How to Tailor a Wedding Dress
Whether you have found "the" wedding dress at a store or have been given your mother's dress or have decided to make one yourself, you will probably need to make some alterations. Very few people are lucky enough to stumble on a dress that fits perfectly.
To tailor your wedding dress, keep in mind the potential "snags" you might hit along the way. Give yourself and your chosen seamstress ample time to transform the dress with minimal stress for both of you.
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Things You'll Need
- The wedding dress
- Undergarments
- Shoes with a similar heel height to your wedding shoes)
- Hair accessories
- Veil
- Mother, relative and/or friend
Instructions
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Find a skilled seamstress to tailor your wedding dress. Ask around and get recommendations from friends, family, your bridal shop or even local high-end fabric stores. Always request to see samples of a seamstress's work. Above all, look for someone who knows how to alter, fit and tailor bridal attire. It is risky to place your dress in the hands of a nonspecialized independent seamstress or your local dry cleaner, for instance. And even though it might be more expensive, have your dress tailored in-house at the shop where you purchased it if you have any doubts or need extensive alterations.
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Establish a timeline. A good window for gown fittings and tailoring is 2 to 3 months between first and last appointments. You may have 2 (minimum) to 4 or more fittings, particularly for custom-designed dresses. Give the seamstress a definite deadline but also make sure to leave at least 4 weeks until the wedding date to allow for last-minute adjustments.
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Go in for fittings. Bring your key accessories or at least similar items, so that you can see how the gown will look with everything else. Bring only a few trusted relatives and friends to offer their opinions. For the final fitting, bring your maid of honor so that she can learn how to bustle your train (if you have one) for the reception.
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Know what to expect. Tailoring can be as simple as letting out a sleeve or as complex as a complete redesign. Skilled seamstresses can often revitalize and/or modernize a dress. Note that depending on the fabric and style of the dress, the process can be difficult and laborious, so you make provisions for this in terms of time and expense.
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Tips & Warnings
Lean on the side of bigger when it comes to choosing a wedding gown. It is much easier to take a dress in than it is to let it out.
Even if you yourself are a skilled seamstress, you may still wish to place your dress in someone else's hands, given that you will have plenty of other things to take care of.
References
- Photo Credit lace back of wedding dress image by Paul Retherford from Fotolia.com
