Measuring Up for a Successful Wedding
By JENNIFER THOMPSON
Facchianos Bridal & Formal Attire
MEMORABLE DAY: The April 24 wedding of Candace Rothermich and Craig Peltier was beautiful. Facchianos did the custom wedding dress as well as the girls’ bridesmaid dresses
There are lots of things that have come across my desk in regards to the wedding party. Most are problems with the way a bridesmaid dress fits. I cannot say this enough, get measured by a wedding attire professional!
Recently we had an entire wedding party from out of town that ordered dresses; our rule is to get measured at a bridal shop. The reason being, an experienced bridal consultant knows where to measure.
Most girls think the waist is where your pants hit, but those are low-rise pants. The measurement we need for your waist can be found when you bend sideways; where your side bends is your natural waist. Besides that, unless you fit exactly into a manufacturer’s size chart, the dress will need alterations.
This past week we had a mother of the bride call and complain that a dress was way too big. We explained that we just ordered from the measurements we were provided, and to be safe we have to go by the largest measurement from the bust, waist, and hip. This mother then admitted that the bridesmaid did not go to a bridal shop but had her mother measured her! Well, that is where the problem began.
The easy part is that it can be altered in to fit. Most people get annoyed with that but it is out of our hands if we are provided with incorrect measurements. The same holds true for tuxedos. We recently had a gentleman from out of town call and ask us what size he should get. I explained when he goes to a tuxedo store and gets professional measurements, that they would give him his size. He then told me he took his own measurements and he was professional.
I said ok, we will see how that works. Really? I did make a note on his paperwork that if the tux did not fit it was because he took his own measurements. We have that happen all the time and we can fix anything. We are just surprised when they get mad that things don’t fit, like it is our fault. I just remind them that we did not take the measurements, but we will help them get it right. I do have a million stories like that, so I recommend when you are in a wedding, or if you are the bride, make sure all the bridesmaids and groomsmen get professional measurements taken to alleviate any surprises the week of the wedding.
Another situation that has been happening is the pregnant bridesmaid. This one is tricky. If we know the bridesmaid is pregnant it is ok because we sort of have a formula we use to order a dress. If they have ordered the dress already and then become pregnant right after, that is a problem. The dress is already in production so other than ordering a new dress using our formula, the next best thing is to order a matching yard of fabric to add panels to the dress.
Sometimes a person is pregnant and delivering before the wedding and wants to know what size we should order them based on their original size? First I have to find a crystal ball. I have no idea whatsoever, based on my pregnancy; I wasn’t even close to the size I started out before I got pregnant. If I knew the answer to that I would go pick some numbers for the lottery in hopes of winning. I do tell people I am a miracle worker when it comes to weddings but not a psychic. I just order bigger and hope for the best. We have had all sorts of situations and do the best we can under the circumstances we are given.
For my own wedding, I had family members in my wedding party that were planning on getting pregnant during the planning of the event after I already asked them to be in the wedding. They both told me they might be pregnant. I told them that’s ok, but if you are then you’re out. Back then there were no maternity options, I didn’t want any crazy stress over that!
Turns out they both held off and were in the wedding. The best thing you can do for measurements is to have the people in the wedding party get measured by a wedding professional, not a seamstress, their mom, or an aunt that sews. Bridesmaids should also be prepared to have alterations of some sort unless your measurements are perfectly proportioned and fit into that particular designers size chart.
Not all designers’ measurements are the same either, so one company’s size may not be the same as another. Let the bridal consultant help you by measuring and finding the size for you.
We carry all wedding attire and I recommend picking out bridesmaids’ and groomsmen attire at the same Bridal Salon so you can get the entire concept to match. To insure a stress free wedding, take control and given all this new information, make sure your wedding party knows the proper way to be measured to insure a proper fit.
For more information, visit www.facchianos.com.
Updated 07-15-2010
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