Back in Nashville, I quickly became familiarized with the wedding industry while planning my own wedding. I was lucky enough to meet Sarah, the owner of Rudy Lou. I originally got to know Sarah through a bridal shop we worked at together, but when I needed alterations for my own gown, I KNEW she was the one.
Sarah specializes in taking vintage gowns and transforming them into something new. She will work her magic on your mother’s old dress while maintaining the integrity of the original piece. It is something quite spectacular to see something old convert to something just right for you.
When it comes to your wedding dress, you want to trust someone that is not only professional but understands a wedding gown is more than just a dress you wear one day. It is a memory forever. Sarah’s expertise inspired me to interview her, to get an in-depth look at why alterations are truly an integral part of your wedding dress experience.
Take a look at our interview below!
Sasha: Tell me a little bit about your business, who you are, and why you started working in the wedding industry?
Sarah: My name is Sarah Jameson; I am a 27-year-old Nashville Native. I started Rudy Lou three years ago as a custom bridal business. After graduating college with a fashion design degree, I was lost as to what I wanted my future career to be! I began working at a corporate bridal store, where I quickly fell in love with bridal but deep down, I knew the corporate world wasn't for me. I left this job to start my own path in the bridal business, where I would be able to control the environment my brides walked into and every little detail that goes into the Wedding Dress Experience for these brides
Sasha: What should a bride expect to spend on alterations?
Sarah: Typical bridal alterations tend to vary on styles and fabrics of your gown — If your gown is very simplistic and not needing complete restructure you can expect to spend around $250-$350. If your gown is full of detail and layers with added appliques and lace, a typical alteration cost can be anywhere from $400-800
Sasha: If you had to pick 2 main areas to focus on, what would they be?
Sarah: The 2 most important areas to focus on in bridal alterations would have to be:
1. The hem — Your hem needs to be touching the top of the floor from hip to hip to ensure you will be able to step surely without hesitation that you are stepping on the gown itself!
2. The bodice fit — The bodice fit is a HUGE part- this is where the weight of the gown sits and if your bodice is slipping down all night brides tend to *tug on the top of the gown. this will have the effect of you slipping out of your dress and extremely uncomfortable. you need to be wearing the dress. Not the dress wearing you.
Sasha: How much should a bride expect to spend if they are remaking a dress? For example, her mother's dress.
Sarah: All of my reconstructed gowns I like to base off of budget- for some brides who like to wear these recreations for a shower or rehearsal dinner the average price point is $500-800. For a reconstructed gown that will be worn for the ceremony we typically do a LOT of detail work on these and they average range around $800-2,000 (again depending on what all you would like to change and add in.
Sasha: I have seen so many bustles go wrong, can you explain why it is so important to do a bustle correctly?
Sarah: Bustles are such an important part of the alteration process. This is when you have shown the wedding your gown and now you are ready to hook it up and enjoy your night without the train holding you back. Bustles not only help your ease of movement in the gown they also are a key in keeping your gown from being ruined. Late in the night with friends and family hugging and dancing it is very easy for your train to be stepped on, ripped, spilled on and many other disasters! Bustles are the way to go if you are looking to hook up your train and not worry about all of the beautiful details of your gown being ruined!
Once you find your dream dress, the easy part is done. Next, every bride should consider sitting down with an alterations expert. In order to look and feel your very best on your special day, alterations are a necessary step. A special thanks to Sarah for taking part in this interview — I hope this insight helps many brides understand the costs and value of doing alterations before your big day.
All my love,
Sasha
P.s. Below are just two samples of Sarah’s work, but to keep up do date on all things Rudy Lou give her a follow on Instagram @Rudy_Lou!
