You want to book your first alterations fitting 2 months before your first wear date.  I will have your dress done in 1 - 2 months! I only work with bridal gowns and wedding party alterations. Proms and other events won't interfere with my availability.

*wear date typically refers to bridal photos, but could be the day of your wedding.

Bring any materials or add-ons you want to your first appointment. Belts, sleeves, beading, bows, and whatever you've pick out to make your dress unique.

Be sure to bring your shoes and your undergarments to every appointment.

These garments are made to be altered.  No body is the same. The bridal shops order the dress based on your largest measurement and if you're between sizes they order the larger size. This is totally normal! Leave the fit to me, it's my job to sculpt the dress to fit your unique body!

You can expect your alterations to range from 500 - 700. If your dress is beaded this price may be higher, all of those beads have to go back on the dress! The pricing isn’t only for the alterations. It's for the fittings and supplies used.

You can expect two fittings and a final pick up. I generally try to knock out the top of the bodice and  adjustments in the hips in the first fitting. The second fitting will focus on the hem and bustle as well as checking the previous work. At your final pick up we will make sure you are happy with the alterations and you get to take your dress home!

Hang your dress in a place away from children or pets. Always use the hanger straps on the train and the bodice. Using the hanger straps keeps your dress from stretching or warping while it’s hanging. The night before your wedding you want to put the train down and have it as fluffed out as you can. This will help your dress relax a little and make steaming easier.

You'll want to steam your dress the night before and the morning of the wedding if possible. If you're able to put the gown in your dressing suite the night before that is ideal. If you aren’t able to do that just leave it out of the bag the night before and try to limit the time it’s in the bag the day of.

Only use distilled water for steaming. The hard minerals in tap water can leave watermarks and other impurities on the garment when it dries. Check the baby aisle of large grocery stores or the water section!

Put the head of the steamer under the fabric and let the weight of the fabric lay on top while gently moving for best results.

Yes!

Depending on the complexity of the customization we might need an extra fitting or two. I'll set up your fitting schedule to make sure it works for both of us and still within our 2 month window. 

If you know you'll want customizations, ask your stylist at the bridal shop about getting extra fabric ordered from the designer for a more seamless look. If you can't do that for any reason I will do my best to source materials that match your gown and we can decide on design options that will work with what's available.

I can make any type of sleeve, from full length sleeves to cute loose bows for straps!

Unfortunately I don’t have time to do beaded or hand detailed veils. However, if you want a simple soft tulle veil I can absolutely make that.

The Altær has partnered with one of the industry leaders in Cleaning and Preserving! Ask me about cleaning and or preserving with The Wedding Dress Preservation CO.

They do new and old dresses and have great service as well as quality.

Want to do something a little different? I can make a wide variety of keepsakes, bespoke clothing, much more. Schedule a consult to talk about what's next for your dress!