Wedding Central Forum

Hi ladies,

A few questions regarding the dress ...please copy and paste the questions below and answer them - thanks so much! Very much appreciated!

1. How far in advance was your final fitting?

2. How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go?

3. If your dressed was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding?

4. Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight?

5. Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day?

How far in advance was your final fitting?

2 weeks. They needed that much time to re-attach the lace beading that had to be taken off to bring the seams in.

How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go?

Picked it up the Monday before my Saturday wedding.

If your dressed was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding?

No. I picked it up in the bag that I dropped it off in and left it hanging so it wouldn't crease.

Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight?

Wasn't really an issue for me because the dress was lace-up and would tolerate a small gain or loss (had a small loss but on the day it was fine - better than fine actually because the dress never felt tight!)

Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day?

Again it didn't need it - just hung it up in the spare bedroom for that final week. I had some tiny creases there on the morning but I was too scared to use the iron on it so I didn't worry about it. You couldn't see them really anyway.

1. How far in advance was your final fitting?

I had about 6 fittings in total as my dress was designed and made for me. My final fitting was the Wednesday before my Saturday wedding.

2. How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go?

I picked my dress up on the day before my wedding.

3. If your dressed was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding?

My dress was just in a garment bag, no tissue paper. I tried it on the night before the wedding to give my mum and MOH a practise run as it was corseted with buttons and the bustling was a bit fiddly.

4. Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight?

This didn't apply for me.

5. Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day?

Again, this didn't apply.

Hope this helps

1. My final fitting was last Thursday which was 2 wks before my wedding day.
2. I am going to pick it up next Thursday, so 2 days before the wedding.
3. I have been told by the store not to try it on again once I take it home, just to hang it up inside the bag...it is very delicate and so I was told trying it on again is not a good idea in case it creases or gets dirty
4 and 5 don't apply to me

1. How far in advance was your final fitting?
Tuesday for a Sunday wedding

2. How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go?
Saturday morning (the day before)

3. If your dressed was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding?
No time - yes it was steamed and pressed and in a bag, we effectively took it home for about two hours then went to the hotel.

4. Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight?
Once again no time - the beauty of having my gown made by a local couturist meant a last minute fitting was very feasible. The zip was only put in on the Tuesday for the wedding on Sunday.

5. Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day?
N/a

I love that our weddings are on the same date, you are asking all the questions I have been thinking of

Thanks everyone for your responses!

It seems the majority of you had your last fitting very close to the wedding..and collected the dress the day or so before! This is what I was planning on doing, and wanted to get an idea of what others have done.

The reason I asked was...I have just been informed by my dress designer that she will be away overseas for all of October. My wedding is 3 November. She does not return until late October - date to be confirmed.

So, she has informed me that my final fitting will be around the 25th September (5 weeks before the wedding) and that I need to pick up my dress a few days later - also 5 weeks before wedding. I had been planning on doing it only days before! 5 weeks is far too early!!!

She told me my dress would be pressed, wrapped in tissue paper and to leave it in the bag hung up until the day. I asked her what if I need alterations? 5 weeks is a lot of time..and she assured me I could get alterations done by a lady that she highly recommends and had done bridal alterations for over 20 years. So, I guess I do have a back up if I lose weight & need alterations.....but then how do I get my dress nicely steamed again and ready for the day? Its dupion silk and creases REALLY badly so I want to avoid that if possible.

Thoughts??

Love your dress by the way, just had a look on your s&t and you look gorgeous!!

I would personally try to get the store to keep the gown and have a final check with the designer when she returns, if that is possible. That way they are taking more responsibility rather than getting you to go through someone else. If not, then I would book in an appointment with the other alteration lady as lawwa suggests.

Good luck

Final fitting was 3.5 weeks before the wedding, and I picked up the completed (and steamed) dress the week before. It was in a vinyl dress bag. Tissue paper is used for dress preservation after dry cleaning, so after the wedding.

Hi ladies,

A few questions regarding the dress ...please copy and paste the questions below and answer them - thanks so much! Very much appreciated!

1. How far in advance was your final fitting?

Wedding was on Sat 18th, my last fitting was Tues 8th

2. How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go?

Picked my dress up the Thursday before the wedding on Sat

3. If your dressed was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding?

Mine was in a bag, didn't try it on

4. Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight?

Wasn't really that worried about it - only just over a week between last fitting and wedding

5. Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day?

nope, only had it at home for 2 days before the wedding.

1. How far in advance was your final fitting? 1 and only fitting will be 20th September (1 month exactly before the day)

2. How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go? I will be picking it up on the 20th September

3. If your dressed was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding? Mum is going to take it home with her so i wont be able to try it on till the week before the wedding when i fly home. No idea how it will be packed yet.

4. Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight? To bad if i do! Got Lace up for that reason

5. Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day? Hope not

1. How far in advance was your final fitting?

I had my final fitting 2 weeks out from my wedding but I had lost 2 inches since my previous fitting a week earlier

2. How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go?

I picked it up 3 days before

3. If your dressed was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding?

There was no way even if I had had it home earlier that I could have tried it on I was completely incapable of getting into it by myself. It has hook and eyes the whole way up then a zip then buttons over the top of that

4. Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight?

nope in the three days that i did have it home I managed to lose another 2 inches. ( I was so incredibly stressed all I was eating was hamburgers and chips becaus ei know that I was already losing way too much weight)

5. Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day?

If I had not have picked it up so late most definitely as I said I was not trying to lose weight but I was going through the most stressful month of my career as well as trying to pull a really detailed wedding.

Thanks again for your answers - a big help!

After stewing on this for a few days - I ended up just calling my dress maker up.

I now have same fitting on the 25 September to try on the belt...and now have an additional and final fitting a week later on the 1st October to do the zipper. So I have managed to push the final fitting back to 4 weeks before. I will pick up the dress on the 2nd October.

She told me she would call the alterations lady and give her a heads up that I may need a further fitting a week or two out from the day....and that if I do need her she will ask to ensure the dress is pressed/steamed and all ready to go.

So, whilst it is not ideal that she may not do the final fitting - at least I do have a back up. I was more worried about making sure the dress was steamed and ready to go. She does not think that I will need an additional fitting in the month before...but she does not realise I over think and stress over just about everything

Sounds like you have it all sorted
It's great that you have thought of a backup plan in case you need more alterations... Youre very organised, I'm sure your dress will fit amazing!

1. How far in advance was your final fitting?
1 month

2. How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go?
2 weeks before

3. If your dress was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding?
I haven't got my dress, but I definitely will try it on at home with all the accessories, make absolutely sure knickers don't show etc etc

4. Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight?
I've been told I should be maintaining my weight now so that my measurements don't change.. so just trying to stick to the same diet/exercise regime

5. Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day?
As I said, I haven't actually got my dress but I'd be in trouble if I had to get it altered for a weight change with 2 weeks left!

Just a question about everyone saying their dresses was steamed and pressed.
Im buying mine onine from bridal gown.net, so im expecting it to be a bit creased from the box. But do alteration people steam and press the dress so it is all nice for the big day? Or should i book it into somewhere else like a dry cleaners???
Im the first of my friend to get married so i dont know much

Lawwa wrote:

If you take it to get alterations done then they will usually steam it for you (sometimes at additional cost, sometime free).

So the steaming gets any wrinkles out of the dress?

Lawwa wrote:

It tends to be the preferred technique as there is reduced chance of damaging the dress verses ironing - especially if you have a lot of beadwork etc.

Ahh, thanks very much for clarifying that

1. How far in advance was your final fitting? approx 4 days before the wedding as it was just to see the sash she had added. I'd already tried it on for the hem length, etc.

2. How far in advance did you pick up your dress from shop, completely finished ready to go? I picked it up the day before so I could just drive it down to the venue as we were staying overnight. I had nowhere to put it at home.

3. If your dressed was steamed/pressed and wrapped in tissue paper and in a bag when you collected it....did you try the dress on at home before the wedding? no I just let it out of the bag to settle and spread out the train as veil

4. Once you had your dress at home, did you keep an eye on your measurements to ensure you didn't gain or lose weight? n/a

5. Did you need to get your dress altered again after having it at home? If so, did you take your dress back to be steamed/pressed before your wedding day?n/a

It seems like everyone picked up their dresses really close to the wedding! I was under the impression from the store I bought mine from that I need to pick it up now? Is that not normal? It is a small shop and I need to take it elsewhere for alterations - I don't really know what to do with it in the meantime though?