The dress was hemmed--I am 5'3" and wore 3 1/2 inch heels on the wedding day. Cups were added, as the dress has a back too low to wear a traditional bustier (my cup size is 32DD). The dress was also taken in slightly in the neckline and shoulders, to make sure that the cap sleeves would lay flat on my shoulders (I did not want to wear the dress off the shoulder, as it is shown in the picture on the Allure website). A three point under bustle was also added.
The dress was worn outside, but just for pictures. The dress was professionally cleaned, but there is a small, red wine stain at the hem (about the size of a push pin), but it is only noticeable when looking at the hem of the dress very closely.