To lose weight or not?

You may need to ask your seamstress because depending on her work load she would be able to better answer that question

Yes, you could easily lose that much weight by April if you were dedicated with diet & workout routine. I'd talk to your seamstress. My dress fit well when it arrived 6 months out but I lost 15 lbs in that span so at my 1 month out appointment she took it in.

My wedding is March 14th and having my last fitting on February 18th, but if it doesn’t fit she said we have another two weeks leeway to work on the dress. But this is a quiet time for my seamstress so she has the time.


Just be warned....10lbs loss is about one dress size. If you lose too much it may not be possible to size your dress down that much and retain its shape.

You should discuss with your seamstress. 10-20 lbs will definitely impact the way your dress fits. I lost about 8 pounds since getting engaged and while my dress fit perfect when I got it it is now a bit loose, but it allows me a full stomach of food and fits well on days when I'm bloated. I'd rather have my dress be a tiny bit big and allow room for food than be too tight and have me worried about ripping the zipper or a seam or make it difficult for me to sit down comfortably. If I lose any more weight I'll need to get it taken in because it will just be too big.

Have you been trying to lose weight? Is there a reason you didn't try to shed the 10-20 lbs prior to your final dress fitting? You can lose 10 pounds in three months safely, but I feel like trying to drastically alter your routine so close to the wedding isn't perhaps the best decision.

If you are planning to lose more than five pounds, I would consider having another fitting just before the wedding, especially if your dress is a strapless design or some other silhouette that requires a precise fit in order for the structure to work. My dress has straps, so even when it's a little loose in the waist it doesn't fall off me, but a strapless dress would require a more precise fit and losing just an inch or two could really impact whether or not the dress is secure. You don't want to lose the weight and then have a dress that doesn't fit, and if your seamstress is unable to fit last minute alterations into her schedule you could end up in a bind. I'd definitely discuss with your seamstress prior first!

Hi Janine,
I'm hoping to lose weight before my wedding also, my seamstress told me she will schedule my alteration to be done 1 month prior to the day, so make sure your seamstress can fit in your dress for when you need it, also, 10 lbs. equates to 1 dress size, and she may not be able to take in your dress is you lose much more than 10 lbs. my dress is from Stella York, style 6979, if you care to see it, love your opinion!

I think it's a dangerous mentality to try to maintain weight if you are currently overweight. I say this as someone who has been and still is overweight all my life. I use all sorts of excuses to avoid eating healthy.


Losing weight is extremely hard for most people. I don't think you should go out of your way to lose 10 lb in 3 months, but if you purposely try to maintain weight, you may find yourself gaining weight. It's a struggle for me just to maintain.
A seamstress can take up to 2 sizes in. I would not derail a healthy lifestyle just for a dress
Good luck