Wedding dress on a budget

You can alter down a fair bit but that is a LOT of sizes, and it would either cost an awful lot or might just not have the structure/shape it had before if you do this.

I would instead recommend a site like stillwhite which will have second hand dresses in your own size, which are much less likely to require so many alterations.

Hello there! Happy planning!


My alterations cost me about $450 and all she did was take it in in the waist and in the arms not even a full size, keep looking if you have time, you might be able to find something closer to your size.

I went to several off-the-rack bridal shops, and they recommended not buying anything larger than two sizes up, as doing so would mean the dress would need to be recut/rebuilt.

Do you wear a street size 0 or bridal size 0? I’ve noticed a big difference in sizing, if you haven’t tried any on yet. I usually wear a street size 0-2 or XS, and every bridal shop I went to recommended ordering a size 6-8-10, depending on the designer (based on my measurements). The only shop that was close to my street size was David’s Bridal, as they recommended a 2-4.

View Quoted Comment I am a street size size 0. Haven’t started trying on dresses yet. But I have an appointment at Pronovias for their holiday sale, which people say they only have sizes 8.

David’s frequently has $99 sales. Otherwise take a look at Azazie or Cocomelody. You can try them on at home for $10-15 according to your actual measurements.


Don’t assume anything about sizes because street clothes are vanity sized to make women feel more comfortable about their bodies. Wedding dress sizes are not street clothes sized and are based on measurements. No two designers use the same sizing chart either.

View Quoted Comment

EXACTLY!!! I can't TELL you how many teary eyed brides I have had appointments with that can't fit in to the 'off the rack' dress they bought that they never tried on. UGH. They just grabbed their size assuming it would fit just fine. Most wedding dresses do NOT have a lot of 'seam allowance' built in so just letting out a seam doesn't do a whole heck of a lot for fit. Never assume anything - try things on. A size 8 may just fit a little loose for a street sized 0 !

Definitely try on what your bridal side would be. I usually wear a regular size 2 or 4, but when I tried on my dress it was a size 6 or 8. I did still need to alter it to my body shape.

Have you looked at Etsy? I got my dress there for under $600 and they made it to my exact measurements for only an extra $50 and now I don't need alterations. My body is not proportional at all (my top is like a 2/4 and my hips are like a 8/10) so it was totally worth it to get a custom fit dress or else I would have had to spend hundreds of dollars to get the top altered.

You can take many dresses in up to 2-3 sizes, after that you are risking compromising the structure and design.

Alterations this steep would be especially noticeable if you buy a dress with distinct patterns on it or a unique bodice style. I don't recommend buying something more than 3 sizes too large and even then you need to be careful when it comes to the style of the dress itself. When in doubt, talk to an experienced bridal seamstress before you take the plunge. Almost all bridal shops do not allow returns