The Wedding Dresser

I got my amazing feather bolero from Susan on etsy.com and couldn't be happier! It was absolutely lovely and one the most complimented things of the evening. Excellent value for the cost!

I purchased my dress at a Filene's Basement Bridal Gown sale and after calling a few bridal gown stores for tailor recommendations (and being rudely declined) and surfing the web for reviews which were equally good and bad, I was *very* relieved to find Susan. She *only* does weddings and has significant experience doing costumes for broadway. She did a wonderful job, taking my dress in a full size, hemming, and adding cups, moving beading and repairing some as well. She also made my veil and a feather bolero jacket for *very* reasonable prices. And she comes to your apartment for your fittings (unless you want to go to her Brooklyn studio). I didn't give a 5 out of 5 on value only because the prices were a bit higher than I was expecting, but then again, it was worth it to me to get someone who was as easy to work with and who did such a good job. She also mentioned that she gives her seamstresses a living wage. Note: I did not get other estimates, so I don't have a fair method for comparison. I loved working with Susan - she was always on time, very reliable, a nice, friendly person who made me feel comfortable and calmed my fears about both attire and other aspects of the wedding.

I purchased my wedding gown at Kleinfeld and did not need too much work to justify the flat rate cost they charge there. So I found Susan Ruddie. She was absolutely amazing! She came to my apt each time we had a consultation, taking the dress home to alter and bringing it back. That was a huge convenience. She worked with my schedule as well. She gave opinions when needed and I highly recommend her. My dress fit perfectly thanks to Susan!

Working with Susan was absolutely amazing! I bought my dress at the Filene's Running of the Brides Sale, so I needed it shortened and a bustle created. She looked at my dress and knew exactly what needed to be done. She came to my house each time we had a consultation, and was always ready to give advice on every aspect of the wedding. She is the ultimate wedding dresser! When I was having a hard time finding bridesmaid dresses, Susan not only made suggestions, she went WITH me to the store and gave her expert opinion on the dresses, material, and adjustments that needed to be made. She also did a great job on my mother's dress! I truly attribute my wonderful day, and gown that fit and looked perfectly, to Susan!

Susan went above and beyond the call of duty for wedding alteration expert. Not only did she come to my apartment FOUR times (or was it three? still...), she counseled me through my last-minute bride freakout where I was talking crazy talk, thinking I needed a whole new dress, etc. She absolutely TRANSFORMED my dress into one that no one else on the planet will ever have. I just got my photos back and I am so pleased with how great I look in all of them. That's thanks in no small part to Susan. As for the slightly less-than-perfect score on her pricing, well, I've never had dress alterations done before, so what do I know, but it was more than I've spent on such a thing. Then again, see above re: transforming my dress. So...

My husband couldn't believe how I looked in my dress. Susan Ruddie did such an amazing job. There was a lot of lace appliqué on the hem that had to be tended to in order to raise the line; you couldn't even tell it was sewn back wonderfully. I also needed to have some kind of jacket or sleeves, as modesty was a factor for the ceremony. Susan created and designed the perfect top that seamlessly fit with my sleeveless dress and then easily could be taken off to allow me to have fun at the reception. And so many brides also want a lovely bustle; mine was great in that it not only kept the dress off the ground and didn't fall or come apart once (like some others), it was done in such a lovely way that you could still see the lace at the back of the dress. I got nothing but compliments on my dress and her hard work showed. It's definitely not cheap, but it’s comparable to bridal salons except with much more flexibility – and you do in fact get what you pay for. Plus, she does house calls - which was great so I never had to worry about dragging around my dress to get done.

I feel so lucky that I found Susan. I bought my wedding dress when I was 2 months pregnant and put it away in a closet for three months.

3 weeks before my wedding (and 5 months pregnant) I pulled out the dress and tried it on. It needed a lot of work.

Susan came to my apt and completely reworked my dress, even anticipating how much I'd grow in the three weeks between my first fitting and the wedding.

She was worth EVERY penny. I felt so beautiful at my wedding. I'd recommend her to anyone. Also, she suggested adding a bustle that ended up becoming my favorite part of the dress!

Susan did a beautiful job did with my dress, absolutely breathtaking. Her work is meticulous, thoughtful and the results are stunning. I felt like a princess and everyone LOVED the dress! I would encourage everyone to use Susan for one of the most important days of your life.

I can't say enough good things about Susan. I had not a clue where to buy a wedding dress let alone have it altered. After purchasing a dress from JCrew on sale on line, I realized my dress needed some serious help with alterations. When I found out that Susan was local to Brooklyn (I live in Park Slope) and comes to your home I felt like I struck gold. The fear of schleping my dress on the subway disappeared. On my first meeting with Susan we instantly clicked, she is warm, professional and gives great advice. Susan gave me great suggestions for my hair, flowers, tips on how to stretch out my shoes and even made me the silk flower for my hair. Susan works with your budget and time to make sure both you and she are completley comfortable and there are no surprises. Lastly, Susan took a very basic dress and made a few tweaks that turned it into something so special. I hiighly recommend Susan Rudie.

It is absolutely impossible for me to recommend Susan enough. First of all, she makes house calls, at least in Brooklyn. I am a terrible klutz, so the idea of traveling with my dress was terrifying, plus doing fittings at home is super convenient. She even delivered my dress to the hotel so that I would not have to schlep it anywhere! But most importantly, her work was amazing. I'm petite, and my dress was not, and it ended up needing major surgery especially to the corset and bodice. Susan had wonderful ideas for making it work, and executed them perfectly. I not only got many compliments on my dress, but I actually got compliments on how well it fit! She has experience both in theater and at Kleinfeld's, and you can definitely tell. And on top of all that, Susan is kind, funny, knowledgeable, responsive - just a dream to work with. Her services are not cheap - they compare with alteration prices at most bridal salons - but she is worth every penny.