What Alterations Will Your Wedding Dress Need?

Your dress silhouette directly affects what alterations are needed. Fit & flare styles almost always need precise fitting through the hips, which means more specialized work than a flowing A-line.

Skirt fullness is one of the biggest factors in hemming cost. A slim skirt might only need one or two seams touched, while a full ballgown can involve multiple layers and a much wider circumference — so the more fabric, the more work involved.

If your hem has lace appliqués or beading, those details need to be carefully removed, the hem shortened, and then each piece hand-sewn back into place. This is one of the most labor-intensive parts of wedding dress alterations and has a big impact on pricing.

Almost every bride needs hemming and a bustle — these are the two most common alterations. Bodice adjustments are also very typical since most gowns are ordered by the largest measurement and then taken in to fit.

Small additions like adding cups are very common and affordable. More involved changes like adding sleeves or extensive beading take extra time and materials — so plan for those early!

Custom extras like boleros, overskirts, and capes are a beautiful way to create a completely unique look — or even get two looks out of one dress! These pieces are custom-made for your gown, so they require a custom quote. The earlier you plan for them, the better.

Lace and heavily beaded fabrics require more delicate, time-intensive work. Every cut through lace has to be finished by hand to preserve the pattern. This is one of the biggest factors in alteration pricing.

If your gown is secondhand, pre-owned, or passed down, we strongly recommend having it professionally cleaned *before* bringing it in for alterations. Stains and buildup can affect the fabric and make it harder to work with, and we want to give your dress the best possible starting point.

Also good to know: the price you paid for your dress has no bearing on the cost of alterations. Whether your gown was $500 or $5,000, the work involved is based on the construction, fabric, and fit — not the price tag. This surprises a lot of brides, especially those who found a great deal online!

It's never too early to schedule! Ideally, reach out as soon as you purchase your dress — don't wait until it arrives from the designer. Your first fitting will happen about 3–4 months before the wedding. Most brides need about 3 fittings (sometimes more, sometimes less), but we always plan for 3 in the beginning just to be safe. Anything within 12 weeks of the wedding is considered a rush and will incur an additional fee of $100–$250.

Please have your wedding day shoes at your first fitting — we need them to accurately mark your hem length. And here's something brides are always surprised to hear: it doesn't matter to us whether we're hemming half an inch or five inches. It's almost the same process. So pick the shoes YOU love and feel comfortable in, and don't worry about how much hemming it will add. Also, if your wedding is on grass, you may want to consider that when choosing your heel height — and we may suggest going just a touch shorter on the hem.

Here's something most brides don't know: you do NOT have to wear shapewear, sticky cups, or adhesive bras unless you just want to. We can build in all the support you need — cups, boning, structure — right into the dress itself. In fact, we usually recommend skipping the sticky stuff because it often causes more issues than it solves. If you do decide to wear shapewear, just make sure you have it at your first fitting so we can fit the dress over it.

At Madison Conner Alterations & Design, we specialize exclusively in bridal. That means every bride gets our full attention, expert craftsmanship, and a process designed to make you feel confident and taken care of from your first fitting to your wedding day. We believe your dress should feel like it was made for you.

Professional gown preservation involves expert cleaning and acid-free boxing to prevent yellowing, fabric deterioration, and permanent staining. Bundling it with your alterations can save money — our Package 3 includes preservation for $439 + alteration costs (a significant savings over doing them separately). But no pressure! It's never too late to come back to this.