My dress alteration was today...Cost ???

I'd get a second opinion

Mine was $137.50 for cups sown in. The hips let out, top taken in, a bustle and hemmed.

Veryyyyy expensive my was 250 and I lost tons of weight so it was huge

It will cost about 250. I'm having them make a deeper sweetheart neckline, hemming it, & adding a bustle

Sounds like all of you are having quite a bit more done than I am to dress. True, NYC pricing can run high but wowza. This was a seamstress that came highly recommended from my bridal shop where I bought the gown, Lovely Bridal.

I am only wearing it for ceremony (plan on changing post) and you can see from photo, it needs very little alteration (taking in under arms, along sides, down back, on shoulders). It is hand beaded and she did mentioned that because of the beading it was a pricier alteration.

She comes very very highly recommended and as I was leaving someone was picking up a Red Carpet gown she had altered but lawdamercy, I don't want to pay red carpet pricing.

I just had my fitting and alteration estimate tonight and I'm feeling your pain! Mine is a little over $600!! The seamstress is also highly reccomended by my bridal shop as well, but I'm in Southern California. My dress has a ton of lace and is beaded, so alot is for the hem because she explained to me the work involved in hemming the lace and beading. Add sewing in the Cups, taking in some of the bust, and adding a bustle and I'm at $600+ tax. Yikes!! I wouldn't even have it hemmed but I know my clumsy self would trip over a dress that is less than an inch too long!! But also I don't feel like the seamstress is ripping me off, she has great reviews, and I understand that my dress is a ton of lace and beading. Damn dress!! Hahaha!!

I paid $180 for a hem, bustle, some bodice work and the corset back to be repositioned. Second opinion?

First of all, that's a fabulous dress.

Granted, I live in a cheap area, but I had pretty significant alterations (both side seams had to be ripped completely open and taken in/reshaped, among other things) and I paid under $400. Might be worth a second opinion.

$325. She took out the side seams and re-did them to match my body (it is a trumpet dress), they took in the 2 seams in the front. They took in the bust. They did the hem and a single bustle. Bustle was $15, seams were $85, and hem was $200.

$325. She took out the side seams and re-did them to match my body (it is a trumpet dress), they took in the 2 seams in the front. They took in the bust. They did the hem and a single bustle. Bustle was $15, seams were $85, and hem was $200.

Your dress is GORGEOUS! $800 is soooo expensive though. Woof. I don't want to think about alterations.

The salon I purchased my gown from quoted me at slightly over $700, I'm having it done elsewhere for $500.00 however I'm having the dress hemmed, bustled, the top slightly darted, my sash sewn in place on the front and i'm adding a specialty lace to the bust and hem of my gown...

Your dress is beautiful. I would get a second opinion. $800 for that little work is crazy. I had a bridesmaid dress altered at a place called "John the Tailor" in Bensonhurst for $40. I feel like non bridal shop alterations should be less than $200 for that. If you haven't agreed to let her do the work already, I'd ask other Brooklyn/NYC brides where they got theirs altered and try somewhere else.

That dress is spectacular. But... If the full seams on the sides and back all need to be taken in, even a little bit, and if all of those areas are beaded, that price doesn't seem that crazy.

$350 to have a dinosaur patch sewn into it, the bustle (I can't tell you how many points etc, it's a cross between two styles) and I need the back panel moved over by a few centimeters. I got a bit chestier since buying the dress so there ended up being a gap in the corset panel. I know mine was a bit pricier to hem since it's lace, and they're taking it up a good deal.

1 is before any hem/pins in

2 is to show how much they have to hem the lace

My MOH's mom and Bridesmaid's mom both do alterations so I won't have to pay a penny. They both just want good food and tasteful music at the wedding.

At first I was going to say that that is around what I was quoted for my alterations for my dress & while yes, it is a lot I feel like I've heard of a lot of brides in our area (NYC) say thats what they were quoted.

I got my dress from Kleinfeld & my mom paid the $750 for the alterations when she bought my dress. That includes anything that they might need to do. Its a lot but my dress has a very detailed top and I trust the ladies there to take really good care of my dress.

I would try to see if there is anywhere else you could take the dress if you're uncomfortable paying that much though

I paid $80 at an independent seamstress to take it in and add a bustle. And my dress is lace.

I know it seems like a lot for not getting so many alterations but from what you said, it sounds like they would have to take in about 6 seams plus the hem plus bustling and with hand beading, the beads either have to be removed and re-stitched or very carefully cut off and the ends tied up. Altering something with beads is incredibly time consuming and has to be done by hand for the most part. Personally, that's a little less than what I paid for alterations and, considering that you're in New York, it's not that much. I know it sucks but it'll be worth it when your dress is even more fabulous than it already is.