Is David’s Bridal a rip off for wedding dress alterations?

Yes. They make up for the low dress prices by having exorbitant alteration costs. While browsing the search feature for the forum (top right of the page) I saw a few posts where some brides were charged more than the dress cost for simple straight hem or a button sewn on. Contact a local seamstress

My dress is from David's & has a lot of intricate details. The seamstress there was a 20 year David's Bridal veteran & she did a beautiful job on the dress but I do wish I did some research prior to moving forward. My gown was one of the most expensive in the store & the alterations total was a bit more than 1/2 the cost of my dress! I almost fell off my chair when she gave me the total. I was lucky to have an awesome Aunt visiting with me that day who helped me out by paying half.

I would look elsewhere

An employee from David's Bridal recently hosted an 'Ask me Anything' on Reddit and this exact question came up.

They said that David's Bridal alterations come with a mark up, and that from what they'd heard from clients over an extended period, David's Bridal is great if you can't find a reliable seamstress or need alterations done fast, otherwise, if you have someone and time on your hands, the general consensus was to have alterations done elsewhere and save yourself some money.

I really feel like this depends on which Davids Bridal you go to, I had a great experience where I went and was not charged a crazy amount for alterations. The alterations for my wedding dress and my moms dress was under $200 for both, we are both short so they had to cut a good amount of the bottom, this was my dress (below) for reference. Also I had a bustle added which I never even used, lol. They didn't cut off all of the layers of the skirt, didn't mess up my dress and it took about 2 weeks to get it done, I was not in a hurry so that was fine.

The alterations at David's bridal is horrible experience! DO NOT DO IT. They overcharge for the services and you would think it is worth it, but nope, it is not worth it. The dress did not come out the way I wanted and they just say sorry.

I was a former Alterations Specialist at David's Bridal. Alterations in general can cost more than the dress BECAUSE we (seamstresses) are literally doing "dress surgery" so the dress fits you perfectly. As for pricing, dresses and gowns are broken down into sections such as bodice sides, armhole, bustle, and skirt, etc. Those are all separate tasks, and depending on what you need done and how heavily embellished your dress is, it affects the cost. Prices are set by Corporate, so we don't have the authority to negotiate prices.

Privet Seamstresses are not that much cheaper. My cousin recently got married, and her alterations cost $1200 ( her dress cost $2340). Yet, some may be more flexible with payment plans or prices.

It is helpful if you are getting alterations to bring in inspiration photos, a friend to the appointments, and PLEASE speak up during the fitting if you don't like what you're seeing. We give our professional opinions, but in the end, you decide before you sign and pay.