2016 and beyond wedding moms and dads (Part 2)

Alterations can go down 1-3 sizes depending on whether there are any embellishments that could make alterations tricky. Going up in sizes is much harder!

I really like the navy dress and hope the zipper can be taken out making it an open back dress… I think the neck can be secured with some ties. I did this with one of my A+O dresses. Asked the seamstress if anything can be done to make the dress work, and she shortened the zipper and made the back more open!

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I’m not a fan of the shorter dress. IMO, halter neck is the way to go!

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That is probably what I will do. Wedding is in 10 months so I do have time! My friend said that I should probably have to have the dress to the seamstress by January if I want it in time, because I’ll also be running into prom season in April.

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Could a seamstress put an insert in the navy dress? Fill the gap in the back with materialor lace to match?

Dry Cleaners sometimes know of a person who does alterations. I also had my dress altered, first time ever, I was clueless but the dress fits so well now!! It really made all the difference. Good luck! You’ll be beautiful!

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The tailor who did my daughter’s wedding dress was a miracle worker. Pin, tuck, tuck tuck and it was perfect. She’s been in the same place for more than 30 years as my kids went to day care near there and the sign’s been there, well, 30 years!

When I first saw the dress on daughter I didn’t think it needed much, but she made it look so good. She was pinning a suit on a woman while we waited and I couldn’t believe what she did in just a few minutes. She could easily make this a V back dress, probably sewing a decorative connector between the two sides.

She also did my SIL’s tux with only about 3 weeks notice.

She’s in SE Denver if you want the info (Yale and Colo Blvd.)

I will warn you she’s not cheap, but she did do a hem on a long dress to make it a short dress (skater style) for $65 which I thought was good because those are hard to do and get even. All three items (wedding dress, tux, rehearsal (skater) dress) looked great.

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Thank you for the recommendation. We’re off wedding dress shopping with D2 on Saturday and given the restrictions she’s placed on her budget I think alterations will be likely!

You look great in the dress that shows your shoulders! With that much time I’d definitely send them back and keep looking. Maybe go to some stores when you visit the kids (bc I know there are lots of stores near them), and try on some different options/get a sense of different designers.
One idea that could help with alterations. I think if you have a Nordstrom credit card you get $200 free alterations a year. They also have some great sales.

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I agree that a sheer or lace insert would be nice if you don’t want that much back showing.

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Or a nude colored insert, like how figure skaters outfits are.

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I was thinking on the navy dress that a criss cross of lacy strips might look good, including one across the top connecting the top edges, perhaps with hooks. There are several tutorials online about adding a corset back to a dress that won’t zip up.

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I would contact the store and tell them your dilemma and see if you can have longer to work it out about possible alteration of the ‘right one’. Surely, they can give you more time!

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Honestly it is best to find a seamstress to guide you with the dresses you have in hand - if one of the dresses you have can be worked with - or it she recommends getting a bigger size and taking it down where it needs to go down. An experienced seamstress can guide you on this.

Then, once it is done, it is done! No need to be closer to the deadline. Enough to handle with other things.

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When I picked up my dress, the seamstress was giving me directions on how to tell if it was sufficiently altered (she took up the shoulders and took in the waist,basically). I said “I am sure it is fine” and she huffs “Fine is not good enough for mother of the groom. You spent lots of money so we need fabulous, not fine”

My dress was done months ago. I am a second-guesser, so I wanted that over with! My DiL found my shoes, so I am good to go!

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I had a choice between 2 sizes as mother of the groom. One I’d have to always be concerned about how much I ate to not have a stomach show and the other was just slightly larger and no worries about if I ate a nice meal at the wedding. I went with the larger size so I could just enjoy my time and not obsess.

I felt much more relaxed after I had my dress, we got D hers and get H’s from Nordstrom.

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Update here. I’m pretty disappointed with the Azazie at the moment. After I get this stupid box returned (more about that later), I’m going to try some stores in the big city, whenever I get a chance.

So I contacted their customer service about my sizing issue and attached the pictures, hoping someone would have some suggestion similar to what ya’ll told me, or even something like “Yes. people who have had this issue have done X or Y.” Instead, I got a canned response and a link to their sizing guide. I responded that I had hoped for a more personalized response. Got back a “give me your measurements.” Uh ok… According to their size chart, I’m a 14-4-4, but with a B cup bra. I’m no Dolly Parton. All I got back was to try a size 14, possibly a 12. Well gee. I could have guessed that.

So now I need to return the stupid thing by Saturday. What I thought was the return label was not. It has a QR code to start the process. I start and have to click through a bunch of links. After a few, I just got an error message. Great. Try it at work. OK… I seem to have been successful, but you must return it to a UPS location that accepts Happy Returns if such a location is within 50 miles. It says the closest ones to me are 34 miles - maybe if I’m a crow. It takes an hour each way to get there. And I don’t even have a label, just something to put in my Apple Wallet and do what with it when I get to UPS, I have no idea. I assume they will know. I guess we are lucky we are driving by there tomorrow evening on the way out of town, but I will be also cutting it close to closing time since I do still work 8-5!

I am not impressed.

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Oh geez. Hope the return works out for you! Can you call the UPS store and confirm that they accept such returns?

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That’s a thought. I sent another message to their customer service, asking what to do with this apple wallet thing, and expressing my displeasure at having to drive two hours (round trip) to return something.

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Happy Returns is just like an Amazon return. Just show the QR code and you are all done! The UPS store will label and ship for you.

All the UPS stores by me take Happy Returns, so hopefully the once closes to you does also. When I last did 2 Happy Returns, I received an email while still in the UPS store that my return was accepted. Credit was showing on my Visa within moments.

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Our local UPS store closed a year or so ago. I hate UPS now. Not that they were convenient or amazing when they were here, but at least we had one!

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Do you have a Staples or Ulta beauty? Think they do happy returns too, sorry it’s so difficult!

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