5 Key Things to Remember When Having Your Wedding Dress Made

There are lots of benefits to having your wedding dress made for you. You will be having a truly bespoke design, that is made-to-measure and will fit you like a glove.  Also, because it is made just for you there will be NO alteration costs to add on at the end!

As a leading wedding dressmaker from Maidenhead with over 25 years’ experience, I often hear from brides who want a unique wedding gown but aren’t sure where to start. 

Below I’ve put together five key things to remember when having your dream wedding dress made for you.

 

1.Don’t leave it too late!

It’s fine to be late for your wedding but remember to leave plenty of time for your gown to be made. Just as with buying from a bridal shop - where a dress can take anywhere from four to eight months to arrive in store - you need to factor in plenty of time for the design, making and fitting process.

There are several stages to making your wedding dress come to life, including, designing the style of your dress, creating a toile sample garment - so you can visualise and tweak the silhouette - and finally making the dress itself, which will usually require two to three fittings to ensure the perfect fit.   

To allow wriggle room, the ideal time to start having a wedding dress created is nine months before the wedding. If you’re having a June or July wedding, your dressmaker will need to have the preliminary dress design in place by January at the latest.

Find out all about the option of having your dream dress made at the beginning of your search along with looking in the shops and online.

 

2.Don’t start the dress making process too early!

It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and start planning your wedding dress as soon as he’s popped the question!

However, whilst it’s tempting to start planning your dress straight away, the best time to consult a bridal wear dressmaker is once you’ve settled on a date, theme and venue. This is because these factors are likely to influence the style of dress you choose.

For example, an ornate wedding dress and long train might suit a traditional venue but look completely out place at a bohemian or beach wedding.

Once you have a basic design and have narrowed down your fabric choices you can start looking at Bridesmaid Dresses and collecting ideas for your 'girls'. You can see more easily if you want to take an aspect of your dress and include it in theirs for instance.

If you start planning your dress too soon, will you become 'fed up' with it and start looking at other styles and doubt your choice? In my experience, this is the same for whether you have your dress made or you choose an off the peg Gown.

 

3.Wedding Seamstress or Wedding Dressmaker?

The terms wedding dressmaker and wedding seamstress are usually interchangeable and, although some may specialise in other areas such as luxury evening wear or other dressmaking,  they both perform the same role of creating custom-made bridal gowns.

Make sure your chosen seamstress and dressmaker are adept at sewing by machine and by hand – enabling them to carry out detailed work, such as, hand sewing beads, pearls and lace. They should also be capable of designing your gown, making their own patterns or at least be able to adapt ready drafted sewing patterns, making wedding dress alterations and providing style and fitting advice.    

 

4.Finding the right wedding dressmaker

Your Wedding Dress is probably the most important dress you will ever wear so it’s vital to find a professional, reputable dressmaker that you feel comfortable with and who is easy to talk to. You must feel they are taking on board your ideas....................what's that expression? "On the same page" !

Seeking recommendations from friends and family is a good place to start. If sourcing online check out their gallery, reviews and ‘about me’ page to get a sense of their experience and approach to wedding dress design.

Whilst there may seem like there are advantages of choosing an overseas online source, such as low prices, to avoid disappointment I always recommend working with a designer face-to-face. This is to ensure that the design and details – from the feel of the fabric to the quality of the stitching and beadwork - are exactly what you envisaged. 

Finally, it’s important to find a wedding dress maker who is passionate about your design but who will be gently honest with you – if something isn’t quite right for your body shape then they need to be able to say it (nicely of course!). This means you will end up with a dress that you look incredible in and that’s 100% perfect for you.           

                   

5.Your first appointment

To help your dressmaker realise your vision right down to the last vintage Swarovski crystal, take along images of dresses that you like, plus any sketches you may have made. Think about YOUR style, this will keep you from going off track and choosing ideas that might be someone else's perfect idea of a Wedding Dress

Also, if you’re planning to wear a favourite piece of jewellery, comb or tiara on your big day, bring it along too. This will help your dressmaker get even more of a feel for your design. To get an idea on what type of accessories you might like you can find examples on our accessories page on our website.

You might also want to take a look at our wedding dress design services.

For friendly, expert bridal wear advice, or to arrange a free consultation, please contact me on 01628 624340 or email tinawallerbridal@sky.com.