Advice to Brides & Salon Workers

I've been altering bridal gowns for over 25 years. During that time I have had many experiences that made the process either easier or harder. I have learned that there are many things that both the bride and her alteration specialist can do to make the process go smoother.

Things a Bride can do:

I understand that it is every bride's dream to have her wedding day be special, the most wonderful day of her life. Insisting that it be "perfect" is unrealistic. We are all human and stuff happens. That man you are marring is not perfect either. A good indicator of whether your marriage will stand the test of time is that you and he both stand the test of planning and executing the wedding ceremony by overcoming any imperfections that occur with grace by avoiding negative attitudes and not going ballistic when little things don't go exactly as you wanted. The day is not lost when your darling flower girl spills punch on her dress right before the ceremony. There is always something that can be done to overcome any mishap.

So it goes with your gown's alterations. The Alteration Specialist you work with is limited by the gown's design and construction. You may want the gown to do a certain thing, but the fabric it is made of may not be able to do exactly what you are wanting. Avoid being narrow minded in insisting that the gown do as you command. Be willing to see the options the Alteration Specialist offers you and see that there just may be one in there that you like better than what you originally envisioned.

I highly recommend to any bride to go to your nearest bookstore and buy "It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It" by Robert Fulghum. It's my favorite book of short stories. All of them are great, but read the stories on page 7 and 143.

Things an Alteration Specialist can do:

I find as I learn more about bridal gowns that I start getting narrow minded about my procedures. I do have strong rules that I have stated on this site and they have very good reasoning behind them, but all things must stay flexible when dealing with brides. Thing always happen. Wedding Salons screw up. Manufacturers send the gowns later then promised. Moms get upset over things the bride would rather she not mind. Brides and maids get pregnant. Weight gets lost and gained whether it is desired or not. People change their minds. It's good to have rules and follow them as much as possible, but also stay flexible to the changes that weddings always seem to encounter.

I think the best thing a Alteration Specialist can do is listen carefully to her bride to discover what it is she is wanting and then you can take that and match it up with all your education and experience to figure out what procedures you can use to alter the gown. If you insist on starting with your experience and education and try to force the gown to conform to what you know how to do, you won't give your bride the good job she is paying you for. Every gown is different and each bride's figure needs are different. Showing your bride that you are listening to her not only helps you understand what she wants but it helps her to listen to you when you explain the limits of what the dress will let you do to reach her goals.

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