If you are working with a larger wedding budget but are having trouble finding the exact dress you’ve envisioned it may be wise to then consider custom wedding dresses. Every bride has a dress in her head and an idea of what she wants to look like when she goes down the isle but not everyone finds the dress of their dreams on the rack. If that’s the case, having a dress tailor made to suit your needs may be just the option you are looking for.
Custom Wedding Dresses: What Do They Cost?
Well, there is no definite answer to this question. The cost of have a custom made wedding dress designed and tailored to your specifications will be dependent on who makes the dress, how intricate your dress design, what fabrics you decide to use and how long it takes to design it.
The fact is, when you decide to have a custom made wedding dress made just for you, it’s not typically a method you can use to save money. When you buy wedding dresses off the rack in a retail store, you are actually experiencing savings because these dresses are massed produced and because many of them are on the market, you are not paying as much for them. When you have a dress tailored to you, however, your dress is one of a kind so you are not only paying for a dress, you are paying for the design, materials and labor that are going into that dress. In most cases, custom made wedding dresses often cost as much, if not more than retail dresses, so definitely take that into consideration if you’re working on a tighter bridal budget.
How Can I Get a Custom Wedding Dress
Hiring a Seamstress
The easiest way to have a dress custom made and tailored to your exact preferences is to hire a seamstress to do the work for you. Chances are, that if you haven’t been able to find the dress of your dreams on the rack, you will not be able to find it in bridal magazines either, nor in online galleries. It is however important that you give your seamstress ideas and images to work with so that they can help you create the one of a kind custom made dress that you have envisioned. Having said that, if you know what types of elements you want put into your dress, i.e a specific neckline, type of beading, gathering style etc, try finding pictures of these specific elements and give them to the person making your dress to help give them a visual as this will help ensure that you get the dress you are looking for.
Creating the Dress Yourself
If you have an affinity for sewing and think you can handle the project, you also have the option of designing and putting together your own custom wedding dress, which is definitely more economical. Making the decision to create your own dress on your own without the help of a seamstress will cut out a lot of the costs, forcing you to only have to pay for fabrics and materials out of pocket.
While this is an excellent option for the experienced seamstress, this hefty project is not recommended for a beginner or novice of the craft as the materials typically used for wedding dress making are known to be hard to work with. Also, if this is not something you have experience doing, you may end up with a dress that’s not what you expected or not what you want and you may end up having to spend money on a retail dress anyway.
Whether you decide to purchase your dress retail or have a dress custom tailored for you, remember that your dress is supposed to make you feel special, lovely and elegant. Custom dresses are sure to have a wonderful fit, however they aren’t always as cost effective as purchasing a retail dress. Weigh your wants against your budget and make a decision about your dress that will help benefit you the most.