How long does it take to alter a wedding dress?
Ideally, I usually like to start approx 8 weeks before your wedding date, I leave it till then because lots of things can change, weight might fluctuate or shoe style/heel height might change. However, you can choose to have you dress done when it's most convenient to you. Brides who are considering losing lots of weight, can choose to have their dress altered even closer to the big day, as long as we know and we can get fittings booked in the diary to accommodate this.
I can usually accommodate all brides, however I do operate on a first come first served basis and I take bookings according to your wedding date. If I am full on your wedding date I will offer to get your dress ready for the week before or two weeks before, depending on my bookings.
I can usually accommodate all brides, however I do operate on a first come first served basis and I take bookings according to your wedding date. If I am full on your wedding date I will offer to get your dress ready for the week before or two weeks before, depending on my bookings.
What do I need to have ready for my fitting?
To get the most out of your first fitting, the following items are essential. .......
- Any underwear to try. Final decisions about underwear probably need to made at the first fitting, bras and corsets can drastically change the shape and position of the bust in the dress. I would probably not want to go ahead with bodice alterations until the bride was happy with their undies
- Petticoat and hoops. This one can be a minefield .... Please let me know if you need any advice or help. I can also hire petticoats and hoops. If you have a picture of your dress beforehand I can make sure I have an appropriate petticoat available for your fitting. Hooping will lift the hem of the dress, so I probably wouldn't cut the hem until the bride had decided to hoop or not to hoop
- Shoes. Obviously needed for your hem length.
HoW many fittings do I need?
Usually most brides have 3 fittings, occasionally I may need more depending on the amount of work required, but I guide you through the process and most of the year I am flexible working round brides diaries, however in high season I am usually back to back with fittings and don't have much leeway with last minute changes. I book out an hour of reach fitting, which leaves us with plenty of time.
Do you alter bridesmaid dresses?
Yes, I can alter your bridesmaids dresses, but only if I have time and I can be expensive if only small jobs are required as it's financially more viable for me to work on bridal gowns. Bridal gowns will always take priority, and if I can't accommodate them, I can give you a referral to an experienced seamstress for your bridesmaids fittings and alterations. Usually bridesmaids only need 2 fittings.
Where do fittings take place?
I have a studio/fitting room at Frederick House, Princes Court, Beam Heath Way. Nantwich. I offer appointments Mon - Fri at 4pm, 5pm and 6pm. In peak season, a Saturday morning appointment may be available. Please note the room is on the first floor with a few stairs. I ask that children are left at home please as there is usually pins, needles and scissors in the fitting room. Please see our Covid-19 working page for all the latest guidelines about attending your fitting
When is it best to book in?
Most weddings take place between April and October, with the majority being July and August. As a consequence I am usually booked up quite quickly for the busy season. As soon as you decide I am the seamstress for you, please book a first fitting, you are then in my diary and I have committed to completing your alterations.
I can usually accommodate all brides, however I do operate on a first come first served basis and I take bookings according to your wedding date. If I am full on your wedding date I will offer to get your dress ready for the week before or two weeks before, depending on my bookings.
I can usually accommodate all brides, however I do operate on a first come first served basis and I take bookings according to your wedding date. If I am full on your wedding date I will offer to get your dress ready for the week before or two weeks before, depending on my bookings.
Can you explain to me about costs
Everything surrounding weddings is expensive and alterations on your gown can be something you haven't budgeted for. However I will try to break the costs down for you...
1. This is my profession and obviously so I need to make money. I started working in the bridal industry in 2002 having bought a business that made bespoke bridal gowns, I consider myself to have a good degree of expertise in altering gowns.
2. I have a professional work space in a business premises where I have to pay rent, rates and ever increasing service charges. My sewing machine is going all day and my iron is on all day.
3. Each fitting is an hour I see the brides a minimum of 3 times, so 3 hours of fittings.
3. Many of the alterations can take a number of hours to complete. A lace hem can take 2 - 4 hours to unpick and 6-8 hours to attach back again, that's without the other layers being measured cut and sewn. I set aside a whole day for a dress with a lace hem, just to finish the all the layers and sew everything back on for the final fitting. Replacing beading or lace motifs can take up 6 hours after the alterations have been sewn.
In total a lace dress with a lace hem can take 3 days to complete, including fittings.
1. This is my profession and obviously so I need to make money. I started working in the bridal industry in 2002 having bought a business that made bespoke bridal gowns, I consider myself to have a good degree of expertise in altering gowns.
2. I have a professional work space in a business premises where I have to pay rent, rates and ever increasing service charges. My sewing machine is going all day and my iron is on all day.
3. Each fitting is an hour I see the brides a minimum of 3 times, so 3 hours of fittings.
3. Many of the alterations can take a number of hours to complete. A lace hem can take 2 - 4 hours to unpick and 6-8 hours to attach back again, that's without the other layers being measured cut and sewn. I set aside a whole day for a dress with a lace hem, just to finish the all the layers and sew everything back on for the final fitting. Replacing beading or lace motifs can take up 6 hours after the alterations have been sewn.
In total a lace dress with a lace hem can take 3 days to complete, including fittings.
How and when do i have to pay?
I will quote a price at your first fitting, a 50% deposit will be required once the work has been agreed, the balance is payable at your last fitting when the work is complete and you are happy. I can take cash, card payments or bank transfers. I don't release dresses until the work is paid for. I also ask brides to sign a dress release form confirming they are happy with the work completed. (It is of the utmost importance to me that you are happy with whatever work I do for you towards your big day. My business is built up on my good reputation so please speak up if you feel anything is not quite as it should be, I will happily change or alter for you)
Can you put something on my train to shorten it for the evening?
Yes! There a few different options for this and will depend on the length, width and fabric of your train.
Can you add sleeves and straps to my dress?
More often than not yes it is possible to add some sort of sleeve or strap. or change an existing one. Please email with a picture and I can discuss. maria@cheshireweddingdressalterations.co.uk.
My dress has a lace hem, can the length be altered?
Yes, There are lots of dresses with lace hems at the moment. The usual way to alter a lace hem is to remove the edging, alter the dress and all the layers and hand sew the lace edging back on. Taking the edging off and sewing back on is time consuming, so please allow plenty of time to complete this. It costs approx £120 to do this type of edging because of the hand sewing required.
Where do you recommend getting bridal accessories from?
I also run a bridal accessories business. Many of the items I will have available for you to look at when you visit. Please take a look at Bridal Pieces. Use code BP10 for 10% off any item on the site :)