Tag: Dress Making
The 14 steps to building your perfect veil-to-toe look.
by Sean on Feb.10, 2010, under Dress Making
Your Gown
- Make a “look book.” Tear out pictures from magazines; compile photos from friends’ weddings, and round up fabric swatches and anything else that may help you communicate your taste to the sales staff or dressmaker. Paste everything into an album or a blank book.
- Determine your budget. Click on the related link to print out a wedding budget worksheet. Related: Wedding-Budget Worksheet
- Think about the wedding location. If you’re getting hitched at city hall, you may want to skip an elaborate, formal gown. Also consider the religious affiliation, if any, of the location and its rules with regard to modesty.
- Consider the temperature. If you’re having a beach ceremony, you’ll want a fabric such as cotton eyelet that won’t wilt in the humidity. Winter weddings call for heftier materials, like satin or silk shantung.
- Scout dresses at retail stores. Note what dresses work best with your body type. Related: Choose the Perfect Wedding Dress for Your Body Type
- Or visit a custom dressmaker. Think about what questions you would ask. Related: 5 Questions to ask your dressmaker.
- Make your buy about eight months before the wedding. You need to allow time for fittings. Related: Ultimate Wedding Planning Checklist
- Buy undergarments. If your gown doesn’t have a built-in corset, ask the dress salesperson what type of underpinning you need. Make sure to try on everything with your gown at your final fitting.
Your Accessories
- Choose a headpiece. Experiment with a variety of lengths and shapes to see what best complements your gown. Other options: tiaras, silk flowers, vintage combs, or pearl or crystal hairpins.
- Settle on shoes. Ballet flats or kitten heels are most comfortable.
- Consider a wrap. Popular options: a pashmina; a beaded shrug; a wrap in silk, chiffon, or lace.
- Purchase jewellery. Choose pieces to enhance your gown, not compete with it.
- Gather your something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.
- Pack an emergency kit. Toss these in a bag for your big day: a small sewing kit, extra buttons, Hollywood tape, white chalk, stain-remover wipes, a lint brush, a compact steamer, white gaffer’s tape, and white ballet slippers.
5 Things to Ask Your Wedding Dress Maker
by Sean on Feb.10, 2010, under Dress Making
A lot of brides-to-be are looking for a wedding dress maker so that they look amazing on the day of their wedding, for a number of reasons. By finding an upmarket wedding dress shop for an original gown, you will ensure that the dress is the exact style and fit that you dreamed of. Perhaps you’ve seen a dress that is nearly the style that you want, but you would like longer sleeves, or an embroidered bodice, or a heavier fabric. Maybe you’re pregnant, and want a gown that will be able to accommodate your changing body. These changes will mean you pay a little more, but you’ll have the wedding dress you always wanted and feel fabulous on your wedding day, which must be worth the extra money.
Perhaps you’ve seen a gown that is almost perfect, but you want a different neckline, or a shorter train, or a different fabric. Perhaps you’re pregnant, and would like to have a gown that will be able to accommodate your changing body. You’ll pay a bit more for these options, but having the perfect wedding dress and feeling beautiful on your special day is worth the expense.
From Conception to Reception: How it Works.
Most wedding dresses aren’t custom per se. A wedding dress maker, or designer, will have a line of dress styles from which to choose. After an hour or so long consultation where you decide on a gown style and get measurements taken, a prototype of your gown is made up out of muslin.
The wedding dress maker will use this sample dress to fit the gown to your exact measurements by marking the dress and pinning the fabric in the right spot.
The marked up version then goes back to the shop where they begin to create your wedding dress. When the dress is completed, it will be necessary to have a final fitting. If there are still alterations to be made, another fitting may need to be arranged.
When selecting a wedding dress maker, be sure to ask the following questions:
1) How long will it take?
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your wedding dress won’t be completed in a day, either. Expect a time frame of five to twelve months to create your gown, depending on how many changes you make to the original design. Your fittings will be scheduled within this time frame, with the last fitting taking place about two weeks before your wedding date.
If you’re planning on losing weight before your wedding, make sure you tell your wedding dress maker at your consultation so she can take that into consideration. Once the dress is sized and fitted to you, changes can add time to the completion of the dress and take money away from your budget.
If you’re in a rush to get married and need a gorgeous gown sooner, most wedding dress makers will accommodate you. Expect to pay 15-25% more for the rush order. Buying a sample gown that the wedding dress maker has in stock and having it tailored to your requirements could be an option. It won’t be customized to your tastes, but it’s a step above an off-the-rack gown in a department store.
2) How do I pay?
Knowing how much you’ll be paying and when will help you settle your budget, if you have one. Schedules of payment may differ between different wedding dress makers, but in all cases expect to pay a deposit at your consultation and the balance when picking up your wedding dress.
Most designers work in thirds of the price of the completed gown – a deposit can be about a 1/3 of the total price. The next installment of 1/3 will be paid at the first fitting, while the balance will be paid at the second fitting.
3) Which design suits my body shape?
A lot of brides start dreaming of how they’ll look in their wedding dress when they’re little girls. Unfortunately, these girlish dreams often fail to take a short stature or wide hips into consideration.
Different body shapes don’t suit every style of dress. Your wedding dress maker will be able to help you choose the style of gown that will help to disguise faults and play up your strongest features so you are a vision of loveliness on your wedding day.
Some thoughts to consider:
Want to look taller?
A high waistline, such as an empire waist, helps to give the illusion of height as well as makes you look thinner.
More looking tall tips:
Detail around the hemline and neckline, such as embroidery or beadwork, draw the eye up and down the dress, making you look taller.
Want more curves?
Heavier fabrics such as satin or velvet help to add curves in all the right places. You can also opt for a wedding dress with a gathered waist, a wider bodice and narrow sleeves.
Want to look thinner?
Besides an empire waist you can try a Princess style gown or an A-line wedding dress.
Want to hide wide hips?
Try a flared or A-line skirt. You’ll also want to go for a gown with bodice detail such as embroidery or beading to draw the viewer’s eye up and away from your trouble zone.
Sheath, ball gown style, and mermaid style are great choices for a very slender bride.
4) What will I need at the first fitting?
In order to make sure your wedding dress will fit you properly, you need to have your accessories ready. At your consultation you’ll want to ask about lingerie and shoes, as your wedding dress maker will be able to suggest styles to choose from. They may also have these items for sale in their shop.
At the least, most wedding dress makers require that you have your shoes purchased so they can get an idea of hemline length. If you need to change your shoes for some reason you’ll want to inform the wedding dress maker so they can make the appropriate changes to your wedding dress.
5) How do I care for my wedding dress?
Most wedding dress makers will give you instructions on the care of your wedding gown so it remains pristine and perfect until you walk down the aisle.
Make sure you take your Matron Of Honor or Wedding Consultant with you to your last fitting so they can learn how to fasten your wedding dress to avoid needless fabric accidents like stepping on your train, or a lost button.
You’ll also want to follow the directions to preserve it afterwards, so you can hand it down to your daughter for her wedding.
Locate the most stunning wedding dresses in Australia at Start Local. Anywhere in Australia, make sure that Start Local is your first visit. Start Local is Australia’s quickest expanding local search engine and business directory.
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