Bridal Alterations

Updated Covid Details:

Due to the smaller space and need to physically be close for pinning and fitting, we ask the bride to come alone (no guests) and wear a mask through the fitting.

Before your First Fitting

Please send us an email including your: NAME / EMAIL / PHONE / WEDDING DATE / DESTINATION (if outside of Flagstaff) / DEPARTURE DATE / WHERE YOU PURCHASED YOUR DRESS / DESIGNER BRAND / PHOTO OF DRESS (if you have a photo of you in the dress, or a stock photo is fine). ALL of this information is important for Lynne and the staff to get started and/or review if we will move forward with alterations. 

Fittings by Appointment Only

Appointments for your first fitting are available Wednesday 10-11am and Saturday 9am-11am. If these times do not work for you, please send us an email with your availability and we will let you know if we can work within your schedule. Please make sure to be on time for your appointment, as we have appointments back-to-back and want to make sure we get full use of the 30 minutes.

At your first fitting, we will go step-by-step in how we can alter the dress to your liking. Please make sure you bring your shoes and any undergarments you wish to try on with your dress. If cups are a necessity, either purchase or have the designer provide pads that work best with your dress design. We will pin your dress in preparation for the first round of alterations that will be sewn by the date of your second fitting. This is where the majority of alterations take place. Subsequent fittings are scheduled as needed to fine tune the main alteration points.

We prefer to have your first fitting about  6-8 weeks minimum before the date you will need to pick it up. Please keep in mind that cleaning and shipping should be taken into account when setting the time frame for alterations. We can accommodate a lesser time frame and will always deliver quality service in a timely manner. Shorter time frames will cost more. 

Rescheduling

If at any point you need to reschedule an appointment, please call at least 24 hours in advance.

Second Fitting

During the second fitting we will try on the dress to make sure that everything was fitted perfectly for you. Generally, additional fine tuning will be necessary and at this point we will determine if we need to schedule one more fitting or schedule the dress pick-up. If other changes are needed, we are more than willing to accommodate you by arranging any subsequent fittings. The earlier we see you for your first fitting, the more time we will have for any last minute alterations you might want. The gain and loss of weight (5 to 10 pounds) from this point until your wedding date can be easily addressed in second and third fittings once the base of the dress has been fit to your figure. These alterations then are simply fine tuning of the dress for the best fit closer to the date. If you have any weight fluctuations or change your mind about any of our alterations after our initial meeting and contract, you will be billed accordingly for any additional time (in sewing and fittings) that is added to the original estimate.

Pick-up Date

While some brides do arrange to have their bridal boutiques pick up their dresses for shipment, other brides may choose to have us press their dress and arrange a pick-up time. Pick-up occurs after all alterations have been approved. If you choose to have your dress pressed here, we will show and discuss with you how to care for your dress from the moment you pick it up, until the moment you change into it on your wedding day. We will provide a list of tips on how to care for your dress, and answer any and all questions you might have.

Estimates and Pricing

At Wee Scotty we've found that the most accurate way to bill for bridal alterations is based on the amount of time we spend sewing and servicing. If you come to a first fitting and decide not to have any sewing done, we do have a consultation fee of $125. Sewing is billed at $95 an hour down to every 15 minute interval.

Due to the difference in complexity between many various styles of the dresses we alter, our pricing has ranged greatly depending on the dress itself and changes made. Our average price (after over 20 years of great service), with full run of most bridal alterations (this includes bodice alterations, bustling and hemming), ranges between $750 to $950, plus tax. Sewing time alone is (on average) 8-10 hours for each dress and 3 fittings meets average needs; sometimes more, sometimes less. If the dress arrives later than 6-8 weeks window, we charge a minimum of $1250 at start and $145 an hour for anytime that clocks in at overtime to complete your dress. 

 After pinning your dress at the first fitting, Lynne will give you a more specific estimate based on the complexity of the alterations. Please keep in mind that the more we change, the more sewing will likely be necessary. Changes that involve hand sewing (moving/replacing beading and other embellishments), and/or complex bodice structure, many layers of tulle, are the sorts of factors that tend to be more costly. Please figure we will spend more than a days work, 12 to 15 hours sewing, fitting and servicing on most dresses.  There are the few dresses that fall outside of this range, some less and some more.

Less than Eight weeks booking, pregnancy, late refit and design requests can be an additional 10% increase from regular hourly charges.   

Pressing Services

We do also provide pressing services on site in order to accommodate local weddings. If you have had your dress altered with us, we will have our experts press your dress at the discounted rate of $95. If we have not worked on your dress, we offer pressing services starting at $325.

Refund policy 

No refunds. We stand by our 20+ years of couture experience and expertise. During our first meeting, the dress and process is reviewed one-on-one and the contract is signed. We still charge a $125 first fitting/consultation fee, even if we don’t move forward with dress alterations.