As long as you have a few materials and a little time, you can make your wedding dress. Before making any decisions about your outfit, first, decide how much work you want to put into it. You don’t have to sew if you’re not good at it nor do you have to use expensive fabrics. With just a bit of effort, you can create a beautiful dress that matches the style and details of the perfect designer gowns.
In as little as three hours or as many as ten, following these five steps will lead you toward making your very own wedding gown:
1) Measurements
How well does the person know their measurements? If they are their best friend or significant other all thoughts of ‘hopefully this fits’ will be put to rest. They may also ask others who know their measurements, like relatives or friends. No matter what, you should measure yourself at your natural waist (the smallest part of your torso) and compare it with the desired dress size that is standard for designer gowns.
2) Fabric
What kind of fabric are they comfortable working with? If they have never seen it before using a heavy lace material would be frustrating because it’s difficult to work with. If the person has experience sewing consider which kinds of materials might look best on them or bring out certain features.
For example, someone who wants to highlight their shoulders might choose a sleeveless style wedding dress made from an airy chiffon fabric while someone who wants to highlight their legs might choose a knee-length dress made from more opaque satin fabric.
3) Style
What type of style are they looking for? Are they VERY specific about what they want or do you have some leeway with the design of the gown? If they know exactly how it should look, find pictures on Google Images and print them out so that you can show them your ideas before sewing.
If there is some room for interpretation try asking them if they like A, B or C style wedding dresses and then create a few designs based on those options.
4) Budget
Do they feel okay spending money on this? Depending on your financial situation you may choose to buy an already made dress or spend hours or days making your own. You can buy a dress on sale or find one that closely matches the style you want but is not ‘perfect’. If they are okay with spending some money, consider whether you want to make it yourself and how much time you have to do so.
5) Time
How much time do they have? If they only have a few months until their big day then buying an already made dress might be their best bet if there is no way for them to sew their gown in that amount of time (it may also be hard to find something that was made in their size). However, if they don’t care about the date and would like to take more than a month making the gown, they can easily make their dress.
To help you consider the needs of the wearer, here are three examples of wedding dress designs that might fit any bride’s style:
Type A
This gown is very structured to give it a modern look but also has small details that make it feel vintage too. The bodice is supported by shoestring straps and tiny rhinestone buttons that continue down the front of it to below the waistline to create balance. The full skirt is made from multiple layers of tulle which are held out by crinoline petticoats attached under the hemline to create volume.
Since this dress has shoestring straps it would work best for someone who wants to show off their arms.
Type B
This dress is made from chiffon which drapes softly on the body. The sweetheart neckline along with the lightweight fabric makes this a very romantic wedding dress design. A close-up of the pleats at the waist give it structure and detracts attention away from where many people tend to have problem areas (the hips, backside).
Since this dress has a fitted bodice it would work best on someone who wants to show off their curves or feels most comfortable in form-fitting clothing.
Type C
This design has an unstructured shape that looks modern but also vintage because of its dark colour and small details like its ruffles, buttons and tiered skirt. The skirt is also designed to look like it’s gathered but it has layers of tulle that are pulled out (not pushed together) to create volume and give the impression of a fuller skirt.
This wedding dress would work great on someone who wants their outfit to appear effortless but still show off their figure.
By thinking about what your partner needs, you can work out how much time they have, if they’re okay with spending money on this project and what style they’re looking for. If you know all three things then you will be able to find the perfect wedding dress in Melbourne!