Wedding Gowns: Custom Made, Off The Shelf or Online Shops?

I often get asked this question from readers: Should I custom make my wedding gowns, buy them off the shelf or purchase them from online stores. My answer to that? It depends.

Every option has it pros and its cons. It all depends on which factors are most important to you in your decision making process.

Before you make a decision, consider the following:

1. Your budget
If you have a higher budget, your options would be wider. You would be able to consider all 3 options, including designer wedding gowns.

2. Do you prefer to physically see a design before you decide, or are you good at imagining a design based on a description?
If you prefer to physically see a design, then buying off the shelf or  purchasing from an online shop will be more feasible for you. Custom made options will often require you to imagine how your wedding gown will turn out, just by looking at the sketches provided by the designer.

3. Do you like lots of flexibility in the creation of your gown?
If you do, then custom made gowns would be the way to go. Essentially, with custom made gowns you would be able to customize every detail of your gown from the style, to the material to the length and the embellishments.

Custom made wedding gowns

If you have opted for custom made wedding gowns, be sure to make an appointment to visit the showroom to have a look at the workmanship. You can also take the chance to try the various styles of gowns to make sure it suits you. Once the general style has been decided, you should then discuss with your designer the details of the gowns, like the type and colour of the fabric, as well as  the embellishments preferred.

More often than not, this will be the most expensive option. However, it will also be the option that provides you with the most flexibility in the design of your wedding gown.

Off the shelf wedding gowns

Off the shelf gowns are another hot favourite amongst brides. It is especially popular amongst those who are not able to “visualize” a design and would much prefer the see the design before making a decision. Some off the shelf gowns also have the added benefit of saving you some moolah.

Many bridal shops offer this option. Some display a myriad of designs which can be altered to your size. Others will make a new piece for you after the design has been selected.

The Prelude Bridal, started in October 2011, features ready to wear wedding gowns designed and created by UK designers like Amanda Wakeley, David Fielden and Junko Yoshioka. Pieces from The Prelude Bridal can be purchased if the size fits or if only minor  alterations are required. Should the size not fit, a new piece will be ordered and the bride should expect to see her gown in 2-4 months for a fitting. These designer gowns start from $3,500 a pop.

Angela from La Vita Brides shared with us, they also offer a range of designs which the couple can select from. Once the design is decided upon, measurements will be taken to custom make (as opposed to alter) the design for the bride. If the bride requires additional details like embroidery, Angela would be happy to discuss it with the wedding couple. It generally takes 45 days to tailor the gown. However, you are strongly encourage to plan early and book your wedding gown as early as 4-6 months in advance, especially during peak seasons. Custom sized, off the shelf designs by La Vita Brides start from as low as $400 per gown, depending on the design.

Online bridal shops

Many online bridal shops have sprung up offering gorgeous gowns with lovely detailing at a fraction of the price of a fully custom made wedding gown. Online bridal shops have their advantages as well. Other than a more attractive price, online bridal shops offer a much larger variety of designs with different extents of intricacy, as compared to physical shops. This online catalogue style allows the wedding couple to see the actual design , without having to “imagine” a custom design. Better yet, they can do this from the convenience of their own home!

One online bridal shop I particularly enjoy browsing is Artsy Wedding. They offer such a big range of designs, you are sure to find one that suits your requirement. And if you do not like ordering standard dress sizes, you can even have them custom make that design to your exact dimensions. How cool is that! What’s more, you can even opt to get a fabric swatch from them, so that you know exactly what fabric you will be getting.

And just for Little Wedding Diary readers, we have some coupons for you to enjoy even greater savings! Be sure to view our promotions page!

Images courtesy of The Prelude Bridal