On a Thursday afternoon last fall, in the midst of a record wedding season, tailor François Delphin was greeted at his Edgartown shop by a tearful bride desperate for alterations on her gown.

The wedding day? Saturday.

"It’s ruined," she said. "You have to fix it."

The bride had her dress fitted off-Island, but didn’t try it on until she arrived on the Vineyard.
"It was incredible," Delphin said. "Can you imagine you’re getting married and your dress is ruined? It's something you will remember all your life."

With his thirty years of experience, the skilled tailor was able to remake the gown in time for the ceremony, but it wasn’t easy. "Those are very technical jobs," he said. "It’s not easy work, to know exactly what needs to be done – like if you cut it, what will happen? Some of these garments cost people thousands of dollars. Once you play around with it, you have to know what you are doing."

Good thing the bride landed on the doorstep of François’ Fine Tailoring – or, as it might as well be known in the industry, the Island’s one-stop wedding shop. Delphin also carries a line of dress shirts and suits for special occasions, which has saved the day for many in a pinch.
"I have people coming in last minute: 'I need a suit! I need a suit!'" Delphin said. "This type of business, that's how it goes."

 The Vineyard’s picturesque scenery and beautiful summer weather make it an ideal place to get married. According to one often-cited statistic, it’s the number-two spot for destination weddings in the U.S., behind only Las Vegas. But with its many charms comes a fair share of obstacles, namely: limited choices and that whole separated-by-an-ocean thing. Since Vineyard couples can’t necessarily get in a car and travel to any number of tailors, planning for alteration needs is essential.

Thankfully, a small group of Islanders has you covered. Though Delphin may be best known in the Island wedding industry, he’s not the only one skilled with a sewing needle. You just need to know where to look.

 Take Mary Wolverton, a seamstress who formerly worked for fashion designer Lorraine Parish. Wolverton knows her way around a wedding dress – in the past she’s made gowns for friends. These days, however, she concentrates on other forms of sewing and occasionally alters dresses out of her Lambert’s Cove home. Most of her clients come by word of mouth, she said, though she also circulates a small number of business cards around the Island.  
At Red Door Couture, a small boutique located across from The Black Dog Tavern, owner and seamstress Donna DeSilva primarily sells her own clothes, but also shortens hems and takes in dresses ordered a couple of sizes too big.

And as of August, there’s a new option for alterations: Lapels Dry Cleaning, located on State Road in Vineyard Haven. "We work with a seamstress out of house who has done a few bridesmaid dresses since opening and minor wedding dress alterations," said co-owner Megan Carroll. Typical for a dry cleaner, the business also steams and presses clothes. Quite a few wrinkled wedding

outfits have already passed through their doors, Carroll said.

Despite the many options available on the Vineyard, wedding planner Kristen Gosselin of KG Events & Design said she counsels off-Island brides to have their dresses shipped to and altered near their main residences.

The alterations process can seem an impossibly long one, she notes, with buying, fitting, and altering a wedding dress often taking up to a year or more. Although many brides order their dresses far in advance of their weddings, they may not receive the dresses until eight months later, leaving little time for fittings. It just makes sense to have alterations performed where it’s most convenient.

Gosselin recommends scheduling several appointments over the course of a few months, and a final fitting three weeks before the wedding date. She also tells her off-Island brides to prepare an "emergency kit" with items that are difficult to find on the Island, like fashion tape and special undergarments, such as backless or strapless bras.

Of course, it’s not just brides who need assistance with their wedding-day looks. Grooms, bridesmaids, and mothers of the bride require alterations as well. Last fall, Delphin worked with a mother of the bride who wanted three perfectly tailored dresses to choose from on the day of the wedding.

Luckily, he said, she gave him three weeks to do the job.

Who to Call:

Alterations

François’ Fine Tailoring (François Delphin): 238 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-9393
Lapels Dry Cleaning: 395 State Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-338-2827
Mary Wolverton: 508-560-2562
Red Door Couture (Donna DeSilva): 13 Beach Road Extension, Vineyard Haven, 508-560-8144

Steaming/Pressing
François’ Fine Tailoring (François Delphin): 238 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, 508-627-9393
Lapels Dry Cleaning: 395 State Road, Vineyard Haven, 508-338-2827