Dress preview appointment??

Yes. I had to do the same thing. My stylist explained to me it’s better to let the dress get some life in it before they start pulling and tugging at it. I live an hour away too but from my job it’s only 30 minutes so I didn’t mind going back to actually start alterations.

But she did say I could schedule my first alterations the same day as my try on appointment. So I’m sure you could ask for alterations appointment and try on appointment in the same day.

View Quoted Comment Thank you!! Good to know that’s normal. Did you end up scheduling your alterations appointment on the same day? The email also states that I take my dress home at preview appointment and bring it back for alterations....

No. My try on was on a Sunday and I ended up scheduling my first alterations appointment on a Friday two weeks later. My dress went to alterations department after try-on. They told me they keep my dress up until 3 weeks before the wedding. I’m fine with that, so my husband won’t see it and I won’t be tempted to keep putting it on!! 🤣😂

Normally the alterations person is not always at the shop. It’s normal to try it on with a consultant, and schedule an alterations appointment later.

The preview replaces quality control inspection. You are trying it on to make sure it is what you ordered, properly sewn, right material, no shipping damage. Because they have to report or return shipping damage to carrier, or dress to manufacturer, before it leaves their hands and in a small time like 7-15 days, often. Or you are stuck with the dress, no refunds. Alterations should never be done more than 8-10 weeks in advance, unless you want to risk redoing them. If you are pregnant, or knew to begin with that you wanted sleeves added, at this try on is the time to order and pay for material by the yard from the manufacturer, so you get your dress material, or a lace in the same colorway. One that matches or coordinates, like a sheer very much lighter color for an illusion sleeve or modesty panel. If this shop uses independent dressmakers under contract, the one who would do your dress now would not necessarily be the one who would do in the end of July, early August.
Unless ( like me) you live in a rural area, you would be wise to take the dress, and have a dressmaker within 15-20 minutes from your house, do your possibly multiple fittings, and alterations. Unlike a shop, a dressmaker will usually schedule you for a fast turnaround. Not many weeks for alterations. A lot of businesses may go out of business, or change ownership. If I were you, I would want to have my dress under my control. I remember in **** recession, brides I knew including a couple of sisters and cousins who ordered in their college towns, were fitted, paid half of expected cost. And never saw their dress again when an owner sold out or went bankrupt. Or got it months after the wedding. The store buyer left all stock in a storage place before renovating their newly purchased salon, in my sister's case. No warning, nothing.

If you have fabric ordered, it can be sent to your home, not the salon. Waiting weeks for material, or shopping for it which may take a few hours, is one of the reasons alterations sometimes take a long while, not the work. So it is nice to have it of you plan an addition, the first time you see a dressmaker .

Yes thats pretty strange and annoying. Just explain to them you live far away and cant do that, logically theres no reason they cant see how it fits and do the alterations all in one day

View Quoted Comment Wow thank you for explaining all this in detail! It really helps to understand the process I do kind of live in a rural area actually but I don’t know anyone that I trust to alter my dress around here. That story about the bankruptcy sounds like a nightmare come true ! Omg! I’ll have to find a way to store my dress so my fiancée won’t be tempted to take a peek! 😂