How to Do Alterations on Wedding Apparel

Wedding apparel can be the most exciting part of a wedding--unless it doesn't fit! Nothing is worse than the prospect of a bride's dress falling down or a groom tripping over his too-long tuxedo pants. Knowing how to do alterations on your wedding-day apparel can save time, money and a great deal of stress during preparation. Follow these few steps and you will have zero apparel concerns.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chalk
• Sewing machine
• Thread (multiple colors)
• Pins
• Scissors
• Shoes that match apparel
• Assistant

1. Put on the pants or dress that will be worn on the day of the wedding. Put on the shoes that match that article of apparel.

2. Stand with your knees slightly bent facing the mirror.

3. Have your assistant fold under the pant legs or dress so that the bottom edge is between 1/4 and 1/2 inch above the floor. Pin all the way around for a dress. Mark with light chalk on pants.

4. Remove articles of clothing and place on sewing machine.

5. Thread sewing machine with proper thread color.

6. Cut off excess fabric within one inch of chalk line or pins. Fold under and sew a blind stitch on chalk line or pin line to finalize alteration, either by hand or with a sewing machine. If there is not enough excess to cut and hem, fold under and sew around chalk line or pin line, using a blind stitch.

7. Try on recently altered clothing with the appropriate shoes. Walk around to be sure alteration is correct. If not, repeat above procedure.

Resources

• Guide to Clothing Alterations