Two wedding dress secrets nobody shares.

Hi I’m Alex and I have been a professional bridal seamstress for 6 years.. Wow that’s more than half a decade, time flies when you’re having fun? Anyways, I decided to start writing a blog with the goal to educate brides from a bridal seamstress perspective. I will be using this space to provide advice that either I get asked way too often or sadly way too late in the bridal journey. Disclaimer: I’m no lady Whistledown so don’t come at me for less than perfect blog writing skills. Okay without further ado, here we go!

Today I want to list two realistic things no one tells you and YOU SHOULD KNOW when looking for a wedding dress.

1. BUDGET – but like the WHOLE budget!

I know, I know, everyone says the same thing. Don’t look at dresses you can’t afford, make sure your bridal shop sells gowns in your range, blah blah. NO! I’m talking about your WHOLE wedding dress budget. What does that look like? Here’s a list:

1. Wedding dress
2. ALTERATIONS
3. Undergarments
4. Veil
5. Shoes
6. Jewelry
7. Pressing/steaming services
8. Gown logistics (for destination brides)

Now, did you budget for all this? Don’t worry, nobody does… (sighs) The purpose of knowing this is so that you can establish your priorities. What do you want? Maybe you want to get a pair of diamond earrings that will become your family heirloom, or the quintessential blue Manolo Blaniks, or a bit%#ing designer wedding dress. The world is your oyster! But the one thing you don’t want to do is spend all of your budget on the gown. Why? Because we ALL need alterations. Yes, sadly, designers have like a few decades of body inclusivity delay and very few of us reach 5’ 11’’  height by our wedding day. So yes, bridal seamstresses are out there doing the Lord’s work. Bridal seamstresses’ skills are VERY niche, complex and naturally it is a premium service. At this stage your dress will get CUSTOM modifications, let me repeat that: CUSTOM modifications. You get it now right? 😉 

2. START EARLY – like right after you say yes! 

Trust your gut, no you’re not too ‘eager’, and no there won’t be a better dress coming next season. Let’s do some math: Bridal shops require anywhere between 3-9 months for your gown to arrive. Then your seamstress will need approximately 12-8 weeks to complete alterations without rush fees.. That can put your wedding dress overall turn around anywhere between 6 and 11 months. So start early, look for your dress and if you love it, order it. Don’t be afraid that you will miss out on something better, what feels right is right. AND you already picked your partner, and what could be harder than that?! Ask about your shop’s alterations options. Do they offer in house, or do they have a preferred list? If it’s the latter, make sure you get in contact with them, the minute you order your gown. Why? Because bridal seamstresses book up FAST!!! These precious humans (of course I’m biased, let me be) are very rare, and only take a certain amount of clients per month. These seamstresses understand that there may be delays in your gown getting here, but they will secure your spot and trust me they will not leave you hanging.

Alright, well if you’ve made it this far: I love you 🙂 what do you think? Do you agree? Did you find this helpful? I try to keep it short and sweet. I’m looking forward to your feedback. See you next time with a little more bridal gown tea.