In follow up to my recent Wedding Gown Care blog posts, I've been asked several questions about wedding dress alterations...as well as Bridesmaids Dress alterations.
Can you complete a wedding dress or bridesmaid dress hem in a week?
My answer is ABSOLUTELY YES! As a Certified Wedding Gown Specialist in Birmingham, Alabama, we are committed to getting what you need, when you need it...including a wedding gown hem. This assumes an initial fitting and a final fitting without complicating factors like excessive layers, beading issues or other significant structural changes in the bridal gown. But please call for an appointment for a fitting at 205.588.4120 and make sure we know when it's needed at the time you make your appointment. But we can do it and we won't gouge you with extra charges for a rush job.
Shoot...we can do it in a day if you really need it that quick!
How long will it take to size a wedding dress?
My answer is...it depends. It depends on the wedding dress, the number of fittings required, how available you are for the fittings and the type of changes required with the bridal gown. A simple wedding dress with a hem and/or sleeve change along with a change in the bodice and waist will usually take a minimum of two weeks (this assumes 3 fittings at one week apart). But again, this is with a simple wedding gown. It can...and often does...take longer. See my earlier post about beads, layers, etc.
(C) 2009 - 2010 Champion Wedding Gown Specialist. All Rights Reserved
"How long will it take to do my Wedding Dress alterations?"
We get questions all the time asking about the time it takes us to complete Wedding Dress alterations at our gown care shop in Birmingham, Alabama. The same questions also come to us about Bridesmaids Dresses, Mother of the Bride Dresses, Maid of Honor Gowns and Prom Gowns. These questions are often in the form of e-mails and phone calls.
And the answer is......
...we need to see the dress first and then we can answer this question.
But let me try to explain the factors that enter into the answer to this question.
There are many different needs when altering and fitting a wedding dress. The actual amount of time it takes to do the alteration typically depends on three primary factors:
- the style of the wedding dress,
- the complexity of the desired alteration, and
- the backlog of work to be done by the wedding dress alterations specialist
Style of the Wedding Dress
A heavily beaded gown will require more time for an alteration affecting the beaded area than a simple wedding dress. Beads must be handled with care to make sure the gown keeps its look when altering an area of the gown involving beads and other adornments.
Hemming sleeves with buttons and beads require more time than sleeves without buttons or beads.
A wedding dress with multiple layers will likewise require more time for a hem or bodice alteration than a simple wedding gown. We must hem each layer when hemming a wedding dress...and the more layers, the more time it takes for the alteration. The number of layers and the structure of the wedding gown will also impact the job of replacing a wedding dress zipper.
Complexity of the Alterations
It often takes less time to hem a bridal gown than to take it in or let it out. Removing straps in a wedding dress can be simple, but if combined with a bodice alteration...and it often is, the process can become more complicated and more time consuming.
Adding a bustle might be simple. But again this depends on the complexity of the gown, especially the number of layers and type of fabric. Beading can also affect a bustle. When adding a bustle, I recommend adding more than one, even on a simple wedding dress. If the Bride steps on the hem or sits the wrong way, a single bustle can break...so always add more than one. Add even more when the train is heavy and extra long.
How Many Fittings?
One other common factor that can affect the time it takes to do bridal gown alterations is the number of fittings required to make sure your wedding dress fits perfectly. Again, a hem on a gown without extra layers or beading should take fewer fittings while changes to the design or taking in or letting out the bodice typically requires more.
As I've said in my previous wedding gown blog posts, the best solution is to purchase a wedding gown that most nearly fits you. But our commitment to our Brides is that we'll do whatever it takes to get your wedding gown alterations in Birmingham done right and on your schedule. All I suggest is to make arrangements ahead of time and meet with with your alterations specialist. Let her see the wedding gown to get a good idea of the complexity of the wedding gown and the required wedding gown alterations.
Backlog
A person can get only 8 hours of work done in 8 hours. But an experienced seamstress has fewer "start-overs" and can get more done than a less experienced seamstress. However, a major issue for completing wedding dress alterations is to make an appointment with your wedding gown specialist and keep the appointment...and all subsequent fitting appointments That will help insure timely completion of your wedding dress alterations
Experience Counts
One last bit of advice is to make sure your seamstress is qualified and experienced with wedding gown alterations. For successful wedding dress alterations, experience is critical. A seamstress or even a tailor who spends all of their time hemming pants and sleeves...or even making men's suits... might not be able to handle a wedding gown correctly.
My suggestion is to make sure your wedding gown specialist is a qualified dressmaker and has years of experience with wedding dress alterations. This will reduce the number of fittings required and get your wedding dress alterations completed on schedule. And you'll stand a better chance of getting it done correctly when your wedding gown specialist is qualified.
(C) 2009 - 2010 Champion Wedding Gown Specialist. All Rights Reserved
Choosing the right size wedding dress will save you money and time. I don't mean the "right size" dress will fit you perfectly off the rack, since this almost never happens. I do mean you should select the size that will minimize wedding dress alterations. And don't get me wrong here...I'm in the wedding dress alterations business. But there is no point in spending money if not absolutely necessary.
Not the same size.
Many brides, for whatever reason, insist on ordering a bridal gown in the same numeric size as their everyday clothing. These same brides are shocked to learn that their wedding gown alterations can cost hundreds of dollars.
Three Tips For Buying Your Wedding Dress
Here are three tips from our dressmaker and a Birmingham wedding gown alterations specialist to help you choose wisely. These ideas apply equally to bridesmaids dresses as they do to wedding dresses.
First, be prepared to order a size you might never have considered. Formal bridal gowns are designed to fit close to the body with little margin for error. The waist and hips are usually easier and less expensive to alter than the bust, so bust measurement is generally used to determine correct size. Dress styles vary, however, so it is wise to consult with an wedding dress alterations specialist before deciding which size to purchase. She might see that a particular style is easier to alter in one area than another. She may also direct you to a more flattering style of bridal gown for your figure. Don't feel insulted if she suggests a larger size. Professional wedding gown specialists really do want to get you into the optimal size so they can alter the gown to your satisfaction. If the size tag bothers you, the wedding gown alterations specialist will be happy to cut it out of the dress!
Second, be sure to try on your dress with the undergarments you plan to wear with the dress. Undergarments make a big difference in the fit of a bridal gown, and you will need those same undergarments for your alterations fittings. If you change bras or crinolines after ordering your dress, you may find that you need more alterations than you anticipated, although sometimes you may need fewer alterations, e.g. a fuller slip may make a hem unnecessary if you are already tall.
Finally, remember it is not about the size of the bridal gown; it is about the fit. Wearing a size 10 if you are a size 12 will not make you look smaller. Wedding gown specialists know that you look your personal best in a gown that fits you perfectly.
Follow this wisdom from an experienced Birmingham wedding gown alterations specialist and you'll look better...and save money.
Our wedding gown alterations specialist is available by appointment in Vestavia Hills on Rocky Ridge Road and in Hoover at Highway 280 to help with your wedding dress and bridesmaids dress alterations needs. Call us at 205.588.4120 for more information.
Next to you and your bridal shop, we're more interested in how you look in you wedding dress and your brides' maid dress than anyone else! We specialize in last minute and emergency wedding dress alterations in Birmingham, Alabama.
Find us on the web at www.ChampionWeddingGownSpecialist.com.
(C) 2009 - 2010 Champion Wedding Gown Specialist. All Rights Reserved
I was recently asked about how quickly a Bride-To-Be from Pelham, Alabama could get wedding dress alterations completed. She said she was working with a personal trainer and buffing up for the big occasion and she didn't want to have her wedding dress fitted until a month or less before the wedding.
While it obviously depends on the extent of alterations required on the wedding gown, we can complete routine hem and sleeve wedding dress alterations in a couple of days...and more extensive alterations in a week or two, depending on how available the Bride is for fitting sessions. In other words, we will do whatever you need in order to meet your needs. And we can handle last minute jobs... and we'll do it with a smile :)
Our wedding dress alterations specialist is a dress maker with many years of experience with all types of gowns and dresses, including wedding gowns and brides maids' dresses. She can handle the needs of the entire wedding party
And by the way, we'll handle wedding dress alterations like this for Brides in Vestavia, Mountain Brook, Homewood, Hoover, Chelsea, Calera...or Pelham, Alabama because we're convenient to all of these areas in the Birmingham, Alabama area. Along with wedding dress dry cleaning and wedding dress preservation and restoration, we can handle most any requirements for maintaining and altering your wedding gown.
(C) 2009 - 2010 Champion Wedding Gown Specialist. All Rights Reserved