Considering a Custom Made Wedding Dress?

If you're considering a custom made wedding dress, here's what to consider first:

• Do you know what will look good on you? If not, consider checking out this guide to wedding dresses that flatter your figure.
• Do you know the terminology? This will help you to communicate with your service provider effectively in their language.
• Are you tempted to copy a designer style? Consider customizing the style rather than making a copy. Reputable designers won't make a replica anyway. Think of your gown as part of your legacy. Do you want took back at your special day and think about how you stole a designer's intellectual property? I'm sure you would you rather think about how you created a totally unique dress that expresses your style and individuality.
• Are you in the process of losing weight? If so, consider a lace-up or corset type closure.
• Think about adding a touch of color. That is part of the beauty of a custom made dress: you are in control! You can use the color to match your bridesmaids, mother, or hubby to be in some way.
• Think about the formality of your wedding. You want the dress to be in synch with the setting, the time of day, the season, etc.
• Make sure the fabric you choose matches the design of the dress. Not all dresses can be made in all fabrics. A good designer should be able to advise you. Looking for lots of movement and flow: chiffon is for you. Thinking traditional and more formal? A satin weave whether made of silk or a poly blend is perfect. Need a light, cool fabric? A taffeta weave is your friend!
  

What are couture wedding dresses anyway?

"Couture" is a very misunderstood and misused term. Not a coincidence: the use and abuse have naturally led people down the path of confusion. Couture originates from the French term "Haute Couture" which literally translates to "high sewing" or "high dressmaking". Haute Couture in France used to be a term that referred to the exclusive fashion houses in France: Chanel, Christian Dior and the like. Not just loosely, it was (and is!) even regulated who could use the term Haute Couture in their advertising. (You gotta love the French - such sticklers for rules. I can say that since I'm half French!)

In order to qualify to use the term, the couture houses had to satisfy certain criteria, of which the main one was to design made-to-order clothing for private clients. So this is the main distinguishing feature of "Pret-a-porter" vs. "Couture": Couture is custom made for the individual client and pret-a-porter (ready to wear) is fabricated to certain pre-determined sizes.

Coming back to wedding dresses, even though it can seem that you are "custom ordering your dress", from a bridal boutique, the vast majority (I would say over 99%, but don't quote me!) are made to pre-determined sizes and therefore actually pret-a-porter. This term is itself a little bit of a misnomer because as any boutique owner will tell you, the chances of your wedding dress that you ordered (even though it's in your size) of fitting you perfectly are extremely slim! You will need alterations, which can be costly. The cost of alterations can be such a surprise that I recommend getting quotes on the alterations before purchasing your dress from a boutique, if you go this route.

OK, so if Couture wedding dresses are all custom made, why do several manufacturers have lines of wedding gowns made in stock sizes with "couture" in the name? In a word: marketing. Even though "couture" technically means made to measure, since savvy clothing labels have been using the term to mean "high end" or "designer", consumers have started to interpret the meaning as exactly that. Hence all the confusion!

So, how can you get a couture wedding dress you ask? Well, if you have upwards of about $40,000 to part with you can see if one of the few big-name wedding dress designers out there will make a custom wedding dress for you. Or, you can come to Custom Couture Bridal where we custom design wedding dresses and make them to our brides' measurements. This is our specialty: we don't actually sell stock sizes. Even if you'd like to buy one of the dresses from our in-house collection, your dress will be custom made to your measurements.

Why is the concept of custom made clothing worthy of such obsession and even legislation? It will sound cliche, but you have to experience it to understand completely. It's all about the fit, and in wedding dresses, there's nothing more important! Imagine, you're walking down the aisle and you start to feel your dress slipping down just a little. Or maybe a lot. It will show on your face. That precious moment of yours will be stolen from you so needlessly! This is exactly why more and more brides are trusting us to make a dress that will fit them perfectly.

Come see our collection of couture wedding dresses. Each dress is custom made and customizable in terms of several aspects. This way you can not only have a custom made dress, but you can tweak several elements of the dress to your specifications.

Lace wedding dresses are making a come-back

I remember when I was shopping for a wedding dress my worst nightmare was a lace dress. It conjured up visions of horrible puffed sleeves and gobs and gobs of fabric. (Those poor 80s brides!) Things have changed in a big way, and the pendulum is swinging back towards lace, but in a much sleeker and oh-so-sophisticated kind of way. Monique L'Huillier and Francesca Pitera (who designs for the Jim Hjelm label) are noted designers for their cutting edge use of lace.

I have noticed that brides from the UK are particularly fond of lace right now. This probably means that Canadian and US brides will be soon seeking out the delicate fabric as well!

One advantage to lace is that it can add visual interest to an otherwise simple gown. Another nice bonus is that you can have a slinky mermaid style fit and flare gown and not have to worry about your dress being too revealing in terms of "show-through" since the lace provides a second layer of fabric.

Here is a picture of a lace wedding dress we made recently with a lace overlay over Duchess Bridal Satin.