Are you thinking “Oh NO” after you sent your wedding dress in for alterations? I did today. After meeting the lovely shop assistant at the veil store, I got completely stressed out about my alterations service. The last time I went in for my initial alterations consultation, I had a very bad feeling about getting my dress done at the particular service. I was already charged a lot for doing the back and the sides and my budget for alterations did not allow me to have my hems also shortened. The seamstress then asked me “What? are you going to fly into your wedding? or be carried?” My bridesmaids and I found this very unprofessional. So when the shop assistant asked me why my seamstress was not altering my dress by taking it in from the breast and pulling the whole dress up (this way eliminating the need to alter the hem and re-stitching the lace again – which is time consuming, tedious and expensive work), I started to doubt the seamstress work. I thought that perhaps she didnt suggest that alternative as she wouldnt earn more money. I remember the feeling that they were only out to make money rather than help me even when I paid for the deposit. 

I got so upset about this that I first called  my cousin, the designer, to ask him what to do next. Then I called the alterations service to ask if they had started work on my dress – and surprise surprise – they said they had just started work on this morning – how convienient before the customer changes her mind eh? Then the seamstress said that she had thought about the possibility of taking the material in from the breast rather than from the shortening the hem but she thought that it would be more work. But if she had thought about the possibility, why didnt she offer it to me?

Note to all future brides: Ask your seamstress about all the possibilities, even ones she is just thinking. That way you’ll be able to come up with the best solution. 

Since my conversation with the Bridal Alterations Service was more upsetting than helpful, I think called the Pronovias Bond Street store to warn the other brides that they might recommend this alterations service to. I couldnt get ahold of Caroline, the branch head but after repeated attempts, she kindly called me back. 

First she apologised for the wedding alterations service but she explained that taking in from the breast is actually more complicated and since the breast area has boning, it is actually better to do it from the bottom. Note to self: this actually made sense – does the seamstress just have a very bad way of communicating to her customers or is the branch manager just more diplomatic in the way she spins things? She said that of all the dresses they have from Pronovias, they always, except once, have taken it in from the hem. 

My cousin’s take on this whole debacle: wear really high shoes. 

So I’ve taken a deep breath and Im just going to wait until next week. Hopefully, they will not ruin my dress. If not, I’ll be ranting again on this blog to warn other brides to be. Oh, and then the Pronovias branch manager pointed out that actually even celebrities like Elle Macpherson uses the Bridal Alterations Service – I dont care – it might be just a dress to those in the wedding industry but for a bride like me – its everything and I dont want both me and my dress to be messed around! I dont care how many celebrities use the service or not, I just want that dress made well for that one special day. Is that too much to ask? Especially when I pay her more per hour than I earn? :’(