Can I alter my wedding dress to have a longer train? and more alteration questions?

Question

Can I alter my wedding dress to have a longer train? and more alteration questions?

I bought my wedding dress and now that im looking at it I would really like a longer train.. I was wondering if its possible to make a train longer? Also, I was going to change the zipper back to a corset back.. is it possible to take out some of the beading without leaving ugly holes?? (I bought the dress because the shape is very pretty on me and it was pretty cheap :) I still like it, Im just wondering if I can change it into the dress I see in my head....

Answer 1

A Talented seamstress could probably do all of those things without any noticeable marks on the dress after the changes.  Go to your local fabric store and ask some of the sales people if they know any seamstresses they would recommend.  I used to work at a fabric store, and the contacts there are the best recommendations you'll get.

Also, you might not want to take out the zipper on your dress (for fit purposes) but it is very easy to add a lace-up back that covers the zipper.  So you get the look, but you still have the security of the zipper.

Answer 2

You would probably spend more on the alterations then you would just to go and buy another dress with what you want.

My advice would be to either alter the dress you have so that it fits you correctly and leave it at that, or buy another dress.

Good luck

Answer 3

changing that much of the dress can cost more then you probably paid and can cange the dress so much it may not look right.

you can get a detachable train but there is no easy way of making it longer.

to change the back from zip to corset can damage the dress but some would be willing to do it!  

Answer 4

It might be possible to alter your train. You could add on to it's length with additional fabric. If the original train is plain bridal satin, I would use that fabric.  Since the fabric will have a seam where you attached it - and probably won't be just exactly the same shade, you could use a lace overlay on the added section or several bands of lace across the seam-line. If the original fabric is beaded, you will not be able to find additional beaded fabric. I would just use lace covered satin.

I would definitely not mess with the beading. Accept the zippered closure style as it is. No one, and I mean no one, will notice the closure. They will notice the general style and fabric of your dress, your radiant smile, perhaps your veil, but not minute little details like the closure of your dress. Think about it...what do you remember about the wedding dresses of the weddings you attended over the past few years? Would you remember which ones had zippers in the back?

Go for the longer train and congratulate yourself for picking up a great bargain!

Answer 5

you'll probably pay a fortune in alterations to the point that you may as well buy a different dress.  the corset back is do-able, but I dont know with all the beading if they will do it.  as for a train...they are a pain in the butt.  by the end of my wedding I wished I didnt have one at all.  I was carrying it everywhere I went, it got stepped on, dancing sucked with it.  I would be happy with a shorter one.  while they look pretty for pictures after having someone fix it everytime you move, they are worth the hassle.

Answer 6

What you should do is to take the dress to someone who can alter  it. She or he could tell you everything that could be done to the train and the dress.