How to Pick the Right Seamstress for You
So you’ve found your dress! Congratulations! Finally finding the right gown is both exciting and a relief. You should feel accomplished. However, ordering your gown is only half the work. The other half is having it fitted.
Hiring a seamstress to fine tune your gowns fit is an important decision, and the process is often foreign to those of us who don’t often wear such formal clothes. But don’t panic! We’re here to guide you through the process of finding the perfect seamstress for you and your gown. Just follow these 3 steps, and you’ll be on your way to a perfectly fitted wedding dress.
Step 1: Do Some Research
The first step is finding the names of some seamstresses. Many bridal boutiques offer in-store alterations, and have seamstresses on staff. If their alteration price is within your budget and you know their work is satisfactory, this may be the best option for you. However, if the cost is too expensive, the store has been given bad reviews, or the salon does not offer alterations, you will need to find recommendations.
If a bridal salon does not have in-store alterations available, they will most likely be able to recommend you a seamstress themselves. However, family, friends, and websites such as Yelp and Facebook are also great resources for recommendations for seamstresses near you. In the case of a wedding gown, we recommend looking specifically at seamstress who specialize in formal wear or bridal attire.
Step 2: Do Some Field Work
At this point, you should have a small list of seamstresses that seem reputable and qualified to work on a wedding gown. This means you are ready to begin interviewing. Before you hire a seamstress, you will need to have a face-to-face appointment in order to flesh out the logistics of your alterations, including fitting dates, the amount of time needed, and alteration costs. It is important to meet in person so the seamstress can examine your dress, and by extension give you informed answers to your questions.
Having in-person meetings also helps you to create a personal and professional relationship. As you will be working closely with this person, it is important that you work well together. Communication and feeling comfortable with one another are two qualities that are just as important as logistics when choosing a seamstress.
When meeting different seamstresses, make sure to take notes on your meetings so that you will be able to remember important details.
Step 3: Picking a Seamstress
Now that you have met with potential seamstresses, the final step is to make your choice. There are no hard and fast rules for selecting a wedding seamstress, as everything from budget to first impressions are factored into the decision. However, here are some signs that the seamstress would be a good fit:
- – the alteration costs are within your budget
- – the seamstress seems excited about working with you and your dress
- – the seamstress has worked on other dresses from the same designer
- – the seamstress is honest and confident about what alterations are and are not realistic
- – you and the seamstress communicate easily
- – the seamstress seemed knowledgeable and straightforward about your dress and ideas
- – the seamstress gave you their full attention
- – the shop was a manageable distance from your home, and it would be easy to schedule a fitting and arrive to it on time
If you find the majority of these statements are true for a seamstress you met, they may be the right fit for you! If not, you may need to look elsewhere. But remember: although this an important decision, do not dally too long in deciding; alterations can take anywhere from 4 to 6 months, and you want to be sure your dress is ready for your wedding day!
BravoBride wishes you the best of luck finding the perfect seamstress!
