Alterations Shocker

i2012do · July 2012

So yesterday was my first fitting. I was feeling nervous about my dress, because I have been seeing dresses I tink are more beauitful. But when I had it on, I loved it! It's so differentthan other dresses I've been seeing lately. and the back is to die for.
Anyway
no one told me that the seamstresses work independently of the place, and so she came in and did her job (she did a fantasic job... just with the pins I could see it all coming together!)
I felt really comfortable in the dress
and she did the bustle. It looked beautiful.

She said because the train is long ,and the fabric is delicate (my dress is raw silk not satin or tafetta)...that it needed more string for the train.

I ended up needing 16 strings for the train! she charges me $7 each

Plus my bust taken in. Which I am kind of annoyed because, I paid $200 to have the dress done to my size. and when they measured me, I thought the measurement that they took of my bust was in correct. and she said no it was right. And I was like "oh ok" (I had just been measured for a dress I ordered from eshakti! and my measurement ws 3 inches less)... now the bust needs to be taken in 5 inches! (I have lost like 10 or 15 lbs)

Anyway my alterations were almost $400!!

So the shocker came when I went to give her a deposit on them and they said they needed to be PAID IN FULL! I was totally not expecting that, I didn't have $400 on me or in my checking account so I had to charge it, i was so annoyed that the dress shop didn't tell me that.

Then she saw my license and she goes "is tht you? your face is so much thinner there"

Thanks, lets add salt to the wound. Yes, the photo is of my 19 yr old, 130 lb self. whcih i no longer am... appreciate the feedback

AHHH i left like feeling beat up!
but on a side note, the dress looked amazing.

rungirl12 · July 2012

Sorry you had a bad experience. I would be enraged if my alterations cost that much, though my mom offered to pay for mine and they're quite simple. Some people don't know when to keep their mouths shut. Seriously, when they treat you like that with unecessary comments, I would go online to the more popular review websites (including your local board on here) and post their business name and what they said to you. They can't take back what they did, but you can have others question using their service. A business won't exist if enough poor customer service feedback gets out. Likewise, always rave about positive experiences!

id012 · July 2012

ALterations are so expensive! There was one dress that i found that i loved, but the alterations for it were going to cost almost as much as the dress.. so i moved on!

Im glad you like your dress tho! Im planning on putting mine back on in a week or so, I have been seeing other dresses that i really love too so I hopeI still love my dress.

DO you have a pic of your dress??

KT020803 · July 2012

I'm with you I2012do,
My alterations were were close to that amount, more than half of what I paid for my dress. I'm glad I was able to find a dress on the low end of my budget originally because it is so crazy expsensive. I had fabric covered buttons added to my dress all the way down the back (which was a total selling point for me) ($3.00 each X's 20) A bustle for both my lace and Satin layer, and each later has 5 loops etc, etc, etc. I have my second fitting tonight and I'm really hoping it fits like a glove because I had been losing more weight and I really don't want to pay for more changes.

I remember being totally wiped out leaving my first appointment, and she was really outta line asking you about your liscence photo. I swear people don;t have any tack anymore.

[Deleted User] · July 2012

It annoys me that alterations are so expensive, but I've also lost a lot of weight since I first bought my dress... I guess the thing is, I'm so glad I've lost the weight and my dress will look even better that I don't mind so much paying to make it fit perfectly.

That said, I'm glad you love the dress! Remember that it will be totally worth it to have it fit like a glove and to have you look fabulous on your wedding day.

And no kidding about salt in the wound, shouldn't somebody who works in the wedding industry know to shut the heck up about weight, it's a sensitive subject AND none of her business? Sheesh.

dawnp917 · July 2012

It is shocking how much alterations cost. All I had done was to shorten the length of mine and that was a little over 200 . Granted there were 2 layers and one was all lace but still shocking. Luckily I had a $100 alterations credit from when I bought my dress that I used. The woman was rude for commenting on your photo. Some people just don't think before they speak.

VNEluvsAJB · July 2012

I too was shocked at the cost of alterations. Luckily I found my dress in a sample sale so I came in way under budget otherwise I might have had a heart attack. Honestly, the only time someone has ever spoken to me the way the gal in that shop spoke to you I ended up telling them to stop the service they were conducting for me and get the manager. I explained the situation to her and walked out. I doubt anything was ever done but I don't like to give my money to people or businesses who think they are so special and important that they can be insulting to their customers. Ugh...so annoying. But on a happier note- Congrats on the weight loss.

i2012do · July 2012

thanks i appreciate it. I am thinking maybe this was a cultural difference thing. Sometimes I have noticed in other cutlures its OK to say something about someones weight.
Her words were bascially liek "your face was thinner in that photo, it didn't have as much weight on it"

also i was liek 19 yrs old lady, im almost 30! regardless of weight gain or not, my face has changed. I don't look like a little kid anymore.

I have to say, when push came ot shove she did an incredible job with the alterations part of it. Just pinning it looks incredible and it took her an hour to work on the hem and it was perfect....so I let the comment slide, but geeze!!

I just wish the place told me I had to pay in full for alterations- I would have come prepared!!!

kap617 · July 2012

I'm with you, OP. I had a similar experience with alterations. I posted a bit about it on the thread from the person who hates her dress.

I'm a Priscilla of Boston bride, and shortly after I purchased my dress, they announced they were closing. This meant I was on my own for alterations. They gave me about 4 recommendations, and I ended up going with someone who is a custom dress maker and is helping out PoB brides as a favor.

I figured since she is a custom dress maker her alterations would be spot on, and I still think that. I also figured this kind of attention to detail would come at a price... and it does. More than I thought! I'm not even going to say here because I'm still too shocked about it, but it's more than $400!

I have no doubt that the dress will come out divine, but she did make some interesting comments to me, too. The dress doesn't lay perfectly flat in front, and she told me it probably never will unless she takes it all apart and basically makes me a custom dress. And while the dress really showcases my figure, she told me it would probably never show off my body as good as it could. I really appreciate the honesty.... but what a bummer!

I'm hoping she's just being a little over dramatic, since she is used to making a dress custom fit to a person's body, instead of tailoring down. We'll see...

i2012do · July 2012

ooof! sorry that she made those comments to you. I tink you are right, its probabbly because she is a custom dress maker.The thing that irks me is that I ALREADY spent $200 to have the dress "custom made" to my measurements. So I was anticipating that I would just have to tweak it here and there, maybe a hundred or two hundred dollars....

As long as you know YOU look good in the dress- thats whats importnat.

I didn't end up with a corest back dress ,just becuse that isnt really my style. And at least 3 people have said that a corset bakc dress would do "more" for my figure!

m tulli · July 2012

I'm worried because my dress was only 300. The idea of spending 1/2 tgat on alterations kill me. Luckily I only needed a hem. But I forgot to ask how much it would be. I've used her before so I know she has good prices but still.

Ajoyd · July 2012

Wow, just wow to her comment on your license photo. Really classless thing to say.

And ouch, $400! Up front? I would have been very surprised too!

ETA: My alterations were $150 for taking the bust in and adding the bustle, which has 9 points. I shudder to thing what they would be if I had to have any length taken off the dress.

kap617 · July 2012

@i2012do: I agree. I'm not a fan of corset backs either, but now I can see how they really cinch your waist and ensure a good fit up top.

ChristineNB · July 2012

I spent $300 on alterations. However the seamstresss wanted half up front, half later. From what I have read on the attire board $200-$400 does seem to be standard for wedding gown alterations. It sucks, but I doubt you overpaid.

transcriber87 · July 2012

OMG!! My mom and I have an appt. with a seamstress on Monday...she told mom over the phone she can do hems at about $25, sounds reasonable..Mom told her mine needed about 3-4 inches hemmed and maybe took in since I have lost 30 pds since I got the dress..she said it would be about 80 bucks..After reading all these posts, Im nervous now! Good grief, my dress was only 130 but it might cost more than that to have all these alterations done!

random4180 · July 2012

Mine cost $365 but I feel like I had a lot of work done. I got my dress in the largest size it came in (which tend to run even smaller than "normally" small bridal sizes...) which was 16 and to be honest, I probably needed something closer to an 18. When I tried it on and it didn't zip all the way up, they said a corset back could be put in (which I like the look of) to get the 3-4 inches I needed extra in the bodice. Then, of course, I gained weight between buying it in December and now....in the words of Tim Gunn, the only thing left to do was just "make it work." The dress was also about six inches too long, has about 4 layers, including lace and tulle and has beadwork, appliques, and two tiers to the skirt. Thankfully, there is no train so I saved on not having to bustle anything. The bodice has been taken in because adding the corset back widened the whole thing and changed the way it fell in the front. I also had the cups of my corset bra lined and my cathedral veil has a three-point bustle @ $5 a point. I had my second fitting today and all the work done thus far looks absolutely gorgeous! Say what you will about DB but mine has been nothing but a great experience...their alterations prices were on par with the regional norm in NYC.

kfrazel · July 2012

i had the same shock on friday. i went in for my first fitting and the lady made me pay a $200 deposit. when i went in this past friday for the 2nd fitting she told me it was going to total $600! i was pretty much in shock, but she did a fantastic job and the dress is gorgeous. its for one day, but you only do it once right?

jmp2004 · July 2012

Wow, I should really count myself lucky. I bought my dress 5 years ago, and it still fits perfectly. It's a corset back, which is helpful for my small weight fluctuations. But I'm really tall, and with the extra length I paid for, it just skims the floor when I'm in flats. All I had to pay for was the bustle, but that $8 a point. Still, $88 is clearly a deal!

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