Wedding Alterations

A wedding is to be such a special time in a brides life. With so much planning, one would only hope that the Bride would not only enjoy the preparation, but also her special day. So often the bride has so much to do, that the stress builds up.

There is so much joy when I can work with a bride, creating for her the final look for her wedding gown. In some cases it begins with my making her dress, but most often it comes from altering it to her specific needs. My goal, for every bride that comes my way, is to make the adjustments that she would like to her specifications. Sometimes it is just a hem, other times it might just be creating a bustle, and there are times where there are many adjustments that need to be made.

Since alterations are an added expense, I share with the bride that what is most important is to have the proper undergarments she plans on wearing with her when she comes for her first fitting. This is extremely important when deciding how much something may need to be taken in. The proper undergarment will not show when you wear your dress and will make your dress look seamless and you feel beautiful.

There are times when a dress doesn't need a special undergarment. One bride came my way, wanting me to take her dress out because it seemed too tight. After looking at the dress and seeing that it already had all the support the dress needed, I asked her to take off the undergarment and put the dress on without it. When I returned to the room, she was smiling ear-to-ear, seeing how that one simple change made her dress fit her to perfection. She was sold an item that was unnecessary when they sold her the dress. This is an unfortunate thing that happens to brides, because in some cases the undergarment is needed, yet in some cases it is not. This was a rush order request that ended up being a simple consult, saving the bride rush fees in addition to the alteration costs that she originally wanted, plus, she was able to return the undergarment since it still had the tags on it. She and her fiancé was extremely happy realizing how much money I had saved them.

The other important item to have with her is her shoes. Sometimes a bride has still not found that perfect pair, so I recommend that she bring a pair of shoes, in the height that she plans on wearing. This helps in making sure we get the right hem length if I'm hemming, but also if we are adding a bustle, it is important to have the right floor length. Depending upon the number of alterations that might be needed and their budget, some brides will purchase heels to accommodate the length of the dress. My only caution here would be "comfort".

One way some brides save and bring someone old into their wedding, is to take their mother's or grandmother's dress and have it refashioned for themselves. If they can wear the dress, but want a few things tweaked to make it their own and more modern, it is an option that only embraces the alteration costs.

There are so many options available to a bride. My job is to listen to what the bride desires and make the necessary adjustments to make her feel beautiful on her special day.

Here's the brides: May your day be yours, the way you desire, to love and to cherish, your man of the hour.

~ Putting Thread to Fabric ~

Laura - Custom Seamstress
Davina Dawn Sewing Specialties
http://www.davinadawnsewing.com/

For the love of my daughter

There is something special about being asked to make a custom dress for one's wedding, but when your daughter asks, there is something even more endearing that reaches deeper into my heart.

Our oldest daughter had been planning her wedding long before she met her husband, by selecting patterns, fabrics, and more.  The best part of her planning, was that she easily found her fabrics before the local stores stopped carrying the elegant bridal fabrics that one now has to purchase online.

Heather's dress was made with a beautiful soft satin underskirt that felt beautiful against her skirt, a cream-on-cream brocade fabric for her main dress, contrasting satin sleeves, with a braided trim around the neckline, bodice and down the front of the opening of the outer skirt.

Her dream was to have a renaissance style dress, with the maid-of-honor and bridesmaids to match, using her favorite color of sage green, which we selected crepes, organza, sparkle organza and satin linings.  All dresses were to be slightly different from each other.

The maid-of-honor (sister) had a dress using a satin lining, sparkle crepe fabric for the main dress, and sparkle organza for the dress overlay and sleeves.  She chose to use spaghetti straps to allow her unnecessary worries.  This dress was designed so that the sleeves could be easily removed for any future formal occasion.

Bridesmaid 1 (sister) had a more modest style A-line dress using sparkle crepe fabric for the main dress, sparkle organza for the sleeves, and silk/satin lining. 

Bridesmaid 2 (cousin) had the same style dress as bridesmaid 1, but a plain crepe fabric was used for the dress, and a plain organza for the sleeve, and a silk/satin lining.

The pattern selected for the bridesmaids, was very different that what is shown, as I created a sleeve pattern to make the sleeve edges to be similar to the maid-of-honor's dress.

It was a privilege to make my daughter's wedding dress, where she felt like a princess, in addition to the other bridal party dresses.

~ Putting Thread to Fabric ~

Laura
Davina Dawn Sewing Specialties
http://www.davinadawnsewing.com/