Wedding Custom Wedding Dress - Did you consider it? What did you decide - Why?

[Sparkalicious]

Hi everyone!

I''m starting out on the journey to find my perfect dress. While I haven''t found anything that strikes me as "the one" yet, I''ve found several that I quite like. I am considering going custom, if it fits within my budget, however, I''m interested in hearing different perspectives as to why/why not it may/may not be a feasible option.

I would love to hear your thoughts ... did you consider having your wedding dress custom made? If so, did you do it? If you did do it, were you happy? If not, why not and were you happy with your decision?

What are any potential drawbacks of going this route?

The more info/thoughts you have to share - the better! Thank you!!

 

[Pandora II]

I went custom from the start - and don't regret it for a minute.

DH and I designed the dress together - he had the initial inspiration - so it was a truly unique piece that I hope a future child or grandchild might choose to wear for their wedding as the design won't date.

I ended up with the dress I wanted in silk fabrics that were custom designed and woven for me in Italy by some of my oldest friends. It also cost me less than I would have paid if I'd bought a designer dress in the high-street.

I'm a fabric snob (my degree is in fashion and textiles so I have an excuse

) and wanted everything in nature fibres - even the linings in my dress were 100% silk. The pearl edging on the bodice and cuffs were also done in real pearls (took me 18 months of searching and bidding on ebay to get enough to match).

I found my dress-maker on the Internet - I was very lucky as I needed someone who could make a historically accurate Tudor corset to go under the dress.

I loved my dress and have had so many compliments about it.

It helped that the girl who made the dress and I had the same design background. Understanding garment construction meant that I knew what would and wouldn't work and how different fabrics would perform. It made things much easier - especially when we had to make decisions over the phone.

If you know exactly what you are after or want something a bit different then custom is great - but if you just want a copy of something already out there, then be prepared for annoyed seamstresses - my dressmaker had nearly given up doing wedding dresses as everyone either wanted a knock-off of a designer gown or wanted the impossible done with hopeless fabrics. Since doing mine, she's gone back into the business.

 

[Munchkin]

I went custom. Before we started dress shopping a family friend told us about a local designer. He was a designer for Priscilla of Boston but opened his own store and has his own line. Each of the gowns are made by hand at his shop, so he can do custom or simply amend a current design. My mom was sold on the custom idea from the get-go, but I wanted to shop for dresses first. I went to a few stores and failed to find "the one." At Priscilla''s I found *almost* the one.

I went to my designer''s store and tried on his gowns. While I still didn''t find "the one," I loved his concepts, his attention to detail and his personality. As my mom said "you could wear his gowns inside out." His work was meticulous.

I sat with him and described my dream gown, using pieces of the priscilla dress, some of his gowns and ideas in my head. As I spoke, he sketched. In ten minutes, my gown was on paper. A few weeks later he made my gown out of muslin. He slowly made the rest of the dress, piece by piece. He would literally have me put on the gown to visualize where to add 3 pearls.

It was a fun process and I love that no one else will ever have my gown. I was thrilled with the results.

 

[iheartscience]

Great thread, Sparkalicious! I''ll be following along because I''m also considering going custom!

 

[Mediterranean]

My sister-in-law had hers custom designed start to finish, from scratch drawings, muslin pattern hung from her, the whole bit.

She had fallen in love with a few Monique L''Huillier dresses, and decided that for the price, she wasn''t in LOVE with any one of them, but was in LOVE with certain elements of each dress. She wanted the skirt of one gown, neckline of another, bodice of a third.

The entire process, including labor and materials cost her about $1000. But she chose that expensive eyelash lace which Monique uses, and she did choose silk for the skirt.

The only "drawback" (if you''d call it that) is the time investment. If you''re a busy person, be sure to block off the time to get this done. The pattern will even be custom-designed, so it''s quite a bit more time consuming than getting fittings of a dress that you buy from a bridal line.

If you''re a person whose weight tends to fluctuate by 10 or more pounds a year, build in some extra time for yourself, especially at the pattern-making stage.

Her dress looked very beautiful when it was finished. I must say, the fit was ten times better than buying a dress from a bridal line and having it altered, since it was designed from a pattern that was literally built on her body. I mean, really, remarkably great fit. That has to be the biggest plus of having it designed from the ground up for you personally. The fit will be spectacular.

Get a great seamstress or tailor or designer. Some fabrics, like charmeuse, show every little mistake and miscalculation. Others, like taffeta and tulle, can look bunched up or messy if there''s a mis-measure somewhere in the seaming.

If possible, take a look at pics of other garments your fabricator has created.

I think her dress looked amazing. In fact, I overheard one guest''s remark about "....these young girls today and their $10,000 wedding dresses..."

I guess it just looked THAT good.

The only reason that I won''t be doing this is that they got married 1500 miles away from where I live. And I fell instantly in love with the first dress I tried on (SHEESH, if only finding the man had been that easy, I might not be getting married at age 35, LOL)

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/24/2008 7:18:06 PM
Author: Pandora II
I went custom from the start - and don''t regret it for a minute.

DH and I designed the dress together - he had the initial inspiration - so it was a truly unique piece that I hope a future child or grandchild might choose to wear for their wedding as the design won''t date.

I ended up with the dress I wanted in silk fabrics that were custom designed and woven for me in Italy by some of my oldest friends. It also cost me less than I would have paid if I''d bought a designer dress in the high-street.

Pandora - Yes, you did go custom! How could I have forgotten your gorgeous gown?! It IS fabulous. I agree that there is no way that you would have found anything like that, especially if that amazing fabric already made. It was so you and I love that about the custom process.

I''m just trying to weigh whether or not the cost will be worth it in my particular scenario. As is though, the custom is coming in about $1,000 higher, which is a lot, however, that includes alterations so, if we put everything on a fair playing field, the other dress that I''m considering, including alterations - depending on how many and how extensive - will likely be a min of $500 - $1, 000 higher, right?

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/24/2008 8:57:54 PM
Author: Munchkin
I went custom. Before we started dress shopping a family friend told us about a local designer. He was a designer for Priscilla of Boston but opened his own store and has his own line. Each of the gowns are made by hand at his shop, so he can do custom or simply amend a current design. My mom was sold on the custom idea from the get-go, but I wanted to shop for dresses first. I went to a few stores and failed to find ''the one.'' At Priscilla''s I found *almost* the one.

I went to my designer''s store and tried on his gowns. While I still didn''t find ''the one,'' I loved his concepts, his attention to detail and his personality. As my mom said ''you could wear his gowns inside out.'' His work was meticulous.

I sat with him and described my dream gown, using pieces of the priscilla dress, some of his gowns and ideas in my head. As I spoke, he sketched. In ten minutes, my gown was on paper. A few weeks later he made my gown out of muslin. He slowly made the rest of the dress, piece by piece. He would literally have me put on the gown to visualize where to add 3 pearls.

It was a fun process and I love that no one else will ever have my gown. I was thrilled with the results.

Munchkin - Thanks for sharing .. Great story! I wish I lived near your designer!! What luck!
I can totally relate to finding the *almost* one .. Bridal gowns are so beautiful that so many of them could potentially be the right one but I tend to think that different elements of each should be mixed together to make the perfect one for me. This is what makes it frustrating. I think that they are just too expensive to "compromise" on ... Ugh.

I found it so ironic that you mentioned that "you could wear his gowns inside out" ... The custom designer I am dealing with mentioned that today!!!! She was recounting a story about how the dresses are so well made that one of the girls working there didn''t realize that a new dress that was just finished and hung up for display was hung incorrectly - inside out. It looks as good inside as it does out.

It does sound like a fun process - I would love to see your dress ... please share if you don''t mind doing so!

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/24/2008 9:10:02 PM
Author: thing2of2
Great thread, Sparkalicious! I''ll be following along because I''m also considering going custom!

I got this T2o2!

I''m glad that it will be helpful for you too ... It is just SO confusing. I feel as though I am being "over the top" if I decide to go custom but if the pricing for both types of dresses, custom or by bridal designer are around the same ... why not get a dress made specially for you, right?

What are your thoughts? What have you been struggling with in deciding which way to go?

 

[Sparkalicious]

Meditteranean - Thanks for sharing!

What a great story. I love it ... Your sister''s dress sounds as though it was fabulous. I would love to see if it you don''t mind sharing pics.

You are so right about the time investment. I have a feeling that it will be quite an extensive time committment. I am in the midst of losing quite a bit of weight, which is another reason I fear buying a dress from a bridal designer as I feel that the alterations will be crazy $$. Going custom, I figure that we should be able to make adjustments along the way ... maybe??

$1,000 for your sister''s dress!?? That is crazy! What a great deal. I wish that I could take advantage of something similar. How did your sister gain confidence in the custom designer and know that they would be able to get the job done to her satisfaction. It get scared thinking that this is always a risk when you go custom, right? You don''t necessarily know that the end result will be as you envisioned. I''m looking at going with someone with a very well established reputation but this also makes her quite high end and more expensive ... wondering if I could find the same comfort level with someone who would be able to do the same job but for much less?? How do I find such a person? Sorry for the rambling ... sort of thinking while typing.

Thanks also for the tips about the material. That is so good to know. If I do go this route, I will be using silk duchesse satin so I think that that should be okay .. Thoughts?

LOL, indeed - Yes! I totally agree. I''ve been dating mine for 14 years, 15 when we get married next year so ... I hear you. I''m 33 so you are in good company.

 

[SoCute]

I have my dress custom a few months ago and I end up hated it and have to buy my dream dress instead.. waste of money and all the headache to go along with it... Personally, if you ever going to have your dress custom make sure the person is very well experienced because there no way turning back onced its being made .. You get what you paid for and if you are on a tight budget doesn''t mean you can''t buy your dream dress either.. Just don''t be afraid to tell them upfront how much you willing to pay and if they accepts cool if not go to the next store.. =-)

 

[bee*]

I was thinking of going this way if I didn''t see anything that I liked when I went dress shopping. I''m fortunate in that I did find my dream dress in a store, but it definitely would have been something that I would have done otherwise. If you''re not totally set on it though, I''d try on as many as you can in the stores and see do you find anything there first.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 12:20:47 AM
Author: SoCute
I have my dress custom a few months ago and I end up hated it and have to buy my dream dress instead.. waste of money and all the headache to go along with it... Personally, if you ever going to have your dress custom make sure the person is very well experienced because there no way turning back onced its being made .. You get what you paid for and if you are on a tight budget doesn''t mean you can''t buy your dream dress either.. Just don''t be afraid to tell them upfront how much you willing to pay and if they accepts cool if not go to the next store.. =-)

Thank you, SoCute - Great advice. If I do decide to go custom, I will ensure to go with an experienced professional. This project is just too important to not do that. I am a firm believer of you get what you pay for and you are absolutely right ... I have informed them of my budget and if I go with them they are committed to achieving my ideal within that budget.

 

[Pandora II]

On the weight issue - I lost a huge amount between the first and second toile stage and the dress had to be taken in everywhere.

I was made to swear I wouldn''t put any on/off in the last 2 months!

For that reason, don''t have the dress made too early.

I had a total of 6 fittings plus an initial design session - luckily I had the same dimesions as her tailor''s dummy (after losing weight) so that made things easier.

The total bill for my dress including everything except the two main fabrics (but including the corset, silk linings, notions, muslin for toiles etc) came to approx $2,400. A mid-range Pronovias in London starts at around the $4k mark so pretty reasonable.

At 5ft 10" I also had NO CHANCE of finding anything second-hand as they had all been shortened. I also really wanted a dress with sleeves - my arms and legs are disproportionately long for my body, so anything with long sleeves was 10cm too short to start with.

(I was 35 as well - finding the dress was a heck of a lot easier than finding the man!)

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 11:39:24 AM
Author: bee*
I was thinking of going this way if I didn''t see anything that I liked when I went dress shopping. I''m fortunate in that I did find my dream dress in a store, but it definitely would have been something that I would have done otherwise. If you''re not totally set on it though, I''d try on as many as you can in the stores and see do you find anything there first.

IYes, bee*, you were fortunate! Your dress is amazing!! I cannot wait to see it on you as I know that it will be spectacular!
Thanks for the advice. I think that you are right ... I will be trying on as many dresses as I can before I commit to going custom ... as was the case with you, you never know if your dream dress is out there lurking and waiting for you to find it.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 1:35:34 PM
Author: Pandora II
On the weight issue - I lost a huge amount between the first and second toile stage and the dress had to be taken in everywhere.

I was made to swear I wouldn''t put any on/off in the last 2 months!

For that reason, don''t have the dress made too early.

I had a total of 6 fittings plus an initial design session - luckily I had the same dimesions as her tailor''s dummy (after losing weight) so that made things easier.

The total bill for my dress including everything except the two main fabrics (but including the corset, silk linings, notions, muslin for toiles etc) came to approx $2,400. A mid-range Pronovias in London starts at around the $4k mark so pretty reasonable.

At 5ft 10'' I also had NO CHANCE of finding anything second-hand as they had all been shortened. I also really wanted a dress with sleeves - my arms and legs are disproportionately long for my body, so anything with long sleeves was 10cm too short to start with.

(I was 35 as well - finding the dress was a heck of a lot easier than finding the man!)

Thanks Pandora! I am looking at losing quite a bit of weight within the next several months but figure that that will taper off in the 2 months or so before the wedding with all the things we have to do and stress etc so I hope that that will not be a problem.

Thanks for including your pricing info - That''s exactly what I have experienced. The designer dresses can be quite a bit more expensive that custom gowns even though you are getting exactly what you would like with custom and the fabrics may be better etc. Additionally, alterations are included in your cost, which would not be the case with a designer gown.

I think you make a good case for going custom. I have another appointment on Saturday and I really appreciate everyone chiming in because I am really trying to consider this decision from all angles and figure out what will be best.

 

[HollyS]

I did go the custom route -- well, semi-custom, anyway. I couldn''t find just the right dress, with all the elements I wanted, so my bridal shop suggested we ask the factory to change fabrics, trims, etc. on a dress that was ''almost'' what I wanted. It turned out beautifully. Now, this was not a major designer-name dress; just a well-known moderately priced label gown. I rather doubt that you can change many details on the pricier gowns.

 

[supergirl10]

I am going custom!

My aunt is an ex-designer who is now happliy married but got married much older and is now helping out with her husband''s business. She use to work with a reallly unique designer in sydney and has had many years of training and experience both with the design process and sewing the garments. When I was seven she gave me & my younger sister identical outfit she had made for us. These outfits won awards the children''s category for design, creativity etc at a major fashion awards ceremony in Australia at the time. She has also won many other awards.

Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted her to make my wedding dress (when the time came). I was so happy when I asked her and she said yes. Unfortunetly we live 27 hours apart but that is nothing that a few plane flights cannot fix She is also making the two bridesmaids dresses - a necessity as my MOH (younger sister) is a aussie size 10 and an F cup and other bridesmaid is equally "ehhrmm" well endowed. There was no way I can buy something off the rack for these pair.

 

[marchswallowbird]

I never seriously considered going custom because I only wanted to spend $600-$700 on a dress, less if I could find one for less. We are on a somewhat tight budget, especially for the dress, because everything else about a wedding in Yosemite is very expensive. I couldn''t justify spending thousands on a dress with the budget we have, and FI wouldn''t have supported that either (we are paying for our own wedding). I ended up buying a sample dress, which I love, and which fits our simple, outdoor wedding.

 

[sba771]

Pandora- I just looked up your old posts to see your dress. OMG!! Stunning beyond words and classic! That dress is to die for! Just wanted you to know- I am very jealous.

 

[blondebunny]

I more mostly likely going custom. I am so picky with what I like... and I know with custom Ill get exactly what I want... I cant wait to see what you decide!! Oh and BTW you have me LOVING ruffles at the moment after finding all of those dresses!!!

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 3:00:16 PM
Author: HollyS
I did go the custom route -- well, semi-custom, anyway. I couldn''t find just the right dress, with all the elements I wanted, so my bridal shop suggested we ask the factory to change fabrics, trims, etc. on a dress that was ''almost'' what I wanted. It turned out beautifully. Now, this was not a major designer-name dress; just a well-known moderately priced label gown. I rather doubt that you can change many details on the pricier gowns.

Thanks Holly! You are right ... semi-custom could be the perfect compromise.
I''ve been advised that some of the dress designers I am considering are fully willing to "alter", if you will, there designs and I''m fairly certain that if I do decide to go with a designer dress, that I will be all over this option. Why not, right?

How was your dress supposed to come and what did you request to be changed? I''m interested in knowing what "options" were successfully changed to suit your preferences. Also, pics are very welcome.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 3:48:53 PM
Author: supergirl10
I am going custom!

My aunt is an ex-designer who is now happliy married but got married much older and is now helping out with her husband''s business. ...

Ever since I was a little girl I have wanted her to make my wedding dress (when the time came). I was so happy when I asked her and she said yes.

Supergirl - Thanks! How fantastic for you. I''m sure that your dress will be wonderful. What type of dress/style are you seeking to have made?

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 4:00:32 PM
Author: marchswallowbird
I never seriously considered going custom because I only wanted to spend $600-$700 on a dress, less if I could find one for less. We are on a somewhat tight budget, especially for the dress, because everything else about a wedding in Yosemite is very expensive. I couldn''t justify spending thousands on a dress with the budget we have, and FI wouldn''t have supported that either (we are paying for our own wedding). I ended up buying a sample dress, which I love, and which fits our simple, outdoor wedding.

Good point, March. Now ... here''s a question for you.

If going custom cost the same amount as an already designed dress and was well within your budget - Would you do it? Why or why not?

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 6:52:49 PM
Author: blondebunny
I more mostly likely going custom. I am so picky with what I like... and I know with custom Ill get exactly what I want... I cant wait to see what you decide!! Oh and BTW you have me LOVING ruffles at the moment after finding all of those dresses!!!

BB - Yay! I cannot wait to see your dress or at least what you decide to go with.

Sorry about your new fave style ... If it is any consolation - same thing happened to me. I came across that picture I showed you in the other thread and fell in love with the look and have been obsessed ever since. It just gets in ya.

Good thing is that there are so many different styles that are incorporating a tiered ruffle now that you have plenty to choose from.

How are you going to select who does your custom dress for you?

 

[HollyS]

Date: 11/25/2008 7:12:34 PM
Author: Sparkalicious

Date: 11/25/2008 3:00:16 PM
Author: HollyS
I did go the custom route -- well, semi-custom, anyway. I couldn''t find just the right dress, with all the elements I wanted, so my bridal shop suggested we ask the factory to change fabrics, trims, etc. on a dress that was ''almost'' what I wanted. It turned out beautifully. Now, this was not a major designer-name dress; just a well-known moderately priced label gown. I rather doubt that you can change many details on the pricier gowns.

Thanks Holly! You are right ... semi-custom could be the perfect compromise.
I''ve been advised that some of the dress designers I am considering are fully willing to ''alter'', if you will, there designs and I''m fairly certain that if I do decide to go with a designer dress, that I will be all over this option. Why not, right?

How was your dress supposed to come and what did you request to be changed? I''m interested in knowing what ''options'' were successfully changed to suit your preferences. Also, pics are very welcome.

On one of the ''show your wedding dress'' threads, there is a picture of the dress -- on a model, before my changes. In another thread, I have some ''bust and up'' photos of the dress on me. Basically, they changed the stiff satin to a lighter silk satin, and overlaid the gown with beaded netting that matched the sheer net beaded sleeves already on the gown. I think it gave it a more formal, almost Edwardian look.

 

[marchswallowbird]

Date: 11/25/2008 7:15:37 PM
Author: Sparkalicious

Date: 11/25/2008 4:00:32 PM
Author: marchswallowbird
I never seriously considered going custom because I only wanted to spend $600-$700 on a dress, less if I could find one for less. We are on a somewhat tight budget, especially for the dress, because everything else about a wedding in Yosemite is very expensive. I couldn''t justify spending thousands on a dress with the budget we have, and FI wouldn''t have supported that either (we are paying for our own wedding). I ended up buying a sample dress, which I love, and which fits our simple, outdoor wedding.

Good point, March. Now ... here''s a question for you.

If going custom cost the same amount as an already designed dress and was well within your budget - Would you do it? Why or why not?

I would IF I had confidence in the seamstress. It would have to be someone who had been referred to me by someone I trust, and I would want to meet her and see her work beforehand.

 

[neatfreak]

I would only consider if I already had a seamstress who I knew and trusted. Otherwise I wouldn''t risk it personally. There are a lot of bad seamstresses out there.

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 7:30:49 PM
Author: marchswallowbird

Date: 11/25/2008 7:15:37 PM
Author: Sparkalicious
If going custom cost the same amount as an already designed dress and was well within your budget - Would you do it? Why or why not?

I would IF I had confidence in the seamstress. It would have to be someone who had been referred to me by someone I trust, and I would want to meet her and see her work beforehand.

March - I feel the same way ... providing that the $$ is comaparable - either the same or just a little bit more b/c of the added value of having something that is completely your own - and the seamstress is top notch and easily interprets & translates my design ideas and incorporates them successfully into sketches ... why not, right? Other than what Meditteranean mentioned about the time investment, I''m not sure about any other drawbacks.

Can you think of anything else that might be cause for concern with this process or of scenarios when it might be a better or worse option than buying a regular dress from a bridal shop?

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 9:55:15 PM
Author: neatfreak
I would only consider if I already had a seamstress who I knew and trusted. Otherwise I wouldn''t risk it personally. There are a lot of bad seamstresses out there.

Thanks Neatfreak!

Agreed! I can''t imagine going with some yahoo seamstress due to the time constraints involved. There is just no going back. Imagine - 2 mos out and a botched wedding dress??

Who needs that kind of stress and disappointment? Right?

The custom designer I am considering is Luly Yang and she is quite well respected and referred highly. While this is nice to know, this fact does not provide me with total confidence because how do I know that she will get my dress right?!! This being said, I have gained increased confidence due to the fact that the designer has been able to translate my ideas into her preliminary sketches really well and seems to grasp exactly what I am seeking. I''m still not sold completely on this process, however, I am really excited at the prospect of seeing an amazing end result and intrigued by the possibilities!

Thanks for chiming in ... I am appreciating everyone''s insight and perspectives!

I''ll ask you another question, if I may - given that you were comfortable with the seamstress and her abilities ... would you have any further objections or hesitation with regard to going custom?

 

[Sparkalicious]

Date: 11/25/2008 7:24:46 PM
Author: HollyS
On one of the ''show your wedding dress'' threads, there is a picture of the dress -- on a model, before my changes. In another thread, I have some ''bust and up'' photos of the dress on me. Basically, they changed the stiff satin to a lighter silk satin, and overlaid the gown with beaded netting that matched the sheer net beaded sleeves already on the gown. I think it gave it a more formal, almost Edwardian look.

Holly - I FOUND it! I was intent on finding it and it is lovely. I''m sure that it was amazing on you ... I would love to see pics of it post alteration but at least I have an idea now.

Coincidentally, I found a whole hoard of Eden Bridals dresses that I liked and printed off today to take with me to another appt with the custom designer. I am going to take a closer look at them tomorrow and see if I can envision having any of them altered to be "exactly" as I want it ... Great idea ... Thanks!