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Why You Should Budget for Dress Alterations

Why You Should Budget for Dress Alterations

Meet our Guest Blogger: Nicole D’Aoust from Sew Retro Alterations & Tailoring. Nervous about your wedding? Want your dress to fit you perfectly? If you’re looking for a seamstress who can provide you with fair but affordable pricing along with high quality work, connect with Nicole.

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You’ve been searching and searching and have finally found the perfect house! It has the look inside and out that you wanted. It’s the right price and location and you know your friends will love it.

Moving day comes and as you settle into your new abode, you realize not everything fits as well as you anticipated. The kitchen does not have as much storage you thought, the shag carpet on the stairs has to go and the bathroom is an awful shade of green.

It’s not unusual for people to invest money into a house they have just bought. In fact, it’s probably more unusual for people not to make a few changes. Because, if you’re going to invest that much money, it better fit perfectly. The same can be said for wedding gowns.

You’ve searched and searched and finally found YOUR gown. It’s the most beautiful dress you’ve ever seen. It’s in your price range. And it’s available! You try it on and find that it fits… mostly… as long you’re standing still. But as soon as you step off the riser, the spaghetti straps slither down your arms, the waist does not move with you and the “the girls” won’t stay in the right spot. You tug at the dress, but it does not behave. And THAT is why you should budget for gown alterations. Because even perfect gowns do not always fit perfectly.

Think about all your girlfriends who are a size 12. Are they all 5’10”? Do they have the same back waist length? Are their hips and bust line proportional? Probably not. That is another reason to budget for alterations. Industry standards are not standard. A size 12 for Company A may not be the same size as a size 12 for Company B. And peoples are not standard sizes.

So what can you expect to spend on alterations? The Modern Bride states most women should expect to spend between $400 and $1,000 on alterations depending, of course, on the fabric, customizations, and style. You might, for instance, want to have your seamstress add a bustle so you can dance the night away after dinner. At the very least, most dresses require hemming.

Most importantly, BOOK NOW. Do not wait to buy your dress and then try to schedule an alterations appointment. Wedding season is busy, busy, busy and you do not want to be disappointed.

For all your alteration needs, contact Nicole D’Aoust, bridal and formal wear alteration specialist at Sew Retro Alterations & Tailoring, 519-312-0123.

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