What better way to answer these questions than to ask 5 questions to 5 previous brides
Can you believe that it took me more than 1 year to publish this article? This goes to show that not many brides out there opt for a custom made wedding dress but there’s still a few who do. And for those of you who are thinking of it, what you’re about to read next should get you really excited or completely terrified.
Laura
1. Why did you decide to go for a custom made wedding dress instead of a ready made one?
After trying on more than 50 dresses in multiple boutiques around London, I’ve realised that finding “the perfect dress” is an impossible task. We were also short on time and ordering a dress from a store, having it made, sent and altered would have taken 6 months.
2. What have been some rewarding things in making it yourself?
First of all – the uniqueness of the dress. No one else would wear a dress like yours (unless you sell it). And other advantages are: choosing the fabric, playing up with the design until you find something that suits you best. Also, the price was really good!
3. What about some difficult things?
In my case, the most difficult thing was the distance – the designer was based in my home town, and I was in London. So we’ve only met for a few times, but in the end it wasn’t such a big problem.
4. Would you still go for a custom made one if you could turn back time? Would you do anything different?
I would definitely go for the same dress – I wouldn’t change a thing.
5. Any piece of advice for other brides considering to make their own wedding dress?
I know it may sound a bit scary, but it’s worth it! If you have something specific in mind, if you put a bit of effort in it, the result might surprise you. If you are like me, a bit hard to please, this might be the easiest option. I would still recommend trying on other dresses before, just to find out what suits your body shape.
Laura’s custom wedding dress was designed by Otilia Brailoiu, Romania.
Alice
Why did you decide to go for a custom made wedding dress instead of a ready made one?
I didn’t originally plan to design my own wedding dress. I didn’t even have a set-in-stone idea of what I wanted my wedding dress to be like. All I knew was that I wanted it to be made out of silk and beautifully finished. After visiting around ten wedding dress shops and trying on at least thirty dresses, I realised that it is very difficult and costly to get a wedding dress made from natural fabrics. Even though I didn’t find the one, trying on so many dresses helped me work out exactly what suited me and what kind of details I wanted on my dress. With my sketch in hand, I decided to look into getting a dress made. After meeting my dress maker Felicity, I knew she could make exactly what I wanted. The stressful process of finding a wedding dress turned into an exciting journey.
What have been some rewarding things in making it yourself?
I wanted something a bit different to what was offered in the shops, and I was really happy with the result. I was able to select the exact fabrics that I wanted for my dress and throughout the process, I was able to tweak the design and make it the perfect fit. It was also so rewarding to hear lovely compliments from my friends and family, such as ‘your dress is so you’. I wanted something that felt like me and not just a wedding dress.
What about some difficult things?
It did take some time to get the fit perfect, so that was a little stressful. But I had complete faith in my dress maker, Felicity.
Would you still go for a custom made one if you could turn back time? Would you do anything different?
Definitely, I would hugely recommend it to anyone getting married. The only thing I would recommend is getting the process started a little earlier. I picked up the dress two days before my wedding, it felt a little bit rushed towards the end.
Any piece of advice for other brides considering to make their own wedding dress?
Try on lots of dresses in shops and make the most of dancing around in pretty dresses. Firstly, It’s a lovely, fun thing to do with your mum and bridesmaids. Secondly, it will enable you to figure out what suits you and what doesn’t.
Alice designed her own wedding dress and had it custom made by Felicity Westmacott.
Marieke
Why did you decide to go for a custom made wedding dress instead of a ready made one?
Ever since thinking about my wedding dress I knew I didn’t want a white dress, since my skin is pretty pale and most of the whites make it look more pale. Of course I went to a traditional wedding shop with my mom, but I didn’t like the other colours available. So that’s when I started thinking about a custom made one, so I could choose the fabric and design myself so I knew it would be exactly like I wanted.What have been some rewarding things in making it yourself?
It was a lot of fun to do the design together with my mom, browsing the internet for the perfect kind of lace and colours. I think I liked that part the most. And it was wonderful to see the dress coming together, from the first sketch to the final result. I thought it was much more rewarding to be involved in the whole design process instead of going to a shop and choose one.What about some difficult things?
Strange enough also choosing the fabrics, it is so hard to see a small piece of the fabric on a picture on the internet and imagine what it would be like in real life. In the end the colours matched perfectly, but it wasn’t easy.Would you still go for a custom made one if you could turn back time? Would you do anything different?
I definitely would! Like I said I found it much more rewarding. And the bonus side of my dress, it is a two piece model so I am able to wear just the short dress without looking like I’m wearing my wedding dress :) Or buy a beautiful new top and wear it with the skirt.Any piece of advice for other brides considering to make their own wedding dress?
Just do it! No kidding, when in doubt try to find a good seamstress whom you trust and start building your perfect dress. It will be one of a kind and fit perfectly to your body.
Marieke designed her wedding dress and was custom made in Holland.
If you’re thinking of something different, maybe this two piece wedding dress is your style! Why not checking their festival style wedding for more photos to inspire you!
Abbie
Why did you decide to go for a custom made wedding dress instead of a ready made one?
I wanted something that was unique and special to me. I think if I had gone for a dress off the rack I would have had some issue with it along the way. I wanted a couture style dress which only custom made would be able to achieve.What have been some rewarding things in making it yourself?
I was able to specify the finer details in the dress, design the entire embroidery and have an amazing unique dress that no one else owns. It gave me great pride to wear my own dress for such a special one off occasion.What about some difficult things?
Getting the pattern cut properly and fitting correctly took some time. I had some panels made of the original embroidery design which were not great and needed to be re made to get the desired look. Time wise it was tight to get the dress back in time. Also getting the correct colour and tone of ivory proved harder than I expected! All in all a real labour of love!Would you still go for a custom made one if you could turn back time? Would you do anything different?
Yes, every time I would go for custom made. No, I don’t think I would do anything different other than make it shorter as it was very long and make some technical adjustments. For example adding some structure to the bust to support the weight of the embroidered skirt.Any piece of advice for other brides considering to make their own wedding dress?
Plan and start early – don’t leave it to the last minute as it will always take you longer than you think. Be ready and open minded to makes changes as you might need to adapt it along the way. Be critical and have a thorough design plan and almost write yourself critical path with deadlines and stick to it.
Sophie
Why did you decide to go for a custom made wedding dress instead of a ready made one?
My sisters both had custom-made dresses and they were stunning and felt really personal to them. Girls imagine their perfect wedding dress from childhood. By getting it handmade means all the tiny details you’ve dreamed off for many years don’t have to be compromised. They can become a reality.What have been some rewarding things in making it yourself?
I really enjoyed the monthly fittings visiting the dress-maker and seeing this beautiful dress come together before my eyes. Out of the mayhem of wedding planning, these evenings were peaceful and I got to spend them with my sisters and mum. Every week, the dress was coming more to life. This made the excitement of getting married all the more real!What about some difficult things?
On the final fitting, I wasn’t happy with a few details and unfortunately the wedding was in a few days so I couldn’t change them. On the wedding day itself, I did notice the snags I didn’t like. However, throughout the entire planning process, I reminded myself that my wedding day was only the first day of my marriage and I would start it as I meant to go on: connection with my husband combined with a deep and selfless love. This attitude helped me overlook all the things that went a bit wrong!Would you still go for a custom made one if you could turn back time? Would you do anything different?
That’s an interesting question for me! Paul and I had a registry office service a week before the wedding, which we hadn’t planned at all. We turned up in jeans and a t-shirt, invited our immediate family, and went out for breakfast afterwards. It was a really special and intimate time.When the wedding day came round, I actually found it quite stressful. I get anxiety around a lot of people and there was so much planning beforehand, which isn’t my strength! If I were to go back, I would probably just strip everything right back and not have a long service, dinner, loads of guests or even a dress at all! It’s funny because now I’m married, I realise that investment into your relationship is truly the most important thing compared to having the ‘perfect day’.
Any piece of advice for other brides considering to make their own wedding dress?
The process of seeing your dress come to life is a really magical experience. My advice would be to communicate really assertively all the way through the fittings what you want, what isn’t right or what you want changing. Don’t worry about offending the dressmaker- her job is to make you feel 100% confident that you’re wearing the dress of your dreams on your special day!
With a background in modelling, Sophie decided to have a custom made wedding dress and it was made by Venetia Flint.
One of my favourite wedding days to photograph, with the most gorgeous light one could only dream of, you need to check their outdoor wedding ceremony, it’s so very special!![bride wearing a custom made wedding dress on a hill in Oxforshire]()
Have we convinced you to go for a custom wedding dress? Or was this article actually the incentive you needed not to even get started on this journey?
Either way, we hope reading our bride’s actual experiences with having a custom wedding dress helped you in one way or another.
