Worried about my wedding gown...

[LabRatPhD]

I got the call earlier today from Carolina Herrera that my wedding gown has come in! Now I am having some apprehension about the alterations that are going to happen. The sample I tried on was too long on me (obviously made for a 6 ft model) and at 5''3'''' wearing 4 inch heels, the dress is going to have to be taken up about 2 inches or so. When I first tried on the dress, I asked the consultant how the dress would be made to fit my height. I was reassured that it could be done easily by taking off the bottom and basically moving the trumpet portion up. I was unsure of this but my consultant reassured me that the dress would look perfect. I ordered the dress and the next day I called the boutique to confirm that the alterations would not make the dress look odd. The consultant reassured me again that the dress would be fine. I had put it in the back of my mind and now my fears have re-emerged upon hearing the dress has arrived. The problem is I am not scheduled to go to my first fitting until the end of March, since I need to travel 3 hours to get to the boutique and am busy with work the next several weekends.

Is this something I should be concerned about? I am really worried that moving the trumpet portion up will make the dress look strange because the trumpet part will be way above my knees. The trumpet portion itself can''t be shorted due to the appliques. Obviously, I won''t know for sure until the dress is shortened so I am wondering if I should try to go to my first fitting sooner? If there is a problem, I would need to order a different dress. I would be under a time constraint because my wedding is in August.

I know Carolina Herrera is very reputable and would try to rectify the situation if there is a problem, but I worry that the style of the dress may not be lend itself to shortening. Has anyone been able to do this with this kind of silhouette and fabric differences?

Here is a pic of the dress. Thank you for reading my rambling. Maybe I just need reassurance...

 

[lulu]

Couldn''t they just take length off of the bottom? Or do a combination of removing length and lifting the trumpet? Those people can work wonders.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Carolina Herrera is a very reputable designer/maker, one of the best in the industry. I would trust the experts, they''ll make it work.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Are you sure it is cut for someone that is 6'''' tall? I am wearing a designer dress and needed extra length because the dresses are usually meant for someone who is 5''8 - 5''9 (I will be 5''10 to 5''11 with shoes). The samples for the runway are cut for someone super tall, but the normal dresses usually are not. 5''7 (with shoes) seems like a pretty average height, and I would be surprised if it did not work on you.

I would wait until the dress comes in and see how much needs to be done before you start worrying. It just may need an inch or two taken off which won''t be a big deal.

 

[Kellybell]

I agree with everyone else - Carolina Herrera is one of the best in the industry - they will definitely have experience with moving the trumpet portion up while insuring that it looks perfect on you. Trust the experts! Also, I don''t think it would look odd at all for the trumpet portion to be above your knees - it looks like it is placed way above the knees of the model in the photo you attached.

Believe me - anything can be done in alterations. My dress came in with the wrong skirt shape completely (I nearly died with the seamstress told me that I had bought an a-line dress and not a trumpet style. They ended up fixing it and making it perfect.) Also, you want to schedule your fittings as close as possible to your actual wedding date (they wanted me to wait to have my first one (I had three in total) until six weeks before the wedding), so I wouldn''t push up your fitting schedule.

Can you go in before your first fitting just to reassure yourself that everything will be OK?

 

[LabRatPhD]

Thanks everyone!

I know I am probably irrational in my fears about the dress. I guess I am just worried that once my second fitting comes around and the dress is shortened, I will hate how it looks and then it will be too late!

lulu- nothing can be taken from the bottom because there is a multi-ribbon border. That''s what freaked me out a little.

Ltl - I was surprised that the consultant told me that the dress was for a 6 ft model. I had heard that samples are usually designed for 5''7'''' - 5''8'''' heights. The sample I tried on was long on me, even with 4 inch heels.

HH and Kellybell - I am sure the seamstresses will be fantastic - just need a little nudge of reassurance, seeing that the wedding nightmares are starting!

 

[Clairitek]

Date: 2/16/2010 9:01:15 PM
Author: LtlFirecracker
Are you sure it is cut for someone that is 6'' tall? I am wearing a designer dress and needed extra length because the dresses are usually meant for someone who is 5''8 - 5''9 (I will be 5''10 to 5''11 with shoes). The samples for the runway are cut for someone super tall, but the normal dresses usually are not. 5''7 (with shoes) seems like a pretty average height, and I would be surprised if it did not work on you.

I would wait until the dress comes in and see how much needs to be done before you start worrying. It just may need an inch or two taken off which won''t be a big deal.

I know you already addresse this post but I''m with LtlFirecracker on this one. I am 5''8" and a lot of the gowns I tried on in the salon were long on me because they were extra length gowns. However, from what I''ve read and my experience with my own gown is that a fairly standard wedding industry hollow-to-hem length is for a 5''8" woman with no shoes.

I agree with the above poster that it would be best to not worry too much until you try it on with shoes. There are also other things that can be done to move the hem up without destroying the integrity of the gown- like adding a touch more crinoline to the trumpet part. Also, lace appliques don''t always mean that work can''t be done in that area. I had a large lace applique on my gown that had to be removed where my gown was taken in a lot at the hips. I just made sure that my seamstress had experience in wedding gowns and lace. I''m sure the salon will take care of you! The vast majority of brides are much shorter than 6'', even with shoes on.

Good luck and try to enjoy the fitting process. It means you''re getting closer to the wedding!

 

[KatyWI]

Seriously, don''t worry. My dress had a crucially detailed hem, and was WAY too long, but the seamstresses at Pronovias were no joke! I have no idea how they did it, but I didn''t worry about it, because they said it would be fine. And it was!

Carolina Herrera is similarly reputable, and it will be FINE. Seriously. When they tell you the dress will fit, believe them. They will make it happen!