt), 3 layers in my crinoline, and she had to cut the veil- but that was the easy work. 

I know alterations sound crazy, even $200 sounds like a lot, but when you think about the time and effort it takes to tailor wedding dresses (which are completely different than regular tailoring- find someone who specializes in wedding dresses), it seems worth it. Some dresses are easier/harder than others, and no seamstress wants to ever compromise the design and fit of your dress. What almost made up for shelling out money for alterations? That's really the first time I felt like it was my dress because it fit like it was made for me. 

sbzw8704

Wow, that did sound very complicated. I can see where the price comes in when you put it that way I don't think mine will be anywhere near that difficult, thankfully.