Wedding Tips - Custom-Made Bride

Advice on Having Your Wedding Dress Custom-Designed and Made.

Advice Seeker: Dear April,

So many of my friends are planning upcoming weddings and I want mine to be completely different from everyone else's. I really want my dress to be perfect and I am thinking about getting it custom-made so that nobody else will have anything like it and so it will fit me perfectly. Is there anything I should know before setting out to find the perfect dress maker for my custom-made wedding dress?

Sincerely,

One of a Kind Wedding

April Masini's advice:

Dear One of a Kind Wedding,

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! There are definitely many benefits to getting a custom-made, couture wedding gown and also some tips brides should keep in mind when searching for the best wedding dress maker.

What to know about custom-made wedding dresses:

The benefits of a custom-made gown are fit. That's the beginning and the end of it. Most custom-made gowns are more expensive than off the rack gowns and they take longer to make than it would take to purchase and tailor an off-the-rack gown. But the fit will be superb. If you have a figure that is challenging to fit, a custom-made gown may save you headaches and heartache. Or, if you just have the budget, a custom-made gown will insure a perfect fit.

That said, the fit of a custom-made gown depends on the person making it. Just because it's custom made doesn't mean it will be well made, and a bad custom-made gown is worse than a good off-the-rack gown.

How to find a custom-made wedding dress maker:

If you want a custom-made gown hire someone whose work you've already admired. And never hire someone without seeing their work. Just because they have a sewing machine and they know how to work it does not mean that they will be a good designer.

What are some things to keep in mind if a mother or friend also wants a custom-fit dress?

Budget is a main consideration. If your mother, mother-in-law, or friend wants a custom-made gown, the budget for the day's attire will be very high.

In addition, if you are having more than one gown custom-made, your time table will be more tricky depending on the designer and if he or she has a staff or if he or she will be designing and making all the gowns for your wedding. Budget time accordingly.