Cost of dress alterations - $495 too high?

I'm no expert by any means, but that seems pretty reasonable to me. I had my straps shortened and a three-point bustle added and it was $125. That seems like a good bit of work for a decent price.

View Quoted Comment Thank you! I've never had alterations done before so I'm not familiar with any of this.

Sounds about right to me. I had cups added (they supplied the cups), a bustle added, the dress hemmed, it taken in around my waste and thighs, and the zipper shortened. I paid slightly under $400.

View Quoted Comment Thank you for your input!!

Hi Jessie,
I'm having everything done that you are, plus hemming my dress, and I'm paying $675!

View Quoted Comment Thanks! Never realized this could be so expensive! If I would have done any hemming, it would have been another $350 (7 layers I think). Went with some cheap heels instead!

I think that's pretty generous. Fairly certain I'm at 600 or so now, with hemming, bustle, cups, and having her take out the straps so I could move my arms. Wedding dress hemming is expensive because it's a craft. Lots of material, and a necessary skill to be able to know what seems you can move and the lace you need to preserve.

Where are you having the alterations done? I learned recently to never let David's Bridal alter your dress. My alterations sound pretty comparable to yours, although that's without knowing how much yours is being taken in/up, the style, etc. DB wanted $500 for mine (the dress itself cost $500 so I said no thank you, I'll figure out something else.) I went to a local seamstress and dress designer who is very highly recommended by other bridal shops. She was shocked and appalled that they wanted that much for what they were going to do. She said my dress was "easy" because it mostly consisted of bringing up the length on the tulle (just cutting it with a rotary cutter) and bringing in the sides a little and bringing up the straps a little. She told me DB has a habit of marking up their alterations over 100% of what other seamstresses would charge. So it does depend on the style quite a bit, but I would get some more quotes first if it were me.

View Quoted Comment Wow Jessie, seven layers, your dress must be so pretty, do you have a picture? Here's my dress

View Quoted Comment Not going to DB! I am not a fan at all.
Going to a local seamstress. They were on my bridal shop's list recommended tailors. They organized it by price, her's being the 2nd least expensive