How Long Do Alterations Take? Also How Much Do They Cost?

From what I've heard from other brides the average seems to be about 3 months.

3 months!?!? Not good!!!!!

My FMIL (who is also engaged) just had her wedding dress altered at a local salon and it only took about 2 weeks. The bridal salon where she went charged $50 per hour.

Before you have a drycleaner alter your dress, make sure they have specific experience with wedding dresses. You don't want them to butcher your gown. I would take it to a bridal shop, but not David's.

Oh no! I didn't look at your date. II didn't mean to scare you! It may be different if you are taking it somewhere local rather than the dress shop (like where you bought it).

Back when I was in high school I didn't decide I was going to my prom until a few days before. That meant I didn't buy my dress til a week before. I actually had my alterations done the day before my prom. I needed everything; many inches off the bottom, top pulled in, etc. She finished it.

Don't fret, ask about her time.

Miss Michal, perhaps the brides I've had have been unlucky. They waited months to get theirs back!

@Miss Michal- She does seamstress work too. I will talk to her about her previous bridal dress experience before handing my dress over don't worry.

I hope I get it in time. I am starting to worry because I read somewhere that DB doesn't have a large seam allowance.

I've heard it can be 2 to 8 weeks. The bridal shop I use said side seams cost $65, but I imagine depending on where you go the cost varies.

@Cara- Thanks! I assume it will vary but I wanted an approximate cost and time so that she doesn't tell me that its a super rush order and will cost 10 times what it should be.

Kerri, three months is more like the lead time from when you order the dress until your wedding day. That includes time to have the dress made and shipped and have more than one fitting. The dress shop I'm ordering from wants 16 weeks, but can do rush orders in about 8. That's probably what you're thinking of.

Wow, then it must have gone terribly wrong for my bride this year. My May bride ordered her dress in December and it wasn't ready until 2 weeks before the wedding!

My friend found a local woman (with referrals) who does it out of her house. Took two weeks for hem, bustle, and a little taking in of the sides, $75. She was quoted $250 from salons (granted it is orange county, CA). The salons have a lot of overhead charge that a private person doesn't.

Oh, and my mom does embroidery as a hobby, so she contacted her sewing network and was referred to a seamstress who has a lot of experience with wedding dresses, so that's where I'll be taking mine. Local sewing groups should be able to recommend someone good.

I had the bodice of mine let out and had a one-point bustle added. Total cost was $85. Our first fitting was July 9. Our second fitting was August 7. Our third and final fitting (when we picked up the dresses) was August 27. However, a) we were dealing with a seamstress who was much in demand, b) we had two dresses to alter, not just one, and c) we started three months before the wedding, so there was no big rush.

I don't want to be discouraging, but it's true that DB doesn't allow much extra fabric. My dress fit fine except that the armholes were weirdly tight, and the seamstress could only let them out like 1/8" because that was all the give there was. I would expect, though, that their bridal gowns would have a bit more fabric to work with because they're more expensive.

Also, I remember you said you had a corset back, right? That should give the seamstress a lot more to work with in terms of creating a little extra room.

The consultant at DB told me they can let out a dress almost 2 sizes w/o taken the look away from the dress, I don't know how true this is.

I'm having a corset back put in and having a 5 point bustle.It's a private seamstress and she's charging $165 and that includes the privacy panel/lace up string and steaming too.

She will have it done in about 3-4 weeks.

My seamstress advised four weeks, and is charging $220 for the hem, bustle and taking it in. But a seamstress would need to look at the dress, determine what needs to be done, and then will be able to give you a timeline and price. I think you will have tons of time.

Bridal salons typically recommend brides have three dress fittings. You should schedule your first fitting to take place two to three months before your wedding day, the second fitting about a month before your wedding, and your final fitting about two weeks before your wedding. Typically, you will take your gown home at that final fitting.

It varies from dress to dress, but alterations can cost several hundred dollars. Remember that the more you plan on customizing a dress, the more you'll spend. There are even cases where alterations cost more than the actual dress! Be sure to factor in alterations costs to your dress budget.

What Every Bride Needs To Know About Dress Fittings