Christmas is around the corner, I thought I’d share a little story that started around this time of the year in 2009.
Seven years ago, in a beautiful water town in China, a girl was proposed to on Christmas Eve. She was over joyed with happiness. The couple had spent nearly a year apart on different sides of the world from each other and now after knowing each other for seven years they were finally going to tie the knot.
With only 5 months between the engagement and the wedding date, planning a wedding 5,000 miles away from her fiancée was a massive challenge. Luckily, she had a wonderful future mother-in-law who helped her fiancée with finding the church and reception venue. She had one big mission that can only accomplished by her – the Wedding Dress.
All the free time she had, she spent wedding dress shopping. She tried on countless dresses but she could not find the ONE. She had good ideas about what she would like to have, for instance, silk is a must, minimal decoration, closely tailored on the bodice and hip. Because she was specific about what she wanted, she could not find the dress that meet all her requirements. Because of that, she is getting more and more stressed by day as the wedding day was getting closer and closer. She went to the most famous ‘wedding dress town’ in China thinking ‘in the sea of wedding dresses there must be one for me”. But she came back home disappointed. Finally, a friend said ‘why don’t you make one yourself? I can help you to do the fitting!’.
This was not as crazy as it sounded. The girl has a fashion design degree and worked in the industry since she’s graduated. The idea had crossed her mind at one point but she thought it will be too stressful to make her own dress. But what the other choice did she have?
That’s all how it began. Drawing sketches, finding the silk satin in the right shade, buying fresh water pearls, drafting the pattern… Finally, the dress was cut and sewn together just a week before she had to fly to Scotland joining her future husband. Finally, the wedding day! She felt so happy and special in her dress. It gave her the confidence and comfort she needed for the big day knowing her dress was exactly what she wanted and fit her perfectly. She was surrounded by family and friends who admired her and her beautiful dress. They were there to celebrate the union of her to her beloved and to share the most special moment of the their newly wedded life.
As some of you may have guessed, I was the girl… I am happily married with two beautiful little boys. The day was the most beautiful day of my life and I will always cherish the photos from that day.
The reason I was telling you the story is that from my experience of talking to brides, I found so many are just like me, struggling to find the right dress for her big day. They get increasingly stressed as they get closer to the wedding date and at some point, they have had to compromise. My point is, do not compromise on the biggest day of your life! Think about how many days in your life are all about you? Family and friends watching you going down the aisle to join your future husband with whom you will be sharing your life. The photographs will capture all the wonderful moments on that day that you will cherish forever. You will remember that day for the rest of your life. Women are caring creatures; it is their instinct. We often forget about caring or treating ourselves especially when you have a family and children. Now and then, we need to remember to tell ourselves ‘I am important too!’. Ask yourself, do you want compromise on possibly the most important day that is all about ‘YOU’?
If the answer is ‘no, I don’t want to compromise’ then carry on reading!
If you’ve never thought too much about the process of patternmaking and fitting before, here are some great benefits you should know before making the big ‘YES’ decision about getting your dream dress made.
Design Your Own = One of a kind piece
Brides to be, can I just ask how many bridal shops have you been to and how many dresses have you tried on? Do you ever feel so overwhelmed by the sight of hundreds of dresses displayed in front of you and yet it seems impossible find the right one? Worse still, you simply feel all the dresses look like you have seen someone else wearing it before, nothing special! If this is how you feel, you should get a bespoke dress that stands out from the crowd.
A bespoke wedding dress will be a one of a kind piece. You can speak to your local designer about fabrics, silhouettes, decorations … the possibilities are endless. It might be that you just want a simple dress and have that one beautiful detail that you were never be able to find in a high-street shop. Make sure you do your home work and gather as much information as possible before you speak to the designer. Share your passion, your taste of art, your wedding venue location, your theme, the more information you can share the better understanding you will have in order to create a unique piece just for you.
Perfect pattern/fit = More comfortable
Let’s admit it – our bodies are not perfect! We all have experienced the frustration of finding the right shirt or trousers in shops, even you’ve chosen the supposedly right size! This is because every body is different. In order to make mass produced garments the labels/manufacturers need to strike a compromise on measurements will fit the “average” sized body. These patterns are developed not to fit any individuals well but to “kind-of fit” range of people. A personal pattern fit is impossible for a mass-produced garment to match. A great pattern will make all the difference when you wear a well-fitted dress on your special occasion.
As the bespoke dress pattern was developed just for you, the moment you are in it you will notice the difference. It fits you perfectly just like a second skin. No more twitching to get the piece back where it belongs. No more feeling conscious about a particular part of your body. Instead it will just draw attention to the flattering areas of your body and conceal the less flattering.
Discuss your body concerns with your designer. If you want to lose weight before the wedding, go for it! Just need to remember to tell your designer that you would like to do the final fitting as close to the wedding as possible to avoid any fitting issues.
Greater appreciation through involvement
When you are involved in having your bespoke dress made you will feel like you know the dress. The designers will allow you to alter details to a greater or lesser degree depending on how far along in the process the dress is. You get to see the whole journey from sketches, choosing the fabric and fittings. It takes some time until it’s ready, but you will know it’s all worth it when you are finally able to wear it on your big day. What did they say about ‘the best things are worth waiting for’?
Support local designers
We see so many campaigns promoting ‘Made in Britain’ and local small businesses. Getting your wedding dress made with a local designer is a great way to support them. There are so many great designers and dressmakers out there to help you getting your dream dress. And don’t forget to tell your friends about them when you are happy with yours!
Ok, I love the idea but how much will it cost me??
It is obvious that getting a bespoke wedding dress is not going to be very cheap. The main reason for this is that the designer or dressmaker who makes the garment is a highly skilled person who earns a fair wage. The hours of time they spent on designing, sourcing fabrics, developing your pattern, fitting and making the dress need to be reflected in the price. However, because it’s bespoke you are able to choose the fabric and details depend on your budget. They can always give you an estimate before you commit. You might end up not paying as much as you thought might be! On your big day, you will feel luxurious, confident and so special in front of your friends and family. You know you are worth it!
At Atelier 5, we offer free consultation and you can try our ‘silhouette styling system’ forms to figure out what suits you the best in terms of neckline and skirt shape. We are specialised in silk wedding dresses, mother of brides, prom, race and all other occasion wear. We are local business based in Chester, Cheshire, North West of England. If you would like a chat about your dress, we would love to hear from you. Click here to get in touch.
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