Let's say this now: there is absolutely no need to lose weight before your wedding. It is your body, your wedding day, and entirely your choice. But you do have to consider your shape when you're dress hunting, and when the tailoring process begins — that means being as certain as possible about the size and shape you'll be on the day itself. I knew that I was taking a risk when I bought a dress that was slightly too small for me. Even though my dress was altered to fit my shape instead of the other way around, I remained nervous about it through the whole process, right up until the morning of my wedding day.
Wedding dresses may have some extra fabric in the seams that will make them easier to let out, but don't rely on this when you buy. If there's little to no excess fabric in the seams, the alteration won't be easy and may actually be impossible. I was accepting of the fact that I might have needed a corset put in the back of my dress.
Don't forget that the more your shape changes, the more you'll have to fork out to get your dress fixed. "You don't want to lose a lot of weight once the alteration work has started, as the same work will have to be done again, which will be more expensive," says my wedding dress tailor, Richard Thompson at Exclusive Alterations.