Ordering a Bespoke Bridal Gown

When you get married you have the choice of ordering a bespoke bridal gown or something simpler off the shelf. Many women would love to go down the custom made route, mainly because they want to stand out for all the best reasons when they get married. If you've decided on this option, make sure you are prepared before you walk into your chosen wedding dress shop.

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind if you are going to have a bespoke bridal gown made.

Look around for ideas

Starting a scrapbook is a good place to begin, as there is nothing worse than a bride turning up for an appointment with a designer and absolutely no idea of what she wants. Even if you only have a vague idea of the direction you want to head, this will provide a good starting point to go from. Buy some bridal magazines and look online to find more information. If you spot some dresses and styles that you like, print them out or take that particular magazine with you so you can show the designer what you have in mind.

If you have one or more colours in mind, take some swatches with you

It's easy to assume every bride wants to get married in white or ivory, but of course this is not necessarily the case. If you are thinking of getting married in another colour, take a swatch of that colour with you to show the designer. It doesn't really matter if the swatch is of something else entirely - even a piece of wallpaper would do if the colour you want is represented on it! Just have something that will convey your ideas to the designer. Not everyone visualises the same thing when someone mentions 'pale blue' or 'vibrant green', for example.

Focus on different parts of the dress

A bespoke bridal gown can be simple and elegant, short and summery, long and flowing or anything in between. Sleeves can be short or long and the design can be very complex in terms of the materials and layers used. This is why it makes sense to focus on each part of the dress prior to meeting with the designer. You don't have to have the exact image of the dress fixed in your mind, but it might help to have a good idea of what you want.

Having a wedding dress custom made is an exciting experience because you will get exactly what you ask for. However this also means you have to be prepared in order to have a starting point to move from when you order your dress.