Everything you need to know about having your wedding dress custom-made

Comments on Everything you need to know about having your wedding dress custom-made

1. Another place to check: the cast and hardcore patrons of your nearby renaissance festival and/or the local SCA group. Many of the seamstresses you’ll meet there are used to designing and pattern-making.

   • I agree with Rykie. I’m from South Africa and am part of a Medieval Armoured Comat group. We needed dresses made and a friend of mine found a fabulous seamstress who made both her and another friend’s dresses. Friend # 2 got married in February, and the same seamstress made her dress which was amazing! I’m using the same seamstress to make my dress now.

     • Hi Catherine,

       Can you send me the details of your seamstress? I’m looking to have my wedding dress made as well.
       Thanks!

   • Agree – I wanted an SCA period dress and went with a seamstress who has done a number of different styles. My body doesn’t “fit” a standard pattern block so custom was the best way for me. She also made my husband’s outfit and we both looked amazing!

2. The local fabric shop is another one to try. If yours employs knowledgeable-type-ladies (and not passive-agressive 18-yr-olds, I’m looking at you, Polaris), try asking them if they know anyone. The store I grew up with even kept a binder of local seamstresses for such occasions.

   • We have a wonderful local chain of fabric stores in the west Michigan area where the employees are very knowlegable and helpful, Fields Fabric Stores. They have a bullitin board, and I have received a great deal of work by simply posting my business card there.

3. I’m using a fabulous corset and dress maker here in the Bay Area. She is well known in our faire and Dickens Xmas faire circles.

   You should be prepared that custom work is not necessarily cheaper than getting your dress at some crazy bridal store. I’m having a vintage inspired cocktail dress made in red silk taffeta with a custom corset and it’s not cheap.

   But it will be exactly what I want, and include things like my wedding date embroidered in the lining of the skirt and the corset. Really the most important thing to look for in a custom seamstress is attention to detail. Often people who sew take time short cuts or think “something looks good enough.” So pick a seamstress who does more than put a pattern together. They should know how to draft or drape a pattern, and be willing to make several mock ups to get the pattern and fit right BEFORE they cut into the expensive fabric.

   I’d only use a seamstress who sews for ren faires or the SCA if they have a portfolio of modern clothes. Clothing construction for those time periods was often more straightforward than some of the modern sillouettes and styles we are used to now.

   • Great points! Can you share the deets on your dress maker? I’m also from the Bay Area and was hoping to find a kickass place to do a fun custom dress.

4. Chelle you make a good point — I think custom-made dresses are about value, not cheapness. They won’t always be inexpensive, but you get so much more for the money … ie, custom design, truly custom fit, etc. Plus the warm fuzzy feeling of supporting a seamstress instead of a salon.

   And when it comes to truly couture bridal wear (ie $6k dresses), going custom is definitely cheaper.

   • I love your comment! I get a lot of brides who come to me and are looking to spend $100-300 on a custom tailored bridal gown. They are more concerned with the price than the quality of the gown and it simply breaks my heart.

5. For any offbeat brides in or near Utah, I recommend Nancy Barrus of http://www.nancybarruscouture.com, based in Provo, Utah. I worked for her for a few months and she does absolutely amazing work and works with brides on a very personal level. Check out her gallery for a small example of what she can do. She’s one of two people I’d trust, besides myself, to make my wedding gown.

6. I had mine custom made by a local (Seattle) corset maker (see corset/skirt here:). I picked out the fabric, we came up with the design together, and she was able to integrate the fabric from my grandmother’s 1937 dress into my skirt (the ivory part) and the binding of the corset. She also made my hubby’s red vest. I found her through a friend whose wedding attire I had admired the year before, but the people at the fabric store definitely knew her, so I agree with the above posting about asking at local fabric stores.

7. Just 38 days and then I can show you mine. I’m hoping I’ll be as happy with mine as PrincessLaserTron was with hers!

8. Awww, I’m a costume lady and this post made me feel all warm and fuzzy! It really is the way to go – I think it makes it much more fun and exciting to work with someone for exactly what they want. 😀 😀

9. I am having my wedding dress custom made by a designer in Houston, Texas (http://azacdesigns.com/). I have ordered many things from her before, and they are all exquisite. She’s been in business for years and years (don’t let the pretty, young face fool ya!) so she’s well established, too!

10. Admittedly, I didn’t go the route of design school kids (because as a recent jewellery design grad, I know that students will let your project fall to the wayside, and then rush it or miss the deadline if they fall behind in school), nor did I go to a costume maker in my area (because I used to do theater, and I’ve seen some of those costumes up close, and between the apolstery notions, and trims, and the plastic jewels, I just couldn’t bring myself to trust them). But I did suss out several “bridal” seamstresses, and if you want a wedding dress, that is probably one of the most high-profile garments you will ever wear, you need to consider that it has to fit very well. A custom made garment should look like it was made for your body, it should also have the support structures, to support, tuck, pull in, lift up, and look crisp. Even the most billowy dress has secret nips and tucks in the fabric to make it fall just so. And you need a dressmaker with enough experience to tackle these issues. And in my area at least, Toronto, there wasn’t one bridal dressmaker that was under 4000$ to start. Custom-made is fabulous if you can afford it, and since I know about proper fitted garments, I couldn’t settle for less. So I had to compromise, and get an off the rack, that I will ahve expertly tailored for my figure.

    • True, not all costumers are equal. However, if you find seamstresses working at a professional theatre–not summer stock, either–you will be in luck. I made more intricate, finer made garments in a theatre shop than anyone ever has required of me in fashion. All professional costumes are made to fit like custom. Ask for a draper or first hand, rather than a stitcher, to get a more experienced professional. Custom varies widely, be careful, but ask around. I think you can get a great dress for less than some off-the-racks, if the materials are reasonable. Especially when considering some salons charge $350 in alterations on top of the cost of the dress.

11. I’m having my dress made by a woman named Haehie in DC. She is a former opera singer (they have to make their own costumes)and has had her own dressmaking business for years. She came highly recommended from a patient of mine (her wedding dress was beautiful).

    While it isn’t cheap, I think it will be totally worth it and I NEVER have to step foot in a bridal shop. I brought in a picture of a 1950s cocktail dress and she is making it from scratch.

    Just remember that you should be having at least 1 if not 2 muslin fittings before they ever cut the fabric the dress will be made of. Especially if they are not going from a pattern. Once your fabric is cut that is it, so speak your mind and be very honest. They really do want you to look your best and be happy.

    • Hi Suzzanne,

      I have made a deposit with Haehie Chang in Georgetown for my wedding dress. She seems like a really nice lady. I'll be honest with you though, I'm a bit nervous about whether she is healthy enough to finish my dress. She doesn't come cheap for sure and my wedding date is approaching fast and I have not had 1 muslin fitting yet. What was your experience with her like? Please keep this confidential. I don't want to hurt Haehie's feelings, but I am really concerned.

      • Diane, just as a heads up: your comment here appears publicly and will potentially show up in Google searches. If you have concerns about confidentiality, a public blog comment isn't the way to go.

12. ShiloM – I had the same issues here. NOLA dressmakers were completely out of my budget. Maybe my size might have had something to do with it (I’m plus sized – 22/24). I’m not saying that what they do isn’t worth every penny – I simply can’t afford to pay that much.

    So it was off to the bridal boutique to order a dress. When it comes in I’ll take it to a good tailor to see what they can do.

13. as a plus size bride i understand what u are talking about karen.
    there is one local dress maker but her rates to start are 70 an hour. I am trying to keep my wedding very low budget, so i am going to buy a dress off the rack and have it custom fitted and altered to add my own flair to it.

14. I agree with ShiloM the seamstress is the best place to start.
    I’m lucky enough to have a seamstress friend who is helping me with my dress.

    No matter what you do, bring photos, and lots.

    no one is a mind reader

15. Patsy Bessolo in Roanoke.

16. After a few visits to bridal salons that left me thinking that maybe I had taken a women’s movement time machine back to 1850, I decided to get my dress custom made. I am going to a wonderfully creative seamstress and really enjoying the whole process-much less cookie cutter and often less expensive. If you live in Northern Vermont or the vicinity, check out Ava Bishop at http://www.damnfinepants.com

17. I’m in Iowa and looking for someone to work with. Anyone out there have any hints?

    Also, I ran across this website a while back that seems to have some great feedback on it. I would love to know if anyone had tried them yet…

    http://www.lilywedding.com/index.php

    • Where are you in Iowa?
      Have you tried looking at Dornik in the East Village in Des Moines?

18. thanks for the link to CurvedNDarted! Sasha is an AMAZING seamstress, and a good friend!

19. Hey ladies: I don’t think this comment thread is the best place to ask about seamstresses in your region. (There are thousands of you reading from all over the world — way too many cities for this blog post to answer them all!) Instead, let’s focus on folks who’ve found seamstresses and want to share their recommendations. If there’s not a recommendation for your area, try searching Google or following the tips in these comments about asking around at your local theater, fabric store, ren faire, college, etc.

20. I totally agree – custom made is much better if you have the budget – I am going the next step and knitting my wedding dress – I will have to get a slip made for under, and the current debate is either to find one or make one myself.

21. hi! I’m the polka-dot bride pictured in the OP.

    I want to agree with Ariel. My dress cost less than many of my friends who bought theirs in bridal salons (can you get them cheaper? yes of course, but it was a comparably lower price).

    I found my dressmaker from a blind google search, searching for designers in my area. I think that I lucked out…she did a fantastic job.

22. I met with Patsy Bessolo in Roanoke this weekend. I took in several pictures for inspiration, as well as these awesome shoes I bought to wear (no problem I didn’t know what my dress would be when I bought them – I figured I could find a dress to match the shoes!)

    She asked a bunch of questions about what I wanted, what I didn’t want, what sort of fabric I was envisioning…I left feeling awesome, and wondering why I hadn’t met with her sooner. Could have saved myself oodles of stress. I’m looking forward to seeing the designs she comes up with, and am feeling pretty confident about it.

    • I happen to be close by in Roanoke, dying trying to find someone that can do a pretty complicated design.. but I’m also a graduate student, and slightly price conscious. How expensive did your dress end up being?

23. I found Gloria, my wonderful seamstress, through a fabric shop. Being a plus sized bride, I was concerned about finding a seamstress who knew how to draft patterns and create a dress with lines that flattered. The helpful assistant at the fabric shop recommended Gloria highly, and it was only after meeting her that she said that she only ever dressed petite or plus sized brides! She is a master pattern drafter as well, and it was fortuitous that I connected with her when I did because she divulged that my wedding was the last wedding she’d take on before semi-retirement!

    My dress was on par with other couture bridal quotes. For plus sized haute couture, it was pretty damn well priced though!

24. I went to 1 bridal dress shop and just about ran screaming out the door. The woman tought I was crazy because I didnt’ like a single of the blow-up creampuff monstrocities in her silly books (I wasn’t even allowed in until I picked a picture!).

    So I went to a local designer (I live in Montreal–not really too hard) and bought the first dress I tried on. A little too expensive, but so beautiful and simple. And unique. And ME! A few adjustments are needed, but I feel good. Designers do one-of-a-kind lines–try it out!

25. Hi, I am the designer of the polka Dot Dress above. I would like to participate in this discussion on finding dressmakers, true designers and what to look for in a wedding gown professional. My background is well rounded in that my degree and background is in the fashion industry, I write for a trade publication, I have a garment patent, and I also do my couture custom designs. I have been designing for 16 years and have operated my studio for 10. I state all that because I have found my experiences in the industriy areas have really given me insight on what works well with custom brides and how sewing professionals should also in turn work with brides. It is a partnership. Some seamstresses are not meant to deal with brides, and some brides are not Custom criteria. I have quite a bit to say, but I will break this off at my introduction and touch on one topic tomorrow that may be helpful in your selection.

    I do have to add a comment on pricing for custom. I will expand on that tomorrow, but I recently heard on one discuss list and it is true that no one goes down the isle saying “I chose this gown because it was the cheapest”.

    When buying RTW or custom you just have to be an educated consumer, know what to expect and what you get and do not get with either option as well as being totally comfortable with whoever you are dealing with.

    Nice to meet you and I will share some more tips later.

    Designer Joi

26. Lara – I am also a AZAC bride.

    Tracy is great to work with and gives many good suggestions. Don’t let the pictures on her site fool you – the samples aren’t always as nice as her real clothing. (example – her Scottish bride dress really needs a lining and some heavier fabric to make it truly wearable)

    Make sure you understand parts of clothing and ask lots of questions. Tracy and I designed my dress in about an hour in person and about a dozen emails, but I know costume/clothing lingo from my theatre days. If you don’t, do yourself a favor and read up a bit and check your definition against your designers.

    I can’t wait to share my dress with Offbeatbride! I don’t think it will be like anything you have ever seen!

27. I got my dress from Whirling Turban. I was really nervous about the whole overseas aspect at first, but their communication is so good (it’s an American designer who fell out of love with costume designing in Los Angeles and in love with Bali) that my fears were for the most part calmed during the process. The hardest part was trying to decide on fabrics based on what was there or what I could send her and how that would work – she ended up having really great stuff for the style we went for there and she did send fabric samples, but it just made me a little nervous b/c I’d never dealt with fabric. End of story: I love my dress. It’s perfect. I am getting it hemmed by a local seamstress as recommended by my dress designer and she’s great too – it all fits in with my wedding planning philosophy of only working with people I actually like. It makes planning much less stressful.

28. I’m having my dress custom-made but not by a seamstress per se. I was trying on gowns at a local bridal shop and the attendant was really wonderful. She actually made her own dresses with a Chinese bridal manufacturer and then sold them in the shop. But when I mentioned that I had a dress in mind and I couldn’t find anything at a salon like it, she offered to make it on the side for me with her manufacturer.

    She took my measurements, drew up a sketch, picked out fabrics with me from her manufacturer’s sample book, and it should be coming in within the next week or two. I’m not saving a whole lot, since it’s not exactly hand-made, but I’m pretty much getting my dress at cost + personal profit instead of going through the middle man of the evil bridal salon. My designer friend even quit the salon after starting to work with me so she could be free to do projects like this without having to go behind the salon’s back (so to speak.)

    It’s not traditional, or even typical, but that’s one way to find someone to make a custom wedding dress for you…

29. I got a custom dress from Kaersen and was very very disappointed. The stitching was poor, the color was off, and the fabric was incorrect. Also, they were recently affected by the earthquake and I would not suggest purchasing from them at this point.

30. Here’s a hint about fittings.

    My aunt (who does costumes for film, TV etc) made my dress – pretty much ON me. The first fitting was quite disappointing – the rough model she had made up didn’t fit me in any dimension and was too long and just all wrong. BUT it all shapes up pretty quickly from there so I was delighted by the 3rd fitting.

    Don’t freak out if the first fitting is bad…

31. I really enjoyed having my dress custom made. I live in Birmingham, AL and I wanted a silver dress with navy accents (My engagement ring is a sapphire). Going to bridal boutiques did not turn out to be such a great experience, you would have thought I was speaking in another language when I asked if they had a silver dress. I did try on dresses at the boutiques to see what did look good on my figure. I did not think a strapless dress would look good on me, but it did. If you are interested in having a dress made I would definitely suggest this. Trying on the dresses really helped me pinpoint what I liked and did not like. The dress I tried on in the boutique would have been $8000. This did not include veil or alterations. The dress I had made was considerably cheaper and she made me a veil and gloves. My sis was my bridesmaid and she made her dress also. With all that still cheaper than the one dress. We were in a magazine — here are the photos.
    Hope this helps!!

    • Hi Nicole! Where did you go in birmingham?

32. I am back,

    Lucy has a good point about the initial fitting. In custom you are just that customizing and shaping something to fit your body. Here are some other tips that brides often overlook, and things I preach on.

    1. Wear your exact shoes and foundations at every fitting. This affects your posture and the fit.

    2. Changing briefs, panties, thongs etc. can throw off the hip curve of a fitted gown. Again, fit to what you will wear.

    3. A gown is created from a 2-D fabric around a 3-Dbody. It takes tweaking and fitting to perfect.

    4. You have to have a little visual skills to go the custom route and understand that it is a process to the finished product.

    5. Be open and honest when you are unsure, but also be realistic. If you have a truly skilled professional and if they say something is a good or bad idea listen to them.

    MOST importantly. The body is a moving object. People are used to stretchy undergarments that move with us as we expand and contract. Most gowns are fitted and do feel different then jeans and a t-shirt. You have to be aware of that. Also, medication, eating, etc.. all affect the body. If you have any unusual circumstances that will affect your fit tell your professional. They need to know.

    All these will help your creative process go smoothly.

33. Best. Post. Ever. Thanks Ariel!!

    And I’d really like to find out who you used Chelle. I grew up in those circles and live in the Bay Area and am looking for someone good.

34. For any midwestern OBBs Dornink’s (www.dornink.com) is a great place to work with! It is a mother daughter team, the daughter designs the dresses for their line and the mother Faythe does the custom work. I told her my budget and my timeline and she has been great to work with. She has been open to and embellished all of my ideas plus she has been completely respectful of the budget I told her I was working with. My dress is going to be a red silk, I’ll post picks on the OBB flickr page in later August. 🙂

35. I love love love working with my custom dress maker. I’m lucky enough to have a friend of a freind who is fantastic at sewing. I saw a full-on Elizabethan dress she made for a mututal aquantance of ours a few years ago, and was impressed. Also, while she has the skill to do this proffesionaly, she only does it as a hobby. For the pure joy. I cant describe the giddy look on her face when we ordered 30 yards of duponi silk (2 brides= lots of fabric). she dosnt get to play with that too often. We actually had to haggle UP with her- she didnt want us to pay her beond cost of materials!

    I am glad, however, that its a friend of a freind, not a close friend of mine working on the dress. We’ve been friendly aquantances for years, but thats it. I feel like that gives me room to treat her as a proffesional, without having it be a weird shift from casual interaction.

    Oh, but I should mention the plan we had before finding April- good for all you nerdy geeky brides- theres a big scifi/fantasy/horrer/anime/whathaveyou con near us every year. They put on a hell of a costume competition. We were going to track down some of the entries we really loved in the masters segment, and ask them about a commision. Great way to get a lot of creative, nerdy people together for immediate comparison.

36. I just started working with Whirling Turban for my wedding dress, and it’s been amazing so far. I was really worried that the difference in time zone and language would cause issues, but their customer service rep who you communicate with the most has a good grasp on English and there have been no problems at all. I knew what I wanted the end result of my dress to be, but I wasn’t sure which of their available styles would work the best. They’ve been very helpful in explaining dress construction to me.

    The best part is how nice they are. I sent them an iquiry about making my dress, and I received a message back filled with congratulations, well wishes, and all around goodness. Most bridal boutiques I’ve been in were filled with stuffy women who wanted to put me in a dress I hated for commission. The people at Whirling Turban made sure to say they’d be honoroed and thrilled to help me create my dress. If that doesn’t make a bride squeal for joy, I don’t know what will.

37. I have heard excellent things about Kari Perkins in Austin – she’s a costume designer who also makes beautiful custom wedding gowns (she was also recently profiled in Southern Living magazine). Her wedding gown site is http://www.estrellabridal.com; her professional site is kariperkins.com.

38. A friend of a friend is making my corset, and for the skirt, I bought a bridesmaid skirt from David’s Bridal. This ensemble will still cost me upwards of $600 all told, based on what I want, but it’s something I can wear again and again, and that is important for me.

    Info on the corset-maker I found through a friend:
    Although I am in the Bay Area, the corsetiere is in L.A., and she has experience doing mail-order corsets. All you have to do is ask if she can ship to your location.

    What makes a good corset-maker:
    They must triple-check all your measurements. If you submit your measurements and they have no questions, beware.

    The corset should feel very comfortable against your skin. If there are rough edges or rough seams, it’s shoddy work – send it back.

    The corset-maker should give you training on how to get your corset laced!

    The corset-maker should send you a mockup corset to draw on, while you have it on – so you can articulate what parts of the corset you like and don’t like. Then you send it back for further revision.

    The corset-maker I contracted:
    http://www.myspace.com/sue_nice

    -Sue doesn’t have her own personal site up yet, but a lot of her work can be seen over at http://www.romantasyweb.com/cyboutique/corset/SueNice.shtml
    (scroll down on that page and click on ‘photo gallery’ to see her work. For example, this image is what sold me on going through Sue: http://www.romantasyweb.com/all-galleries/gallery-html/sue-DSC02991.htm)

    The skirt:
    David’s Bridal Mix & Match Skirts (only $109 +tax!):
    http://www.davidsbridal.com/iframe_mam_separates_tt.jsp
    (I’m getting the #81227 skirt)

    Best of luck to you in the search for your perfect dress!

39. I never, ever thought of going any route but custom for my dress. I have always wanted to have custom clothing made for me! I’m sad that tailoring is no longer custom; I feel like I’m in the wrong time period. My fiancee is also getting a custom 1920s style Irish felted wool suit for the occasion (which we’re both excited about). My wedding isn’t until July of 2009, but I got started as early as possible emailing tailors and dressmakers around town (I live in Portland, Oregon). I found someone whose bridal and everyday designs I love, and she starts at an affordable price ($800). We are going to start working on my dress this fall (a light dusty rose pink silk taffeta knee-length cocktail dress). In the end, I’ll be spending about $1300, which is really not bad! And I’ll be able to wear the dress later because it won’t look bridal.

    Anyway, make sure you find someone who is willing to do a lot of fittings. I think I get 12 over the course of the process, and a mock-up as well, and we’ll probably do the last fitting right before the wedding. I also suggest getting a custom corset done first, before you get started on the dress (unless the corset is part of the dress).

    I also recommend finding a bridal boutique in town that carries dresses with different design elements you love (even if you hate the dresses themselves), and then going to try them on. I did this, and discovered the empire waist I was envisioning was nothing on me compared to the drop waist I’m going for now.

40. For Asheville, NC: R. Brooke Priddy at Ship to Shore Shop(www.shiptoshoreshop.com). Beautiful, beautiful beautiful work.
    xo
    jodi

41. I’m a professional actor; I know many costume designers. One of them is making my gown for under a grand.

    So if you know any actors (and we are EVERYWHERE), chances are good that they’ll know one or several costume designers who’d love the creative challenge and extra cash if they’re between gigs!

42. I’m using the above-mentioned Amanda Archer via Etsy to make my wedding dress out of vintage champagne eyelet lace. I’m super excited! She’s amazing!

43. I adore all of you off beat brides! I stumbled across this community in my search for hope of a beautiful budget wedding and you guys never fail. Thanks for all the budget help!!!!

44. hopefully this OBT thread is helpful!

45. .

46. I got my Wedding dress from an on line store “Dress of a lifetime” it was all custom made from 2 pictures of 2 very different dresses that they combined in to one dress and made to my exact measurements. Their customer service was out of this world i know exactly what was going on through the whole process. it was a bit pricey (mine was $1100) but the quality is well worth the extra cash. I am a plus size girl and finding a plus size dress that fits you perfectly is almost impossible for that price.

47. HELP I AM DESPERATE i am looking for a wedding dress cheaper then the 800$ i like the some what cliassic style. but want a twist. i want a blue dress light blue a line but not poofy tie dye is acceptable. i have a very specific look and also a very specific budget… laughable maybe. same deal for the suits. its a jersey shore beach wedding. i am a size 14. please look at our website it might give u an idea of how to better advise us. were young havent done this before and are going on very little guidence. all i know about the wedding is what ive told u and that its a white n blue wedding and the groom is wearing customized chucks along with our ring bearer who is our 2 yr old son quinn westley
    im andi and my other half is merlwynn (ya like the wizard kool huh?) please feel free to contact me
    thanks mucho andi

    • Hi andi,

      I run a small home bridal studio in Bergen County, NJ. I work with brides looking to go the custom route. Your budget is very fair. I invite you to take a look at my website and let me know if I can be of any assistance. All the best…Aida

      http://www.rosisbridalstudio.com

48. To the girl in commen #32 , where in birmingham, al did you go to get your dress made? Im looking and need some help

49. Andi this comment is for you, If you haven’t found your “dream dress” that is not white they try this website, plussizebridal.com they have alot of bridesmaid gowns that could easily be wedding gowns. Some of them even have sweep trains and have many colors to chose from and most of them are from 100 to 500.(They also have a few colored wedding gowns) They also sell many gowns from alfred angelo and other designers as well for much less than bridal stores.Hope this helps many out there!!

50. Thanks so much!I got my wedding dress from Kaersen, it is more beautiful than what I have dreamed.I recommend them.

51. […] here’s some more custom wedding dress advice from Offbeat […]

52. […] Everything you need to know about having your wedding dress custom-made: The title says it all-this article has great advice for getting a wedding dress made just for you. […]

53. Adeleine in 39,

    I just moved to the Portland area and want to get my dress custom made. I literally moved here a week ago from Nebraska and don’t know my way around AT ALL. What is the name of your dress maker and what is her phone number??

    Thank you, and happy wedding day soon!

54. Im getting a custom dress because the style i want simply doesnt come in a store.(an authentic tea length 1950’s styled dress)
    luckily my grandma knows a lady who makes wedding dresses who will do it for me.

    but i keep hearing everywhere that it is a bad idea to get a custom gown. All of the wedding shows(like say yes to the dress) and magazines all say that you will regret it.
    which makes me nervous cause im a total perfectionist and i strive for good quality clothing whenever i shop..and i will notice any imperfection.

    Its nice to see people saying otherwise, and that they had a great experience getting a custom dress. It deffinately calms my nerves.

55. “All of the wedding shows(like say yes to the dress) and magazines all say that you will regret it.”

    That’s because wedding shows and magazines are part of the mainstream wedding industry, and are supported by national dress shop chains and big name designer labels. Of COURSE they don’t want you spending your money with some no-name independent dressmaker — it’s less money they’re making off of advertisements and show booths.

56. cynzia ,
    the one and only girl to respond to my pleas for help. thank u very much for the tip. i am thinking about haveing it made but should i not follow thru with that ur site was VERY VERY VERY helpful thank u soooo much

57. anyone ever heard anything about http://www.dhgate.com , their wedding apparel section?

58. […] Everything you need to know about having your wedding dress custom-made: The title says it all-this article has great advice for getting a wedding dress made just for you. […]

59. I am also a designer who has done custom work for over ten years in North Carolina. I have worked on everything from pageant gowns for Miss America to Wedding gowns and done renaissance and historical costuming and dance and theatre costuming. I say all that because there are a few things I’ve learned doing this that I wanted to share.

    1. Make sure your personalities don’t clash. If you don’t like the person your working with you will not have a good experience. First impressions really do matter. A consultation is not a contract so if you don’t feel right walk away and find someone else.

    2. Look at pictures, actual work, etc but also ask if they have any recommendations or other customers you can speak with. Most will and don’t be afraid to ask around and talk to others who’ve used the designer/seamstress.

    3. Be patient with the process but also please please please speak up! A good designer will not be offended it you ask questions and most will welcome it. I want my brides to be completely satisfied. After all, it’s your day!

    4. Get a contract!!!! Have everything in writing, cost, design, types of fabrics, etc. This is for your protection and the protection of the person you’re working with.

    I could add a ton more but those were just some of the things that first came to mind when I read this. Thank you Off Beat Bride for this wonderful article. Custom can be a wonderful way to have a wedding dress that is totally you!

60. No NYers with recommendations?

61. I’m seconding the advice from Joi and Angela, and my Professional two cents:

    Custom simply is not for everyone. Some people cannot cope with the process and watching the piece evolve through the fittings. If you’re the type of person who constantly needs someone else’s opinion and is uncomfortable with ‘owning the decision’, you should just go shopping. Seriously.
    If the evolution of the creative process turns you on and you are the girl with the image burned into your head of what you want (and can communicate with others), then you are a perfect candidate for a Custom Gown!

    Price. There are some things that can be made for less than a Chinese sweatshop or a National Conglomerate Chainstore can sell for retail! However, some of these $99. Sale price tags simply cannot even begin to cover the cost of materials for an Independent Designer, let alone cover the hours of work involved.
    Know that decent looking lace averages $100. a yard, and that a $100. at wholesale bag of swarovski crystals can take almost 100 hours of work to sew. It’s simple Business 101 to translate it into what your gown should cost vs. what you’d like to pay. Don’t insult your Designer and ask for a copy of that $5G beaded lace Vera Wang for $500. Remember that staying in business costs money. 100 Hours of work >< more than Minimum Wage =???

    And don’t ever have your gown made by someone who works without a contract! The VLAMA helped me re-write mine recently and I highly reccomend the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts if you’re a young Designer starting out.
    🙂 Harper

62. I actualy got great dressmaker recomendations from a local jewlery shop that does custom work in house (do NOT go to the mall lol), and from a wedding planner that makes dresses but didn’t like working with silk. Local bridal shops also contract with seamstresses that often make wedding dresses. Many tailors or dry cleaners can give you recomendatuiions as well. My dressmaker is only charging me $500 for my dress and I was very pleased to find someone to work with in town.

    Some tips:
    1: Pick a pattern or a picture that you like and try on similar dresses, don’t assume talioring is a magic bullet, some stlesd simply look better on a hanger.

    2. Get recomendations (see above). If others were pleased with thier work, chances are you will be too.

    3. Buy great fabric and get recoomendations from your dressmaker on where to shop and what to buy, yit’s not fun to spend lots of money to get a dress made only to realize that you should have coughed up the extra 75 bucks for silk instead of polyester satin when you feel like your in a plastic bag at your august wedding (plus I just love natural fibers…especialy silk 🙂

    Anybody can contact me if they are having the hebby jebbies about the dress experience, I’m on the same adventure!

63. My wife found a dress maker to create her wedding dress using “Kijiji” which is a free local online classified listing used all across North America. There were quite a few listed at the time.

64. i order 10 dresses. THEY ARE ROGUE TRADERS!!! They STOLE my designs and refused to send them to me even though I had paid for it.

    It is now advertised on their website. They are thieves and liars. I was so shocked. I was going to town on this I ordered 10 dresses. They took my deposit, claiming that they would send me the pictures and if I didn’t like them all I had to do was say and they would refund or remake.

    They made card board 2 pence looking things so I asked them to remake them then they went off line and I didn’t hear anything from them for a month (no responses to my emails and calls) They then resurfaced and said I should send them my address that they would send me the only dress I liked and they have not and again have refused to return calls or reply emails.

    Bad quality dresses, bad quality service. Dont waste your time. THey are only attentive until you have paid.

65. Just some advice(referring to online dealings), never pay anything until they at least give you a sketch and a fabric sample. If they can’t do that for you then that’s a huge red flag.

66. I recently had my dress made after finding that there was no way in hell I was going to afford the couture dresses with yards of flowing raw silk I so desired. My solution, I ordered silk from China, and found a seamstress with the help of everyone’s favorite friend, Craigslist. With the recession on you’ll be surprised how many super qualified people will respond to your craigslist ad. I lucked out and found a couture dressmaker who had just been let go of her job at a major label because of the economy, who was willing to do it on the cheap. Also the beauty of criagslist is you can also write in other forms of payment you might offer like trades(I know a girl who designed her seamstress a jazzy website in return for making her dress). I LOVE my custom dress, though if you are looking to spend less than 800 bucks, I’d go with finding a great sample or a used one.

67. […] is her wedding dress. Custom creations can cost literally tens of thousands of dollars. But if a custom designed dress could be made at a fraction of the cost, it would certainly be a valuable find for brides. Here is […]

68. Kathryn of Asphodel Couture made my purple wedding dress. I found her while looking round several dress designers' stalls at the goth weekend we have in whitby, UK twice a year. She does gorgeous work and I'm over the moon about the finished outfit. She is based in Blackpool, UK and you can find her on etsy and myspace. For the work and detail that she's put into it (bustled skirt with train, corset, little jacket and matching bag) it was all a very reasonable price i thought. I'm so happy and can't wait for the big day when i get to wear it 🙂

69. I found the coolest seamstress/designer, Nicolette, from a bridal expo called "Unbridled Expo" It featured alternative wedding services for people looking for untradtional wedding vendors. (they even had roller derby girls modeling dresses! How awesome) Back to the point, Nicolette, from Fabrica in Philadelphia created the perfect rockabilly wedding dress for me. While it wasn't really cheap, it was on par with wedding dresses found in boutiques.

    The best part is that I got to pick out everything on the dress! I can't wait to wear my wedding dress now! And I can probably wear it again because it's not super bridey.

    • I live just outside of Philadelphia and am looking for a Rockabilly dress as well, if you don’t mind me asking how much was your dress? and does she have a website?

70. Etsy.com is probably a great place to find a seamstress. Many of the crafty folk on Etsy make the dresses to order anyway and a lot of the profiles I've looked at are open to changes to their existing styles.

71. my mother wanted her dress custom made , so i had to do the leg work for it and i found a very old but fiesty woman who gave my mother a great price not an hourly wage. so for 250 my mother got a vintage reproduction wedding gown that fit her like a glove.

    my advice search everywhere , internet ,locally , friends, just don't get sucked into an hourly seamstress . i was quoted upward of 1000 dollars for my moms wedding gown.

72. I got really, really lucky and found a schoolteacher/seamstress based out of London on Etsy named LizzieJayne. She made me a fabulous 50's style dress from ivory Italian duchess satin with a red sash. It is beautifully made, fully lined and fits perfectly, all for 1/3 the price what I would have paid in a bridal shop. I took a big risk, I was nervous, but everything in the traditional bridal shops about made me retch.

73. I am getting married in montreal but I currently live in Sinagpore. I am a Cdn size 8 and I was feeling really apprehensive about finding a gown in asia! But luck found me and I met a designer in a shop and a design that I had quite liked.He is going to custom his original design to suit my body type.He has been contracted out to a major bridal house in france for the last ten years and he has been a pleasure to work with.He has an amazing knowledge of bridal fashion and was really helpful in helping me understand what was good for my body(i am pretty curvy).He worked within my budget by giving me options that could reduce the cost (example less beading etc.)And I am going for the skeleton fitting Dec 27.I was feeling so aprehensive but now I am just excited that I will look just like I had hoped.I also managed to find a custom shoe shop (my feet are also a little wider than most asians).Just email me if you would like more info [email protected].! Cole you are amazing!!

74. I'm getting my dress from Dolly Couture. I really wanted a 1950's cocktail dress, but one that wasn't strapless ..,. which was an ass pain to find. They're fully customizing mine to get exactly the look I want, right down to the blue ribbon-trimmed petticoat and the satin buttons on the back. It's costing about $700, which is less than half of the original 'Dream Dress' I found … and I don't have to deal with a bridal salon or endless fittings. Thank god. The level of communication from them has been great and they've been more than willing to send me reduxes of sketches matching the specifications I've asked for, allowing my Libra brain to change my mind and make up my mind.

    • I too am ordering my dress from Dolly Couture. They are so nice!

75. Let me first say how I happened upon this string of posts.. I did a google search on "how much fabric is needed for a typical wedding dress".. 10 mins later, I am here. Anyway, reading this post was like reading my "how I made my unique wedding happen" diary 🙂 The idea of finding a seamstress appealed to me from day 1. I am the offbeat bride whose #1 pet peeve is to look at something and think "oh that's in every wedding". I revere tradition in a ceremonial sense but nothing else about the wedding is going to be traditional. I found my seamstress bc I am in graduate school and one my seminars was held in the college of textiles, apparel management, in a room directly across from the "sewing labs". I walked out of the seminar and a light bulb went off. Fast forward 4 months, I have now met an awesome girl, been to her fashion shows, signed a contract, gone fabric-coddling with her, picked out everything from lining, fabric, trim, buttons, EVERYTHING. It has been the most fun I have had, not because I am hands-on but bc I get to be a part of the whole process. I cannot imagine it could have been nearly as satisfying as putting down upwards of $60k (which is what this celebrity dress cost)… or heck, even $3k!

76. I would be HUGELY interested in another post that talks about the *process* of getting a dress custom-made! I plan to have mine custom-made, but I am not very fashionable and I am terrified about the responsibility of designing my own dress. I know a good dress when I see one, but I am worried about making good decisions for myself. Should you go try on dresses at bridal salons to get an idea of what looks good? Should you rely on the seamstress/tailor for advice on what will complement you? That kind of thing. 🙂

77. Neat topic!
    I’m getting married in July and I’ve had my dress custom made.
    I found my seamstress and designer in a very different way. I’m a radio DJ and I went on air and asked if anyone had ever had clothing custom made online from a place like Etsy. I didn’t specify that I was thinking about getting a custom wedding gown. At that point, I wasn’t even engaged.
    I got a few calls recommending I get a local seamstress and one even called me with her information.
    But, about an hour later, I received and email from someone who said her friend had heard me talking and called her saying she HAD to email me. The seamstress told me she went to Ryerson (University in Toronto) for fashion design and gave me her credentials. She used to work in theatre making costumes but now just does a few projects a year. I told her I was interested in a corset as part of the dress and she told me she had been trained in classic corsetry. We met even before I was engaged and started talking about what I wanted and how much things would cost.

    Overall, the experience working with her was great.
    One major thing she did was urge me to go try on dresses before she did anything. Believe it or not, I wasn’t planning on trying on dresses because I -knew- what I wanted.
    Well, I ended up deciding on a style that was opposite of what I thought I wanted; very form fitting instead of the ball gown.

    I loved being part of creating this dress from designing to adding some of my own finishing touches like a bit of beading. It felt very high fashion to be pinned in muslin so she could make a pattern to fit my body.
    The dress has a proper built in corset, made from dupioni silk, fits like a glove and I love it!
    It cost about $1000.

    • Hi Lisa! I also live in Toronto and am trying ever-so-hard to find a custom wedding dress maker. So far I have had no luck. I think I want something that is going to be a little technically difficult but if you wouldn’t mind passing on the contact info for your dress maker, I’d really appreciate it!

78. One of my friend had a similar experience with Kaersen. There’s a lot of Chinese custom-made dresses stores online, but you really can’t easily find one easy to deal with.

79. I had found this website that basically remade designers dresses… i think they were based in china but now I cant find the damned website :-/
    I have FULL intentions of having my dress made; whenever I finally get married. :>

80. I’m also in this boat. I really want to get my dress custom-made to avoid the ungodly price of many bridal stores. Unfortunately, finding a good seamstress in Panama City, FL is proving to be more difficult than originally thought. So, I think what I’m going to do is take the design that my future sister-in-law is making for me and send it to a tailor I used last year in Korea. I already have clothing from him so I know what beautiful work he does and his prices are very reasonable. I hope it works!

81. Hi guys! This post here analyses a chinese custom made dress if anyone is interested in going that way.

82. I gave Coral’s Bridal (coralsbridal.com) a chance and was disappointed with the end result. I wanted the Priscilla of Boston # 4104 and sent a dozen photos of the dress from other brides and from the website of the designer. These are the photos you see on this listing, this is not an example of the dress they actually made. I have posted photos of the dress made by Coral’s at this link http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/has-anyone-purchased-a-gown-from-corals-bridal/page/2?replies=50#post-2363042 The dress was a close match with the detail in the appliqué, but the way the dress fit and the style of the skirt was way off. They turned it into a mermaid dress and I can’t even walk in it. I spent $450.00 for a dress I can’t use. At this point I’ve called off the wedding until I can afford a wedding dress. I’m looking at sometime next year. We’ve decided to just get married in the court house until then.
    I also posted my review on the coral’s bridal website and they removed it. I guess they only post the positive reviews.

    • I was actually very happy with Coral’s Bridal; I had the opposite experience. I have to admit, I was a bit hesitant about ordering my dress online without trying it on. I’m glad I took the risk and ordered from Coral’s Bridal. They were very responsive all throughout the process, as I was a bit nervous about it all. It took them about one month to do a replica of a designer dress that was wayyy too expensive. After 1.5 months (shipping included), I got my dress in the mail. It was very carefully packaged, and inside out to protect the lace and beading. This dress was amazing – it fit me perfectly, and the lace was very high quality. Now, I don’t know much about wedding dresses, but I just have to say that I got tons of compliments on my wedding day. People were further surprised when I told them how inexpensive it was ($500). I can’t recommend Coral’s Bridal enough!!

83. I’m in Massachusetts- does anyone have any suggestions of awesome seamstresses in the new england area?

    • https://offbeatwed.com/vendor-category/gowns/ 🙂

84. I know exactly what I want, and it is *not* going to be cheap – but I also want it to be heirloom potential, so that I’d probably spend more buying a 2009 or 2010 model car (my price range usually being for a ’98-’06) is less important, if I start saving now. It’s great that Mom got hers out of a Macy’s catalogue for under 90 bucks and was happy, but it’s not a dress I’d wear or pass down to *my* kids, where the dress I have planned will be passed down and worn more than once (unlike a prom dress, a dance I never attended). The problem, of course, is *money*, especiaaly in the current economy. A theatre company or renfair place sounds good – especially since I’ve seen impressive handmade works from fairs I’ve personally attended -, but I haven’t forgotten being a student and wouldn’t want my dress made by one I didn’t personally know.

    • Luckily, I also have a guest list of only 6 and my only honeymoon plans are having 2 weeks off work, not going to Fiji or anything, so that’s one less worry on the economic front. Let’s hope his family isn’t a party of forty!

85. One of my best friends is going to be making my dress, and even hand-crocheting a cute little lace shrug for up top. My decision to choose her was set in stone when she managed to whip up a dress and Oriental-style overcoat for a friend’s wedding…in two days! I am definitely an advocate for the custom route, especially if your body type isn’t exactly what a bridal shop would call “normal”.

    My advice would be to ask your group of friends. If you know anybody you know who is connected with the theater community, cosplay groups, or medieval recreations (my friend in particular is a member of the SCA and makes most of her costuming, which has given her a LOT of practice in different styles). I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable working with a complete stranger, but that’s just me. I’m shy and often worry if I actually get my point across. With my friend, it’s virtually stress-free because I trust her, have seen examples of her work, and she understands my weird way of wording things.

    (Also, depending on how fancy you want your dress, some friends may do it for cost of materials only as their way of giving you your wedding gift! Hurrah for budgets!)

86. As a custom dressmaker, I will have to disagree with your comment about prices at the bridal salon. To have a dress custom made, the craftsperson must design, measure, draft a pattern, drape, shop for fabric, sew prototypes, run fittings, make corrections, re-fit, meet the needs of the bride regarding body issues, design ideas, deadlines etc. All this before even starting the final product. I don’t even meet with any one for less than $3000 and that is rock bottom. If it takes me 2 to 4 months to create a custom gown from start to finish, I need to be compensated. I’ve spent alot of time and money learning these skills and it is really hard when people come to me and think I can somehow beat the price of a ready to wear dress made in an offshore factory. It is not the same kind of product at all. And the experience of having a gown made for your body with every attention given to you is more than a dress on a hanger.

87. I’m looking for a custom dress maker in or around Western Washington state. I live near (ish) Seattle. But Eastern Washington or a surrounding state is not out of the question. I actually want a slightly altered , custom version of a Delpozo Fall 2013 designer dress I found a picture of online. I need a seamstress who can work with fussy fabric and basically make a dress out of scratch. Does anybody have any suggestions? 🙂 (Not sure how old this blog is but I figured it’s worth a shot. Lol)

88. wow???good idea????
    my Our new web page :www.ogotoshop.com

89. I received my dress from my hometown shop. Luckily being able to walk just 5 minutes from my home and I had purchased a wonderfully beautiful Eden’s Bridal gown I believe its a 2012 edition which I do not mind. I happened to buy the dress under $525, while most Eden Bridals are $2000-800 brand new. I wouldn’t have received that brand from David Bridal since they didn’t have it except they have Vera Wang and almost all other affordable wedding dresses which they happen to be all beautiful. But what I had bought was more for me and much personal. It even came with a free royal train 🙂 I believe I did a good job. Now I need to pay for fitting in the next month until a few weeks before the wedding (May 31st 2014). I bought my shoes from consignment. How much do you think a fitting should cost maximum? Maybe I can talk down pricing to my seamstress on the dress? She said it wouldn’t be more than $200. Is that a good price for tightening the dress and maybe having a slight pick up? maybe even adding off the shoulder sleeves? First time and only time for this kind of ceremony for me. 🙂
    Any suggestions would be great.
    Thank you.

90. I realised that what I want doesn’t exist (yet) and any dress I tried on felt like a compromise. I came on here for dressmaker suggestions and am absolutely thrilled to bits! We found an amazing company in Worthing, Sussex UK, that have designed my dream for £200 under budget! What makes it more special is that it’s the town my mum grew up in and where my nan was happy. We live more inland so having the excuse to go back there and play on the pier 2p machines is an added bonus. As for the quality of the work and service of the shop, I can’t recommend them enough! Velvet Birdcage (Courtesan Boutique for their online shop). Happy happy happy!

91. Does anyone know of any amazing seamstresses in Texas? I want to have a custom corset dress made. 🙂

92. We offer custom made ladies suits in Houston TX. All suits are specially made to perfection. At the comfort of your home or office you can have our custom tailors and designers make you a perfectly fitting suit that can be worn at any particular occasion.
    http://festariformen.com/custom-made-ladies-suits-in-houston-tx/

93. I cannot agree with this more. I found my dress online on a UK site and once I realized I couldn’t afford it plus the air fare for the fittings (in person fittings required by te seamstress), I emailed and asked of I could find someone stateside that could replicate the design. She agreed and I went to a friend who knew someone at a local theatre costume shop that was versed in making corsets. She worked so well with me and my dress came out perfect. I researched beforehand and she made her own pattern for my corset and skirt. Her labor cost was $800 and te material cost was about $200. All together much cheaper than the $8000-9000 price tag before air fare for the UK dress.

94. Square neck blouses look good on every body
    shape and size. Some of the most famous clientele she had the pleasure of
    working for include Renee Zellweger and Jacqueline Kennedy.

    Since you’ll be wearing it almost everyday in the winter it needs to work with
    a lot of different styles.

95. I’m actually making my own custom dress with fabrics bought for me from the Philipinnes. I’ve mixed feelings on deciding to go down this path because it’s proving to be more of a challenge than I originally thought (I’m on my final month and I still haven’t finished it) as some things have taken longer than estimated. On the other hand I have total creative control.

    Although I have a friend making the corset part for me as I’ve no idea how to make corsets! And this is wonderful as she has worked to my design and measurements.

96. So I purchased my wedding dress on etsy.com, (for wedding at renaissance festival) when it came in I loved, loved the fabric but the dress made me look like a square box. I found laurel sews in south hills pa near Pittsburgh and she is a god send and is reworking the entire dress for me, I wish I found her before I purchased a dress online but it works out in the end, lesson I learned I guess! Lol

97. I had my vintage reproduction 1940’s dress custom made and I was not happy with the results. Four of the most important words in custom wedding dresses:GET IT IN WRITING!!! Also, if the dressmaker does a muslin (a mock dress made of muslin before using the actual expensive material) this is probably a good idea. Finally, get in writing, as well, the time frame or schedule for fittings and completion. Good luck!!!! Oh yeah, my dress was just over $2000.

98. does anyone know of any way that would be ok to remove the boning in the chest part of the dress? Soo many people told me that could cost up to another $500.00. I absolutely LOVE my dress, I just dont like the boning since that would be very uncomfortable for me especially with not having a large chest. I have many pads and I would rather want the chest piece close to my chest than sticking out with extra padding against my chest.
    Thank you,
    Roseann

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100. I love this blog post, especially because I recently started my own business helping brides design and create their couture custom gowns. It’s a pleasure knowing that there are many brides that would like to take the custom route. Partaking in the creation of your bridal gown is a fun and unique approach to selecting your ideal bridal gown, but doing your homework is a must. I always urge my clients to ask a lot of questions before they make their final decision. This post is def worth the share! Thank you!

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102. This page(and feed)has been really helpful. I’ve figured that I would opt for a completely original gown of my own design for a while, now. I’ve searched high and low and I can’t seen to find a gown that is a relaxed trumpet with lace, sleeves, lengthy train, and buttons all the way down the back. However, until now I was at a loss at going about finding someone for the job.

103. I’m from Australia and I got a custom design wedding dress tailored through http://www.lillybridal.com.au. They only sell to aussies at the moment but I can definitely recommend to all AU buyers. I sent them some info about the dress I wanted and they had it tailored and delivered to me in about 6 weeks. The dress fit perfectly and I probably saved around $1k too. I don’t have a model’s body and I got treated like lower class in bridal boutiques 🙁 ordering online was way better 🙂 🙂

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105. Nice Wedding Dress Fantasy. http://offbeatwed.com/2008/06/custom-wedding-dress

106. My Fiance has been really worried about finding a good place to get a custom wedding dress. As the wedding gets closer its important for her to know exactly what the dress will look like. I like how you talked about searching locally for one. I feel like that will help a lot as she can physically see the dress, and get fitted correctly, thanks!

107. I think it’d be so fun to have a custom made dress. The only hard thing that would be hard is that custom made dresses are so expensive! I think it would be awesome to be able to rent custom made dresses that are able to make easy alterations.

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