I'm short, but my Wedding Dress Shouldn't Be

I just dodged a bullet, kids, a big fluffy bullet in the shape of a wedding dress that would have ruined everything, at least momentarily. My shoes came in, and or course they were not what the picture made them seem. This is exactly why I hate ordering any type of clothing or show over the internet. They are still adorable, they still work, but they are not flat like we thought. This was a problem because Tuesday, I got my dress pinned for hemming on the assumption that they were, in fact, flat.

We called David’s Bridal, even though Mom was sure that the small lift in the shoe wouldn’t be a problem. One Saturday, we went in and tried the dress on, and that my friends, is when we discovered that the dress was not one inch too short as the shoes might imply, but a full four inches too short. When I sat down, my calves showed. No one knows how this happened. The only thing that I can figure is that when they pinned it on Tuesday I was tired, I was barefoot and I had CP

Luckily, on Saturday, I was no longer tired or barefoot. But I still had CP. My Superhero of a seamstress, Willamena, pinned the dress again, this time so that the hem touched the floor. She had me walk a few steps and stop. The dress was magically, shorter on the left. Mom reminded me to stand up straight and I reminded her that although I knew what they meant my CP didn’t. Willamena pinned the short side again and asked me to take a step. Now, the right side was short. At this point we were laughing and wondering how this could be happening.

Finally, Willamena decided that we needed to hem it long, and in stages, in order to avoid disaster. We all agreed that this was the best plan. I already was starting to feel like the crazy lady on Say Yes to the Dress who shows up to the bridal salon so much that the entire staff knows her and her family by name, and the thought of getting in that dress at least two more times before my wedding day was exhausting; but it was better than having my dress hemmed short.

Luckily, I have 10 whole months before the dress has to be done. I am so glad that picked out a lace up dress. This limits the alterations needed for most people so all you really need as a hem and bustle. I am also glad that I listened to my own instincts about when to get the dress because I severely underestimated the amount of time that the alterations would take. Willamena, is glad I ordered my dress early too, that way she doesn’t have to secretly hate me.

Today's Lesson: Get your dress early to avoid stressful alternations appointments and make sure you have the shoes before you make any changes to the length of the dress.

Alterations: Everyone has an Opinion.

Okay, so I didn’t exactly keep my word. Is anybody really that surprised? The difference is that I didn’t make the decision out of my need to hurry, at least not consciously. What my sub-conscious does on its own time is really none of my business.

I went to pick up my dress, try it on and take it home. After sitting in it for about an hour trying on combs, veils and jewelry with my mom, sister and consultants offering opinions; I went to take the dress off, asked to meet the seamstress and decided to get my dress altered at David’s Bridal. This is exactly the opposite of what several people said I should do. Again, are you surprised? In forums everywhere, people are telling brides to be not to get there dress altered at the place the bought it because the price will be outrages, but there are so many other things to consider when making this choice.

 I made this decision based on several factors. First I did more extensive research. (Some of it I will admit occurred after the fact, in an attempt to keep myself from wigging because I-just-did-what-every-told-me-not-to-and-its-gonna-ruin-the-whole-wedding!) On the surface, David’s Bridal seems to have a bad wrap when it comes to alterations, but when I dug further I saw that each negative review was not about the alterations, but about the dress not being done in time. This occurred when people waited until the last minute to alter their dress our when they went in complaining they lost weight at the last minute and needed the dress refitted. All of the people that allowed proper time for alterations had good experiences. Thanks to my need to get everything done fast time is one thing I have plenty of.

Another reason I went this route is because it just felt safer. Most of the tailoring places near me that seemed to offer good service and comparable prices to David’s Bridal were private businesses housed in people’s homes. Aside from the obvious issue of the accessibility of these places; it is unlikely that they would have the money or insurance to cover the dress if anything happened. By going through David’s Bridal I have the reassurance that if they do screw up or if something happens to the dress itself it will be replaced. This is something to consider if you are thinking about having a wedding dress altered by a seamstress that works from their home. They might be the best seamstress ever, but if their house burns down, what will they do about your dress? Some people might have insurance to cover this, but many do not.

The third reason I chose to have my dress altered at the place of purchase is that the alterations staff are going to be familiar with the dress itself. They are going to know how best to do the alterations without effecting the look of the dress. They also do alterations primarily on bridal and formal wear.

Based on research, staying with David’s Bridal will cost me about $50.00 dollars more than I might have spent at another place, but I see this as the price of piece of mind.

I will say that the alterations process itself is going to be a bit of a pain in the butt, or rather, the legs. I needed to get it hemmed so that I could walk in it, but that required standing. I failed that part of early human development and I am only good at standing in one place for about 5 minutes before my legs want to give out. If my legs are moving, I can go quite a while but the standing is awful. My legs ache and then I start to sweat and get light headed with the effort not collapse. I also never stand the same way twice. My seamstress had to reset the pins on the hem three times and only got halfway done with pinning my bustle before I thought I would pass out. Luckily, she said that there was no further need to torture me and that she could do the other side based on the first. I wanted to kiss her.

I am hoping against hope that further fitting will not be needed, we all have our delusions.