this is the code for the render ad
Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Attire & Accessories Forum
Attire & Accessories Forum
New Discussion

Custom made dress?

lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
in Attire & Accessories Forum

How do you go about getting a custom made dress, especially one that is based off a dress you’ve seen/tried on in stores? 

I still have lots of time before I need to choose and buy my dress and all that, but in order to get something that is 100% mine and unique at a much lower cost, I’m planning on having my aunt make my dress (and yes, she is fully qualified, she makes wedding and other dresses for a living, and she has made me a custom formal gown before so I know her work first hand as well). 

I still need to go shopping with my mom which I’ll do at Christmas, but I’m pretty sure I know what I want in a dress already.

My biggest concern is fitting. I live in NY and my aunt is in NH. Yes, the dress she made me before fit perfectly, but I know wedding dresses are a lot more complicated.

Anyone else get a custom dress?

Report Reply to Post

Re: Custom made dress?

  • aliwis000aliwis000 member
    250 Love Its 100 Comments Third Anniversary First Answer
    I did not get a custom dress but if I were in your shoes I would just ask your aunt.

    I am sure she gets these questions all the time if she works with brides making wedding dresses.

    She should be able to tell you want to look for etc. I would imagine you would take her with you when you go shopping so she can start to see your style etc.

    Just my thought! HTH!
    Report Reply
  • lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
    I can't go shopping with her because like I said, I'm in NY and she's in NH...I can send her pictures, but that's about the best I can do.
    Report Reply
  • STARMOON44STARMOON44 member
    Knottie Warrior 5000 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    Can she drive down for a day? Or you could drive up to Boston and meet her there? I do think you need to anticipate getting yourself to and from NH 2 or 3 times for fittings at least.
    Report Reply
  • lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
    Boston?

    Anyway, I may be able to get to her in NH or have her come to me, but I absolutely can't count on it because I will [hopefully] be working as a nurse, so my free time could be very limited. We'll see once I get closer to everything though. I still need to decide on what I want for a dress!
    Report Reply
  • lembasloverlembaslover member
    500 Love Its 500 Comments Third Anniversary First Answer
    I have a custom made dress. I got it for a much cheaper price on a website online. The owner has a small store but it was in like South Dakota or something like that and I'm in Maine. I opted for custom sizing so I had my mom help me get all of the measurements she required. When I got the dress and tried it on it fit perfectly! I wasn't involved in the process of that so I can't help you there but it sounds like if your aunt is good at making dresses then she should have no problem getting your measurements to fit. 

    I had a corset back that way it would allow for small differences either in her dress making or because I'm trying (unsuccessfully so far) to loose weight and wanted to give myself the room to do it without the pressure of it being a week before my wedding and I need to drop 2 inches or the back wont zip up. Plus I think the corset looks really nice. 

    I don't know where you are in NY but I'm from western NY and now live in Maine it's only like a 7.5hr drive and part of it is through NH so it really shouldn't be a big deal to either meet in the middle or even if one of you has to go the whole way. I make weekend trips a couple times a year and it's not a big deal.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
    Report Reply
  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    Eighth Anniversary 10000 Comments 500 Love Its 25 Answers
    lildropofsunshine said:
    Boston?

    Anyway, I may be able to get to her in NH or have her come to me, but I absolutely can't count on it because I will [hopefully] be working as a nurse, so my free time could be very limited. We'll see once I get closer to everything though. I still need to decide on what I want for a dress!
    Starmoon probably suggested Boston as a midway point for both of you.

    Report Reply
  • lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
    Maggie0829 said:
    lildropofsunshine said:
    Boston?

    Anyway, I may be able to get to her in NH or have her come to me, but I absolutely can't count on it because I will [hopefully] be working as a nurse, so my free time could be very limited. We'll see once I get closer to everything though. I still need to decide on what I want for a dress!
    Starmoon probably suggested Boston as a midway point for both of you.

    Maybe. I was just a bit confused. Boston isn't halfway for me though -- my aunt is about 6 1/2 hours away, and Boston is about 5 1/2 hours away.

    Report Reply
  • TrixieJessTrixieJess member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary First Answer
    I haven't had a custom made wedding dress, but my mother made one for my aunt for her wedding. I had to help her with some of the finicky things at the end. Keep in mind that simple is better and that you will need fittings at each stage of the structure. If you want a corset top or anything with boning, you will need several fittings to make sure that it fits properly before zippers or buttons can be sewn. 

    As well, keep in mind things like crinolines and trains that will need to be hemmed. This will require you to have your shoes ahead of time. So keep this all in mind when picking a style.
    Report Reply
  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    Eighth Anniversary 10000 Comments 500 Love Its 25 Answers
    lildropofsunshine said:
    Maggie0829 said:
    lildropofsunshine said:
    Boston?

    Anyway, I may be able to get to her in NH or have her come to me, but I absolutely can't count on it because I will [hopefully] be working as a nurse, so my free time could be very limited. We'll see once I get closer to everything though. I still need to decide on what I want for a dress!
    Starmoon probably suggested Boston as a midway point for both of you.

    Maybe. I was just a bit confused. Boston isn't halfway for me though -- my aunt is about 6 1/2 hours away, and Boston is about 5 1/2 hours away.

    She was probably guessing. since you said you live in NY and she lives in NH.  It was just a thought.  No more then that.

    Report Reply
  • lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
    I want a ballgown with a corset back. I was actually just talking to my aunt last night about the dress and she's super excited about making it for me!
    Report Reply
  • TrixieJessTrixieJess member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary First Answer
    lildropofsunshine said:
    I want a ballgown with a corset back. I was actually just talking to my aunt last night about the dress and she's super excited about making it for me!
    You do realise that this will require several fittings. You will be going back and forth to your Aunt's. This is a dress that has to be fitted exactly to your frame. 
    Report Reply
  • lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
    TrixieJess said:
    lildropofsunshine said:
    I want a ballgown with a corset back. I was actually just talking to my aunt last night about the dress and she's super excited about making it for me!
    You do realise that this will require several fittings. You will be going back and forth to your Aunt's. This is a dress that has to be fitted exactly to your frame. 


    I'm sure we'll figure it out. What we did last time was she sent me a mock-up and I had it pinned then sent it back and she then made the actual thing. And doesn't having a lace-up back make things easier to fit? I'm also lucky because I'm pretty much a true bridal size 12. With many of the dresses I've tried on in that size, the only alterations that would be needed are hemming and bustling.
    Report Reply
  • TrixieJessTrixieJess member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary First Answer
    lildropofsunshine said:
    TrixieJess said:
    lildropofsunshine said:
    I want a ballgown with a corset back. I was actually just talking to my aunt last night about the dress and she's super excited about making it for me!
    You do realise that this will require several fittings. You will be going back and forth to your Aunt's. This is a dress that has to be fitted exactly to your frame. 


    I'm sure we'll figure it out. What we did last time was she sent me a mock-up and I had it pinned then sent it back and she then made the actual thing. And doesn't having a lace-up back make things easier to fit? I'm also lucky because I'm pretty much a true bridal size 12. With many of the dresses I've tried on in that size, the only alterations that would be needed are hemming and bustling.
    No, the boning has to be fitted to you first. The seams all have to line up properly. Corsets are very difficult to make properly. My mother took two years of bra making in order to be able to make dresses with bras and corsets in them and they are difficult as heck! It's one of the reasons that wedding seamstresses make a lot of money on alterations.
    Report Reply
  • lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
    Oh. Never would've guessed because my dress that she made for me has boning in it and a zip up back and it only took about 2 weeks for the whole production and shipping process back and forth.
    Report Reply
  • TrixieJessTrixieJess member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary First Answer
    lildropofsunshine said:
    Oh. Never would've guessed because my dress that she made for me has boning in it and a zip up back and it only took about 2 weeks for the whole production and shipping process back and forth.
    Then you are very lucky to have a very good seamstress who is good at what she does. This is one of the reasons a) wedding dresses are costly and b) alterations are costly.
    Report Reply
  • lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
    TrixieJess said:
    lildropofsunshine said:
    Oh. Never would've guessed because my dress that she made for me has boning in it and a zip up back and it only took about 2 weeks for the whole production and shipping process back and forth.
    Then you are very lucky to have a very good seamstress who is good at what she does. This is one of the reasons a) wedding dresses are costly and b) alterations are costly.


    It helps that she's been making dresses for eons! :) She was making them before my cousin got married...and that was I'd say at least 12 years ago, I'm pretty sure more.
    Report Reply
  • TrixieJessTrixieJess member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary First Answer
    edited July 2015
    lildropofsunshine said:
    TrixieJess said:
    lildropofsunshine said:
    Oh. Never would've guessed because my dress that she made for me has boning in it and a zip up back and it only took about 2 weeks for the whole production and shipping process back and forth.
    Then you are very lucky to have a very good seamstress who is good at what she does. This is one of the reasons a) wedding dresses are costly and b) alterations are costly.


    It helps that she's been making dresses for eons! :) She was making them before my cousin got married...and that was I'd say at least 12 years ago, I'm pretty sure more.
    Eons is before 12 years ago...ahhh...to be young...
    Report Reply
  • lildropofsunshinelildropofsunshine member
    Fifth Anniversary 100 Comments 25 Love Its Combo Breaker
    TrixieJess said:
    lildropofsunshine said:
    TrixieJess said:
    lildropofsunshine said:
    Oh. Never would've guessed because my dress that she made for me has boning in it and a zip up back and it only took about 2 weeks for the whole production and shipping process back and forth.
    Then you are very lucky to have a very good seamstress who is good at what she does. This is one of the reasons a) wedding dresses are costly and b) alterations are costly.


    It helps that she's been making dresses for eons! :) She was making them before my cousin got married...and that was I'd say at least 12 years ago, I'm pretty sure more.
    Eons is before 12 years ago...ahhh...to be young...


    I'm not that young. At least I don't feel it. But it's hard to when you grew up real quick with your family moving 3000 miles away and being 15 years older than your youngest sibling.
    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards