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Wedding dresses & bridal style: Alterations and the bustle

Expect two or three fittings starting two to three months out, and learn the bustle with your helper.

The key points

  • First fitting 8–12 weeks before
  • Written estimates
  • Bring shoes to every fitting
  • Film the bustle steps

Read more about alterations and the bustle

Hands lacing up the corset back of a wedding dressWedding dressesWedding dress alterations: timeline, costs and the bustleA bride trying on a high-neck lace gown in a bridal shopWedding dressesA bridal outfit plan that includes the practical bits

Quick answers

How much do wedding dress alterations cost?

It depends on the dress and the work: hemming layered skirts, adding a bustle and taking in a bodice can add up to several hundred dollars or more. Ask for a written estimate.

Wedding dressesAll questions

Can alterations change a dress’s silhouette?

Only a little. A seamstress can adjust fit, take in a skirt or add a bustle, but turning a ball gown into a sheath isn’t realistic.

Wedding dressesAll questions

Who should bustle my dress on the day?

Someone calm who came to the final fitting — often the maid of honor, a parent or the coordinator. Film the steps.

Wedding dressesAll questions

How long do wedding dress alterations take?

Plan on two to three months with two or three fittings. Rush alterations are sometimes possible for a fee.

Wedding dressesAll questions

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