Weddingbee boards

Miss. Candy Corn posted about dress alterations and got lots of recommendations for Nilah & Co. I called them and the price for alterations would be more than the cost of my off the rack dress :( I'd rather not spend so much. Does anyone else have any recommendations? I'd like to stick with maybe Main Line, West Chester or Drexel Hill area.

Thanks ladies! 

Oh! Sorry - didn't mean to panic you. She really only quoted me between $250 and $350 for average fittings, but frankly, my dress was $300 and I know that the alterations I need done shouldn't be that involved. It would really irritate me to pay just as much to have the boobs pulled in as it cost for the whole dress Really, when I think about it, I'll probably be on the lower end of the scale, so I may go with her anyway. I don't need hemming, just a bustle and very slight taking in. My dress is pretty basic.

I got married 6/7/8 and used Nilah for my alterations. Total was $380 for cleaning antique veil + sewing comb ($50), letting out seam allowances and re-beading top, bustle (2-layer french at $10 per point or $120),and hemming (easy job w/o a lace border or anything like that).

To be honest, I wasn't pleased with the end result. While Nilah herself has a great eye and is good at "fixing" dresses stylistically, the quality of her workroom was not up to my expectations. On my second fitting (1 week before wedding), I was disappointed to discover they had taken in the top by adding badly positioned darts that gave me cone boobs rather than taking it in at the princess seams. I saw Nilah pin the darts, but I thought she was just measuring how much needed to be taken in at the seams--instead, these darts were sewn in place as is.  To correct the problem, I requested the extra material be taken in on the seam allowance was well as hemming the crinoline so I would not trip on it.

When I picked up my dress the day before my wedding, Nilah had fixed the "boobage" problem. But she did not hem my crinoline as I asked (and she had me try on the dress in a carpeted room so I didn't notice this had not been done) and the beading at the top STARTED COMING OFF BEFORE I EVEN LEFT HER SHOP. At this point, I "let go" and just took the dress as is. I lost a good 6-8" of beadwork by the time the reception was over.

At the reception, I did trip on my crinoline (and rip it). Also, my bustle was too long by 2-3" on the sides. While all the rings held, it was too long to dance in (and Nilah was aware that I needed "waltz length"). My wedding coordinator had to put in 2 more bustle points using safety pins just so I could do my first dance.

I did price another seamstress recommended in Delaware but she was even more expensive than Nilah.

Hi Miss Candycorn,

Second fitting was so late because of a miscommunication between us. I travel a lot, and I was going to be out of town. I thought I told Nilah when I would be back so she would know when to have my dress ready. She thought I would call her when I got home from my trip.

I don't hold Nilah responsible for the lateness of my dress fittings at all. It was my mistake to wait so late. I would have them fix the beading if I had more time. I live 45-minutes drive from Nilah, and I simply couldn't wait for her to fix it or make a return visit.

I'm sure if you are more proactive than I was, you will not have a problem with lateness. Just examine the quality of the work before you take the dress home.

Miss Ruffles

Wow thanks so much for the feedback Miss Ruffles. I will definitely be careful when I pick someone