Offbeat Bride | Everything you need to know about having your wedding dress custom-made

A while back I ranted about how I think brides are best off having their wedding dresses custom made — you'll get a better fit, exactly the design you want, and won't have to suffer the attitudes and obscene prices of a bridal boutique.

There was some grumbling in the comments about "Ok, fine: but how do you find a custom dressmaker?" My best advice is start in your immediate circle and work your way out &mash; do you know any seamstresses or amazing sewers? Do any of your friends or family known any? If not, search online or in the Yellow Pages for someone locally. Being able to do fittings in person is a big bonus. If there's no-one in town you like, then start looking online for seamstresses with styles you like who will work with you via email.

The ladies of the OBT came to the rescue with lots more tips on picking a custom dressmaker, as well as specific dressmaker recommendations:

If any local college has a fashion program, you might be referred to someone that way, either a prof or a student. I'd definitely go in with a design and fabric swatches in hand. If they start telling you about how they don't need any references or what not, leave! -Amanda

When selecting a seamstress, see photos from a portfolio AND actual dresses. And talk to past clients if you can. Photos can look amazing compared to looking at them up close. Although it is very important to know what you want when it comes to style, it is just as important to make sure the seamstress has sewn other dresses in that same style. Find out if they have had to make their own patterns in the past, and see how those have turned out. -Kate

A good tip for finding a seamstress is calling the costume department of your local theatre. Costume ladies are kickass stichers and love creative challenges. Also, be wary of buying really cheap fabric. Most of the time, cheap fabric makes a dress look cheap. -Darryl

Ask to see some samples, pay attention to quality, look at the seams, ask to see photographs, etc. Once you find a seamstress you like, bring in as many photos as possible to show garment construction, color, style, fabric, etc. Your seamstress will probably have her own opinions on what will work fabric-wise. Settle on what you need and go fabric shopping or take her with you to do so. Then turn it over to her. Be brutally honest at the fitting. -myaimistrue

If you just can't find a seamstress near by, here's a select list of indie dressmakers who work online, as recommended by the lovely ladies of the OBT:

Dame Couture (Chicago)
Kambriel (North Carolina)
Curved & Darted (San Francisco)
Wai-Ching (Seattle)
Amanda Archer (San Francisco)
Olivia Luca (Portland)
Samiah (Ojai, CA)

There's also the option of outsourcing your dressmaking overseas, which has saved many offbeat brides huge wads of cash:

Kaersen (China)
Gloria's Bridal (China)
Whirling Turban (Bali)

Here's one OBT member's excellent review of what it was like to work with a Chinese dressmaker, in this case Kaersen:

The Pros:

They ask for 20+ measurements before starting work on the dress

Hundreds of dresses to select from

You can custom order any dress as long as you have photos to send

CRAZY cheap dresses - most are under $200, with just $20 shipping (and they accept PayPal)

Online customer service agents available

Most dresses completed in 20 days

They actually do a pretty great job.

The Cons:

Poor customer service. Shanghai hours and limited grasp of the English language made it difficult to be sure they understood the details I was asking for.

Very, very hard to track the status of your dress once the order has been submitted. Their website is horrible!

Every customer service agent's name is "Jackie". It's not really a huge con, but it bothered me to know I was speaking to different people all under the same guise.

And now I'll open it up to the peanut gallery: Did you have your wedding dress custom made? How did you pick your seamstress? Any tips or advice?

PS: If you're a dressmaker or seamstress, please don't spam the comments with your business. Instead, get in touch with me about advertising!

Comments on "Everything you need to know about having your wedding dress custom-made"
839Comments2008-06-11+13%3A02%3A06Ariel to this entry · Leave a comment · Trackback · Comments feed (RSS 2.0)

Another place to check: the cast and hardcore patrons of your nearby renaissance festival and/or the local SCA group. Many of the seamstresses you'll meet there are used to designing and pattern-making.

The local fabric shop is another one to try. If yours employs knowledgeable-type-ladies (and not passive-agressive 18-yr-olds, I'm looking at you, Polaris), try asking them if they know anyone. The store I grew up with even kept a binder of local seamstresses for such occasions.

I'm using a fabulous corset and dress maker here in the Bay Area. She is well known in our faire and Dickens Xmas faire circles.

You should be prepared that custom work is not necessarily cheaper than getting your dress at some crazy bridal store. I'm having a vintage inspired cocktail dress made in red silk taffeta with a custom corset and it's not cheap.

But it will be exactly what I want, and include things like my wedding date embroidered in the lining of the skirt and the corset. Really the most important thing to look for in a custom seamstress is attention to detail. Often people who sew take time short cuts or think "something looks good enough." So pick a seamstress who does more than put a pattern together. They should know how to draft or drape a pattern, and be willing to make several mock ups to get the pattern and fit right BEFORE they cut into the expensive fabric.

I'd only use a seamstress who sews for ren faires or the SCA if they have a portfolio of modern clothes. Clothing construction for those time periods was often more straightforward than some of the modern sillouettes and styles we are used to now.

Chelle you make a good point — I think custom-made dresses are about value, not cheapness. They won't always be inexpensive, but you get so much more for the money … ie, custom design, truly custom fit, etc. Plus the warm fuzzy feeling of supporting a seamstress instead of a salon.

And when it comes to truly couture bridal wear (ie $6k dresses), going custom is definitely cheaper.

For any offbeat brides in or near Utah, I recommend Nancy Barrus of http://www.nancybarruscouture.com, based in Provo, Utah. I worked for her for a few months and she does absolutely amazing work and works with brides on a very personal level. Check out her gallery for a small example of what she can do. She's one of two people I'd trust, besides myself, to make my wedding gown.

Just 38 days and then I can show you mine. I'm hoping I'll be as happy with mine as PrincessLaserTron was with hers!

I had mine custom made by a local (Seattle) corset maker (see corset/skirt here: http://picasaweb.google.com/vi.....2441163906). I picked out the fabric, we came up with the design together, and she was able to integrate the fabric from my grandmother's 1937 dress into my skirt (the ivory part) and the binding of the corset. She also made my hubby's red vest. I found her through a friend whose wedding attire I had admired the year before, but the people at the fabric store definitely knew her, so I agree with the above posting about asking at local fabric stores.

Awww, I'm a costume lady and this post made me feel all warm and fuzzy! It really is the way to go - I think it makes it much more fun and exciting to work with someone for exactly what they want. :D

I am having my wedding dress custom made by a designer in Houston, Texas (http://azacdesigns.com/). I have ordered many things from her before, and they are all exquisite. She's been in business for years and years (don't let the pretty, young face fool ya!) so she's well established, too!

Admittedly, I didn't go the route of design school kids (because as a recent jewellery design grad, I know that students will let your project fall to the wayside, and then rush it or miss the deadline if they fall behind in school), nor did I go to a costume maker in my area (because I used to do theater, and I've seen some of those costumes up close, and between the apolstery notions, and trims, and the plastic jewels, I just couldn't bring myself to trust them). But I did suss out several "bridal" seamstresses, and if you want a wedding dress, that is probably one of the most high-profile garments you will ever wear, you need to consider that it has to fit very well. A custom made garment should look like it was made for your body, it should also have the support structures, to support, tuck, pull in, lift up, and look crisp. Even the most billowy dress has secret nips and tucks in the fabric to make it fall just so. And you need a dressmaker with enough experience to tackle these issues. And in my area at least, Toronto, there wasn't one bridal dressmaker that was under 4000$ to start. Custom-made is fabulous if you can afford it, and since I know about proper fitted garments, I couldn't settle for less. So I had to compromise, and get an off the rack, that I will ahve expertly tailored for my figure.

I'm having my dress made by a woman named Haehie in DC. She is a former opera singer (they have to make their own costumes)and has had her own dressmaking business for years. She came highly recommended from a patient of mine (her wedding dress was beautiful).

While it isn't cheap, I think it will be totally worth it and I NEVER have to step foot in a bridal shop. I brought in a picture of a 1950s cocktail dress and she is making it from scratch.

Just remember that you should be having at least 1 if not 2 muslin fittings before they ever cut the fabric the dress will be made of. Especially if they are not going from a pattern. Once your fabric is cut that is it, so speak your mind and be very honest. They really do want you to look your best and be happy.

ShiloM - I had the same issues here. NOLA dressmakers were completely out of my budget. Maybe my size might have had something to do with it (I'm plus sized - 22/24). I'm not saying that what they do isn't worth every penny - I simply can't afford to pay that much.

So it was off to the bridal boutique to order a dress. When it comes in I'll take it to a good tailor to see what they can do.

as a plus size bride i understand what u are talking about karen.
there is one local dress maker but her rates to start are 70 an hour. I am trying to keep my wedding very low budget, so i am going to buy a dress off the rack and have it custom fitted and altered to add my own flair to it.

I agree with ShiloM the seamstress is the best place to start.
I'm lucky enough to have a seamstress friend who is helping me with my dress.

No matter what you do, bring photos, and lots.

no one is a mind reader

Patsy Bessolo in Roanoke.

After a few visits to bridal salons that left me thinking that maybe I had taken a women's movement time machine back to 1850, I decided to get my dress custom made. I am going to a wonderfully creative seamstress and really enjoying the whole process-much less cookie cutter and often less expensive. If you live in Northern Vermont or the vicinity, check out Ava Bishop at http://www.damnfinepants.com

I'm in Iowa and looking for someone to work with. Anyone out there have any hints?

Also, I ran across this website a while back that seems to have some great feedback on it. I would love to know if anyone had tried them yet…

http://www.lilywedding.com/index.php

thanks for the link to CurvedNDarted! Sasha is an AMAZING seamstress, and a good friend!

Hey ladies: I don't think this comment thread is the best place to ask about seamstresses in your region. (There are thousands of you reading from all over the world — way too many cities for this blog post to answer them all!) Instead, let's focus on folks who've found seamstresses and want to share their recommendations. If there's not a recommendation for your area, try searching Google or following the tips in these comments about asking around at your local theater, fabric store, ren faire, college, etc.

I totally agree - custom made is much better if you have the budget - I am going the next step and knitting my wedding dress - I will have to get a slip made for under, and the current debate is either to find one or make one myself.

hi! I'm the polka-dot bride pictured in the OP.

I want to agree with Ariel. My dress cost less than many of my friends who bought theirs in bridal salons (can you get them cheaper? yes of course, but it was a comparably lower price).

I found my dressmaker from a blind google search, searching for designers in my area. I think that I lucked out…she did a fantastic job.

I met with Patsy Bessolo in Roanoke this weekend. I took in several pictures for inspiration, as well as these awesome shoes I bought to wear (no problem I didn't know what my dress would be when I bought them - I figured I could find a dress to match the shoes!)

She asked a bunch of questions about what I wanted, what I didn't want, what sort of fabric I was envisioning…I left feeling awesome, and wondering why I hadn't met with her sooner. Could have saved myself oodles of stress. I'm looking forward to seeing the designs she comes up with, and am feeling pretty confident about it.

I found Gloria, my wonderful seamstress, through a fabric shop. Being a plus sized bride, I was concerned about finding a seamstress who knew how to draft patterns and create a dress with lines that flattered. The helpful assistant at the fabric shop recommended Gloria highly, and it was only after meeting her that she said that she only ever dressed petite or plus sized brides! She is a master pattern drafter as well, and it was fortuitous that I connected with her when I did because she divulged that my wedding was the last wedding she'd take on before semi-retirement!

My dress was on par with other couture bridal quotes. For plus sized haute couture, it was pretty damn well priced though!

I went to 1 bridal dress shop and just about ran screaming out the door. The woman tought I was crazy because I didnt' like a single of the blow-up creampuff monstrocities in her silly books (I wasn't even allowed in until I picked a picture!).

So I went to a local designer (I live in Montreal–not really too hard) and bought the first dress I tried on. A little too expensive, but so beautiful and simple. And unique. And ME! A few adjustments are needed, but I feel good. Designers do one-of-a-kind lines–try it out!

Hi, I am the designer of the polka Dot Dress above. I would like to participate in this discussion on finding dressmakers, true designers and what to look for in a wedding gown professional. My background is well rounded in that my degree and background is in the fashion industry, I write for a trade publication, I have a garment patent, and I also do my couture custom designs. I have been designing for 16 years and have operated my studio for 10. I state all that because I have found my experiences in the industriy areas have really given me insight on what works well with custom brides and how sewing professionals should also in turn work with brides. It is a partnership. Some seamstresses are not meant to deal with brides, and some brides are not Custom criteria. I have quite a bit to say, but I will break this off at my introduction and touch on one topic tomorrow that may be helpful in your selection.

I do have to add a comment on pricing for custom. I will expand on that tomorrow, but I recently heard on one discuss list and it is true that no one goes down the isle saying "I chose this gown because it was the cheapest".

When buying RTW or custom you just have to be an educated consumer, know what to expect and what you get and do not get with either option as well as being totally comfortable with whoever you are dealing with.

Nice to meet you and I will share some more tips later.

Designer Joi

Lara - I am also a AZAC bride.

Tracy is great to work with and gives many good suggestions. Don't let the pictures on her site fool you - the samples aren't always as nice as her real clothing. (example - her Scottish bride dress really needs a lining and some heavier fabric to make it truly wearable)

Make sure you understand parts of clothing and ask lots of questions. Tracy and I designed my dress in about an hour in person and about a dozen emails, but I know costume/clothing lingo from my theatre days. If you don't, do yourself a favor and read up a bit and check your definition against your designers.

I can't wait to share my dress with Offbeatbride! I don't think it will be like anything you have ever seen!

I got my dress from Whirling Turban. I was really nervous about the whole overseas aspect at first, but their communication is so good (it's an American designer who fell out of love with costume designing in Los Angeles and in love with Bali) that my fears were for the most part calmed during the process. The hardest part was trying to decide on fabrics based on what was there or what I could send her and how that would work - she ended up having really great stuff for the style we went for there and she did send fabric samples, but it just made me a little nervous b/c I'd never dealt with fabric. End of story: I love my dress. It's perfect. I am getting it hemmed by a local seamstress as recommended by my dress designer and she's great too - it all fits in with my wedding planning philosophy of only working with people I actually like. It makes planning much less stressful.

I'm having my dress custom-made but not by a seamstress per se. I was trying on gowns at a local bridal shop and the attendant was really wonderful. She actually made her own dresses with a Chinese bridal manufacturer and then sold them in the shop. But when I mentioned that I had a dress in mind and I couldn't find anything at a salon like it, she offered to make it on the side for me with her manufacturer.

She took my measurements, drew up a sketch, picked out fabrics with me from her manufacturer's sample book, and it should be coming in within the next week or two. I'm not saving a whole lot, since it's not exactly hand-made, but I'm pretty much getting my dress at cost + personal profit instead of going through the middle man of the evil bridal salon. My designer friend even quit the salon after starting to work with me so she could be free to do projects like this without having to go behind the salon's back (so to speak.)

It's not traditional, or even typical, but that's one way to find someone to make a custom wedding dress for you…

I got a custom dress from Kaersen and was very very disappointed. The stitching was poor, the color was off, and the fabric was incorrect. Also, they were recently affected by the earthquake and I would not suggest purchasing from them at this point.

Here's a hint about fittings.

My aunt (who does costumes for film, TV etc) made my dress - pretty much ON me. The first fitting was quite disappointing - the rough model she had made up didn't fit me in any dimension and was too long and just all wrong. BUT it all shapes up pretty quickly from there so I was delighted by the 3rd fitting.

Don't freak out if the first fitting is bad…

I am back,

Lucy has a good point about the initial fitting. In custom you are just that customizing and shaping something to fit your body. Here are some other tips that brides often overlook, and things I preach on.

1. Wear your exact shoes and foundations at every fitting. This affects your posture and the fit.

2. Changing briefs, panties, thongs etc. can throw off the hip curve of a fitted gown. Again, fit to what you will wear.

3. A gown is created from a 2-D fabric around a 3-Dbody. It takes tweaking and fitting to perfect.

4. You have to have a little visual skills to go the custom route and understand that it is a process to the finished product.

5. Be open and honest when you are unsure, but also be realistic. If you have a truly skilled professional and if they say something is a good or bad idea listen to them.

MOST importantly. The body is a moving object. People are used to stretchy undergarments that move with us as we expand and contract. Most gowns are fitted and do feel different then jeans and a t-shirt. You have to be aware of that. Also, medication, eating, etc.. all affect the body. If you have any unusual circumstances that will affect your fit tell your professional. They need to know.

All these will help your creative process go smoothly.

I really enjoyed having my dress custom made. I live in Birmingham, AL and I wanted a silver dress with navy accents (My engagement ring is a sapphire). Going to bridal boutiques did not turn out to be such a great experience, you would have thought I was speaking in another language when I asked if they had a silver dress. I did try on dresses at the boutiques to see what did look good on my figure. I did not think a strapless dress would look good on me, but it did. If you are interested in having a dress made I would definitely suggest this. Trying on the dresses really helped me pinpoint what I liked and did not like. The dress I tried on in the boutique would have been $8000. This did not include veil or alterations. The dress I had made was considerably cheaper and she made me a veil and gloves. My sis was my bridesmaid and she made her dress also. With all that still cheaper than the one dress. We were in a magazine — here are the photos.
Hope this helps!!

Best. Post. Ever. Thanks Ariel!!

And I'd really like to find out who you used Chelle. I grew up in those circles and live in the Bay Area and am looking for someone good.

For any midwestern OBBs Dornink's (www.dornink.com) is a great place to work with! It is a mother daughter team, the daughter designs the dresses for their line and the mother Faythe does the custom work. I told her my budget and my timeline and she has been great to work with. She has been open to and embellished all of my ideas plus she has been completely respectful of the budget I told her I was working with. My dress is going to be a red silk, I'll post picks on the OBB flickr page in later August.

I love love love working with my custom dress maker. I'm lucky enough to have a friend of a freind who is fantastic at sewing. I saw a full-on Elizabethan dress she made for a mututal aquantance of ours a few years ago, and was impressed. Also, while she has the skill to do this proffesionaly, she only does it as a hobby. For the pure joy. I cant describe the giddy look on her face when we ordered 30 yards of duponi silk (2 brides= lots of fabric). she dosnt get to play with that too often. We actually had to haggle UP with her- she didnt want us to pay her beond cost of materials!

I am glad, however, that its a friend of a freind, not a close friend of mine working on the dress. We've been friendly aquantances for years, but thats it. I feel like that gives me room to treat her as a proffesional, without having it be a weird shift from casual interaction.

Oh, but I should mention the plan we had before finding April- good for all you nerdy geeky brides- theres a big scifi/fantasy/horrer/anime/whathaveyou con near us every year. They put on a hell of a costume competition. We were going to track down some of the entries we really loved in the masters segment, and ask them about a commision. Great way to get a lot of creative, nerdy people together for immediate comparison.

I just started working with Whirling Turban for my wedding dress, and it's been amazing so far. I was really worried that the difference in time zone and language would cause issues, but their customer service rep who you communicate with the most has a good grasp on English and there have been no problems at all. I knew what I wanted the end result of my dress to be, but I wasn't sure which of their available styles would work the best. They've been very helpful in explaining dress construction to me.

The best part is how nice they are. I sent them an iquiry about making my dress, and I received a message back filled with congratulations, well wishes, and all around goodness. Most bridal boutiques I've been in were filled with stuffy women who wanted to put me in a dress I hated for commission. The people at Whirling Turban made sure to say they'd be honoroed and thrilled to help me create my dress. If that doesn't make a bride squeal for joy, I don't know what will.

I have heard excellent things about Kari Perkins in Austin - she's a costume designer who also makes beautiful custom wedding gowns (she was also recently profiled in Southern Living magazine). Her wedding gown site is http://www.estrellabridal.com; her professional site is kariperkins.com.

A friend of a friend is making my corset, and for the skirt, I bought a bridesmaid skirt from David's Bridal. This ensemble will still cost me upwards of $600 all told, based on what I want, but it's something I can wear again and again, and that is important for me.

Info on the corset-maker I found through a friend:
Although I am in the Bay Area, the corsetiere is in L.A., and she has experience doing mail-order corsets. All you have to do is ask if she can ship to your location.

What makes a good corset-maker:
They must triple-check all your measurements. If you submit your measurements and they have no questions, beware.

The corset should feel very comfortable against your skin. If there are rough edges or rough seams, it's shoddy work - send it back.

The corset-maker should give you training on how to get your corset laced!

The corset-maker should send you a mockup corset to draw on, while you have it on - so you can articulate what parts of the corset you like and don't like. Then you send it back for further revision.

The corset-maker I contracted:
http://www.myspace.com/sue_nice

-Sue doesn't have her own personal site up yet, but a lot of her work can be seen over at http://www.romantasyweb.com/cy.....Nice.shtml
(scroll down on that page and click on 'photo gallery' to see her work. For example, this image is what sold me on going through Sue: http://www.romantasyweb.com/al.....C02991.htm)

The skirt:
David's Bridal Mix & Match Skirts (only $109 +tax!):
http://www.davidsbridal.com/if.....tes_tt.jsp
(I'm getting the #81227 skirt)

Best of luck to you in the search for your perfect dress!

I never, ever thought of going any route but custom for my dress. I have always wanted to have custom clothing made for me! I'm sad that tailoring is no longer custom; I feel like I'm in the wrong time period. My fiancee is also getting a custom 1920s style Irish felted wool suit for the occasion (which we're both excited about). My wedding isn't until July of 2009, but I got started as early as possible emailing tailors and dressmakers around town (I live in Portland, Oregon). I found someone whose bridal and everyday designs I love, and she starts at an affordable price ($800). We are going to start working on my dress this fall (a light dusty rose pink silk taffeta knee-length cocktail dress). In the end, I'll be spending about $1300, which is really not bad! And I'll be able to wear the dress later because it won't look bridal.

Anyway, make sure you find someone who is willing to do a lot of fittings. I think I get 12 over the course of the process, and a mock-up as well, and we'll probably do the last fitting right before the wedding. I also suggest getting a custom corset done first, before you get started on the dress (unless the corset is part of the dress).

I also recommend finding a bridal boutique in town that carries dresses with different design elements you love (even if you hate the dresses themselves), and then going to try them on. I did this, and discovered the empire waist I was envisioning was nothing on me compared to the drop waist I'm going for now.

For Asheville, NC: R. Brooke Priddy at Ship to Shore Shop(www.shiptoshoreshop.com). Beautiful, beautiful beautiful work.
xo
jodi

I'm a professional actor; I know many costume designers. One of them is making my gown for under a grand.

So if you know any actors (and we are EVERYWHERE), chances are good that they'll know one or several costume designers who'd love the creative challenge and extra cash if they're between gigs!

I'm using the above-mentioned Amanda Archer via Etsy to make my wedding dress out of vintage champagne eyelet lace. I'm super excited! She's amazing!

I adore all of you off beat brides! I stumbled across this community in my search for hope of a beautiful budget wedding and you guys never fail. Thanks for all the budget help!!!!

hopefully this OBT thread is helpful!

http://offbeatbride.ning.com/f.....c%3A285391

I got my Wedding dress from an on line store "Dress of a lifetime" it was all custom made from 2 pictures of 2 very different dresses that they combined in to one dress and made to my exact measurements. Their customer service was out of this world i know exactly what was going on through the whole process. it was a bit pricey (mine was $1100) but the quality is well worth the extra cash. I am a plus size girl and finding a plus size dress that fits you perfectly is almost impossible for that price.

HELP I AM DESPERATE i am looking for a wedding dress cheaper then the 800$ i like the some what cliassic style. but want a twist. i want a blue dress light blue a line but not poofy tie dye is acceptable. i have a very specific look and also a very specific budget… laughable maybe. same deal for the suits. its a jersey shore beach wedding. i am a size 14. please look at our website it might give u an idea of how to better advise us. were young havent done this before and are going on very little guidence. all i know about the wedding is what ive told u and that its a white n blue wedding and the groom is wearing customized chucks along with our ring bearer who is our 2 yr old son quinn westley
im andi and my other half is merlwynn (ya like the wizard kool huh?) please feel free to contact me
thanks mucho andi

To the girl in commen #32 , where in birmingham, al did you go to get your dress made? Im looking and need some help

Andi this comment is for you, If you haven't found your "dream dress" that is not white they try this website, plussizebridal.com they have alot of bridesmaid gowns that could easily be wedding gowns. Some of them even have sweep trains and have many colors to chose from and most of them are from 100 to 500.(They also have a few colored wedding gowns) They also sell many gowns from alfred angelo and other designers as well for much less than bridal stores.Hope this helps many out there!!

Thanks so much!I got my wedding dress from Kaersen, it is more beautiful than what I have dreamed.I recommend them.

[...] here's some more custom wedding dress advice from Offbeat [...]

[...] Everything you need to know about having your wedding dress custom-made: The title says it all-this article has great advice for getting a wedding dress made just for you. [...]

Adeleine in 39,

I just moved to the Portland area and want to get my dress custom made. I literally moved here a week ago from Nebraska and don't know my way around AT ALL. What is the name of your dress maker and what is her phone number??

Thank you, and happy wedding day soon!

Im getting a custom dress because the style i want simply doesnt come in a store.(an authentic tea length 1950's styled dress)
luckily my grandma knows a lady who makes wedding dresses who will do it for me.

but i keep hearing everywhere that it is a bad idea to get a custom gown. All of the wedding shows(like say yes to the dress) and magazines all say that you will regret it.
which makes me nervous cause im a total perfectionist and i strive for good quality clothing whenever i shop..and i will notice any imperfection.

Its nice to see people saying otherwise, and that they had a great experience getting a custom dress. It deffinately calms my nerves.

"All of the wedding shows(like say yes to the dress) and magazines all say that you will regret it."

That's because wedding shows and magazines are part of the mainstream wedding industry, and are supported by national dress shop chains and big name designer labels. Of COURSE they don't want you spending your money with some no-name independent dressmaker — it's less money they're making off of advertisements and show booths.

cynzia ,
the one and only girl to respond to my pleas for help. thank u very much for the tip. i am thinking about haveing it made but should i not follow thru with that ur site was VERY VERY VERY helpful thank u soooo much

anyone ever heard anything about http://www.dhgate.com , their wedding apparel section?

[...] Everything you need to know about having your wedding dress custom-made: The title says it all-this article has great advice for getting a wedding dress made just for you. [...]

I am also a designer who has done custom work for over ten years in North Carolina. I have worked on everything from pageant gowns for Miss America to Wedding gowns and done renaissance and historical costuming and dance and theatre costuming. I say all that because there are a few things I've learned doing this that I wanted to share.

1. Make sure your personalities don't clash. If you don't like the person your working with you will not have a good experience. First impressions really do matter. A consultation is not a contract so if you don't feel right walk away and find someone else.

2. Look at pictures, actual work, etc but also ask if they have any recommendations or other customers you can speak with. Most will and don't be afraid to ask around and talk to others who've used the designer/seamstress.

3. Be patient with the process but also please please please speak up! A good designer will not be offended it you ask questions and most will welcome it. I want my brides to be completely satisfied. After all, it's your day!

4. Get a contract!!!! Have everything in writing, cost, design, types of fabrics, etc. This is for your protection and the protection of the person you're working with.

I could add a ton more but those were just some of the things that first came to mind when I read this. Thank you Off Beat Bride for this wonderful article. Custom can be a wonderful way to have a wedding dress that is totally you!

No NYers with recommendations?

I'm seconding the advice from Joi and Angela, and my Professional two cents:

Custom simply is not for everyone. Some people cannot cope with the process and watching the piece evolve through the fittings. If you're the type of person who constantly needs someone else's opinion and is uncomfortable with 'owning the decision', you should just go shopping. Seriously.
If the evolution of the creative process turns you on and you are the girl with the image burned into your head of what you want (and can communicate with others), then you are a perfect candidate for a Custom Gown!

Price. There are some things that can be made for less than a Chinese sweatshop or a National Conglomerate Chainstore can sell for retail! However, some of these $99. Sale price tags simply cannot even begin to cover the cost of materials for an Independent Designer, let alone cover the hours of work involved.
Know that decent looking lace averages $100. a yard, and that a $100. at wholesale bag of swarovski crystals can take almost 100 hours of work to sew. It's simple Business 101 to translate it into what your gown should cost vs. what you'd like to pay. Don't insult your Designer and ask for a copy of that $5G beaded lace Vera Wang for $500. Remember that staying in business costs money. 100 Hours of work >< more than Minimum Wage =???

And don't ever have your gown made by someone who works without a contract! The VLAMA helped me re-write mine recently and I highly reccomend the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts if you're a young Designer starting out.

) Harper

I actualy got great dressmaker recomendations from a local jewlery shop that does custom work in house (do NOT go to the mall lol), and from a wedding planner that makes dresses but didn't like working with silk. Local bridal shops also contract with seamstresses that often make wedding dresses. Many tailors or dry cleaners can give you recomendatuiions as well. My dressmaker is only charging me $500 for my dress and I was very pleased to find someone to work with in town.

Some tips:
1: Pick a pattern or a picture that you like and try on similar dresses, don't assume talioring is a magic bullet, some stlesd simply look better on a hanger.

2. Get recomendations (see above). If others were pleased with thier work, chances are you will be too.

3. Buy great fabric and get recoomendations from your dressmaker on where to shop and what to buy, yit's not fun to spend lots of money to get a dress made only to realize that you should have coughed up the extra 75 bucks for silk instead of polyester satin when you feel like your in a plastic bag at your august wedding (plus I just love natural fibers…especialy silk
Anybody can contact me if they are having the hebby jebbies about the dress experience, I'm on the same adventure!

My wife found a dress maker to create her wedding dress using "Kijiji" which is a free local online classified listing used all across North America. There were quite a few listed at the time.

i order 10 dresses. THEY ARE ROGUE TRADERS!!! They STOLE my designs and refused to send them to me even though I had paid for it.

It is now advertised on their website. They are thieves and liars. I was so shocked. I was going to town on this I ordered 10 dresses. They took my deposit, claiming that they would send me the pictures and if I didn't like them all I had to do was say and they would refund or remake.

They made card board 2 pence looking things so I asked them to remake them then they went off line and I didn't hear anything from them for a month (no responses to my emails and calls) They then resurfaced and said I should send them my address that they would send me the only dress I liked and they have not and again have refused to return calls or reply emails.

Bad quality dresses, bad quality service. Dont waste your time. THey are only attentive until you have paid.

Just some advice(referring to online dealings), never pay anything until they at least give you a sketch and a fabric sample. If they can't do that for you then that's a huge red flag.

I recently had my dress made after finding that there was no way in hell I was going to afford the couture dresses with yards of flowing raw silk I so desired. My solution, I ordered silk from China, and found a seamstress with the help of everyone's favorite friend, Craigslist. With the recession on you'll be surprised how many super qualified people will respond to your craigslist ad. I lucked out and found a couture dressmaker who had just been let go of her job at a major label because of the economy, who was willing to do it on the cheap. Also the beauty of criagslist is you can also write in other forms of payment you might offer like trades(I know a girl who designed her seamstress a jazzy website in return for making her dress). I LOVE my custom dress, though if you are looking to spend less than 800 bucks, I'd go with finding a great sample or a used one.

Hi Suzzanne,

I have made a deposit with Haehie Chang in Georgetown for my wedding dress. She seems like a really nice lady. I'll be honest with you though, I'm a bit nervous about whether she is healthy enough to finish my dress. She doesn't come cheap for sure and my wedding date is approaching fast and I have not had 1 muslin fitting yet. What was your experience with her like? Please keep this confidential. I don't want to hurt Haehie's feelings, but I am really concerned.

Diane, just as a heads up: your comment here appears publicly and will potentially show up in Google searches. If you have concerns about confidentiality, a public blog comment isn't the way to go.

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