THE ALTERATIONS

The Most Underestimated Key Component into your Dream Wedding Gown

Finding “The One” is a core memory. You’ve said yes to the dress, the bubbly has been poured, and you’re already imagining yourself, bouquet in hand saying your “I Do’s”. But there’s a technical hurdle between that “boutique moment” and walking down the aisle: the fit.

While it’s tempting to just grab the gown and find a neighborhood tailor or even worse a local dry cleaner, here’s why buying from a shop that offers in-house alterations is the smartest move you’ll ever make.

They Know the “Architecture” of Your Gown

Every designer has a different way of constructing a bodice, layering tulle, or hiding structural boning. When a shop does in-house alterations, their seamstresses work on those specific brands every single day.

• • Expertise: They know exactly how much a specific crepe fabric will stretch or how the intricate lace on a Netta BenShabu or Kim Kassas gown needs to be hand-stitched.
  • No Guesswork: An outside tailor might be a genius with suits, or regular every day clothes, but bridal construction is a different type of garment entirely, and requires specific training and experience.

• Complex Garments: Wedding gowns have more complicated aspects to them, like which type of bustle will work best with each style, what is the best way to hem a satin back crepe versus a silk mikado. Should there be horsehair in the hem, if so, which width and weight?  Nailing the “sheer” look without it also being too scandalously naked look. 

There is an extremely vast range in level of expertise in the field of alterations and tailoring when it comes to talent, knowledge and experience. You don’t want anything less than an absolute pro working on the most important garment you’ll ever wear!

Accountability: The “Safety Net” Factor 

When you buy the dress and get it altered in the same place, the shop takes full responsibility for the final look.

Once you take your gown outside the bridal shop you purchased it from, they are no longer liable for anything that happens to your dress. If you take your dress to a third-party tailor and they accidentally cut the hem too short, or ruin the fabric by over pressing, there aren’t a lot of options of what can be done, short of ordering a new dress altogether. With the long timeframe bridal designers require for a dress to arrive in store, this might not even be a possible solution!    

When it’s in-house, the shop is responsible for making sure your dress fits you perfectly. If some extreme situation were to occur, they have the resources (and the direct line to the designer) to fix it, replace panels, or order extra fabric immediately. They are extremely motivated to make it perfect, plus they have a personal relationship with you from the dress shopping experience which gives extra motivation for them to make it exactly what you want!

Seamless Logistics and Storage

Let’s talk about the “Bride Schlep.” A wedding gown is heavy, bulky, and prone to wrinkling.

• One-Stop Shop: You don’t have to worry about transporting a 15-pound gown across town in your trunk.
• Safe Keeping: Most shops with in-house alterations will store your gown in a climate-controlled environment until the week of your wedding.
• The Final Steam: Usually, in-house services include a final professional press or steam right before pickup. If you go elsewhere, you’re often stuck trying to figure out how to get wrinkles out of silk at home, or hiring a professional steaming service, which can be in the $5500-$1000 range on its own!

Access to Original Materials

Need an extra foot of the exact matching lace to add a sleeve? Or a few more of those specific crystal buttons?

• Often bridal shops can order original components directly from the manufacturer.
• An independent tailor will often have to “match” materials from a local fabric store, which can look slightly off in the bright light of your ceremony.

The Personal Experience 

The experience of finding your wedding dress is often one filled with fond memories and a warm, welcoming environment–or at least it should be!  The experience of tailoring your wedding gown can be an extension of this incredibly happy uplifting aspect of the wedding planning process.  

Your consultant is your advocate: The bond that forms between brides and their consultants is often magical! Imagine having the opportunity to have your consultant not only be with you for every fitting from start to finish, but also be your communicator to the seamstress and alterations team. They completely understand your vision and what you want your dress to look and feel like and make it their job to make sure this gets executed. There’s a comfort level and rapport already established so you can ask all of the alterations questions that come to mind and be open about how you’re feeling and how the dress is feeling. 

The atmosphere and ambiance matters: Tailor shops are cold and business like, bridal shops already have a warm, inviting, experiential set up and vibe.  Being treated like a queen from start to finish should not only your dress shopping experience but the fitting process too! 

The Bottom Line

Your wedding dress is likely the most expensive and important garment in your life you will ever wear, and it’s best to only trust it to the most expert and experienced dress makers and tailors! Choosing a shop with an in-house team means you’re buying peace of mind, not just a dress.