The dress was originally a size 24, which I knew was too big for me, and it was the only one left, so I took it and had it resized. The dress is so much of what I wanted - I was married in a mansion overlooking the bay and I wanted elegant romance with a touch of vintage, this dress offered that for me!
I will say the dress is heavy as it is covered in beading and crystals. I am 5'11" and normally wear a size 16/18. With altering the dress, there were some beads that were lost, but nothing that takes away from the dress and certainly nothing that shows up in pictures. There are many layers to the dress, so when you have it altered, be aware! The alterations can get pricey but it was worth it to me!
I wore the dress at my wedding and that was it. I then came back and took it directly to the cleaners two days after my wedding. It has been in the cleaning bag since I picked it up.
To detail the alterations: 1. I had the entire dress taken in to fit me; 2. I added sheer sleeves with white buttons to the dress (they can easily be removed); 3. I added a small quasi-corset area on the back to better cinch my waist area. because I am so tall, the bottom of the dress was not cut. I left the length "as is" from when I purchased the dress.