Your Order Arrived! What's Next?
This is not a drill!! [ Insert Happy Dance ]
Grab your calendar – everything you need to know to schedule day or night is linked below!
Next Steps?
Schedule your “First Alterations Fitting” OR schedule your “Dress Try On + Take Home Appointment”.
See FAQ below for more information on Storage Fee’s for non responsive brides when no appointment is scheduled within 14 days of receiving this email. (^ This is for non responsive brides. For responsive brides, you have an appointment scheduled which tells us when you are coming in for next steps!)
Text Sue at 573-454-1160 if you have questions or schedule online using the helpful links.
^ This Button Link takes you to our Alteration Calendar!
^ This Button Link takes you to our Alteration Welcome Page!
^ If you are still losing inches, watch this video to help you plan alterations!
^ If You Cannot Decide to Start Alterations or Take Your Dress Home, this button link is for you!
^ Not quite ready for alterations? Try your dress on and take it home by using this link.
In Depth Resources to "Customer Pick Up" Questions:
We offer in-house alterations at Ava’s or you can take your dress to another fabulous tailor you trust!
A. Formalwear must be tailored to achieve a sculpted fit, tailored length, and personalized bustle.
We offer expert alterations on site in-house as an additional service for brides.
Share this video with your person picking up your order: {Click Here}
If any items are believed to be missing, issues are resolved prior checkout.
When your order arrives, immediately:
A. Try your wedding dress on.
B. Ensure questions are answered in person prior to leaving.
Lost, Missing or Damaged Items:
C. Customer assumes responsibility for any lost, missing or damaged items thereafter.
D. “I have inspected my order and happy with it’s condition.”
Avoid these issues by carefully using garment bag zipper:
Take it slow | hold the zipper as shown – there will be no issues after watching this tutorial!
B. Wedding dress should not be stored with plastic liner. Breathable fabric bag is best for fabric and wrinkles.
Common Veil Damage with Garment Bag Zipper:
A. Place clear plastic liner back onto veil prior to packing up garment bag.
B. Ripping a hole in delicate fabrics such as tulle or veils. This can be repaired for a small fee, but a seam may be visible during a veil repair depending on the location of the damage.
C. Wedding dress should not be stored with plastic liner. Breathable fabric bag is best for fabric and wrinkles.
Be Careful with Lipstick and Make Up:
A. Close lips together when removing dress from garment bag to fabric touching your lips.
B. It’s smart to wear make up in your dress fittings. Look and feel confident in your try on appointments/pictures. Don’t be afraid to wear makeup and lipstick.
C. Finger prints are the MAIN source of make up stains. If you have make up on your hands, this will transfer to your wedding dress. Make up transfers easily on the dress when adjusting the dress on the body, zipping, etc.
If that means you feel confident wearing NO make up or FULL make up, these tips will help you avoid an oops. I welcome any opportunity to boost your self confidence and body image – however you see fit!
It is better to plan to need alterations than to be disappointed. With formalwear, always assume alterations will be needed to achieve a sculpted fit.
Why is This?
1. Many of us are between sizes. Sizing up to fit our critical measurement will leave other areas needing alterations.
2. Formalwear is not stretchy like street clothes. Alterations tailor the size chosen to your body.
3. Your hem is standard length for the average height and will be tailored to your height.
4. Designers like Maggie Sottero, Allure, Essense of Australia, Mori Lee, Watters, etc are manufactured according to each manufacturer’s size chart. Your measurements are compared to the size chart to select a size. Dresses are not made to your measurements. Dresses are made to the size chosen from the chart.
Do:
A. Use the practicality of your hanger ribbons to carry the weight of the dress.
B. Protect delicate fabrics from damage, stretch, or warping.
C. Double or triple wrap ribbons when hanging to lift dress up higher from the floor & prevent slipping off the hanger during travel.
Don’t:
A. Rather than cut the ribbons off if they are an issue at sides, safety pin them down to lay where you want them to lay. This allows you to not think about adjusting them on wedding day AND being able to use the ribbons when needed on a hanger.
A. Lace, illusion, tulle, chiffon, organza – all of these fabrics are delicate and cannot handle pressure like durable fabrics can.
B. “Lettuce the Lace” – Once the lace lettuces, this cannot be repaired. This is a term that refers to the pressure of repeated touch warping a fabric. Pressing does help depending on the extend of warping.
C. Make Up on fingers are damaging than make up on the face transferring to the dress.
D. Be aware finger smudges in the same areas can give fabric memory when they are adjusted in the same place repeatedly. For example, many brides pull on their strapless dresses in the same place repeatedly due to habit. This habit can leave an indention in the fabric over time.
E. Illusion tops are popular in designer wedding dresses, but are extremely fragile on the dance floor. Sudden arm movements like couple dancing, YMCA, swing dancing and other sudden harsh movements like chest to knees, etc. can rip delicate single layers of sheer tulle and jeopardize the zipper as well.
F. Don’t allow fabric straps to be on a hanger. Use the ribbon loops to carry the weight of the fabric to prevent damage, stretching or warping long term.
A. “Back in the Day” this was the bustle. Today, we have evolved to convenient, designer bustles that are “camera ready” and hands free during alterations with a seamstress.
B. Many brides on a budget will opt to wear the loop on their wrist if investing in alterations is not their priority from a numbers perspective.
C. This loop of ribbon in the train is purely there for displaying the train on the hanger. This distributes the weight of the train fabric on the hanger making it easier on the back to carry a dress with the train up.
D. Placing the train loop on the hanger makes it easier to carry the garment bag due to proper weight distribution.
E. If you choose to invest in a bustle during alterations, this loop of ribbon can lead to confusion to “your bustler/s”. Reassure them this loop plays no role in the bustle even if there are other ribbons sewn in for an under bustle.
A. Elastic Button Loops –
Loops are made of covered elastic which is the same concept as a hair tie. Once it stretches beyond general use, much like a hair tie – it must be replaced with a new one to be effective.
The cost of replacing loops is not a high ticket item, but it adds up and causes stress. They can be repaired much like a hair tie, but it’s not the same as replacing.
Keep the loops effective by going slow when placing them on buttons. Take your time. Don’t over pull them if possible. Try not to over stretch them by sitting casually on a chair or bending over to stretch them.
Use a crochet needle to place the loops on the button AND remove the loops from the button to prevent over stretching. We sell crochet needles at Ava’s Bridal for a small fee and on our website if you would like to use curbside pick up.
B. “Perch” vs Sit –
If you have not heard my story of “How a bride sits in a wedding dress” consider how we “perch” vs “lay back and sit” in a wedding dress.
C. Bridal Buttons –
Buttons will get lose, but they can be tightened or replaced as needed.
Button Caps can pop off with pressure – if this happens and you can save the cap, try to snap it back on. If that doesn’t work, replace the button with a new one. We can supply you with a bridal button or we can complete this in a quick turn around or drop off alteration.
Bridal buttons are often times sewn on by a “chain stitch” in some cases which means if one button falls off or is loose, the surrounding 1 or 2 buttons may need a reinforcement as well.
This is also the nature of beading, buttons and other hand sewn products to be very delicate. Don’t let it add stress as this is common wear and tear even if gentle when using!
D. Zipper –
Let me tell you the story of my bestie Kim who broke her zipper on her wedding dress. When I ran to help her with my emergency kit on her wedding day, I found her sitting on the floor criss cross apple sauce. “Kim, why are you sitting on the floor?” She had no idea that getting on the floor or bending over would bust her zipper.
This may be common sense to some but to others it is new information. Your zipper is high quality, but this is formalwear which means gentle cycle in every way possible.
Don’t bend over letting your chest and shoulders to go past your knees when bending over. Chest must be up and head up with knees bent if required to bend and stretch.
Don’t be afraid of your dress zipper, but keep in mind your hook and eye will pop first and the rest is all domino effect. Once it breaks, it must be replaced with a new one rather than repaired.
Take your time when you zip a wedding dress or any formal wear dress for that matter. These are not built like a pair of jeans or boots. An invisible zipper or formal wear zipper needs gentle pressure.
Don’t zip a zipper that is not closed at the top when zipping to prevent warping the “teeth” of the zipper.
E. Corset Loops –
Many of us expect a corset back to be iron steel because we feel like they hold us in like a shield of armor. Please know these loops break under repeated pressure too. It takes a LOT of pressure and use to get a stitch to break in the loops.
Once the stitch breaks, it’s a domino effect that cannot be fixed with a needle and thread. This needs to be taken to a commercial machine to truly get a solid seam back into it. A temporary fix can be done by hand, but it does need to be addressed internally for long term care.
F. Hook and Eye Do’s and Don’ts –
Once the hook and eye “pops” from too much pressure, the domino effect on the zipper is a valid concern.
Don’t:
Avoid bending over where the chest and shoulders extend past the knees when bending forward. This posture places high pressure on the hook and eye as well as the zipper.
The hook and eye being thin metal wire can flatten and become damaged beyond repair. Replacing the hood and eye is an easy, quick solution!
Do:
Bend at the knees keeping the shoulders and chest upright if or when reaching the floor is necessary.
Avoid bending chest over knees.
If you have to bend over, bend your knees and keep chest upright to avoid stretching the hook and eye or zipper.
For Example: Put on Boots or Shoes are a good example of bending too far and jeopardizing your zipper.
Your hook, eye, buttons, loops and zipper are easily stretched or broken if too much pressure is applied.
Need a Helping Hand? It’s best to wait till you have a helping hand to try on your dress than to put too much pressure on formalwear.
Many will try it on when it arrives and wait to try it on again at the time of alterations. That’s perfectly natural to wait.
Many will want to try your dress on every day that ends in Y. That’s perfectly natural to want to try it on often.
Here are some tips to prevent tears, holes, damage and dirt:
A. HAVE FUN – on this day and every day hear me once again – you have to have fun!
B. Wedding dresses are static magnets – they love pet hair, human hair, dirt, and anything else it can innocently attract in the cleanest of places.
C. Find a balance between having tons of fun in your wedding dress try ons and being smart.
D. Most of the issues mentioned above are prevented by taking your time and knowing a few pro tips mentioned today.
E. Couch time – If you are going to do this, remember your hook, eye, zipper and illusion fabrics.
Do keep your veil in the clear plastic liner which is the best way to store the veil short term.
Placing the plastic liner at the front of the bag gives a barrier between zipper and wedding dress.
Don’t wrap your wedding dress in plastic to avoid wrinkling. The breathable zipper garment bag is best for caring for your wedding dress short term.
There is no judgement for trying on your wedding dress multiple times. Be smart to protect your investment long term while having fun.
This tutorial includes everything that we have encountered over the past 13 years to protect you and your dress!
There is nothing wrong with trying on your wedding dress when it arrives and storing it till your alterations fitting.
Every bride is different – there is no right or wrong!
Real talk here:
A. Check All Items especially veil, dress, accessories or any other items prior to checkout.
B. Once the dress leaves the store, the customer takes liability for the condition thereafter.
C. If there are any issues, contact the store owner within 24-48 hours of taking it home to avoid issues from the supply chain.
D. Supply Chain Limitations
No warranty/repairs or cleaning included or implied:
A. Loose beading or other hand sewn details on the dress
B. Cleaning
C. Other Repairs
“I am satisfied with my order and it’s condition.”
If you have taken your dress home and realize an issue, please come back to the store in person same day.
With curbside pick up, shipping a wedding dress or other orders not tried on in store, we will schedule a phone call appointment with the bride within 24-48 hours of the pick up/shipment date to ensure your questions were answered!
Text Sue to arrange your shipment!
Schedule your customer pick up appointment by text, online or phone:
Schedule by Text with Sue: 573-454-1160
Schedule Online: https://avasbridalcouture.com/customer-pick-up-appointment
Schedule by Phone: 817-732-4457
We recommend starting basic alterations 5 months before your “need by date”. For custom changes, start the week after saying yes to the dress to order materials, lace and other patterns.
If you have a short time frame, start alterations as soon as your dress arrives. Rush options are available.
Even if you are losing weight, you will not over spend by starting as early as the recommended 5 months. Schedule a weight loss fitting in person during your 1st alterations appointment. Your seamstress will walk you through the FAQ of a weight loss fitting in person!
9 out of 10 Ava’s Brides are losing weight and avoid over spending by using communication in person during the 1st alteration fitting.
Bring shoes you plan to wear with your wedding dress. If you have not purchased your wedding dress, [Click Here| for top shoe store recommendations from real brides.
Bridal undergarments can be purchased at Ava’s Bridal – we offer the top selling undergarments for wedding dresses and mothers.
Payment – all balances must be zero prior to trying on and taking home.
Calendar – bring your calendar and plan your 1st alteration fitting with our talented in-house alterations.
We offer month to month storage which covers liability coverage at our location for $50.00 per month!
Here’s a demo of packing your wedding dress for shipping, storing and traveling! [Click Here]
Here is a full demo of how to steam your lace wedding dress! [Click Here]
This works great with light fabrics, group steaming and your veil! [Click Here]
This does NOT work for all fabrics and difficult dresses. Try it and let me know how it goes.
A Customer Pick Up + Try On Appointment is a 30 minute appointment with a customer service representative to try on, enjoy, ask questions, review order and take home!
Enjoy the day seeing your dress again and feeling beautiful!
Your customer service representative will answer your important questions, take photos for you and help you load your dress into your car.
We will cover your alteration questions below and in person!
Start alterations at a later time or 5 months prior to your need by date.
A Customer Pick Up + Try On Appointment is a 30 minute appointment with a customer service representative to try on, enjoy, ask questions, review order and take home!
An Alterations Fitting is a 60 minute appointment with a skilled seamstress to begin the alterations process, be pinned, review pricing and work needed for the perfect fit.
You are not required to use our expert alterations department in-house as an Ava’s Bride. 90% of you will use our talented seamstresses for quality, value, convenience, liability, communication, time savings, organized process, thoughtfulness + how we anticipate your needs.
Please Note: If you wish to use your own seamstress, ask your seamstress to include pressing your wedding dress after alterations.
Complimentary steaming services at Ava’s are voided for liability if alterations were not completed by Ava’s Bridal.