Wedding Dress: To alter or To buy new?

Have you thougth about having your train put in a bustle? It would cost way less than $230 to just have it bustled

Maybe just try on the family dress at the beginning of the day for photos before you put your dress on. If you stand on the stairs in your house or something it won't matter if it is a little long. You don't need to take the sleeves off for pictures, and maybe if you don't button up the back will it fit in the bust? The bustle is normally just buttons and loops, or strings, or hooks.... I'm confused about getting the bustle taken off...

just an idea

Well all my pictures are going to be done in my wedding dress, this other dress is just going to be a tea length, more relaxed dress for the party after the wedding. I guess my question should be is it worth it to try to make my moms dress fit the style I want, or just buy a new one...Like i said if i were to use hers i would want to shorten it, take sleeves off, remove the bustle and train, let out the bust area...Im just fishing for ideas with this. Thanks though

Then I def think it will cost more than $230 to change the dress.

It might have been fun to try on the dress the day of.... I tried my grandmother on for just 5 quick photos (and then printed them in Sepia to look old....)Then

I put my dress on and did all my pixs.

It sounds like the new dress will cost less in the long run. Just to get my bridesmaid dress hem was $40 and $30 to adjust the shoulders. Usually bridal dresses have more layers and embleshiments than BM, and the more embelishments, the more they charge you.... and I'm sure it will need a cleaning too...

Get a bustle hunny.... I bought my gown off craigslist, SO LUCKY and it was already bustled! thank goodness because I am a budget bride and bustles are too expensive for me! but the American bustle is super cute!

Alright, I'm assuming that you do NOT want to bustle your dress..so the decision is between buying a new reception dress or altering your mother's. Personally, I'm very sentimental and if I wanted a different reception dress and my mother offered hers, I'd jump at it. If your mom is ok with you changing it up, and if it's out of style now and nobody will ever wear it again the way it is, I think it's awesome that you could celebrate your marriage in the dress that your mom wore for hers.

I'm very sentimental, but you'd have to change just about everything about the existing dress. It would lose being 'the dress' and you'd ruin it for anyone in the future that wanted to wear it as well.

If you are that committed to doing something besides a bustle (they can be taken down, then put up for the reception), then buy a second dress. Consider a bridesmaid dress in white for a cheaper option.

$230 is alot to sped on a tea length dress...

Personally I wouldn't alter the dress that much it sounds too precious I agree with the idea of wearing it at some point in time to keep the tradition but buy a seperate reception dress.

I suggest looking at getting another dress. And like meghan said, look into bridesmaid dresses in white, they are just as nice for a reception dress. I found a couple for you to look at. You can find these at a retailer on the website.

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/6562/?color=ivory&colorid=114

(white or ivory)

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/D330/?color=cameo&colorid=399

(in starlight white)

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/6273/?color=white&colorid=122

(white or ivory)

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/ProductDisplay.aspx?productID=e20c87e4-ea86-4f3e-a34a-cc8d928f6f39&categoryID=772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65&pg=0&colorId1=357b4f14-e987-482b-9044-96b17ef8f6a4

(white or ivory)

http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/ProductDisplay.aspx?productID=7df1ccf5-3c61-49ce-80e0-65fc20df9d3f&categoryID=772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65&pg=0&colorId1=357b4f14-e987-482b-9044-96b17ef8f6a4

(white or ivory)

I'd personally suggest doing a reception dress if you don't want to alter your dress with a bustle. I have a really simple bustle on mine to prevent stepping (it's a couple foot long train). Bustles can be on the outside of the dress or the inside, a good seamstress can give you a variety of options.

If you want to get another dress for the reception, there is tradition saying white, but I've heard of plenty of brides putting on some color. If you get something you like, you can probably wear it again.