Cost

How much does bridal alteration cost?

There  is no definitive answer to the cost of wedding gown alterations. However, this should help answer most of you bridal alteration needs. This pricing is based on both the Colorado Springs and Denver areas. As you scroll through the different dress parts, this will help you understand what various types of work may cost.

First things first! Beading and lace will always cost more.

THE SIDES

(This refers to the bust, waist, and hips)

$50 – $300

99% of the time a wedding dress needs taken in at the sides. This is a common practice for bridal boutiques; ordering a size a tad bigger. Every woman is shaped differently.  There is almost always a part of our body that is a size (or two) bigger than the rest, and to accommodate that part, the rest of the dress will be a bigger size.  It is easier to let in a dress, but almost impossible to let out.  Again, lace and beading will increase this cost. Additionally, most places charge for how many inches they need to take the wedding dress in, whether it is just in the bust area, the hips, or along the entire seam. So the average cost for taking in the sides on your bridal gown can be between $50-$300.

BUSTLE

(This refers to taking your train up)

$25-$200

Bustling is picking up the back of your bridal gown train off the floor after the ceremony so you can move around without damaging the train. After the ceremony, you have to think about moving table to table, greeting guests and dancing at the reception! Brides have the dress bustled two to five hours, while the need for the full train will be much shorter. You want the dress to look beautiful bustled. In my experience, a wedding gown rarely needs more than 6 to 9 bustle points, however, I have put as many as 40 on a wedding gown. Bustling is an art.  For a seamstress to figure out how to bustle without ruining the style or flow of the dress takes a lot of skill and time.  You will have more pictures taken with the dress bustled then you can imagine, and, knowing this, I take this work seriously. I recommend at your final fitting to have the person that will bustle your dress attend. The more the merrier! The average price for a bustle on a wedding dress is between $25-$200.

HEM

(the bottom)

$100- $450

The bottom of your bridal gown will almost always need to be shortened. As such, the hem can be more complicated than it looks. You may see some plastic webbing around the bottom or feel it in the dress. This is called horse-braid or horsehair, and as a result of that little bit of plastic, pricing will be higher. Have more layers with it? You will be charged more. Have a layer of lace on your bridal gown down there? Yep, the price goes up with that. Is the bottom of your wedding dress beaded? Guess what, the price goes up even more… So what does an average bridal hem cost? From most bridal alteration places you can estimate $100-$450. Although I’ve never charged over $200 for a hem alone, even when it’s lace and beaded, I really need to see the dress for accurate pricing.

THE CUPS

(sew in cups)

$20 – $40

Cups are one of those things that almost all brides want in their wedding dress, but rarely think about before their bridal alteration appointment. The cost to put cups in will vary slightly, but you can expect to pay in the $20-$40 range. However, this is something I don’t charge for.  I have A-D cups in my studio if a bride needs it.  This is included with your alteration.  

Do not be intimidated by the numbers.  It is impossible to give an accurate estimate without seeing the dress with you in it. The consultation take 10-30 minutes and it’s free of charge.  Please contact me for an appointment:  719-229-0231 (feel free to text)