How I feel about wedding planning sometimes!
I've made some inquiries at three different tailors in New York City and let me tell you, alteration prices are bonkers. The first one, Pinpoint Bridal, had a minimum of $375 and gave me a very rough estimate of $600. OUCH!
The next two I called were slightly more reasonable (Ellen's Couture and Nelson's) but still really effin' expensive. It was at this point that I realized that Kleinfeld's may not have been overestimating at all. Oh crap.
At this point, the extra couple of hundred dollars the alterations are costing me are honestly just a drop in the giant bucket of money I sometimes picture myself shaking out over the top of the Empire State Building. Ah, well, money was made to be spent, right? Or at least, that's what I tell myself on my self-imposed guilt trips galore. I haven't decided whether to keep looking for a better-priced tailor or just accept the fact that I'll be spending a few hundred dollars more than anticipated but time is ticking away and I need to get started with these alterations ASAP. I'll let you know what I decide and how it goes...
What was your big "sticker shock" item? Did you try to find a more affordable option or just accept it?
Everything wedding is so expensive! My friend told the tailor her dress was a prom dress so she wouldn't get charged as much. I had sticker shock over the venue food and beverage minimum (which doesn't include tax or service charge). I ended up changing my wedding date to the off season when the food and beverage minimum are waived.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I found out about the cost of alterations years ago. However, I would suggest you try to find a personal seamstress via sites like theknot.com or projectwedding.com etc. I found a woman who works out of her home and is now the go-to woman whenever we need alterations of any kind. She is super sweet and way cheaper than most places I called. She estimates for most brides that your alterations will be approximately $250 total depending on the length and amount of work. That is the high end for me as I barely need anything done to my gown :)
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest sticker shock item was the cost of flowers. I have since learned they are the most expensive of all the vendors you will book.