What to Expect at Your First Bridal Fitting

The Best Timing

Most fittings are booked six to eight weeks before the wedding, once the dress has been delivered and checked. That leaves room for the changes, and for a second and third appointment. If your dress is made to measure, the first fitting is often a trial on a sample, so ask your salon what stage you are at.

What to Bring

• The shoes — heel height changes the hem completely. Bring the pair you will actually wear, or ones of the same height.
• The right underpinnings — seamless, skin-toned underwear and the bra or shapewear you plan to wear on the day. A dress can fit differently over the wrong foundation.
• Your veil and accessories — even if they are not final, they help you judge the whole silhouette.
• A hair reference — pull your hair up or bring a photo of the style you want. A neckline reads differently with the different hairstyles.
• One or two people you trust — not six. A crowd of opinions blurs your own.

What Actually Happens

The seamstress first checks the dress for flaws, then helps you into it and pins it to your body. Expect to stand still for a while, with your arms out and a mirror in front of you. She will assess the bust, waist and hips, the length of the hem, the straps or sleeves, and how the dress moves as you turn. Pins, clips and chalk marks are normal.

The Alterations

Most dresses need some adjustment, and it does not mean something went wrong. The usual list includes — hemming to your shoe height, taking in or letting out the waist and bodice, adjusting straps or sleeves, securing the bust and back so nothing shifts, adding a bustle, the system of loops or buttons that lifts a train for the party.

Test the Dress Like You Will Live In It

Before you leave, move. Sit down, raise your arms, bend a little, turn, walk across the room, and try a few dance steps. A beautiful dress that you cannot breathe or hug in is not okay. Say so now, while it is easy to fix.

Questions Worth Asking

Before you leave, get the practical details settled. Ask how many fittings are included in the price and when the final one will be, so you know exactly how much time you have. Request the total cost of the alterations up front to avoid surprises later. Find out when the dress will be ready to collect, and who will steam it. And if there is a bustle, ask for a quick demonstration.

Talk About the Future You

Your body changes a little between now and the wedding, through stress, training, or simply the calendar. Tell your seamstress honestly if you expect any change. A good one will leave a small margin in the seams rather than cut it close.

Mind the Mood

It is normal to feel emotional, or oddly flat. You may also be thinking the dress looks different from the photos. Under pins and half-finished, almost every dress does. Judge it at the final fitting, when it fits like it was made for you, because by then it will have been.