Dressmakers and Fabrics

Choosing The Right Wedding Dressmaker

choose the right dressmaker

The perfect wedding dress should fit perfectly but an off-the-rack dress rarely does.

That's why you should consider having your wedding gown made by a professional bridal dressmaker. But how do you choose the right one?

By Recommendation

It doesn't matter if you're considering Vera from work or Vera Wang to make your gown - referrals are the best way to find yourself a dressmaker. The more brides that business has made happy, the likelier you are to be pleased with the final product.

By Having Good Rapport

The right person should make you feel comfortable at all times. He/she should be willing to listen to what you want but be honest enough to share his or her opinion of whether your vision will work or not. Melbourne's Heather Sellick has made over 4,000 gowns that have excited each and every one of her brides and prides herself on giving everyone the warmth and the respect that they deserve.

By Knowing What You Want

Wedding dressmakers may be able to create magic with needle and thread but they can't make your wedding dress wish come true unless you have an idea of what you want. Cut out pictures of designs that you like from bridal magazines and try on as many styles as you can to get an idea of the ideal before making an appointment. Consider weave, colour, texture, drape, care and wearability. And make a note of your preferred fabrics, detailing what appeals to you - silk, satin, silk georgette, or sequins, embroidery, crystals and beading - as well as interesting necklines, sleeves and hem lengths. A good dressmaker will then be able to narrow the choices down to the ones that will suit you the best. The more specific you are the less surprised you'll be when the completed dress is presented to you.

By Viewing a Sample

Viewing gowns that the dressmaker has made in the past ensures that you'll get a good idea of their workmanship and the techniques they use for lacework, beading and embroidery. Look for smooth, almost invisible seams (a second rate dressmaker will produce puckered seams), hand-sewn sequins and beadwork (second rate dressmakers glue them on) and a clean finished lining (the inside of the dress should be as well-constructed as the outside and you should literally be able to wear the dress inside-out if you had to). Why not have a Karen Fraser gown made, where every fold, every hem, every sparkling bead has been lovingly hand-stitched.

Visit Bride Online via the links below to find professional dressmakers and wedding dress fabrics for custom-made designs.