WHEN SHOULD I SCHEDULE MY FIRST APPOINTMENT?

First you said YES to your perfect partner, now the dress of your dreams has arrived! Next up, you must find the right shoes to wear with your gorgeous dress and then you are ready for alterations! We recommend starting alterations no later than 3-4 months before your ‘wear date.’ Planning to do portraits? Your ‘wear date’ will be your portrait date. Otherwise, your ‘wear date’ is your wedding date. Have a quick turn around? Give us a call!

HOW LONG DO ALTERATIONS TAKE?

The total alterations process generally takes 10-12 weeks, with an average of 3 fittings. Custom alterations and vintage restorations require a longer timeline and more fittings, which will vary based upon the project.

*Please note this timeline is based on BOOKED appointments. You will need to contact for scheduling in advance.*


RUSH options are available for an additional fee. RUSH alterations are any timeline under 10 weeks. RUSH charges START AT $150.

In a rush? Call us so we can talk through the details!

WHAT SHOULD I BRING TO MY APPOINTMENTS?

You should bring the shoes you plan to wear with your gown to every appointment. Also, bring any specific undergarments you have already purchased. If you don’t know what to wear under your gown no worries! Years in the industry have taught us that under garments are hard to find and not easily accessible to brides. We have made it our mission to change this! We are passionate about being able to provide our brides with all of the BEST under garments on the market!

UNDER GARMENTS

In addition to traditional gown corsets and control wear, we have also curated a collection of under garments that pair perfectly with ANY modern bridal gown and modern bride! Illusion top? Backless? Sheer? Plunging Neckline? Don’t worry, we have ALL. THE. THINGS! —and we are always on the look out for new inventive products for our #AFTABrides!

ACCESSORIES

We also encourage you to bring any accessories (veils, earrings, necklace, etc.) you would like to see with your gown at your Final Fitting! Final Fittings are the PERFECT time for a “dress rehearsal” for the Big Day! And we LOVE getting to play dress up with our #AFTABrides!

 

*PLEASE NOTE a change in shoes or undergarments will result in a change in the fit of your gown, so it’s important to remain consistent and use the same ones for each fitting.*

WHO SHOULD I BRING TO MY APPOINTMENTS?

Make sure to bring your ‘decision makers’ to the appointment. Whether it be your mom or your bestie, decision makers are the people whose opinion you value most and who will make you feel like your most confident and beautiful bridal self! If your decision maker is unable to make it to the appointment, we are happy to help you video chat with them, so they can be a part of the experience!

If you would like to bring your whole bride squad we would LOVE to have them, and we have plenty of room to accommodate your group! Please notify us at least 24 hours in advance if you plan to bring more than 2 people, so that we can have space ready and champagne chilled! We recommend your bride tribe come to the final fitting, so they can learn how to do your gown’s bustle (and of course ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over how fab you look!). If they cannot make it to the final fitting do NOT fret! We will happily help film a quick bustle tutorial on your phone you can send to a bridesmaid, mom, or planner!

HOW MUCH DO ALTERATIONS COST?

Check out our Menu of Services here.

 

*please note full payment is due at the first fitting*

DO YOU PRESS THE GOWNS?

ABSOLUTELY!

My dad, Rodney, (AKA Ruth’s husband) has made it his mission to make sure every gown that leaves AFTA is prepped to perfection! Rodney has stocked us with all of the BEST industrial steamers, bust forms, and pressing bags. He meticulously presses every single gown and does a full QUALITY CONTROL check at this stage too. We take this stage of the process very seriously and is why we have one person solely dedicated to it!

FINAL FITTING

At your final fitting the gown will be fully pressed, checked and methodically prepared in bust forms, tissue paper and a temporary bag. The temporary plastic bags are longer than your regular garment bag. This allows for the train to hang freely once pressed instead of being rolled up in the bottom of the other bag. We place the original gown bag over the plastic bag for extra support. Once you have finished your final fitting we repack and touch up any necessary spots while you wait. Then an AFTA Team member will walk your gown to your car and help properly load it up!

 

For any other questions please feel free to give us a call! 214-929-1857

DO YOU SELL UNDER GARMENTS?

HECK YES WE DO!!!

Sorry, we get easily excited about under garments! I have been known to call myself the “Boob Whisperer” and Mom submits requests to potential new under garment vendors every single day! As a rule I will not put anything on the floor that I have not worn personally for at least a few hours. We only want the BEST for our Brides which means giving them the BEST products! We will never recommend something unless we have personally tested it out and made sure it is a worthy product!

In addition to traditional gown corsets and control wear, we have also curated a collection of under garments that pair perfectly with ANY modern bridal gown and modern bride! Illusion top? Backless? Sheer? Plunging Neckline? Don’t worry, we have ALL. THE. THINGS! —and we are always on the look out for new inventive products for our #AFTABrides!

BRA OPTIONS

CONTROL AND PANTY OPTIONS

BENEFITS of shopping for UNDER GARMENTS during Alterations:

  1. You will have your gown with you! Otherwise you are stuck picking pieces in a store or online. How are you going to know if they will work properly with the gown?! We believe every bride should be able to try different pieces and find the ones that suits her and the gown perfectly!
  2. We will be with you the whole time to help guide and properly size you. AND if you aren’t used to using things like sticky boobs for example, we are happy to teach you how to properly adhere and care for them!
  3. You can try ALL. THE. THINGS. Every Bride and Every Gown are unique! We do not believe in cookie cutter under garments. We have intentionally sought out multiple options so you can have a variety of choices! Gone are the days of a “One Size fits all sew in bra cup.”

FOLLOW US for all the info!

@AlteredForTheAltar

WHAT DO I DO WITH MY GOWN AFTER THE WEDDING?

PRESERVE IT!

After the wedding we recommend getting your gown fully cleaned and preserved! GREAT NEWS we offer that service here at AFTA! Preservations start at $450 and go up just depending on whether you need more insurance, etc.

READY TO PRESERVE?!

Give us a call and let us know you are wanting to bring your dress by. We do not require appointments to drop off, but we do like to have all of the paperwork set to go for you as well as have a staff member ready to assist you!

SIZING / ORDERING / WEIGHT LOSS

SIZING/ ORDERING

  • Standard Sizing: Almost all gowns can be safely sized down at least 2 dress sizes.
  • Always order up if you are in between sizes. Even if you are planning on losing weight, it is ALWAYS recommend to size safely.
  • Alteration charges are based on SEAM work, not by inches being taken in.   

PLEASE NOTE: Extreme Resizing (Example: sizing down a sample gown)

can result in more SEAM work.

  • WEIGHT LOSS & ORDERING: always order to the size you currently are, not the anticipated size HAHA! We will work with you if anything needs to be taken in post ordering! In our experience there is nothing sadder than a bride with a beautiful gown, that won’t zip. 
  • WEIGHT LOSS & ALTERATIONS APPT: If you are still “losing weight” please go ahead and reach out to us. We will work with you to create a custom timeline that best suits your needs. It is important to remember that final sizing is not done until the 2nd fitting. If you lose weight after the FIRST fitting that is OK—and common for many #AFTABrides! 
  • SPLIT SIZING: Some designers offer split sizing. Split sizing is when you have the option to order the bodice and skirt in different sizes. This is a GREAT option for girls who are “pear shaped” or a little bustier. This option is used for MAJOR discrepancies (i.e. Bust size 2 and hips size 10) it is not an option you would use for mild size differences. Bridal Salon stylist have been fully trained in this ordering option and will recommend it when it applies/possible! Split Sizing does incur an additional ordering cost, but TRUST US it is well worth it!—We always recommend trusting your stylist with this one!