Wedding Dress Alterations Surrey
Charmaine Mossman wears a Charlie Brier two piece with fringed skirt. I under took alterations to the waistband size, skirt length and straps on the top.
The Dress Alchemist
- Wedding Dress Alterations
Alterations for size or styling to shop bought or vintage wedding dresses are important to make a dress look like it belongs to you and to give you confidence on your big day. Very few people are a standard dress size so most dresses need adjustment to the bodice, hem length and straps. Changes to the style; adding straps, changing the neckline or adding lace appliqué can transform an off the peg dress into something uniquely special.
I take on a limited number of alterations per month. I am now fully booked until the end of May with some spaces still available after that for late summer weddings.
See FAQ below for an in depth look at how your alterations will be accomplished, or download the same information as a PDF leaflet.
I have worked in bridal alterations for more than 22 years and there is very little I cannot manage. If you are unsure your dress can be altered the way you would like I can offer advice at a free fitting consultation.
Alteration ConsultaTions
At an alteration consult I can check the changes you want are possible and give a quote. I cannot give more than a ball-park price guide by email.
For alterations a pre-consult is optional. Many brides needing just straight forward sizing alterations opt to simply book in without the extra visit. If the changes you need are more than 2 dress sizes down, increasing the size or more complicated style changes, a consultation is advisable.
I take on a limited number of alterations per month.
I am now taking bookings for 2025. I am now fully booked on alteration slots to the end of May with some spaces after that for late summer weddings still available.
Please note I have a £250 minimum charge for bridal alterations. Most sets of wedding dress alterations cost something £300-£600 but if you actually only need one change (like the straps lifted or a bustle button) it might be cheaper to find a less specialist seamstress who can help for a lower charge.
How long do wedding dress alterations take?
I usually accomplish most alteration jobs in 1-2 days sewing, however I normally space your fittings 1-2 weeks apart to allow me to fit your sewing around other work and commitments.
I recommend alteration work is started 3-6 weeks before your wedding day to allow for any weight change. Most good seamstresses will get very busy, especially in the summer months so pre-booking your sewing slot in advance is essential.
Check my availability for sewing slots suitable to your wedding date by submitting an enquiry here.
How many fittings will I need?
Two is usual, one to pin the changes and another to check everything is perfect before you take the dress away. Occasionally a third fitting date is scheduled, if a further tweak is needed. My suggested timeframe of starting 3-6 weeks before your wedding allows plenty of time for fittings.
Booking In
I take a limited number of alteration bookings per month and am usually fully booked 3-4 months in advance, possibly even sooner for busy summer months. Please enquire in good time to avoid disappointment.
A booking-in fee of £80 secures a sewing slot for you in my schedule. This is deductible from your final bill. Weekday fittings are free, evening and weekend appointments are charged at £40 each.
You are welcome to bring your dress in for an early assessment and firm quote, before booking-in. Or you can book your ideal sewing slot without visiting and I will see the dress for the first time at the fitting appointment. I have altered more than a thousand dresses in my time so unless your alterations are very out of the ordinary an early assessment would be for your peace of mind rather than my benefit.
How much do wedding dress alterations cost?
A typical wedding dress alteration cost is £300-£600
I charge £80/h for sewing work. Costs will differ from dress to dress depending on how each dress is constructed. Fuller skirts, multiple layers, lace edges, beading detail or delicate fabrics are all elements likely to increase the cost of your alterations. Very occasionally work might take longer than a seamstress expected at the outset. My breadth of experience at cost estimation means I very rarely have to charge more than my original quote.
Can you give me a quote by email?
No. I only give firm quotes in person. But if you send me pictures of your dress I can let you know if there is anything about your dress style that might take us outside the usual costs outlined below.
I can give a firm cost estimate at a pre-fitting consultation or at your first official fitting as best suits you.
"Everything you did was absolutely perfect & I can't thank you enough! The day went perfectly & thanks to the alterations you did it made me feel super comfortable in the dress, especially having everyone's eyes on you all day"
- Lisa Duffy
Price Guide
All prices are a guide only.
Costs are as individual as each brides’ requirements.
Common Size Alterations:
Take in dress at sides
Bust only £80-£160
Bust and Waist £90-£180
Bust, waist and hip £100-£240
(may include multiple layers of skirt)
Hem length
Front only, tapered into train from sides
Prices from: £80 hemmed layers
£40 cut edge layers (tulle and net)
£160+ lace edge layers
Double the cost for hems all round, taking up the train as well
Bustles
Usually free with other alterations
for simple “button and loop”, over or under bustles.
From £20 if no other work required
or for more complicated bustle arrangements
Other alterations such as reducing bodice cup size, narrowing or shortening sleeves, removing trains etc can be quoted for at a consultation.
Common Style alterations:
Create straps from £80-£220 depending on style and materials required
Create sleeves from £300 + materials
Change back fastening to:
Lace up with eyelets from £120
Lace up with loops and flat lacing from £150
Buttons and loops from £150
Add buttons next to zip from £90
Other style alterations such as adding lace applique or beaded detail, changing the neckline front or back, adding a sash or beaded belt or narrowing a skirt shape can be quoted for at a consultation.
I am
"the dress alchemist"
I have altered more than 2000 wedding dresses during my sewing life and there is very little I cannot manage. If you are unsure whether your dress can be altered the way you would like I am happy to offer advice and help at a consultation appointment.
Ready to book?
"Felicity did some alterations to my wedding dress !! She was so professional and very understanding. She did an amazing Job and couldn't be happier with the outcome of my dress .Lovely person who makes you feel so comfortable !! Definitely would recommend !!! Felicity also altered my bridesmaids dresses including readjusting a dress for my pregnant sister at the time, a wonderful job done !! AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING !!"
-Nseko Salalha
"I’ve had so many people say the dress was amazing, and the best dress they’ve ever seen, so thank you!"
For her wedding day, Katie wanted a feminine and floaty wedding dress in layered tulle and floral lace. And what a dress it turned out to be!
The dress was made from layered silk dupion (one of my favourite fabrics to work with), rose pink tulle and embroidered floral tulle. We choose a wide neckline and the classic princess puff sleeves, decorated with an adorably tiny tulle frill. And the back had gorgeous lace up detailing, along with a big, dramatic bow.
The skirt was cut very full in layers of tulle over silk dupion and it has pockets!
And the final touch, was the embroidered tulle - hand appliqued to create a fade up the body.
This is the kind of wedding dress I love to make. It says so much about Katie - about her whimsy, her love for colour and flowers. You can see that she likes fantasy and romance and history.
Photography: @zaradavisphoto
Venue: @pauntley_court
Stylist/Florist: @laraparnellweddings
#weddingdress #bridgerton #princessweddingdress #bride #plussizebride #weddinggown #pinkweddingdress #bridgertonfashion
It`s giving bridal Sun Goddess 🌞 Just look at that colour!
One of my favourite bespoke wedding dresses to date. I made this opulent bronze gold look for an equally gorgeous bride who wanted something a little different for her wedding day.
My favourite features have got to be the statement bow on the shoulder and the cartridge pleats around the waist. This style of pleating helped add volume to this unbelievable iridescent dupion silk. Cartridge pleating was popular in the first Elizabethan era and always gives a touch of the historical to any garment on which it`s included.
I also included a bustle hook (you can see what the dress looks like up in the last clip), which totally transforms the dress and makes it much easier to move in when it`s time to dance!
This is bride was a dream client - elegant and adventurous, with a touch of the dramatic 😉 drop me a DM if you`ve got wedding dress dreams that you`re dying to bring to life!
#weddingdress #ukbride #bespokeweddingdress #bridetobe
I thought it would be fun to see the differences between various bridal petticoats and hoop skirts. Meet the Aurora wedding dress, she`s one of my favourites, especially because of the excellent dramatic vibes she gives. So she felt like the perfect dress to experiment with.
The Aurora dress already has some layers of netting built into the dress, so she`s already got a bit of volume from the get go. But I wanted to see what difference adding more underlayers would have.
The first addition was a single hoop skirt. Hoop skirts come in all sorts of variations - the single hoop is pretty much what it sounds like. There`s a single hoop at the bottom of the skirt, translating into more width at the bottom of the dress.
Then I took off the hoop skirt, and put on a 5-layer petticoat. This thing is a monster! But adds so much more airy, fluffy volume.
The second hoop skirt I tried was a bell hoop skirt. This one has hoops built in all the way up the skirt, creating more of a...you guessed it...bell shape.
And then finally, for the ultimate princess vibes, I tried both the 5-layer petticoat and the bell hoop skirt together. It`s giving fairy tale bride, for sure. Perfect for twirling in whilst you dance with your prince, princess or princep.
When ordering a dress from me, talking about what kind of silhouette you want is really useful. And I`ve got loads of seamstress secrets to achieve pretty much anything you can imagine!
#weddingdress #dipdyeweddingdress #seamstress #pinkweddingdress #princessweddingdress #balloonsleeves
"I cannot begin to put into words how thankful I am that I found you to make my wedding dress of my dreams. The dress was perfect in every way and the colours looked glorious in the Cornish sunshine. Everyone fell in love with the dress and I even got likened to the Porthleven mermaid! It even stood up to rambling down cliffs. You truly are a genius and I can never thank you enough."
Nicola wanted an elegant and figure-hugging mermaid wedding dress made in pale ivory lace. To add colour to her look, she chose a vibrant yellow, orange, red and purple dip dye skirt.
If you want to see how the dress looked on the day of Nicola`s wedding, have a look at my previous post. I love how the colours of the dress really stand out against the dramatic setting of the Cornish coast.
If you`re also looking for a completely unique wedding dress, then you`ve come to the right place. Starting with your ideas and working together during the entire process, I`ll design and make your dream wedding dress. Drop me and DM and let`s have a chat!
~
Photography - Thomas Frost - @t.frost.photography
Venue - Beacon Crag B&B, Porthleven - @beaconcragweddingvenue
Flowers - Fullers Flowers - @fullersflowers
Hair & Makeup - Amy Needham @amyellenhairandmakeup
My dress has been featured on the @unconventional_wedding blog!
Check out the full article on tips around how to have a personal micro-elopement: https://unconventionalwedding.co.uk/personal-micro-elopement
The post goes through where to book, who to invite and how to keep it personal. And there`s more photos of this gorgeous sunset dip dye wedding dress that I created for bride.
Photography - Thomas Frost - @t.frost.photography
Venue - Beacon Crag B&B, Porthleven - @beaconcragweddingvenue
Flowers - Fullers Flowers - @fullersflowers
Hair & Makeup - Amy Needham @amyellenhairandmakeup
#weddingdress #dipdyeweddingdress #colourfulwedding #colourfulweddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #customweddingdress
"I absolutely loved my full sequin dress and Felicity made it all fit perfectly! Thank you so much!!"
Thank you Olivia 💜
If you`re getting married later this year, or even 2026, and know your dress will need some alterations, get in touch.
My alteration services include:
🪡Taking in dress at the sides
🪡Hem length
🪡Bustles
🪡Changing back fastening
🪡Adding straps
🪡Adding sleeves
🪡Narrowing or shortening sleeves
🪡Reducing bodice cup size
🪡Changing neckline
And a lot more.
You can read more about my alteration services, and book yourself in for a consultation, on my website (link in the bio).
#bridetobe #bride2025 #bride2026 #surreybride #sussexbride #londonbride #bridal #alterations #bespoke #weddingdress
