How Does a Custom Wedding Dress Work?

If you’re a Bride who’s looked through countless shops, tried on what feels like hundreds of dresses and you just aren’t finding your dream dress, you may be considering a custom made wedding dress. But how does it work? Let’s go into detail about all the things you should know for a bespoke gown.

When looking into a custom made wedding dress, there are lots of questions you may have. I want to go into these, to put you at ease when planning and deciding if a custom dress is the right fit for you. Let’s start with the basics.

How long will a custom wedding dress take?

This can vary greatly depending on the style and intricacy of the dress. On average, a custom wedding dress can take around 6 to 8 months in total, including planning, design and fittings. 

How does the design process work?

As a bridal designer, I want to make the design process as easy as possible for you. It can be difficult to describe everything through technical terms, so I offer sketches of your design so you can physically see what we have created together. I offer a free initial design consultation so that we can chat about your day and think about your vision. 

I see wedding dress design as a very collaborative process. Ultimately, this dress is yours. It is your day, your ideas and your vision. I offer advice and ideas on the design, but if you want to be in the drivers seat, you can be. Alternatively, if you would like me to lead with the ideas you have given, I’m more than happy to do so. 

Once we have designed your dress and you have paid your deposit, we have another design consultation, where I will bring a fabric look book for you to browse fabrics and choose ‘the one’ for your dress. We will also go over all of the final information for your dress and take measurements. 

From these measurements, I create what is called a ‘toile’. This is a mock up of your dress in a fabric called Calico, and it acts as a base for us to work on. We will have a fitting of this toile, and take in/ let out any areas we need to. You will also be able to have input on how things are sitting, for example if you’d like to alter the shape of the neckline, that can be done at this stage. Again, you are in the drivers seat and are totally in charge of what your dream dress looks like. If any adjustments were needed, I will make these and we will have a second fitting. Once the toile is fitting perfectly, I begin your dress in your final chosen fabric. Your dream dress is nearly done!

I will arrange a final fitting for you when your dress is complete, with complementary bubbles and a friend should you wish for someone to join you and see your gown. 

What should I bring to fittings?

You should bring the shoes you will be wearing on the day, as well as any undergarments you would like to wear for example, stick on bra cups etc. 

Can you make matching accessories?

Yes! I offer many different designs available to purchase on my website, however I also create custom designs for Brides. For example, the image below was made for a Bride who wanted one of my bows, but with a custom length for the tails so it fitted her dress beautifully. I can do the same with bows, veils, mini veils, anything you desire.

What if I lose or gain weight before the wedding?

Your dress will be made based off of your final toile fitting. Any alterations needed after this, will be chargeable.

I’m planning a destination wedding, how can you ensure my wedding dress travels well?

Having been a destination bride myself, I know the struggle! That’s why the wedding dress boxes I supply are certified hand luggage size. Your dress will be wrapped in acid free tissue paper to ensure its safety. 

What are the benefits to a custom wedding dress?

Ultimately, the benefit of a custom wedding dress is that you are the designer. Your dress will be made completely to your specification, your dream dress. 

You also won’t have any alterations costs to pay as your dress has been made to measure and fitted to your body. These alterations on a shop bought gown can be quite costly for bridal gowns as they are so intricate and require a lot of skill.

The design is unlimited. For example, you can create a dress which is interchangeable. You could have a mini dress, with a custom wedding dress skirt on the top (maybe even with a statement bow on the back!) so that your dress is more versatile. There are so many more options.

What is the difference between made to order, custom order and custom made to measure?

These 3 things might *seem* the same, however they are all very different. Let’s go over it!

Made To Order - This is where you order a pre-designed dress (for example one of my mini dresses from the website) and it is made in standard sizing (so therefore may need alterations as we are all different!), like size 8,10,12 etc. Nothing about this dress is customised, however it is still all handmade by me in Cambridgeshire.

Custom Order - This is where you customise one of my pre-designed dresses. For example, my Aston Mini Dress. You might want to add some sleeves, change the lace or add some more embellishments. This is customised to you, and comes with a different price range. However, it is still made in standard sizing and any alterations you need will have to be outsourced.

Custom Made To Measure - This is where your dress is a completely new design. Working together to create your dream dress, this dress is then made to your specific measurements. No alterations will be required for this as it will be made to fit your body perfectly. 

How much does a custom wedding dress cost?

The question that’s probably highest on your list. Ultimately, a custom wedding dress will usually cost more than store bought dresses. This is because every aspect of your dress is completely fitted to you across multiple fittings, you are able to design every aspect, choose your fabrics and it is all done by hand. 

There will be a lot of different factors that influence the price of your dress. For example, a heavily beaded, fitted dress with train and lots of details, will cost more than a more simple dress in one fabric, with minimal design details. 

It’s impossible to give a price until I have been able to sit down and look at all the different factors, but as a rough estimate my long wedding dresses can range from £1500 up to £3500. 

My pricing is based off of lots of different elements, including but not limited to:

- Fabric used, for example a silk satin will cost more than a polyester satin
- Hand sewn elements. These can increase the price of your dress significantly, as hand sewing requires a lot of extra time. For example, a dress with lots of hand sewn, individual appliqués will cost more than a dress with lace tulle (dependant on the style of lace)
- Amount of fabric used. For example, a wedding dress with a long train and sleeves, requires more fabric than a fitted dress. However, the fitted dress requires more technical fitting to ensure that it fits your body perfectly. So these two can sometimes even out.

My pricing for custom mini dresses can range from £700-£1500 depending on the same factors as above.

Again, these are rough estimates and your dream dress could be more or less than above. 

I have more questions, how can I contact you?

You can contact me through Instagram or through email. My email is phoebecrosbydesign@hotmail.com, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions you might have!