For all of you girls out there who are planning your wedding on a budget, learn how to sew! If you have a $3,000 gown with a heavily beaded bodice, made of Indian silk, with hand sewn glass beads, then yes, have your gown altered by a proffessional! By all means! But, if you've found the perfect gown, in your size, and fits you like it was made by angels to meet every curve in your body, then DONT GO TO GET YOUR DRESS BUSTLED BY A PROFFESSIONAL!!
Here was my mistake. I went to that pretty little "free" consultation appointment at David's Bridal this afternoon, and I just needed to get my dress fitted for the clasps for the bustle. I brought Jane (mother-in-law to be, and seamstress for all my bridesmaids) with me into the city, and we did a bit of shopping then headed to the appointment. The seamstress showed me two different bustle types, and I picked the one I thought would be most flattering. She wrote a few things on a slip of paper, and left to figure a total. Now, I was told by the same seamstress, two months ago, that having a gown bustled would only cost $50-$65. The seamstress came back in, and showed me a slip of paper. She says, "this is the first layer," pointing to the first number, "and this is the second layer" pointing to a larger number. "You can add it up"... The grand total was $110 before taxes. WHAT?! What happened to that pretty petite number of $50? When I asked her why so much she answered, "Your bustle has 11 points in it, and it's a very fancy bustle...I could just fold both layers of fabric over, but it wouldn't look as nice..." So, I took my dress, Mother-in-law to be/seamstress, and my buisness elsewhere. We settled at Hancocks Fabrics, found bridal buttons for $3.99 per package of 4 buttons. $12 later, we walked out with my alteration.
My advice to you, bring someone with you to your alteration appointment who knows how to sew. Make sure they pay special attention to the way the dress is being pinned so they can do the same work for you. And if you don't have someone who sews? Find an inexpensive seamstress with a good reputation! Sometimes it pays to be as cheap as I am! I saved $98 (given the price of buttons), and a huge headache for the wedding.
I have come to a realization... No one prepares us for this! No one tells us what shops are going to give us the deals we need, no one explains how to do something, or how much you're supposed to "tip" the cake decorater to get the fondant cake in the color you want when they say it cant be done with 3 weeks notice. We are given a stack of magazines that show us gowns that cost thousands of dollars, dream honeymoons that dont cost more than the dress, and what someone else did without telling us how we can accomplish the same thing. I have decided that Someone needs to show us girls the ropes, and just how far we can stretch them to have the wedding of our dreams without spending enough to give us nightmares.
I have decided that, if I'm not certifiably insane by the time my wedding rolls around, that I am going to be that Someone. I'll teach all you ladies out there how to accomplish your wedding goals without having to double your wedding budget. I'm on a mission. English lace and tulle won't keep me down! Stick with me, and I'll show you how to have your dream wedding, on an even dreamier budget.
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