Custom Made Wedding Dresses

Re: Custom Made Wedding Dresses

• monkeysip member

  

  April 2013

  I had my dress made through an etsy seller.  

  
  

  I had a great experience, and the dress came out just like I wanted.  And fit almost perfectly--just needed a bit of tweaking.

  
  

  You can try to find someone local to do it.  The benefit of a local person is that you can actually go to their shop to get sized, fitted, etc.  But it can be hard to find someone.  We had very few bridal seamstresses near me, and none of them were in my price range.

  
  

  Etsy is another great option, but be very careful.  There are a lot of seamstresses who basically farm their work out or are based overseas, and the quality is questionable.  If they're offered a fully embroidered silk dress for $200, you can be your butt it's going to be of crappy workmanship.

  
  

  Look at the sellers, look at their work (not stock photos!  Real people!), look at their reviews, and even google them to see if you can find reviews outside of etsy.  

  
  

  Once you find someone good, contact them to see if they can make the kind of gown you want, and if it's in your price range.  If it is, then make sure you take REALLY ACCURATE measurements.  Usually, a custom gown is not refundable.  So make sure everything is accurate on your end.  

  
  

  Lastly, don't expect extreme perfection.  It's unlikely if you're ordering a dress from someone online that it will fit perfectly.  It may need minor alterations.  

  
  

  Good luck!

  
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• csweaney member

  

  April 2013

  I've seen some beautiful, custom made dresses on etsy. Just make sure that you speak to the seller first and detail to them exactly what you want. Make sure they aren't a scammer from China by reading reviews and looking up the shop online to see if they have outside business or if there are any reviews online. 

  
  

  Like monkeysip said, understand that sometimes these dresses end up with small flaws or don't have the "perfect" fit--most of the time this isn't anything a good local seamstress in your area can't fix. 

  
  

  Here is a good etsy seller you might consider. Out of 50 reviewers, 100% positive reviews. http://www.etsy.com/shop/WeddingDressFantasy?ga_search_query=custom+wedding+dress&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ref=sr_gallery_5

  

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• tiny speck member

  

  April 2013 edited April 2013

  I also got my dress through Etsy, and it fit perfectly. Let me know if you want the seller's details. Some people feel more comfortable meeting with a seamstress in person though, so as to be more personally involved in the process. I think if you know what you want, and if you know that the style you want suits your body (ie you've tried on similar style dresses and they work for you), then definitely go for it!

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• kipnus member

  

  April 2013

  I had my dress custom-made by a local, up-and-coming designer. I found her online, checked out her gallery of custom-made prom and wedding dresses, and then sent her an e-mail with what I had in mind. She wrote back, detailing her process, and then I sent her a bunch of photos of me in different wedding dresses, with what I liked and didn't like about all of them. She did up some sketches, and then we met in person to discuss her designs and fabrics.
  
  At that point, I gave her a 50% deposit, so that she could buy the fabric. Then she did a mock-up in cheap fabric, just for sizing and style. We finalized my fabric and trim choices, and then I went for an initial fitting, and then a final fitting, at which point I paid the remainder of my bill and took the dress home with me. 
  
  I just checked the dates--I first e-mailed her on July 31st, and I took my dress home on April 23rd, so the whole process took almost 9 months. She was busy designing her spring collection too, though. The nice thing about getting a dress custom-made is that you don't have to pay for alterations, as long as you don't have any drastic weight changes! My wedding was in June, so I was pretty careful for a few months, making sure I didn't go up or down!

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• winelover123 member

  

  April 2013

  My dress is custom made by a local seamstress. It took quite awhile to find her, and she's actually a few hours away from me because labor is so much more expensive in my area than hers. I found a picture of the dress I want (but can't afford....) and sent it to her. Just by looking at it, she knew what kind of structure it needs underneath the dress to give me the same style and what weight satin it needs. I bought the lace myself. I'd suggest getting fabric yourself if you're going with a local seamstress and are trying to find something unusual. I was looking for gold brocade, but found gold lace instead. My mom and I went to two small fabric stores another seamstress recommended to find it. The seamstress is ordering the sating for me in my color.
  
  She's making a mock-up from cheap fabric before cutting into the expensive stuff and I will have multiple fittings to make sure it fits me perfectly. I'd suggest getting a written contract if you're going with a local seamstress (she should have one at the ready) and talk about the terms. My dress is being shortened after the wedding and is included in the contract. It's going to take about 6 months for her to make the mock up and the dress. The major plus to a custom made dress is you get exactly what you want (I'm getting pockets in mine!) in the design and the fabric and it should fit you perfectly.

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