My alterations cost HOW MUCH?!?!

[Kyoto]

So, I'm getting married in September. I just got a dress a few weeks ago and got back from my consultation for alterations. I had to pay up front, and it costed me about 1/3 the price of the dress!!! That's so crazy!!

If you are married, how much did your dress cost you between the actual dress and alterations (hemming, etc. just basic stuff!)

I'm still in tears from the whole thing. There goes my budget for Kyo's living room cage

 

[Flboy]

My wife, last year's dress, friend altering. 75 bucks! Went to JC Penny outlet, found 5 ugly gowns, same color, 15 bucks each!

 

[gracebowen]

My first dress I bought off the rack for $100. No alterations. My second dress was a gift. No alterations. We also did our own flowers and a family friend donated the cake. Maybe you can cut back on the reception costs.

 

[Kyoto]

Our reception and ceremony is free, as we have our photography studio which can fit 100+ people I'm thinking we might skip the cake all-together!

Still, I really blew my budget with this dress ><" I hope Kyo likes it

 

[Scott]

Congratulations!! Wishing you and your spouse a lifetime of joy!

Well, here's some advice from a guy, one who is rather pragmatic about clothing! Are bridal dress alterations that specialized? Can they be done with reasonable quality elsewhere - either by a conventional tailor or a seamstress? My uneducated hunch is that expectations are high AND expensive for weddings, so the market will bear serious pain!

That said, I concede weddings are a really big deal, and folks strive for perfection that will be documented from every angle by a discriminating camera lens!!

 

[Kiwibird]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Yes, alterations done by a true professional can cost a lot of money, especially if the dress is especially delicate or complex. I have gotten roped into altering a few prom dresses and graduation dresses, and if they hadn't been family/friends who I wouldn't be able to bring myself to charge, my labor and time would not have been cheap! On the bright side, at least it's a one time expense Though, I'd keep the dress away from Koyo. He may, uh, leave a little 'wedding present' on it:54:

I guess I was fortunate, as a seamstress, I made my own dress. Fabric and notions cost maybe $60 (it was tea-legnth). We just got married at the courthouse with 5 guests total and went out to dinner afterwards. A couple months later, we had a BBQ at a lake for extended family and friends (about 25) and I made a cake off a picture in a magazine (first and last multi-tier cake I will EVER make). Unless you are a expert baker, I really suggest not doing your own cake lol. I have seen some really cute DIY cupcake/candy displays in lieu of a cake at weddings before, as an idea for a little bit easier of a thing to do. Best of luck and PLEASE share some pics!

 

[Kyoto]

I will gladly share pics

Yeah, thanks for your input Kiwibird. We are friends with a lot of designers, and none of them felt they could alter the dress due to the enormous amount of detail and stitching that would have to be undone and redone. It is a corset top that zips, so literally the hardest thing to alter... had to get a size bigger than I wear because it was all they had and I'm just a few months away from my wedding (oops).

Your wedding also sounds like it was wonderful. We are doing something small for our ceremony, but due to my mother's demands my reception has to be large. I am an only child and she is insisting that we invite EVERYONE and that everything will be perfect.

My partner and I are photographers, and we shot a few weddings together. Seeing how stressed out brides are, it made me never want a large wedding. If I wasn't an only child, my fiancé and I would have gotten married in Japan when we were there. Literally would have cost us $150. but she would have been very upset. It wasn't worth it to make her regretful.

Either way, we get what we want for our ceremony- in the park where our first kiss was- with just our wedding party and 6 family members.... the reception I've just given away to my mother to do as she wishes.

I hope this is the only wedding I ever have... and hope to photograph many others in the future. They really pay the bills compared to other photography gigs! Maybe I'll even pay for my own dress with one

 

[OrnithAudrey]

I'm "officially" getting married in September too! I am very anti-wedding and absolutely did not want one, but I am the youngest and only girl and my husband is the oldest and first to go through the motions, so our families pretty much forced us into having one. I was absolutely dreading dress shopping. I find it absurd to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress you'll wear once that doesn't even fit, then pay more to make it fit! My mom did offer to buy my dress if I kept it under $1000, which I did, but I had to pay for alterations which cost $450! Luckily we cut a lot of costs elsewhere with a free venue, cake, decorations, etc.

 

[Kyoto]

Exactly! My alterations cost the same. So so crazy!