Vendor Voices: Q&A with Alter Me
Author: Jamie Quinn
- By Jamie Quinn
Are you stressed about wedding dress alterations? We chatted with Nazneen, the owner and creative designer of Alter Me, to ask her all about the alterations process.
More than just alterations, Alter Me crafts bespoke bridal gowns. Their industry knowledge and meticulous craftsmanship ensure the perfect fit and flawless finish, whether you’re designing a dream dress from scratch or transforming an existing gown.
“Ideally, you would start your dress alterations 6-8 weeks prior to your wedding date. The turnaround can increase to 8-12 weeks in the busy months, which are from September to February.”
What should I bring to my appointment?
“Important things to bring to your appointment are your dress, veil (if you’ve already purchased one), shoes and any undergarments that you plan on wearing, such as shapewear. At the pick-up appointment, some brides like to bring the jewellery that they plan on wearing to see how the entire “look” looks.”
How many fittings will I need?
“General alterations for plain fabric dresses require no fittings, which means you come in for an initial consultation where we pin the alterations, and then you come back at the pick-up appointment with the alterations completed. The bride always wears her dress at the pick-up to ensure she’s happy with everything prior to taking it away.
“Alterations for lace dresses sometimes require one fitting appointment. This is due to the time-consuming work involved with hand-sewing the lace, so we fit the gown first prior to completing it. The pick-up process would work the same.”
How much will the alterations cost?
“Bridal alterations generally cost between $300 and $900, but if you only have straps shortened (for example), it would cost much less than $300. Some alterations can go beyond
$900, and that usually involves remodels, neckline adjustments, along with the usual take-ins and hemming.”
Are there certain fabrics or styles you won’t/can’t work with?
“There hasn’t been any fabric yet that we cannot work with. Some fabrics are more difficult than others, but we always find a way around it. If we think our usual process has to change, we clarify this with our bride to ensure she’s happy for us to continue.”
What if my weight fluctuates?
“That’s not a problem. We work alongside our brides to ensure fittings are scheduled in a timely manner so when it comes to their pick-up appointment, the dress fits perfectly.”
Can you make amendments to the design of my dress?
“Yes, we can! Some brides purchase a dress only because they like the neckline or the bottom half of the dress. So, they come to us to remodel/redesign the aspect they don’t like. This is amazing to carry out because you get to see a whole new dress!”
How much change is too much?
“I’ve never encountered a bride needing ‘too much’ alteration that has impacted the look of her dress. We find out at the initial consultation how the finished dress is going to look and fit, so if we see something that won’t look good, we won’t proceed.”
I’ve bought my dress and just found out I’m pregnant. Is there anything you can do?
“Absolutely! We have a shorter turnaround time for our pregnant brides as we know their bodies will change faster than normal. If we have more time, we schedule multiple fittings so we can pin the dress according to the change.”
Photo provided by Alter Me : alterme.co.nz
Instagram : @alterme_nz
Are you stressed about wedding dress alterations? We chatted with Nazneen, the owner and creative designer of Alter Me, to ask her all about the alterations process.
More than just alterations, Alter Me crafts bespoke bridal gowns. Their industry knowledge and meticulous craftsmanship ensure the perfect fit and flawless finish, whether you’re designing a dream dress from scratch or transforming an existing gown.
“Ideally, you would start your dress alterations 6-8 weeks prior to your wedding date. The turnaround can increase to 8-12 weeks in the busy months, which are from September to February.”
What should I bring to my appointment?
“Important things to bring to your appointment are your dress, veil (if you’ve already purchased one), shoes and any undergarments that you plan on wearing, such as shapewear. At the pick-up appointment, some brides like to bring the jewellery that they plan on wearing to see how the entire “look” looks.”
How many fittings will I need?
“General alterations for plain fabric dresses require no fittings, which means you come in for an initial consultation where we pin the alterations, and then you come back at the pick-up appointment with the alterations completed. The bride always wears her dress at the pick-up to ensure she’s happy with everything prior to taking it away.
“Alterations for lace dresses sometimes require one fitting appointment. This is due to the time-consuming work involved with hand-sewing the lace, so we fit the gown first prior to completing it. The pick-up process would work the same.”
How much will the alterations cost?
“Bridal alterations generally cost between $300 and $900, but if you only have straps shortened (for example), it would cost much less than $300. Some alterations can go beyond
$900, and that usually involves remodels, neckline adjustments, along with the usual take-ins and hemming.”
Are there certain fabrics or styles you won’t/can’t work with?
“There hasn’t been any fabric yet that we cannot work with. Some fabrics are more difficult than others, but we always find a way around it. If we think our usual process has to change, we clarify this with our bride to ensure she’s happy for us to continue.”
What if my weight fluctuates?
“That’s not a problem. We work alongside our brides to ensure fittings are scheduled in a timely manner so when it comes to their pick-up appointment, the dress fits perfectly.”
Can you make amendments to the design of my dress?
“Yes, we can! Some brides purchase a dress only because they like the neckline or the bottom half of the dress. So, they come to us to remodel/redesign the aspect they don’t like. This is amazing to carry out because you get to see a whole new dress!”
How much change is too much?
“I’ve never encountered a bride needing ‘too much’ alteration that has impacted the look of her dress. We find out at the initial consultation how the finished dress is going to look and fit, so if we see something that won’t look good, we won’t proceed.”
I’ve bought my dress and just found out I’m pregnant. Is there anything you can do?
“Absolutely! We have a shorter turnaround time for our pregnant brides as we know their bodies will change faster than normal. If we have more time, we schedule multiple fittings so we can pin the dress according to the change.”
Photo provided by Alter Me : alterme.co.nz
Instagram : @alterme_nz
