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“How much do wedding dress alterations cost?” This is one of those “million dollar” questions that plagues every bride when looking for a wedding gown to purchase. Whether you are getting a killer deal on a wedding gown or you are shopping until you drop for wedding dresses, the cost of alterations remains fairly constant. The down side is that with so many different wedding dress designs, it is nearly impossible to get a quote on the cost of alterations until you get into the dress in front of your seamstress. You will not know the true cost until you get in front of a seamstress. Here are some rules of thumb for you!
Lace and Beading will cost more - it takes more time to work with lace and beading. The cost can go up as much as 50% or more if you choose a dress with these items. Where you will be looking for it is on the sides where there is a seam, or along the bottom of the dress where it needs to be shortened.
Alterations Cost 10% of the cost of the dress - We have heard this from a higher end bridal store in the Denver area. While this isn’t always true, it may be a good estimated cost, especially if you use the in house alteration team for the bridal store. (Example: $8,000 Vera Wang dress may cost $800 for alterations.)
Basic Alterations Will Cost $200-$400 – You should count on basic alterations (hem, sides, bustle) to cost in the $200-$400 range if you are using an experienced bridal tailor. You can always find somebody cheaper, who may not carry insurance on your dress, but cheaper is rarely better. We have lots of girls come in with “messed up” dresses following an experience at a “discount” bridal alteration location.
Below are a few suggestions that may help lower your overall cost of alterations for your wedding dress, and also drop the stress level for wedding dress alteration appointments:
Do not change size – this is probably the biggest reason that the cost of alterations goes up for brides. While you are wanting to look your very best, changing size just a few months before the wedding can cost you for the pounds you loose. Have you size stable, if possible, by your first fitting date.
Do not change shoes – kind of like not changing size, changing shoes can be costly when in comes to wedding dress alterations. The hem (making the dress shorter) is one of the more time intensive, and thus more expensive, parts of your wedding dress alteration cost. Changing shoes may make you incurr this alteration cost twice. NOTE: you may be able to custom order your dress length when you purchase your wedding gown, if you have your shoes already. This can actually save you money, and stress, over having to pay a seamstress to do the work. If the custom length order is less than $100 you will almost always save money on the cost of your alterations!
Do not wait – Yes, I know bridal magazines tell you to wait until two weeks before your wedding to get in for dress alterations, but they really are only good at making magazines and not so much at actually altering wedding gowns. There are two reasons you do not want to wait. First, any good seamstress will book up during the busy season, leaving those who wait to work with a less reputable wedding dress seamstress. Second, nearly all tailors or seamstresses will charge a “rush fee” for waiting, which can significantly increase your cost of alterations. In Denver many bridal salons ask that you make your initial fitting at least 12 weeks before your wedding to miss the extra “rush” cost of alterations. Call around, but keep this in mind if you dont want your alterations to actually cost and arm and a leg!
Discount dress does not equal discount alterations – Yes, you may have found the deal of a lifetime on a used Vera Wang wedding dress. How could you pass the $8,000 dress up that was on a sample sale for only $1200 (let me know if you see a deal like this actually!)? Unfortunately, the cost of alterations for this Vera Wang will stay the same price, regardless of what you paid for it. In fact, the cost may be higher for alterations on a sample or used gown depending on how close the sizing is to your actual body and the condition of the dress. Keep this in mind as you purchase the “deal of a lifetime”!
Best of luck with your perfect wedding dress search, and we hope that these tips will serve as a useful guide to the cost of your wedding dress alterations. If you have any questions about dress alterations, you can always contact us at info@theweddingseamstress.com.
