Who Should Attend The Alteration Fittings
We recommend coming solo or brining one trusted friend with you. The alteration fittings take 30-45 minutes each. Its more the technical side of bridal and less about the celebration. Alteration fittings focus on achieving the best for your wedding day. Sometimes bringing someone new in who hasnt been involved from day one can add a lot of confusion. Also, we all like to wear things differently. Your friend may where their clothes tighter than you do. Its your time to communicate how you would like the dress to fit.
Ines Di Santo Violet wedding dress shown on the runway at NYC Bridal Fashion Week
Elena is wearing a fully lace fitted wedding dress to her New Orleans Wedding. During alterations we added the lace to the neckline to provide coverage and created an off the shoulder concept. See more from Elenas wedding here.
How Much Can You Alter A Wedding Dress
The exact bridal alterations you can do will depend on your dressthe fabric, beading , and whether you purchased it as a sample size or had it made to order will all make a difference. But in general, many experienced seamstresses should be able to work their magic and can completely redesign your gown, if thats ultimately what you want. From adding corset panels to shortening straps, inserting a bustle, adding lace, sewing cups into the bodice, raising the hem, etc., your options for wedding alterations are practically limitless. When purchasing your wedding dress, always ask the retailer or designer about the types of customizations that can be made. If theyre not able to accommodate your requests during the design process, they may be able to refer you to a professional seamstress who specializes in working with their gowns.
Do Your Hair And Makeup Similar To How You Would On Your Wedding Day
You dont need to book a professional HAMU artist for your first wedding dress fitting, but it certainly helps to prep a beauty look thats similar to your vision for the big day. Here are some tips:
- Give yourself time before your bridal appointment to moisturize your face, apply a basic contour, fill in your brows, brighten your lips, and define your eyes. Even if you dont create the exact same makeup look on your wedding day, this will help you feel primped, polished, and confident.
- One makeup item you may want to avoid applying is a statement lip or dramatic eye, as it can easily rub off or stain your wedding dress as you get dressed and undressed.
- Wash your hair the day before your fitting, and style it up or down depending on your bridal vision.
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What To Bring When You Go Wedding Dress Shopping
What Should You Bring with You on your Wedding Dress Shopping Trip? Dont miss this list of must-haves for shopping for your wedding dress.
Image via Canva
You said yes! Now you need the perfect dress to wear when you say I DO!
Whether youve been dreaming of the day youd go shopping for your wedding dress since you were little or this is the first time you are considering what youll want to wear, the day you pick your dress should be a beautiful memory to look back on!
Here are some tips and essential items to bring that can help make your wedding dress shopping trip a success!
How To Have A Successful First Wedding Dress Fitting
Ok, so youve found your dream bridal gown. Now, between placing your order and walking down the aisle, youll need 1-3 fitting appointments to make the one feel like a truly personalized work of bridal perfection. From accessories to customizations and bridal veils to bustles, heres everything you need to know to have a successful first wedding dress fitting, alterations process, and styling plan. Keep scrolling!
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Bring The Wedding Shoes Youre Going To Wear On Your Wedding Day
A big part of wedding gown alterations is length adjustment, which in turn depends on your shoe height and hemline preferences. Here are a few factors that might influence your footwear:
- Opt for a shoe height and length combo that allows your hemline to lightly graze the ground. Too short and it will cheapen the look of the wedding gown too long and youll be tripping over it all night.
- Since your wedding gown hemline is adjusted for shoe height, you want to choose a pair thats comfortable for both ceremony and reception. If you plan to switch from heels to flats over the evening, your hemline will likely be too long.
- Familiarize yourself with the fit and feel of your wedding gowns bustle. This plays a big factor in the length, sweep, and hemline of your final wedding dress look.
Stylish Dress When You Are Over 50
When you are stylish and confident enough to wear your favorite outfit, age is just a number. This pink flowery dress is appropriate for women over the age of 50. It has an off-the-shoulder neckline with a flowery design on a white base. Pink jewelry and shoes will look fantastic with this dress. It is appropriate for a tropical or daytime wedding.
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Abercrombie & Fitch Off
If dressing up isn’t your thing, we’ve got just the outfit for you. You don’t need to worry about planning a look with this mini dressthe ruched bodice and puff off-the-shoulder sleeves make enough of a statement on their own. Just pair it with your favorite black sandals and you’ll be fully dressed.
What Shoes Should I Wear To Try On Wedding Dresses
You dont need to have your exact wedding shoes to try on wedding dresses. Besides, you probably wont pick out shoes until you know what your dress is going to look like. However, you should bring shoes with you that are the style you will want for your wedding day.
If you want to wear high heels, then bring a pair of heels. If you want to wear flats, bring a pair of flats. If youre not really sure what type of shoes youll wear, bring a few different styles with you so you can see how certain dresses look with different types of shoes.
Also, some bridal shops might have shoes there for you to try with your dress. You could always call ahead of time to see if you need to bring your own of if the shop provides some for you to try on with your dress.
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Lulus You’re My Type Satin Jacquard Midi Slip Dress
The name of this trendy fall wedding guest dress says it allit’s definitely our type, and the price is right. “A satin slip dress is a versatile option for any venue and style of event,” Schnars explains. “The fabric is elevated, but the shape is more relaxed. That means you can wear flats or low heels and a cardigan for a daytime wedding, or statement earrings, an embellished clutch, and high heels for a formal evening affair.”
A Final Note On Measurements And Tailoring
It will take time to alter your dress. Be prepared to wait, and be prepared to ask questions. Don’t forget to budget for alterations. Make sure to bring everything together to each fitting, including undergarments, accessories, shoes, etc. Talk to your seamstress in a constructive way about your garments. Your seamstress/tailor should try to make you feel as comfortable as possible – they’re there to help. Remember that custom changes to your garments may take more time and more fittings, but about three fittings is standard. One handy way to ensure that your fittings are going the way you want is to create a checklist of specific things you want to look out for, and bring the list with you to follow up.
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What Is The Bridal Stylists Role In Alterations
During the first fitting we pull up your photos from the day you purchased the dress. We share your expectations and concerns with the seamstress. We discuss any custom changes. From there we come up with a plan on altering the dress from beginning to end. The Bridal Stylist is there to help make sure the alterations run smoothly. We are like your wedding planners for the dress! Our seamstress calls us her second pair of eyes. We do a full 360 of the dress and point out any additional adjustments that are needed.
Crepe wedding dress by Theia Couture. This shows the dress on the runway prior to the bride owning it.
Jessie on her wedding day wearing The Theia Couture crepe wedding dress. With the help of Bridal Stylist, Tali, the seamstress added a personalized bodice. We added lace details to the neckline, waisting, and train. Photos by Jesse Walsh/DreamTown CO
Should I Bring My Headpiece To My Wedding Dress Fitting
Dont forget the veil and or the headpiece. The recommendation for what to choose from, whether a headpiece or a veil, is to try more than one option try many. Sometimes we think we know, but sometimes we arent sure, so take the time and try more than one idea. When it comes to having a headpiece or not, you will also need to consider what you are going to do with your hair. Will you be wearing your hair up or half your hair up and some hanging down?
You will want to take some time out on these questions once you have chosen your wedding gown. Give yourself some time to go with a couple of practice options when you have the wedding gown.
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Creating A Low Backline Wedding Dress
Most backlines can be lowered. We are very honest with sharing our opinion on how low is too low. Sometimes if a backline is too low it wont pull in the waist and support the back. That is where mesh comes in. Mesh gets a very bad rap because some wedding dress manufacturers do not use quality mesh. Our designers use a soft, silky mesh that doesnt scratch the skin. We skin match the mesh for you so you cannot tell there is mesh on the dress. It literally doesnt look like its there. The value of having the mesh is for support.
If you are C cup or fuller, we recommend not having the backline go lower than your waistline. The dress may need a little extra support so dropping the backline really low is a risk. The seamstress can look into adding boning on the side, but mesh may be recommended.
What Is A Wedding Dress Fitting
A wedding dress fitting is an appointment with a seamstress or fitter to have the dress altered to fit correctly and sculpt the gown to the body. Brides typically need three fittings before the dress is ready to be worn.
Every dress should be altered, even if it’s only a little, to ensure proper fit. “You can splurge on a pricey dress, but if it’s not altered properly it won’t look any better than a gown that’s a tenth of the cost,” says Terry Hall, fashion director of New York City’s Kleinfeld Bridal. Case in point: dress alterations are important, so make sure to leave room in your budget for them. Depending on what needs to be done, you can expect to spend anywhere from $50 to $1,000 on alterations.
The entire process is typically done in two to three fittings, the first of which lasts up to an hour. Your bridal boutique will either have an in-house seamstress who regularly works with the shop’s gowns or they will be able to recommend a trusted tailor to do the job.
As you break out the measuring tape, here is everything to know when it comes to bridal alterations, according to three experts.
Meet the Expert
- Terry Hall is the head of retail and business development at Amsale New York and former fashion director at Kleinfeld Bridal.
- Tina Zimmerman is the current director of alterations at Kleinfeld Bridal.
- Nicole Sacco is the former director of fittings at Kleinfeld Bridal and a Say Yes to the Dress star.
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Wear Hand Painted Organzadress
Hand painted attire can be a fantastic and one-of-a-kind choice for a wedding. This ensemble consists of a layered organza blouse and a white organza skirt with hand painted flowers. You can accessorize it with a silver choker necklace, earrings, bracelets, and rings. This is an excellent choice for a daytime or destination wedding.
Fall Wedding Guest Dresses With Sleeves
Cooler temperatures mean longer sleeves and thicker materials for fall wedding guests. In fact, extra-oversized sleeves are having a serious moment. Concerned about getting too hot on the dance floor of the reception? Organza or lace sleeves will keep you cool even at the wildest afterparty. To give some contrast to long sleeves, pick a shorter hemline or a lower neckline to create a balanced look. Here, find the best fall wedding guest dresses with sleeves.
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Pick Your Tailor Carefully
The one offering you the lowest rate is not always the most skilled professional for the type of job you want them. Trust us when we tell you that you get what you pay for. If you choose to trust a less reputable tailor just because they offer cheap services, then chances are youll soon be looking for someone to fix the wrongs and pay additional money for it.
Notes from the tailor/seamstress:
What Should I Bring With Me
Because you are trying on your wedding dress and adjusting it to look the way you want it to on the big day, you should bring everything else you plan to wear with it so you can see the whole ensemble. Bring your wedding shoes, lingerie and undergarments, veil, jewelry and accessories that you plan to wear. You may also want to bring your maid of honor or mother with you so you can have a second opinion on what looks best and what needs to be done, such as how to work the straps, clasps and buttons and how to bustle the dress correctly. Feel free to bring various options with you so that you can see what all your potential accessories look like with your gown, and take photos!
Photo Credit: Airman
When your final fitting is complete and you are satisfied with all the alterations and fixes that have been made, schedule a date and time to pick up your wedding dress before your special day. When you come to pick it up, try your dress on one last time to make sure everything still fits the way its supposed to. Double check care instructions so you know how to take care of wrinkles and stains on the day of if needed. Scheduling wedding dress fittings is an absolutely essential part of wedding planning, so make sure you allocate yourself plenty of time to do so! And remember, your seamstress should be an expert on what types of alterations should be done to suit your body, but when it comes down to it, your wedding dress should reflect your style, personality and wedding theme.
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