When you elope, you should certainly still get the dress of your dreams! This is a great way to add style and luxury to your elopement wedding. Because choosing to elope can mean that you have less time to plan, make sure that you find and purchase your dress early and be sure to ask these questions!

How long will alterations take?

When it comes to the wedding dress, we need to have enough time ahead of the elopement wedding to make sure the dress fits the right way. It is best to ask at the first dress fitting how long your dress alterations may take, and get an estimate. This will help eliminate the chances and possibilities of things delays. It is always better to have more time, than to rush the dress alteration process!

How many fittings should you have?

We recommend and advise that that you have a fitting and alteration dress schedule where you have multiple meetings with your tailor/ seamstress. By staying up to date on your fittings and tailoring appointments, you lessen the chance of having to have your dress rushed before your elopement wedding day. Because you may have a shorter amount of time to get the dress, try to schedule your first fitting for as early as possible and see if you can get the alterations taken care of in one or two fittings.

Will there be any unexpected costs?

Some seamstresses will be able to give you an amount for how much the alteration cost up front, and some may only be able to give an estimate. We advise that you pick the important things you want to get altered first, and then later, if you have time and money to get the less important things altered. It is a smart idea to always have an extra cushion of money in case things do cost more, or if you want another part of the dress altered that you didn’t think you would want altered before. 

Do they have steaming services?

It is a good idea to ask if the wedding bridal shop or tailoring service has a steaming service for the day of the wedding. You may be able to save money on steaming the dress at the bridal shop that you bought the dress, and get a discount. If you are have chosen to elope to a destination, you can check local bridal boutiques at your destination to see if they will steam your dress.

What’s the coverage if the dress gets damaged?

Sometimes mistakes are made throughout the elopement wedding dress alteration process, and it is important to know what to do in these situations. Make sure you know what insurance you have on your dress, and how to fix your dress if your dress gets damaged. 

What should you wear to fittings?

When going to your wedding dress fittings, it is essential to bring your wedding shoes and correct undergarments. You will want your shoes so that you know where your dress hem should end, and you should bring the correct undergarments so you know how the dress will fit properly on the day of the wedding. We also advise that you check in with the bridal shop to see if they recommend you bringing anything to the fitting. 

How should you preserve your dress?

Be sure to ask the bridal shop or tailor for tips and tricks on how to best preserve your elopement wedding dress, to keep it nice and clean before your big day. These tips and tricks will also be essential for caring and preserving your dress after the big day is over. Check in with your bridal shop or tailoring service because they may even offer  preservation services for your dress.