My Wedding Dress is Too Big! Can You Make it Smaller?

A poor fit can ruin the look of the most exquisite wedding gown, so neglecting alterations isn’t wise. Meanwhile, a proper fit enhances comfort and boosts confidence.

Although wedding dress alterations can be tricky, no wedding dress couldn’t be made smaller.

However, planning your wedding dress fittings in advance to stick with your budget and timeline is essential. Even the most straightforward dress alterations can’t be done overnight.

How Many Sizes Down Can You Go?

Every gown can be made smaller, but how many sizes can a wedding dress be taken in? Of course, the closer your wedding dress is to your actual size, the better. However, taking in one or two sizes is a standard alteration.

Falling in love with a big wedding dress isn’t uncommon. Depending on the dress’ fabric, design, and your sewist’s skill, even a dress that’s three or more sizes larger than needed can be fitted to your figure.

However, keep in mind that extensive alterations and time and money-consuming. Unless you’re saving a lot of money on a sample sale, finding a different dress in a similar design is usually a better option.

Empire-style and other relaxed-silhouette gowns are the easiest to take in since the voluminous skirt doesn’t have to be altered. On the other hand, taking in a tightly fitting mermaid or trumpet gown is labor-intensive.

The good news is that taking in a dress is always easier than letting it out, so if you have to choose between a smaller and larger size, take the larger one.

Taking In the Waist

Everyone’s body is different, so wedding dresses rarely fit flawlessly. Often, women have to buy a larger dress because their bust, hips, and waist are of different sizes.

If your dress fits in the bust and hip area but is loose at the waist, it can be taken in only in that area. The sewist would have to disassemble the dress’ bodice and sew it back together along new seamlines.

The process is typically straightforward, but dresses with embellishments require more time and skills because the sewist must remove the décor before starting and attach it once the work is complete.

You can opt for DIY wedding dress alterations if you have intermediate sewing skills. First, inspect your dress to determine where the seams are.

Then, try it on and ask someone to pin the excess fabric or mark it with chalk – you may need colored chalk since wedding dresses are usually white! Note that you should pin the dress wearing it inside out.

Once you know where the new seams should be, use a sewing ripper to remove the original seams. Sew the new seams while keeping the dress inside out and cut any excess fabric.

It’s best to leave the excess fabric until you’re done with the work to let out the seams if you accidentally make the dress too tight. Choose your thread carefully to ensure it isn’t visible.

Note that taking in the waist of a fitted dress, like mermaid or trumpet, is more complicated than an A-line or ball gown.

The problem is that wedding dress waist alterations usually affect the bust and hip fit, so you need a higher skill level to do the job correctly.

Be mindful not to affect the dress’ closure. For instance, if the seams are from both sides and you only take in one side, the zipper will move to the side.

A belt may solve the problem if the big day is soon and you don’t have enough time for alterations.

Furthermore, it serves as a stylish accessory. Unfortunately, such no-sew wedding dress alterations aren’t possible with the hip and bust area.

Taking In the Hips

Taking in wedding dress’ hips is not much different from taking in the waist.

It’s usually unnecessary for dresses with flowy, loose-fitting skirts, such as A-line, ball gown, and empire silhouettes, but is often required for fit and flare gowns.

Professional wedding dress alterations are always a better option than DIY alterations since they bring you peace of mind.

However, if your dress has a minimalist design and is made from thick fabric, you can take the hips in yourself.

Try the dress on inside out and ask someone to pin excess fabric. Then, take the dress off, disassemble it using a ripper, sew the pieces back together along the new seamline, and cut extra fabric.

Although the process sounds easy, adequately evaluating your skills is vital. Wedding dresses are extra-delicate and often have complex constructions. Furthermore, some fabrics must be hand-stitched rather than machine-stitched.

Taking In the Bust

Most wedding dresses are made according to a standardized size chart, so size 8-12 gowns usually fit a B cup size, and larger dresses fit cup C or D.

There’s no need to worry if your dress feels loose in the bust area – bust alterations are standard and pretty straightforward. But before you bring your gown to a sewist, make sure that you can’t solve the problem by wearing a different bra.

It’s essential to try on your wedding dress with the undergarments you’ll be wearing on your big day. A push-up bra can magically easily transform a cup A into cup C.

Unlike waist or hip alterations, wedding dress bust alterations don’t always involve taking in the seams. Depending on how loose the dress is and its design, you can insert bra cups instead.

If adding bra cups isn’t an option, the process of taking in the bust seams is the same as that of taking in hip or waist seams. Sometimes, bust alterations require removing the dress sleeves, corset bones, or embellishments.

Alterations Budget Planning

Price often is a vital factor in decision-making. A wedding is costly enough, and dress alterations can come with a hefty price tag. The average wedding dress alterations price exceeds $400, so this point requires prior planning.

Thankfully, taking in the seams is among the most common and straightforward alterations that cost $30-$100 per side. Note that the indicated price is for dresses with standard construction, thick fabric, and moderate decorations.

If your dress is made from delicate natural silk, lace, or other fabrics that must be hand-stitched, the price can skyrocket because your sewist will have to spend more time. The same applies to any embellishments and dresses with intricate construction.

Furthermore, this price only includes one area. So, if you need to adjust the dress in waist and hips, multiply it by two. Inserting bra cups doesn’t usually cost much, ranging from $20 to $40.

Thus, the total cost of taking in the waist, hips, bust, and adding bra cups can exceed $200. These expenses may be unnecessary if you know how to sew.

But if you’re a beginner, risking ruining your dress for the sake of saving money isn’t wise. A professional sewist will ensure your dress looks flawlessly and feels comfortable. Sometimes, waist and bust alterations require changing the dress design.

For instance, if your dress has a corset back but is several sizes larger, the sewist may advise you to replace the corset with a zipper. Such complex alterations are known as bespoke wedding dress customizations and may exceed $150.

Another note is that prices can differ drastically depending on your location and sewist’s experience. Tailors in large metro areas charge more than those from small towns due to the higher cost of living.

Consider asking the bridal salon where you’ve purchased your dress about in-house alterations. They may offer better prices than independent tailors. Plus, they have likely worked with your dress model before and know how to handle it.

Some bridal salons charge a flat fee for all alterations, usually a couple of hundreds of dollars. This may be beneficial if your dress is loose in multiple areas and requires extensive alterations but unnecessary if it only needs minor charges.

Alterations Timeline

Even if your budget is unlimited, the timeline is a crucial point to consider. Taking in the dress may be quick and straightforward or highly labor-intensive, so you should allow enough time for fittings.

As a rule of thumb, schedule your first fitting for three to four months before the wedding. Planning it earlier is usually unnecessary.

Many brides lose weight before the big day, either intentionally or from stress, and you may end up with a dress that’s still too large after all the alterations.

One may argue that basic side hemming takes a day or two, but wedding dress alterations are more complex than casual clothing. Firstly, remember that any design intrications prolong the process.

Secondly, even minor waist alteration may affect the overall dress fit, and your sewist may have to alter other dress parts. Thirdly, each tailor’s workload is different, and the best professionals’ timeline tends to be tightly packed.