What Every Bride Should Know About Wedding Dress Alterations


When you’ve picked out and bought your ideal bridal gown, you may think everything is done until the wedding day – but this isn’t so! Wedding dress alterations are an important part of the process, making sure your dress is the perfect fit and looks utterly divine. I’ve teamed up with esteemed London wedding dress alterations shop Alterations Boutique to give you the rundown of what you need to know about dress alterations and fittings in the runup to your big day. 

Wedding Dress Alterations – What Can and Can’t Be Done? 
There are so many things wedding dress alterations can achieve! Bridal alterations experts can make big differences to the style and shape of your dress. However, remember to keep your expectations within reason; it’s probably not going to look good if you need to bring in or take out a dress by three sizes for instance! We advise that you don’t buy a smaller dress you hope to fit into with dieting or opt for a much bigger dress and hope for the best with alterations – make sensible choices from the off and you’re going to look fabulous. As for what wedding dress alterations can achieve, dresses can be let in and out, as well as shortened, lengthened, and generally changed to flatter your figure in all aspects. As for style changes, here’s a quick rundown of options you can go for at the alterations stage in discussion with your seamstress: 

Changing the Neckline: some brides want to make the neckline more plunging or demure with additional fabric or lace – go for whatever makes you feel more comfortable and looking gorgeous! 

Removing or Adding Sleeves: whether you’re looking to add dainty lace sleeves or go strapless, sleeve alterations can make a big impact on the style of your dress. 

Adding a Bustle: a seamstress can use fasteners to lift a heavy or complex dress train off the floor and over the dress, making it easier to move around after the ceremony. 

Adding Details and Embellishments: such as lace, beading, and crystals. The small details can make a huge difference and a bridal alterations expert will know how to make every dress wow with embellishments. 

Complete Restyling Work: depending on the fabric and seams available, a seamstress can totally restyle your dress. This is particularly useful if you’re wearing an inherited wedding dress and want a contemporary style update. 

Top Tips for Wedding Dress Fittings 
Once you’ve decided how you want your dress to be altered which changes or additions are required, it’s time for your bridal seamstress to get to work and for you to prep for your wedding dress fittings! Here are a few important things to consider for your fittings: 

Leave Plenty of Time: you should ideally have your first fitting two to three months in advance of the wedding and the final fitting within two weeks of the big day to ensure it will be a perfect fit. 

Bring Your Wedding Shoes: if you haven’t yet chosen the shoes you’re going to don on the day, bring a pair in the style and heel height you’re opting to wear as this will give you and your seamstress a better idea of how the dress and shoes will go together. 

Bring Undergarments and Accessories: the undergarments and accessories you’ll wear will inform your dress fittings just as much as shoes, so make sure to bring them along with you to all fittings! Again, close approximations of what you plan to wear are best if you don’t have the items ready to go. 

Test Your Dress: you’ll be walking, dancing, sitting, and generally moving a lot on your wedding day, so make sure it feels comfortable for these activities! Fittings are the ideal times to try these things out and report back to your seamstress. 

All in all, a bridal seamstress is here to make you look fantastic in your cherished wedding dress! Discussing your ideas with an alterations expert can make the difference between feeling uncomfortable on your big day or looking incredible in a dress totally tailored to you. Consider these tips and with the right seamstress you’ll have no problems with the bridal alterations process.