Alterations

No, Diane's Formal Affair does not allow photos of our dresses prior to purchase. We want the best possible shopping experience for our brides. We do not have professional lighting or photography in our store; photographs can not compare to the beauty you see when you try the dress on. Once you say yes to your dress, you may take as many pictures as you would like!

We offer Bridal Packages that are available for you to purchase the same day you purchase your wedding gown. If you chose a package that included gown storage, you may leave your gown with us until your wedding date. If you did not purchase a package, or chose a package with no storage, you must take your gown home with you no later than 10 days after its arrival to avoid storage/insurance charges to your account. You may also choose to purchase storage/insurance from us at anytime to leave your gown at our store until your wedding date.

When your gown arrives, we inspect the gown & notify you. We do require you to book an appointment to come in and try-on your gown within 10 days of our notification. This is a very important step, because we have a very limited time to return the gown to the manufacturer should there be any manufacturer issues with the gown. If the return timeframe passes, there may not be any way for the manufacturer to correct their error. If you did not pay in full at the time of purchase, your balance is also due within 10 days of the arrival of your gown.

We recommend purchasing your gown about 10 months before your wedding. Depending on the dress and designer you choose, it can take 16-20 weeks for the gown to arrive. Ordering early will leave plenty of time for alterations, and anything else you need to do after your gowns arrival. (If you are behind this timeline, don't stress! We do have options to help you find the perfect dress in a quicker timeframe.)

You must pay at least 60% down on any purchase made in our store. We will not order any special order items until 60% of the balance is paid. The remaining balance is due within 10 days of the arrival of the gown. Sample sale gowns, and any out of stock purchases are typically required to be paid for in full at time of purchase. However, we do offer a 30-day layaway for those that need it.

Each bride will have a unique and intimate experience in her own bridal suite with her own bridal stylist. Weekday appointments are slower-paced, & last two hours. Saturday appointments are fast-paced & last 90 minutes. We recommend you bring no more than three people to shop with you as too many opinions can leave a bride torn and confused! Bring the people whose opinions matter most and share your vision of your special day with them ahead of time. Our bridal stylists have been highly trained in all things bridal and are ready to help you find your dream dress. We can't wait to meet you!

We carry an extensive collection of mother of the bride, groom, grandmother of the bride, groom and guest of the wedding dresses. We have gowns at all price points in our collection. These gowns are available to purchase off our rack, and also to special order. Please note that special order of these gowns can take 12-16 weeks, so please plan accordingly.

Once your gown is ordered, we will receive an estimated ship date from the manufacturer. This can sometimes take several business days to get to us. If you would like to have this date, or check on the status of your order, please wait one week after placing your order with us and then give us a call. Once your gown arrives in our store you will receive an email and a phone call from us. If you do not answer the phone, we will leave a voicemail. Please note that if your voicemail box is full, email is our only way to contact you.

Please note that per your contract, all sales are final. No refunds, returns, exchanges, or cancellations will be given. If your wedding is postponed, your merchandise must be picked up from our store by the original wedding date to avoid forfeit. All packages, storage & insurance are only valid until your original wedding date. Please give us a call if you have any questions.

We rent tuxedos through Jim's Formal Wear, one of the most reputable tuxedo companies in the business. We offer a discounted rate on these tuxedos as well. Tuxedo ordered typically need to be placed at least 1 month prior to the wedding. If you have any questions please give us a call.

We carry two wonderful bridesmaid lines in store. Mori Lee Maids, and Christina Wu. We would be thrilled to dress your entire wedding party for your special day. Typically bridesmaid dresses take 12-16 weeks to arrive so please plan accordingly. Bridesmaids live in different areas or states? We can guide you and your bridesmaids through gathering measurements and ordering over the phone. We will even ship the gowns directly to your bridesmaids once they arrive. Give us a call to set up your bridesmaid appointment today!

Due to the nature of our merchandise, ALL sales and special order items are final. We do NOT offer refunds, returns, exchanges, or cancellations for any reason.

Diane's Formal Affair has an in-house seamstress available only to our customers. For more information & FAQs about alterations click here!

Yes! To better serve our customers, we require appointments for everything at Diane's Formal Affair. You can place an appointment request online or by calling 205-221-3570. *We do not take appointments for our prom & pageant store, Diane's Too. We are Walk-In only!

The price of your alterations will depend on what needs to be done to the gown & how complex the job is. You will be given a quote at your first fitting. Payment will be due in full at the final fitting. We do know that our alterations pricing is very reasonable and competitive.

We only offer alterations on wedding gowns, prom/pageant dresses, or event dresses purchased directly from our store.

No, Alterations are completely separate from Diane's Formal Affair, and therefore are a separate charge.

We recommend a bride to call and schedule her first fitting at least 8 weeks before her wedding. MOB, Prom, Pageant and other event dresses should call to schedule at least 4-6 weeks before their event. Please do not wait until the last minute to book your alterations. Our seamstress has limited appointments available, and she does fill up quickly! You can call 205-221-3570 to book.

You must have the shoes that you will wear on your wedding day at all of your scheduled alterations appointments. The hem placed in your gown can only be guaranteed with the shoes that you wear the day of pinning. Also, bring any undergarments you plan to wear on your wedding day. Many of our brides choose not to wear a bra as our gowns have bras & slips already sewn into them.

The typical bride has 2 alterations fittings. A first fitting where she is pinned, and the final fitting to see the work completed. However, sometimes a bride will need a third or fourth fitting if she is choosing to have extremely intricate work done to her gown that must be done in stages.