Wedding dress 11 October 2017 at 9:22PM in Marriage, relationships & families 31 replies 6.8K views

wheelz

I'm trying to find a wedding dress and have been to two shops. They were very different, the second shop had dresses off the rail/peg. They are half the price and I'm interested in them as I don't want to spend too much on a dress, I am in my early 50-ies. I have been told in the shop that alterations will be between 100 and 200/300 pounds. Does anyone have any first hand experience. I would like to know what to add to the budget for alterations. I appreciate that it depends on how much needs doing.

musharoom

I got married recently (end of September) and my dress alterations cost £215 on top of dress price from an independent seamstress.

Some bridal shops include alterations/fittings in the price, mine did not.

Dress was altered around the bust also adding in cups and extra boning, let out at hips, hemmed 1 inch.

Hope that helps!

wheelz

That helps a lot. I'm not into this at all as some young girls who know years before they are getting married what dress they want. First shop was all in and second shop seems very reasonable and is as you describe. I just wanted to make sure that what I had been told was about right. Thanks very much.

Bean83

I got married at the end of 2014, and paid £150 for an independent seamstress to add cups, add a bustle to hook up the train, and hem an inch or so. Hope this helps!

Fireflyaway

I paid £120 for the dress to be taken in round the bust and a button and hook thing added so the train could be hooked up in the evening. It might be cheaper to find someone independent of the bridal shop but read revised / go on recommendations. If the seamstress messes the dress up it could be a write off depending on the style.

maman

I appreciate that your original post was just to check if the alteration prices are reasonable. It seems they are.

wheelz wrote: »

That helps a lot. I'm not into this at all as some young girls who know years before they are getting married what dress they want.

Nor am I, but surely it would be better to shop around for a dress that fits? Particularly as you don't have set ideas of exactly what you want.


There must be heaps of evening/prom type dresses around that could be suitable. Or as this is a mse thread what about ebay?

Kaye1

Is it worth looking into getting one made?

There is a small shop in the next village over from us and she makes wedding dresses and they are far cheaper than buying off the pegs ones and no additional alteration charges!

neartowhere

I think you will be able to save if you made to order.

onlyroz

Do you need a "wedding dress"? Why not just choose a standard dress that you like?

DigForVictory

There's no suggestion in OP's post that either shop is selling solid meringue, but a wedding dress shop does tend to focus on the assorted white & fluffy things.

Let us not rush to judge but encourage the brave woman. Weddings are fearsome things to plan & noone's excused the hype & hope.

May you find The Right Dress, wear it with aplomb, grace & joy & continue thus all the days of your life.

wheelz

I have considered normal dresses but I don't like shopping very much and wouldn't know where these kind of shops are or what I want and still look enough 'bride'. I have accepted that bridal shops tend to just do the very stereotypical thing, there is not much choice. If you want short you get fifties teadresses as an option they don't suit me. I just want it over it's sooo much work a wedding and stressful. Looking at one around £500 plus alterations. How much would a non-standard wedding dress be? I wouldn't have thought it's much less. I'll just be princess for a day then, not really me but hey. Thanks everyone for your contributions.