What If My Weight Changes Between Now and the Wedding?
A seamstresses guide to stress free fittings and alteration planning.
A common question is, “How far out from my wedding should I organise my dress fitting?”
And the answer from other brides is usually – ask your seamstress. The answer from me is – ask your seamstress. At Rachel’s Custom Sewing we like starting a dress 8-12 weeks before the big day, however if your wedding is further away than that we can prebook , you, your dress and your wedding date and then begin 12 weeks out, or when your dress arrives if that’s later.
Then the common question once booked in is, “But what if I lose weight after seeing you, will it still fit?”
Therefore if weight loss is part of the plan, we begin with the first fitting to ascertain what will need doing, plan for it, set aside time for it, and hit PAUSE until closer to the date.
Let’s say you need it taken in two sizes through the zip and the hem taken up, we will prep the zip (unpick it and resew it in the new spot, but only just enough for a fitting. We don’t sew the lining back or finish off the end or add the buttons back on) ready for your fitting so half the work is done.
This is why I still like to see you at the 12 week mark, because we can get a head start on the work, usually at least a third, before we need to see you to perfect the size.
We often have a few dresses hanging on our racks, half done, waiting for the perfect date to get you back in to try on the dress again. In fact it happens so frequently we even ordered custom made stickers of a pause emoji ⏸ to put on the garment dockets. (This way I don’t freak out when I check over the rack and don’t remember working on your dress for some time!)
Let me step you through a couple of example time lines.
If you’ve had weight loss surgery, health issues or similar:
12 weeks prior: First fitting. Ascertain what needs to happen, do the full invoice and notes, make note of what to do now, and what to hold off on
3-4 weeks prior: Second fitting, see how much of a difference there is between what we marked at the first fitting and now. I will also take measurements so we can calculate how much extra to take it in pre-empting extra weight loss.
If there isn’t much of a change then we can proceed with finishing the alterations
If there is a change, then we will do yet another fitting 2-3 weeks prior
1day – 1 week prior: pick up
This is only if you’re comfortable with a tight time frame and value the closest fit possible! I personally get nervous as it doesn’t leave much wriggle room for follow up alterations, but every time the bride has requested a day before pick up it’s gone perfectly. I will add, that we only do this tight a timeline is if there have been multiple fittings, so you know that I can be trusted on the earlier time lines, and that the result is what you would like!
If you are exercising, weight training, cutting, or just generally think you may lose weight, but have some control over when you will stop.
12 weeks prior: First fitting. Ascertain what needs to happen, do the full invoice and notes, make note of what to do now, and what to hold off on
3-4 weeks prior: Second fitting, see how much of a difference there is between what we marked at the first fitting and now. I will also take measurements so we can calculate how much extra to take it in pre-empting extra weight loss. If there is a huge change we will then have an extra follow up fitting a week later, if it’s not much we can just decide together whether to take it in a smidge more pre-empting the perfect fit for the special day.
1-2 weeks prior: Pick up fitting.
Why we still get you in 8-12 weeks before the big day?
You will find this is a fairly standard time frame for seamstresses, and the reason isn’t simply that it takes us weeks to sew, so if there are changes you shouldn’t come in, it’s more naunced than that.
Coming in months before your day gives us time to
Calculate how many brides we can alter per wedding date
Source lace or matching fabrics
sometimes it takes 4 different suppliers to find the perfect fabric, and sometimes these come from overseas
Schedule multiple fittings
we alter many dresses concurrently and need to fit everyone’s fittings in. Coming in early means we can space these out comfortably.
Plan out our days to ensure you can pick it up a cool, stress free 1-2 weeks before your wedding.
This gives us time to pre-steam your dress
Add any finishing touches.
Have a few days up our sleeve on the offchance that it’s not perfectly perfect at your pick up fitting.
Once you see me, stop trying to lose weight.
We can hold off on alterations until closer to the date, however this is an exception to the rule. Ideally your weight would stay stable once you’ve purchased your dress. Because I alter it to fit the beautiful you perfectly. Regardless of your size. Confidence is what matters!
Take no heed to your mother saying you just need to lose a couple of kilos. If they ever say that in the fitting room, I usually say something about, “No, it’s the dress that’s wrong and that’s what I’m here for.”
This is your day.
We are here to support you, your dress, your vision, your stress. Communication is key and we are reachable by phone, text, DM or email any time you have a question or want a check in. Because our goal is to make this the easiest part of your wedding planning journey!
Ready to secure your spot?
If your wedding is more than 3 months away you can pre-book your alterations. Even if you don’t have your dress yet, we have had brides book anywhere from 4 months up to 18 months away. From there we can stay in communication and organise that first fitting without you having to remember to reach out. Click Here
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