A wedding ceremony is one of the best moments in one’s life, and maybe yours. However, such a big moment often comes with a not-so-cheap overall price. There are a lot of things that must be included in your wedding budget, and one of them is the cost to alter wedding dress.
What You Need to Know About Wedding Dress Alterations
Each person has a different size and shape of the body compared to another. Because fitment is everything when it comes to a wedding dress, you may not be fully satisfied with the dress coming straight from an online shop or a wedding boutique. For that reason, you need to do some alterations necessary for your wedding dress.
Not only will they make your wedding dress fits you perfectly, but alterations will also prevent any wardrobe malfunction during your big day, which is crucial for you. You can buy the most expensive wedding dress available, but it will not look better than cheaper ones if it is not properly altered.
Wedding Dress Alterations Types
Even though there are various things that can be altered on a wedding dress, there are basically only two kinds of alterations included in the cost to alter wedding dress, namely basic hemming and adding details.
The main purpose of alterations is to make a wedding dress fits the body perfectly, so the alterations can be started with length hemming, side adjustment, and fit fine-tuning of the wedding dress.
A wedding dress can be considered perfectly fitted if it can shape and support the user’s bust, complement the shape of the user’s body, and not dangerously too long while covering the user’s shoes.
After every basic hemming is done and you are satisfied with the result, you can continue with the other type of wedding dress alterations. Adding some details to your wedding dress purposely makes it more beautiful and it’s optional, so do it if you want it and have enough time and budget for it.
Those additional details are sleeves, off-the-shoulder straps, lace appliques, buttons, a bustle, and beading. Although they are optional, some details are more important to add than not. For example, a bustle can make the user move easier. Therefore, consider some important ones if necessary.
Tips for Wedding Dress Alteration
The first thing you need to be assured of is the schedule, besides the cost to alter wedding dress. It is better that you order your wedding dress at least 10 months before your wedding, so you will have plenty of time for the alterations. Some fittings may be necessary, and you should do the last one about two weeks before the big day.
Moreover, you should bring the things that you will wear to your wedding, like undergarments, wedding shoes, and accessories, every time you do the fitting. Those items can help seamstress alter your wedding dress more accurately, so it can fit and look as perfect as possible.
You should know as well that alterations will not damage your wedding dress even if it is changed so many times. That is why you should consider buying a larger dress, as it is easier to be altered based on your body. After all, the cost to alter wedding dress that you will spend will not disappoint you.
Last but not least, bringing someone close to you for your wedding dress alterations is not a bad idea. Not only can they help you make some decisions, but they can also make you feel happier and more comfortable.
Average Price for Wedding Dress Alterations
Depending on the work needed for your wedding dress to fit your body perfectly, you can be charged hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Wedding dresses that are simple to alter can also make the alteration cheaper than complicated ones. In the United States, the average cost to alter wedding dress ranges from $150 to $600.
The alteration cost can also be different from one alteration place to another. Some places have flat prices for their services, while others count the prices based on the work done on the wedding dresses. To give you some ideas, here are common prices for wedding dress alterations.
Alteration | Price |
Take in or out the dress’ sides | $35-$50 |
Take in or out skirt’s or bordice’s sides | $20-$30 |
Hem dress | $40-$100 |
Bra cups addition | $20-$30 |
Neckline reshaping | $40-$60 |
Shoulders reducing or narrowing | $45-$50 |
Straps shortening | $20-$40 |
Sash or belt addition | $25-$35 |
Beading work | $30 an hour |
Bustle | $20-$60 |
Steaming | $50 |
Who should alter your wedding dress?
You can get your wedding dress from wherever you want, but you can do some altercations in the place where you buy that dress if the chosen bridal boutique provides that kind of service. Some bridal boutiques have an in-house seamstress ready to handle all your needed alterations.
On the other hand, if you get your wedding dress from someone or buy it from an online marketplace, you need to find a seamstress or tailor to do the alterations. One important consideration if you are looking for a seamstress is that you should find one who specializes in the alterations of wedding dresses.
David’s Bridal Alterations Cost
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For alteration purposes, David’s Bridal is one of the best bridal boutiques to give that service. The cost to alter wedding dress itself varies depending on the alterations, just like most bridal boutiques. In this specific bridal boutique, however, most customers spend $150 to $500 to alter their wedding dresses.
Alteration | Price | Information |
Hem | $75 | The price is a single-layer hem applied to a simple fabric. It will cost higher if the dress material is more complex. |
Sleeves | $35 | The price is for a basic shortening of the wedding dress sleeves. |
Sides | $35 | The price is for a small alteration of sides adjustment. |
Bra cups | $20 | The price is applied for common-sized bra cups. |
Over bustles | $35 | The price is for the first three hooks of an over-bustle, with every additional one averaging $5. |
Under bustles | $50 | Similar to the over-bustle, the price is for the first three loops of the under-bustle, and it is $7 for each additional. |
Bodice addition | $200 | The price is the starting price to add a bodice. |
Each wedding dress alteration at David’s Bridal will include three things which are the first fitting, additional fittings, and pressing and steaming. Commonly, customers take two additional fittings after the first one. After all the alterations are done, the wedding dress will be pressed and steamed professionally.
Cost to Alter Bridesmaid Dress
Just like altering a wedding dress, bridesmaid dress alteration cost is based on what things are needed to be done, how complicated the dress is, and the materials of the dress. Still, the average price of bridesmaid dress alteration, between $45 and $150, is low compared to the average cost to alter wedding dress.
From that average number, here are some common costs for bridesmaid dresses.
Alteration | Price |
Hem | $30-$120 |
Taper | $25-$65 |
Take-in | $25-$135 |
Shoulders or straps adjustment | $25-$55 |
Shorten or lengthen sleeves | $30-$55 |
Zipper replacement | $30-$45 |
Do bridesmaid dress alterations take a long time?
On average, tailors or seamstresses take about two or four weeks to finish a bridesmaid dress alteration depending on the number of jobs they are taking at a particular time. If your tailor or seamstress does not have any other task besides your order, your bridesmaid dress can be well-altered in one or two weeks.
Best Bridal Boutiques to Alter Your Wedding Dress
David’s Bridal that is mentioned is a recommendation for you who are looking for a bridal boutique with a wedding dress alteration service. However, if there is no David’s Bridal near where you live, you can choose these boutiques instead. Some may open in your area, and the cost to alter wedding dress anywhere is more or less the same.
Mark Ingram Atelier
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This bridal boutique is known to have some world-class in-house designers who design wedding dresses with high quality. Mark Ingram Atelier is located on the 8th floor of The Park 55 Building, New York.
The Dress Theory
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Originally opened in Seattle, The Dress Theory is now also available in San Diego and Nashville. This bridal boutique sells ready-to-alter wedding dresses with an average price of between $2,200 and $4,200 plus some additional cost to alter wedding dress.
Loho Bride
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The word ‘Loho’ from Loho Bride stands for ‘league of her own,’ so it can be seen from the name that this bridal boutique is like no others. It is perfect for those wanting a different experience of wedding dress shopping. You can find that uniqueness in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Chic Parisien
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For about half a century, Chic Parisien has consistently been known as one of the United States’ most famous bridal boutiques. This luxury bridal boutique with luxury designs is located in Coral Gables, Florida.
BHLDN
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Possibly a considerable bridal boutique with the most amount of stores, BHLDN offers affordable wedding dresses. However, despite its low price, the collection in this bridal boutique is not worse than the one in the luxury one.
Now that you know how much it cost to alter wedding dress, you can prepare your budget for it. It might be really costly for some people, but each and every penny you spend on your wedding dress alterations will earn you some priceless satisfaction.
Reference:
https://www.brides.com/story/wedding-dress-alterations-tips
https://www.zola.com/expert-advice/how-much-do-wedding-dress-alterations-cost
https://weddingsandbrides.com/davids-bridal-alteration-costs/
https://alterations-express.com/2021/12/27/bridesmaid-dress-alterations-cost-timeline-tips/
https://www.womangettingmarried.com/10-best-bridal-boutiques/