You should book your first fitting with your seamstress AT LEAST 3 MONTHS before your wedding but it is always recommended to contact a seamstress immediately upon the purchase of your gown. The earlier the better! The closer to the wedding, the more expensive alterations become, and rush fees will be added for anything less than 10 weeks. If your dress is being ordered and you have a delivery date, DO NOT wait for the dress to arrive before contacting a seamstress.

Alterations can take 3-6 months to complete based on the current work load; which is why starting early is key. What needs to be done to your individual dress will determine how many appointments you will need. I tell my brides to anticipate 3-5 fittings total.

At your first appointment, you will be greeted with a smile and welcomed into my studio. I will remove your dress from the bag and remove any tags still attached, asses the train, and prepare the dress behind the dressing wall. Once you are in the dress, we will talk about everything that needs to be done and I will offer my professional opinion based on what I see. The first fitting is usually 30-45 min and at the end, we will pick and choose all of your next fittings leading up to the final appointment. If your dress requires more than 3 appointments, your written quote will be given at the second appointment vs. the first.

You will want to make sure to ALWAYS bring your shoes. If you don’t have your shoes, we cannot look at the hem and length of your gown. If you have ordered your shoes and are waiting for delivery, you may bring a pair of shoes that matches the heel height; and we can work with that.

If you have any undergarments that you may or may not want to wear, please feel free to bring them. i.e., spanks, skims, shapewear, biker shorts, strapless bra, sticky boobs etc. I do offer a variety of bra cups that I can stitch into the dress, and we can try them out during your fitting.

Yes, you can bring up to 3 people to your appointment. I do ask that you please avoid bringing young children to any appointment; if possible. I have many sharp objects, needles, scissors and pins in my studio. I understand that sometimes this may not be an option and I am happy to accommodate young children if need be. Please let me know ahead of time if you plan to bring any children.

Almost every wedding gown has a long train at the back; this train needs to be pinned up, tied up, or hooked up to get it up off of the floor for your reception. There are different options that work with different styles of dresses. All options can be shown and discussed at fittings for you to choose what you like best. Below are the types.

American: The outer bustle. This works with small hooks and loops and can either be pinned up high near the waist, or lower near the back of the knee.

French: The under bustle. This works with a series of ribbons (either beaded or colored) on the underside of your train that when tied together, pulls the train up and underneath.

Ballroom: The disappearing bustle. This works with a series of loops and ribbons on the underside of your train that when connected, folds the train underneath to give the illusion that there never was a train.

Austrian: The double French bustle. This is similar to the French but creates extra under folds in a layered fashion. This is typically only for extremely long trains.

Double Bustle: Some wedding dresses have two different types of fabric for the skirt/ train part which can be different lengths. When this is the case, we do a French on the undermost layer and do an American on the outer most layers. Sometimes this method is used to distribute the weight of your train so that it is not so heavy when bustled.

I tell all my brides to expect to pay anywhere between $400 and $900 + their fitting package. The more beading, lace, details you have; the more expensive your alterations can be. Written quotes are given by the second appointment. Please see the Pricing page for more information.

Once the alterations process begins, you will need to maintain your current weight. As a woman, you may fluctuate during your monthly cycle, or simply from the stress of wedding planning. Significant weight change can result in your dress having to be re-altered closer to the wedding, which increases your final cost. Sensitive topics such as this will be discussed further during your appointment. I want all of my clients to feel their best and to feel confident in their dresses. My job is to make the DRESS fit YOU, not you fit the dress. If you are on a weight loss journey for your wedding, you should communicate this to your seamstress upon your first inquiry.

Menswear: Unfortunately I do not take on menswear at this time.

Woman’s Suits: I can alter all woman’s suits, pantsuits and rompers.

If you can be flexible with scheduling appointments, paying a rush fee, and my schedule allows it; no, it is not too late! Please contact me ASAP to discuss your options.

Short answer, is yes. To go larger, typically we can let all the seams out or put in a corset back to allow plenty of room. To go smaller, requires reducing the dress at every seam. Going smaller can also significantly change the design and silhouette of the dress. If you want to purchase an off-the-rack dress to save on cost, expect to pay a higher alterations cost.

Unfortunately, no. I will make an exception on rare occasions, but due to my lack of storage space in my studio, I cannot hold dresses after alterations are complete.

Check, cash or any type of credit card.

Rush fees are added to any alterations needing to be done in a short amount of time. This is because I work on dresses for months at a time, so adding a dress into an already full schedule requires longer sewing days, often sewing on my off days and into the evenings. I work on your wedding timeline, as well as many other brides.

For bridal, you want to start 12 weeks or more, before your wedding. Rush fees begin at 10 weeks or less.

10 weeks = $75

8 weeks = $100

6 weeks = $150

4 weeks = $200

An overtime charge is a fee you pay to get onto my books when I am already booked full. As a bridal seamstress, I am often booked 8-10 months out of the year and have to say no to a lot of people. If you are still wishing to get an appointment with me, there will be an overtime fee. This means that I will be working extra hours to work on your dress and work you into my work load.

This fee is based on what your individual dress requires. For more information please email me so we can discuss details.