Wedding Dress Fitting Timeline in Alterations Explained
Wedding dress alterations are part of the process completing your bridal look in preparation for your big day. Here is some essential information to help plan your wedding dress fitting timeline. You must ensure with your seamstress that alterations are done before the wedding.
First thing, your wedding dress will need altered in some way no matter what. Typically, wedding dresses are not made with your custom measurements in mind. Wedding gowns are mass produced in sizes different than traditional clothing sizes. Your bridal gown store took your measurements and ordered you a gown in a specific size based on your measurements from the designer brand. Once the gown arrives, it must be altered to fit your figure how you like it.
Brides should have at least 3 wedding dress fittings during their wedding dress fitting timeline in alterations. Alterations should start taking place roughly three months before your wedding day. Your seamstress will be able to give you an exact wedding dress fitting timeline of how long the alterations will take. This is all based upon your dress and your needs. If you have extensive customizations, the seamstress will require more fittings. The earlier, the better! No seamstress wants a rushed wedding gown alterations that is very extensive. Especially when it is on a rush, as that can cause them to not do their best work.
Purchase Your Dress 8-10 Months Before your Wedding
The typical rule of thumb is that you should start shopping for your wedding gown about a year in advance. This comes after you have finalized your date and wedding location. Dress qualities and styles should depend and reflect your wedding date, weather, and venue quality. As long as you purchase your gown eight months before your wedding day, you will be in good shape for alterations. Anything before 8 months will be pushing the limit. This all depends on if the gown ordered needs customizations. Any mishaps in production to slow it down (like a global pandemic), will result in taking longer than 8 months.
4 Months Before Wedding: The Gown Arrives
It takes approximately four to six months for a wedding dress to arrive after it is ordered from the designer in your specific size, color, and style. The time in-between purchasing the gown to waiting for it to come in, research the undergarments you want to wear on your big day. You must bring them to the alteration fittings. Also, research the seamstress you want to use to alter your gown. Seamstresses conducting wedding alterations require appointments months in advance, so book them early, even if you do not know exactly what needs altered yet.
First Fitting
This is when brides can try on their gowns and any added accessories on for the first time. This is when you determine all the changes your gown needs with the seamstress. This will be the longest out of all fitting appointments. Bring any undergarments, shoes, and the veil that you will wear on your big day to wear for the seamstress. The next fitting is where you see how the changes from the first fitting fit you now.
Second Fitting
Brides will try on their gown again after the seamstress has made some of the initial changes from the first fitting. This fitting is about making sure that the dress and fit are moving in the right direction. If something is not fitting how you would like it, this is the time to speak up and let your seamstress know. You will be wearing this dress, so you want it to fit you perfectly and comfortably.
Third Fitting (Final Fitting)
At this (hopefully) last fitting, brides will try on the gown and make sure it is perfect and exactly what they wanted and needed. If something does not fit correctly, the seamstress will go back and fix it. The third and final fitting usually takes place about two weeks before the wedding. If everything fits and looks great, then brides get to take the dress home with them that day!
Once you have officially taken your gown home after alterations, keep your dress out of direct sunlight to prevent discoloration and sun damage. Keep it hung up nicely to prevent any wrinkles (some fabrics on wedding gowns are hard to get wrinkles out of). Then, you are ready to wear your gown on your big day, how exciting! Check out Owl Cleaners after your wedding to get your gown professionally dry cleaned and preserved if you are living in the Pittsburgh area.