Choosing the dream wedding dress is one thing. Making it fit you like a glove is something totally different. Based on our experience, bridal attires usually call for alterations, unless, of course, you are among the super lucky ladies that always find pieces to fit them perfectly right off the rack! For those that are having their outfits custom-made, chances are you will also need to have your wedding dress altered. Normally, we need, at least, two fittings to custom-made a bridal gown. For mass-produced dresses, though, we usually require more fittings. To speed things up and ensure an excellent result, we share some pointers that we believe will help you make better and more informed decisions when choosing and altering your dream wedding dress, so you enjoy a stress-free special day, where you are the star!
1. Start with a wedding dress that is your size
We can size a gown up or down, but don’t count on being able to let out or take in a gown by more than 2 sizes because most bridal gowns don’t have enough seam allowance to let out more than a couple of sizes. That aside, if the fabric of the dress is satin or velvet, there is literally nothing we can do to hide the original seams. In fact, if we let out satin, the dress will have lines that look pretty much like track marks, which is definitely unflattering. So, try to start with a dress that is very close to your size (if you can’t find your size).
Yes, we understand that the temptation is great when you see a gorgeous dress that is several sizes too big. Please try to resist because bringing garments that are too big for you usually means that we will need to take them apart and re-cut them to make them hang on your body as supposed. As you can understand, this is particularly labour-intensive and, of course, more expensive than any other type of alteration.
2. Better choose a dress that needs taking in
Many ladies are not the same size all over (i.e. top-heavy women). In this case, we suggest you pick a bridal gown that needs to be taken in. It is much easier, and less costly, to take in a garment than let it out. So, buy the size that fits most parts of your body and then have some alterations made to fit appropriately wherever it is too big.
At this point, please note that if you are ordering your wedding dress from a bridal shop, it is paramount to check them out carefully because some shops order the wrong size on purpose. Make sure they have the right measurements, and order the dress as much in advance as possible to avoid any mishaps if the gown is the wrong size anyway. That way, you will have time to ask them to order the right size or bring you other options.
Buying & Altering a Wedding Dress Tips
-
If you are buying your wedding dress online, always make sure to ask for specific measurements because sizes vary per label. Of course, you must know how these measurements compare to yours.
-
Don’t choose a tailor because he has offered you the lowest price. Most of the times, you will end up trying to find someone to fix the cheap-o-job. This is your wedding day we are talking about, and you need everything to be perfect, including your wedding dress. So, trust a reputable tailor who will deliver excellence.
-
If an alteration shop gives you an estimate for a wedding dress over the phone, be skeptic. We need to see he actual dress before giving our customers an accurate estimate because it is important to see how the dress fits on you to determine exactly what needs to be done. So, please don’t ask for a quote over the phone.
-
Ask if an appointment is required. For example, Loveyourtailor requires an appointment for bridal fittings. This gives us the privilege to have all the time we need to focus on one bride at a time. Getting 10 or more brides in one afternoon will reflect on the quality of the work done because our tailors and seamstresses will be rushed. So, we prefer to give each one of you all the (exclusive) time you deserve per fitting.
-
Please don’t insist on having an appointment on a day that is overbooked. More often, we receive phone calls from brides that demand a fitting on a day when we are swamped. Kindly understand that it is for your own best interest to let us schedule fitting appointments.
-
If you are wearing a heavy, long dress, it is best to have it hemmed to hang an inch from the floor. Avoid gowns that touch the ground, especially if you find yourself always bumping into things. High heels and a long dress, plus the possible anxiety that usually comes with the big day, increases the possibility of tripping over your hem.
-
Do tell the person that is altering (or making) your wedding dress if you are aware of any forthcoming changes to your physical dimensions (i.e. having a breast reduction surgery or are newly pregnant) the soonest possible. Once we cut the fabric, it will be very difficult to make it bigger than a couple of sizes without adding gussets or panels.
Wedding Dress Fitting Tips
-
Try not to be in a rush – When a bride comes to a fitting with too much stress, either because she has to go back to the office or has another appointment scheduled in less than 30 minutes, the result is always not as it should have been. If you really want your bridal gown to fit you properly, please find the time and book an appointment on a day most convenient to both you and the tailor/seamstress.
-
Don’t come to a fitting after a workout – Not only will you need to have your wedding dress cleaned before the wedding (which is always a huge no), but it is extremely undesirable for us to work with a client that smells bad, be it from sweat, cigarettes or too much perfume.
-
Bring your foundation garments on all your fittings – Buy them before your first fitting and wear them before each fitting after it. You may not notice any considerable changes in the way your body shape looks like when you wear your foundation garments, but trust us, they do play a role in the way the gown hangs on your figure. From our experience, wearing the wrong bra or corset can affect whether the hem of the dress hangs evenly. There is no doubt that your dress will look different if you wear a different bra at each fitting. Needless to say, if you are wearing a crinoline or petticoat, do bring that too.
-
Bring your wedding shoes – If you have not yet found the perfect pair of wedding shoes, try to bring a pair whose heel height is about what your ideal shoe will be. Since the height of the heel affects your posture, we need to make sure everything is perfect. At this stage, we don’t mark the hem until a later fitting, when you have purchased the wedding shoes.
-
Don’t stand on tiptoe and ask to have your hem marked – Kindly note that marking the hem is a delicate process that requires, at least, 5 minutes. It is impossible to stand on tiptoe for that long and not have an uneven hem marked.
-
Do change your tailor if he is not willing (and able) to do the drastic changes you may need – It is not uncommon for even the best tailors to feel they are swimming in deep waters when a bride asks for radical alterations. Dramatic changes in a bridal gown demand a well-versed professional. If your tailor lacks the experience, then do take your wedding attire to someone who doesn’t. You don’t want to experiment on your bridal gown, especially if it has sentimental value.
-
Listen to your tailor’s recommendations – You want a particular change, and your tailor or seamstress recommends against it. If you trust that person, then consider his opinion. Chances are there is a very good reason he or she says what he/she says. If you feel stuck in between two viewpoints, ask for another opinion from another tailor/seamstress. If both tailors/seamstresses are on the same page, then they probably know garment construction like the back of their hands, and have probably seen something you don’t, so it is best to go with their recommendation. They may suggest another way to make the dress look the way you want it to look!
-
Move around only to test the fit – During a fitting, many brides tend to move. This makes it difficult for us to make sure the garment fits evenly and that the hems and sleeves are where they were supposed to be. Sometimes, brides even get poked with a pin while moving around because we end up chasing them around to take measurements right. So, if you want to move, please just ask. You will have plenty of time to test the fit after we are done!
-
Tell the tailor if you will be doing a lot of walking, dancing, sitting, etc. – Knowing such things is much appreciated. It allows us to adjust the wedding dress so that it makes you feel comfortable while doing all those things. If the dress doesn’t inhibit your movement after it has been pinned, then you can rest assured you will enjoy it a great deal!
-
The final fitting should be held no more than 10-14 days before the wedding – This gives us enough time to address any problems, such as small changes to your size (many brides are so stressed before the wedding that they lose weight the last 2 weeks prior the big day).
-
Ask for help with lacing up your dress – In the rare cases when your best friend/maid of honour/mother can’t come with you when you go dress shopping, do ask the fitter to show them how to lace up your dress (or zip or button it) if the particular design doesn’t allow you to do that on your own (corset back lacing can turn into a real challenge if you don’t know the hows).
How did you find the dream wedding dress? Was it as you wanted it or did you have to make alterations to it? How did that one work for you? Tell us in the comments below!
And, if you have any questions about altering your wedding dress, we are all ears!
Good luck!