My Wedding Dress is Too Small! Can You Make it Bigger?

This problem often occurs when brides order their gowns online because wedding dress sizing is different from casual clothing sizing. Sometimes, the cause is stress binge-eating or figure disproportion.

Regardless of the reason, you have multiple ways to go about the issue. Brides with sewing skills can even opt for DIY wedding dress alterations.

However, be prepared for extra expenses and timeline changes because a wedding dress can’t be altered overnight. Don’t hesitate to consult with your local sewist about the best suitable alteration method for your gown.

How Many Sizes Up Can You Go?

Each body is different, so wedding dresses rarely fit flawlessly right out of the box. Therefore, most gowns need alterations, and going up a size is pretty standard.

Although you can make any wedding dress bigger, it’s usually more complicated than making it smaller.

While a skilled sewist can make a dress smaller by three or more sizes, going up by over two sizes without damaging the construction integrity is often impossible.

Of course, it all depends on the dress’ design. For instance, altering an A-line or empire gown by two sizes is more straightforward than altering a mermaid or trumpet gown.

Furthermore, some wedding dresses are made from extra-delicate fabrics susceptible to damage from sewing machines. Other gowns feature intricate embellishments or corset bodices that limit the alteration freedom.

Altering the Waist

Wedding dress waist alterations are widespread. Most manufacturers strive to accommodate different figures, knowing that women don’t always have perfectly balanced proportions, by leaving a couple of inches of excess fabric for hemming.

Therefore, if you only need to go a size up, a sewist can let out the side or back seams without affecting the dress’ construction. First, inspect your gown from the inner side to ensure there is some excess fabric left.

If you have some sewing experience, you may even do it yourself. However, note that you may have to remove any embellishments along the seams and be extra careful not to rip or stain the fabric.

Some dresses don’t have a sufficient seam allowance to size them up. This method also isn’t suitable if you need to go two or three sizes up. Thankfully, this doesn’t mean that a dress can’t be resized.

A skilled sewist can insert a fabric panel known as a gusset to your dress along the seams. While the process of adding a gusset to a wedding dress isn’t too complex for a professional, finding a matching fabric can be tricky.

Even worse if your wedding dress has embellishments or lace overlay because the sewist will have to try to match the gusset décor to the original; sometimes, it isn’t possible, and the gusset remains apparent.

Another option is to change a zipper to a lace-up corset. This method allows to go up multiple sizes and adds a twist to the dress’ design. Plus, it accommodates brides with frequent weight fluctuations.

A lace-up corset is a stylish and comfortable wedding dress size-up solution, but it’s the most expensive option of the three. Furthermore, some brides don’t like how corset backs look.

If you aren’t fond of corset backs, consult with your sewist about a hidden lace-up corset. Depending on the dress design, a sewist may be able to add a corset to the inner side and conceal it with fabric.

Altering the Hips

A-line, empire, and ball gown wedding dresses typically don’t require hip alterations because the skirt isn’t fitted. Meanwhile, mermaid and trumpet gowns often need to be altered in the hips.

In a sense, sizing up a wedding dress in the hip area is easier than in the waist because there is no corset or closure. However, the sewist may still need to remove embellishments and sew them back when the alterations are complete.

Furthermore, unlike the waist, the hips can only be altered by letting out the seams or inserting a gusset. In the latter case, finding matching fabric, beads, and lace is vital.

Altering the Bust

If the dress is loose in the bust area, you can add bra cups. But what to do if the wedding dress is too tight in the bust?

There’s no need to worry if your dress is small in the upper part – that’s a common and easily solvable problem.

Most wedding dresses are made to accommodate the average bust size, cup B for sizes 8-12 and cup C or D for larger sizes. However, same as with waist or hips, manufacturers often include a seam allowance for larger busts.

Note that letting out bust seams is a bit more complicated than the waist or hips because of the construction. Furthermore, bust alterations can affect the entire bodice fit. Don’t attempt doing it yourself if you’re a beginner.

If the seam allowance is insufficient, a sewist can add a fabric panel to the dress’s back or sides, depending on the dress’s design.

Sometimes, different undergarments can solve the issue without any alterations. For instance, if you’ve been trying on your dress with a push-up bra, consider wearing it without any bra and adding bra cups to the dress instead.

Alterations Budget Planning

Every bride should consider wedding dress alterations cost when planning the bridal look budget because the expenses can be significant. Unfortunately, alterations are necessary for nearly every dress, but the extent varies.

If you only need to go up a size and your wedding dress has sufficient seam allowance, expect to pay $30-$60 per side for letting out the seams. This estimation is for dresses with moderate decorations suitable for machine stitching.

If your dress has intricate embellishments or complex construction that make the process more labor-intensive, budget about $100 per side. So, letting out the waist seams may cost you $60-$200 in total.

The wedding dress alterations price can be even higher if your gown is made from lace or other delicate fabric that requires hand-stitching because the sewist will have to spend more time on the work.

Note that the indicated prices only include one area alteration. If you need to alter two areas, for instance, the waist and hips, multiply the costs by two.

Furthermore, the prices can vary drastically depending on your location. Brides residing in large metropolitan areas usually pay higher rates than brides from small towns because of the higher cost of living.

Many bridal salons offer in-house wedding dress alterations. That’s a great option because in-house sewists have likely worked with your dress model before and know how to handle it.

Some stores make alterations for free, whereas others charge a flat fee. The flat fee may be beneficial if your dress needs significant alterations. But if you only need to alter one area, you may end up paying an unnecessarily high price.

Adding a gusset or changing the dress closure to a lace-up corset always costs more than simple alterations like letting out the seams. Such changes are considered bespoke customizations and are highly labor-intensive.

They may affect the entire dress fit and require even more subsequent alterations, so budget at least $200. Sometimes, wedding dress bespoke customization cost exceeds $700.

If you’re adding a gusset and want the sewist to match the beading to the rest of the dress, expect to pay about $30 per hour of beading work.

Alterations Timeline

Time is a crucial factor to consider when planning your wedding dress alterations. There’s no way to fit in a dress that’s two sizes small a week before the wedding apart from a starvation diet (that’s not a recommendation!).

Therefore, plan your wedding dress fittings in advance. Most brides bring their gowns for alterations about four months before the big day to allow enough time for the most complex work.

Letting out the seams doesn’t usually take much time unless the dress has intricate embellishments or requires hand stitching. Depending on the sewist’s workload, it takes a couple of weeks on average.

On the other hand, adding gussets or changing the zipper to a corset back may take multiple months. Furthermore, such changes may affect how other dress areas fit your body.

Even if the bespoke customization is complete in a few weeks, the sewist may have to make more alterations to fit other dress parts.

The bottom line is that if you have less than a month left before the event and your dress needs significant alterations, sending it back and finding a new one is often a better idea.

Can You Make the Dress Larger Yourself?

Many women have sewing experience and are tempted to opt for DIY wedding dress alterations to save money. This may be a good idea if you have intermediate or higher sewing skills and the dress design isn’t too intricate.

However, it’s easy to overestimate your skills. Wedding dresses require extra-delicate handling and often have complex constructions. Opt for professional alterations if possible to ensure your gown looks flawless on your special day.