My dress alteration was today...Cost ???

Holy shit! Mine is going to be $200! I'm having cups sewn in, the bust taken in a little, they're tacking some of the loose rouching (sp?), fixing some of the loose beading, hemming the dress, hemming the petticoat, adding a heart from my dad's coat to the inside, and cutting the back of my corset so it doesn't peak out. ETA: I forgot this includes a 3 point under bustle

How many layers do you have? Or is it mostly lace? They tend to be more expensive...

250. Bustle, taken in around the waist and bust, and added an elastic band to help hold it up.

When I bought my dress they told me around $200 for getting my straps taken in, and adding a bustle.

Where did you get your dress? Are you getting your dress altered at the bridal shop? I got mine at Kleinfields and they have a flat rate of $800 for any alterations. $800 does seem crazy to me also, but that might be standard for NYC area. Are you getting a lot of alterations?

I bought my dress from DB and that is where I took it for the alterations. It is a little over $400 for them to take it in on the sides, hem the bottom and add a Bustle.

If that quote is from the company you ordered from, take it out of the store, and take it to an independent seamstress, and get a second quote. There are bridal seamstresses everywhere - the women who work for the chain stores and some boutiques all do their own work outside the shop, and by cutting out the store, you'll save $$ because the seamstress doesn't have to share the revenue from the alterations with the store.

I added lace sleeves, hem, bust, and waist alterations for $160 total from a privately-employed seamstress who also works for Alfred Angelo.

In my area, there are several private seamstresses on Yelp who did work originally quoted at $400-600 for $300 or less. Get a second opinion!

ETA: When you take it to someone for a second quote, take a copy of the alterations order with you for reference. Also, make sure either way you get in writing an itemized list of alterations and the price of each - no "ballpark" figures of "Everything for $800"... that's a surefire way to overpay.

I would suggest taking it somewhere else and getting a second opinion

Mine were $275, that sounds like a lot! As some of the others have suggested, I would get a second opinion

Mine was going to cost $300 in store. I went to an independent seamstress....$110.

I feel your pain! My alterations are costing me upwards of $900, but I already know I could have saved a good $200-300 of that had the bridal shop not ordered me such a huge dress! They got me a 10, and I'm a street size 2. We ordered according to the measurements they took, but they must have measured me big because the dress was huge as soon as it arrived, before I even lost any weight. My seamstress (who has nothing to do with the bridal shop) says she sees it a lot from them, which really sucks. I have lots of lace on my dress, which is why it's so labor-intensive. I'm also customizing the skirt (she is literally placing each piece of lace for me from the hips down), shortening the train by a bunch, adding a bustle, cups, shortening the straps...All in all, I think I'm getting a good deal, considering how much I'm having done, but it doesn't make it any less painful!

Mine was $425 and was a three point busel, shorten it and take in 4" at the waist, add a belt and steam it.

Mines are going to be $180. I'm getting the sides and waist taken in, a bustle added and my corset back cut.

I'm paying $105 for alterations. All I'm having done is have the bust taken in and having the dress hemmed. I'm not doing a bustle so I know that helped keep the cost down.

Did you go through the alterations department where you bought your dress? Sometimes, the bridal stores (like DB) increase the cost of alterations. Independent seamstresses usually cost a lot less.

Holy shit! That seems excessive unless the dress is just a really poor fit (as in they have to redo a LOT). Maybe look somewhere else before committing?

Feel your pain...I took mine to a local independent Bridal-only seamstress and am paying out the a$$ for it to the tune of $1285, and that was including a 20% off hems "special", LOL! So, don't always count on those being the more cost-effective way to go. But she's good, like really good, and has been doing this in my area for years and years with nothing but amazing reviews online and by word of mouth...and I refuse to take my wedding dress to any neighborhood seamstress/tailor that also hems everyday pants, etc. I just couldn't do it. I'm having it hemmed a pretty good amount since I'm only 5' (it's a ball gown and there are about 5 layers to hem if I remember correctly), it's being taken in in the back a little bit, so zipper and buttons are being removed and then re-sewn in, extra boning is being added to the bust and bust is being taken in a bit, and a simple bustle is being added. I'll add that the top of my dress is fully, and very intricately, beaded, so I'm sure that plays into the cost as well.

I'm in Brooklyn. Mine are costing $250. I'm having a bustle, taken in at the bust, hemmed and attaching my belt to my dress.

I suggest a 2nd opinion from an independent seamstress. I paid $21, but I got an amazing deal from a lady I use frequently.

Wow! Mine was only $280. I have a lace dress that needed a hem, a bustle, some work to the neck line and the back reworked a bit.

No... They ordered you the wrong size... That's just crazy! Cups and a hem.. $200... I would really look into that!