MADE TO MEASURE
For the perfect fit on your big day
Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that reflects your unique bond with your partner. So you deserve a wedding dress that is just as unique.
With a made-to-measure wedding dress, you can express your individual style and ensure every inch of your dress perfectly fits your body for comfort and style.
And that’s not to mention the wonderful journey of seeing your dream wedding dress come to life. It’s an experience you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
IS MADE-TO-MEASURE RIGHT FOR YOU?
Creating a made-to-measure wedding dress isn’t for everyone, but it could be right for you. To help you decide if a bespoke wedding dress is right for you, here are 4 things you need to know about the process, as well as some helpful tips:
1) Your design may evolve
Creating your unique wedding dress is a very personal and creative experience. Working closely with your designer, you may find that the original picture you had in your mind changes as you explore your ideas and options. Be open to the process — you may end up loving the new evolution of your wedding dress even more than the version you dreamt up.
2) The price tag may change
It’s important to have a budget in mind for your made-to-measure wedding dress as this will help determine the materials, details and overall design work. However, as designs may change, the final price tag may be higher than what you initially expected.
So make sure your budget includes some leeway and get a clear idea of costs with your designer every step of the way.
3) It’s easy to get caught up in the details
Creating your dream wedding dress can put you under a lot of pressure. You’ll need to make decisions on every little detail, from buttons to beading. This can be stressful and leave you feeling as if nothing is hitting the mark.
If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a step back and think about whether the dress captures your overall personality and style and whether it flatters your figure. If you’ve ticked these two important boxes, you don’t need to sweat the small stuff.
4) Trust is important
You need to trust your designer, so make sure when you’re choosing who should create your wedding dress that you not only love their previous creations and their design style but that you also feel comfortable having honest conversations with them about what you really want.
You may find that every other friend and relative has an opinion about your dress — you need to trust that your designer knows what they’re doing and is listening to your needs, so you can tune out the rest of the noise.
THE MADE-TO-MEASURE PROCESS
From first sketches to final details, you will be involved in the creation of your dream wedding dress from start to finish. The process takes at least 2 months, so the sooner you book your made-to-measure consultation, the better. We advise booking 6–12 months in advance of your wedding date.
Here’s what to expect once your made-to-measure journey begins:
Your initial consultation
You'll meet your designer, who will spend XX hours/minutes getting to know you and your ideas for your dream wedding dress. You're welcome to bring along any inspirational images, materials or sketches.
Designing begins
Your designer will put together 10–20 quick sketches for you to take a look at. When you find the one you love the most, we'll take your measurements (while you're wearing your wedding day shoes and underwear) so we can start fleshing out your design.
We will show you various iterations of your chosen design to get your input and make sure the final design is perfect for you.
Your fittings
You will need multiple fittings for your made-to-measure wedding dress, usually more than if you were buying a ready-made dress.
Your first fitting will be done wearing a toile — this is a version of your dress made with a basic material, such as cotton. Changes can still be made to the silhouette and pattern of your dress at this point.
Subsequent fittings will be done with your dress made in the actual fabrics that you will wear on the day. To account for any changes in your weight or shape, your final fitting will usually occur 2–4 weeks before your wedding day.
After this, your dress and any accessories will be steamed, ironed and carefully packaged, ready for your big day.
Read Our Guide to the Bridal Experience!
Pop in your details and we'll email it straight to you (don't forget to check your spam folder if it doesn't appear within 30 minutes). This will guide you through the whole bridal dress experience with us so you know what to expect and how we will be with you throughout the journey.
“From your initial consultation to your wedding day, we strive to create a memorable and exciting experience from start to finish”
Owner & Head Bridal ConsultantHAPPY CLIENTS
“Many thanks for supplying such a beautiful dress & veil for our daughter to wear on her wedding day- she looked stunning! And thanks also for all your help & advice at the fittings, we would certainly recommend Bridal Apparel”
"We were struggling to nail down suits for our civil partnership that fateful day when we met you at the wedding fare. We were really stressed as we had no idea of what we were actually looking for, We needn’t have worried so much. From the first meeting to the last you put all our worries at ease and helped us pick fabulous suits. You are warm friendly people who we loved meeting and interacting with and who made it not only easy but a pleasurable experience. We would just like to thank you so much for all the help you gave us. Martyn and myself could not have looked better. We really appreciated it."
"We would just like to say a very big thank you for your wonderful contribution to our wedding day. for making the experience of finding the perfect wedding gown such a happy, memorable time for me, for your kindness, advice and professionalism. I actually did feel as ‘stunning’ as people complimented me and believe me i have sung your praises because it was such a pleasant, stress free time and the final product was beautiful and made me feel very special."
"Just a note to thank you for the excellent service and beautiful gown you provided for my daughter Georgina’s wedding. The bride looked wonderful and a fabulous time was had by all. If at anytime a future customer should ask for a personal recommendation i would be pleased to give one."
“Susan is a wonderfully kind, talented and knowledgeable woman to find your dream dress from. My gown has been made to my measurements and altered to my tastes, and it's all been done beautifully.”
I don't know how to thank you. You have made a mature bride feel wonderful. You turned a very worried lady into a gorgeous bride. I feel amazing. Thank you.
LET THE DREAM BEGIN
Start building your wedding dream at Brides Apparel. For Brides, Bridesmaids, Grooms, Ushers and Page Boys we can style you all to perfection.
+44 (0)113 250 1616