How long does it take to alter a wedding dress?
Ideally, we usually like to start 8 weeks before your wedding date, we leave it till then as 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 loosing 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.
We can usually accommodate all brides, however we do operate on a first come first served basis and we take bookings according to your wedding date. If we are full on your wedding date we will offer to get your dress ready for the week before or two weeks before, depending on our bookings.
We can usually accommodate all brides, however we do operate on a first come first served basis and we take bookings according to your wedding date. If we are full on your wedding date we will offer to get your dress ready for the week before or two weeks before, depending on our 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. We 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 us know if you need any advice or help. We can also hire petticoats and hoops. If you have a picture of your dress beforehand we can make sure we have an appropriate petticoat available for your fitting. Hooping will lift the hem of the dress, so we 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 we may need more depending on the amount of work required, but we guide you through the process and are flexible working round bride diaries.
Do you alter bridesmaid dresses?
Yes, we can alter your brides maids dresses. Usually bridesmaids only need 2 fittings. We are very used to bridesmaids living all over the country and having to coordinate diaries, You can choose if you want to have your fittings all together or the bride may want to keep her dress a secret in which case we would see the bride separately.
Please let us know prior to your first fitting if you will be bringing bridesmaids with you. We book an hour time slot for each bride, which probably won't be enough time for bridesmaids fittings aswell..
Please let us know prior to your first fitting if you will be bringing bridesmaids with you. We book an hour time slot for each bride, which probably won't be enough time for bridesmaids fittings aswell..
Where do fittings take place?
We have a studio/work room at Frederick House, Princes Court, Beam Heath Way. Nantwich. We offer appointments on TUESDAY and THURSDAY afternoons/evenings with the last appointment being 6.30pm for those brides who have to come after work. Please note the room is on the first floor with a few stairs. We 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 we are usually booked up quite quickly for the busy season. As soon as you decide we are the team for you, please book a first fitting, you are then in our diary and we have committed to completing your alterations.
We can usually accommodate all brides, however we do operate on a first come first served basis and we take bookings according to your wedding date. If we are full on your wedding date we will offer to get your dress ready for the week before or two weeks before, depending on our bookings.
We can usually accommodate all brides, however we do operate on a first come first served basis and we take bookings according to your wedding date. If we are full on your wedding date we will offer to get your dress ready for the week before or two weeks before, depending on our bookings.
Do you steam dresses?
Yes, we can steam dresses. If we complete your alterations, your dresses will be steamed prior to you collecting them. we are happy to steam dresses for any bride even if I haven't completed any alteration work. We will come to your home or wedding venue on the day before if required. We also steam guest outfits, satin robes etc.
How and when do i have to pay?
We 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. We are only taking card payments at the moment. We don't release dresses until the work is paid for. We also ask brides to sign a dress release form confirming they are happy with the work completed. (It is of the utmost importance to us that you are happy with what ever work we do for you towards your big day. Our business is built up on our good reputation so please speak up if you feel anything is not quite as it should be, we 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 we 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. It costs approx £100 to do this type of edging because of the hand sewing required.
Where do you recommend getting bridal accessories from?
We also run a bridal accessories business. Many of the items we 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 :)