A Complete Guide On To How To Take Up Your Wedding Dress

After you have found the perfect dress, it’s possible that there are some alterations that need to be made so it fits perfectly and meets your desired style. You can learn how to alter a wedding dress yourself, but we’d always suggest using a bridal gown seamstress unless confident.

Our complete guide  will explain everything you need to know from choosing the right fabric, how you can change the fit of your dress, and how much can a wedding dress be taken in.

Wedding Dress Alterations

Alterations are the process of changing a wedding dress to make it more flattering, comfortable, or more suitable for the wedding. This could include include sewing, changing the length of the dress, adding a waistline, or adding a bustle.

Wedding Dress Alteration Types

There are 3 types of alterations and these include:

• Taken Up – if you feel like the dress is too long and you want to show off your special shoes.
• Taken In –  If the dress is too loose, you can get it taken in by either the waist, the back or the chest.
• Extra Features – You can get extra features sewn onto the dress such as embellishments, straps or sleeves.

Your seamstress will be able to work out the alterations that you need for your wedding dress at the fitting.

The bride should be accurately measured at the first fitting

Wedding Dress Fitting

If you’re getting married soon, it’s important to get your dress fitted with a professional seamstress at a bridal boutique. They will measure the fit of your gown and make any necessary adjustments before the big day.

It’s usually the bride who has 3 wedding dress fittings between choosing the dress and her marriage date. It’s important to get the fitted as close to the bride’s actual measurements as possible so that it fits perfectly.

Making Your Own Alterations To Your Wedding Dress

If you want to save money on your wedding dress, you can buy a dress that fits you perfectly and just needs some tailoring to make it look more elegant. And if you have the time and patience, you can do it yourself.

You may be able to make your own alterations to your wedding dress, such as a shorter or longer train if it’s simple enough to complete. You may need help from your friends and family as you try it on and it would be beneficial to wear shoes that you’ll be wearing on your wedding day with the dress.

How To Take In Your Wedding Dress

You can either have your wedding dress taken in professionally at the final fitting or do it yourself. The best results will usually be offered by professionals, but DIY can be a great option if you have the time and skill.

The bridal party usually join the bride wedding dress shopping

How To Take Up A Wedding Dress Yourself

Make sure to take your time and be careful if you decide to take up your wedding dress

• Try it on – try on your dress and wear the shoes that you’ll be wearing on your wedding day.
• Fold up & Pin – You’ll need to fold up your dress and pin it at the right height for you
• New Seam – Make sure you measure the dress properly and make it level all the way around after you’ve pinned the dress. Make sure to buy the right colour thread and with the sewing machine, sew the new heam.

Taking In Your Own Dress Seam

We don’t recommend taking in a dress seam yourself. If you do try this, we recommend that you have some experience sewing before you try this.

• Try Your Dress On – First, look at the dress and try it on inside out to see what alterations are needed. You may have to make some changes before you wear it.
• Pin The Dress – Start by pinning together the seams of the dress, then try it on again, still wearing it inside out. You may need help from someone else.
• Unheam – The first step is to unheam the dress to make it easier to alter after you’ve pinned the dress. You’ll need to use a special tool to unheam the right seams.
• Sew New Seams – Choose a thread colour that matches your wedding gown. Make sure the new seams are done from the inside of the dress and you can do this by using a sewing machine so that the seam is durable and neat.

Professionally Taking Up A Wedding Dress

Getting your dress done professionally will be your best option if you don’t want to ruin your dress or if you’re tried to alter it yourself without any success. Yes there are wedding dress alterations cost, and these will vary based on the amount of work required.

If you are looking to get alterations done on your dress, there is an extra charge depending on where you bought it. A professional seamstress will be able to pin and measure the alterations that need to be made for your specific body shape. They have lots of experience so they can do tricky or difficult adjustments if necessary.

The Costs To Shorten A Wedding Dress

The wedding dress alteration costs vary depending on the type of alteration that you need and the fabric of your wedding dress. The prices could range from £60 to £700.

• Fabric – Silk tends to be cheaper than fabrics such as tuille and chiffon.
• Alteration of hem – It may cost as much as £80-100 to shorten a full skirt, whereas you may have to pay as much as £60-80 to take in a dress at the waist or body.
• Extra Features – While it’s not cheap to add extra features like sleeves and traps to your dress, it is possible to do so. You’ll need to pay for more material and work, though which could cost up to £200.

Making the Wedding Dress Alteration Decision

Alterations are necessary for most wedding dresses, but you don’t have to make them if you don’t want to.

There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding whether to have a wedding dress altered or have it taken in. How does the dress look, feel, and fit? How much do you want to spend?

A wedding dress can be one of the most expensive purchases you’ll make and there’s a lot to consider. You’ll need to decide whether you want to alter your dress if you’re going to have a second dress made for the day, and how you’re going to feel in it. The best dresses are usually those that look amazing in pictures and feel comfortable to wear, so you need to make sure you’re comfortable with the dress.