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OK, we all know that weddings are inexpensive the same way that Heidi Klum is ugly. Or in the same way that Donald Trump is poor. Or in the way that Heidi Montag is a talented, genuine celebrity. In other words, they’re not. I know this; I’ve come to terms with the massive amounts of money being spent on the wedding and while I’m not thrilled about it, there’s not much I can do at this point.
How I feel about wedding planning sometimes!
So why am I in such sticker shock over the price of my dress alterations?
When I bought my lovely, divine, dreamy dress back in June, I knew that there was a lot of work to be done in order for it to fit properly. And while the Kleinfeld’s associate told me her guess on the cost of the alterations, I kind of assumed she was quoting me on the high side since it is a rather posh place (For the record, Kleinfeld’s wouldn’t do the work themselves because they only do alterations for dresses that cost more than $3,000. Yeeeeesh).
I’ve made some inquiries at three different tailors in New York City and let me tell you, alteration prices are bonkers. The first one, Pinpoint Bridal, had a minimum of $375 and gave me a very rough estimate of $600. OUCH!
The next two I called were slightly more reasonable (Ellen’s Couture and Nelson’s) but still really effin’ expensive. It was at this point that I realized that Kleinfeld’s may not have been overestimating at all. Oh crap.
At this point, the extra couple of hundred dollars the alterations are costing me are honestly just a drop in the giant bucket of money I sometimes picture myself shaking out over the top of the Empire State Building. Ah, well, money was made to be spent, right? Or at least, that’s what I tell myself on my self-imposed guilt trips galore. I haven’t decided whether to keep looking for a better-priced tailor or just accept the fact that I’ll be spending a few hundred dollars more than anticipated but time is ticking away and I need to get started with these alterations ASAP. I’ll let you know what I decide and how it goes…
What was your big “sticker shock” item? Did you try to find a more affordable option or just accept it?
Sound equipment. We comparison shopped and found the first quote to be the cheapest. Still incredibly painful writing that deposit, but I guess the dj needs to emit sound..
Ugh that stinks. It’s always something, right? My sticker shock was table linens and the shuttle to take us back to the hotel. (6 miles… minimum $300?? Yuck).
Ummm, why are you calling Bridal salons for your alterations? A seamstress who works out of her home will generally cost much less and be much friendlier. My alterations were the cheapest part of my wedding - only $150. She took out the side seams and added a bustle. Plus, she was the best vendor I dealt with.
Shop around more! And look for seamstresses who don’t work for bridal salons, those places are such a racket!
My alterations cost nearly as much as the dress itself. Fortunately, I’d secured the dress for half my dress budget. I’d still been so happy about coming out under budget - for once. In the end, I decided that if I’d paid that much for the darned dress it better well be the most flattering dress I’d ever worn or been photographed in.
our honeymoon quotes for 2wks in french polynesia just about knocked me over! we booked it anyway but i am still feeling guilty about taking a trip that costs more than my car:( havent got to the alterations yet and now I’m def. not looking forward to them!
I was really surprised at how much our catering quotes were. Every time we would get a “price-per-head” quote, I would try to imagine paying the same amount at a restaurant.. and I couldn’t imagine that! Needless to say, we’re having (very generous) friends and family cater the event.
Uugghhh…alterations. If I’d wanted to get my alterations done where I bought my dress, it would have been $499 no matter how much/little I needed. (I don’t need a lot.) My dress was $700. WTF? Hell no. So I’m taking it elsewhere. My suggestion, find a place that does alterations a la carte, meaning X dollars for a hem, X dollars for a bustle, etc.
Kleinfelds gave me the names and numbers of their alterations people, so I have the option of going to their apartments for a cheaper rate. I could pm you those numbers if you’d like!
I originally bought a sample gown from them, which is why they gave me the numbers. I ended up exchanging it for my pricier Lazaro though, since I have no self control apparently! 
I had my first fitting Saturday and felt the same way, my alterations are almost as much as I paid for the dress! I was shocked, but I’ve worked with this seamstress before and trust her work, so I went ahead with it — ok, I might have grabbed my dress, gone back to my car and called my mom first. But then I went back in and I asked my seamstress to walk me through everything she was going to do so I could try to understand why it was so darn expensive and I felt a little better. In the end we decided it was more important to have someone who I trust do the alterations than someone more affordable and “unknown”.
We are in complete sticker shock over the plane tickets for the honeymoon as well as our flowers. I love flowers but it does seem a shame to have to spend so much money on something that is just going to fade away and die after 48 hours!
WELL, You might all kill me for saying this, but my alterations are free! The dress shop I ordered my dress from does free alterations on everything. All of my bridesmaids get this too!
What was my “sticker shock”? Flowers.. they are WAY over our budget because I am in love with Calla Lilies (which aren’t cheap) but ahh well, they will be gorgeous!
I’m terrified to know how much my alterations will be. That’s why I’m just pretending that it doesn’t exist at present! :p
Yep, I was so totally not willing to pay my shop that much for alterations… it just seems really ridiculous.
So I ended up finding a lady we know that has made wedding dresses. Even if I end up paying her the same amount, I feel better about giving her the money rather than a dress store.
I wish alternations would come free with a dress :)! Haha A girl can dream!
I also got the list of numbers from Kleinfield’s of seamstress they recommend. I called a bunch and they were pretty reasonable… and like everything else in NYC …try seamstresses in the outer-boroughs, they quoted me at least 100 dollars less than the Manhattan ones. PM me if you would like the names and numbers.
DRESS. While it is not expensive at all in terms of the bridal world for me spending over x amount was sickening. I ended up going the preowned dress route and will get my dress this weekend!!
flowers and alterations were a shocker. i actually have a post coming up about my alterations sticker shock. i was pissed.
i didn’t have to get alterations… because i gained weight so now i fit into my dress. i’d rather pay! everything is pretty much sticker shock to me though!
I was shocked at a lot of things — flowers, photography, venue prices (don’t get me started on how much it costs to rent an empty freaking room in NYC, haha)…
Um yeah… alterations were twice what I thought they would be but I also opted for a fancy bustle. It’s totally my fault, though I love every bit about the dress now and the fact that it’s much more snug and comfortable now.
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Mrs. Trail Mix, New York Age and Occupation: 26, PE Teacher Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, MBA Student Engagement Date: March 2009 Wedding Date: June 2010 Venue: Tannery Pond at the Darrow School About Me: I'm a country girl who somehow found herself living in the Big Apple and loving every minute of it. I'm planning a rustic, country-chic wedding in my hometown in upstate New York and it's going to be a Party with a capital P. White wine, flea markets and running keep me happy and my friends, family and fiance are my world. I'm a little bit crafty, a little bit crazy but mostly just crazy in love.
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