Anyone else having their dress custom made ...

I'm not quite having a custom made dress (my situation here: https://www.hitched.co.uk/chat/forums/t/416810.aspx)

But if I find my own customisation tricky, I will be looking into seamstresses. I don't know how much this will help but I'll let you know of any quotes should I go that way. Best of luck!

I haven't got as far as ordering mine but it will be a custom made Handfasting dress from Ebay. I am really hoping it turns out as good as the pictures as I don't have a plan B! It will be £175 which I think is a bargain! I am not expecting it to be the same material or quality as an expensive wedding dress I suppose, but that isn't important as long as it looks good and is worth the money I do spend. I wore a 'normal' wedding dress for my first wedding and it just wasn't me, this one will be (I hope!).

I am having mine made ;-)

It will be based mainly on this dress...

With a few tweaks - different neckline to suit my bodyshape better and a coloured petticoat ;-)

I have been quoted £750 to £800 and it will be made out of dupion silk and lace [the £50 range is just because I haven't picked my exact fabrics yet].

I can't really comment on the process as such yet, I put my deposit down last year and she won't start making it till 6-8 weeks before the wedding as she says it is easier that way as bride's weights nearly always alter! In the 6-8 weeks she reckons I will need to see her approximately 4 times for measuring/fittings, etc.

I have been happy so far though, she seems to know what she is talking about with regards to what will suit my figure, etc and I am happy with the price, especially considering some bride's can spend a fair bit on alterations on top of the price of the shop bought dresses.

I really struggled to find something 'off the peg' since I am a ridiculously awkward shape and nothing would fit - with my budget, I was sadly heading towards a massive chinese tent-style dress.

Then I discovered the lovely Julia from Dresses by Julia on facebook, who made my polka dot dress, bolero and petticoats for a mere £135!! She was brilliant. She makes vintage-style dresses. I imagine if you are looking for a more weddingy wedding dress, then you might not be so lucky to get something so cheap. But there are certainly options, so do look around, especially for newish dressmakers who might be just starting out!

Good luck!

Misspickle, what a lovely dress! superb!

LOVE your whole outfit!! Amazing Currently looking through dresses by julias facebook now!!

She's awesome, and a lovely lady to boot. She also made our BM dresses including petticoats for £65 each. Seriously good value!

My dress wasn't bespoke but was one of a kind. Luckily the sample size was only one above mine but it was still scary to have commited to a dress without ever seeing it irl.

the benefits far outweighed the worries on the day- pics in my report.

Mine is being made entirely from scratch. I have always had my heart set on a black dress, and the very few I found by designers just looked like ball gowns rather than wedding dresses. It's a leap of faith, as I have little idea what it will look like, but I met with the designer several times before committing to anything (the lovely Olivia from House of Mooshki) and I have absolute faith. It will be completely tailormade to me, and as the bodice is fitted exactly to my measurements I don't have to worry about a bra.

It is costing £1800 which I appreciate is on the high end of dresses, but I've seen plenty of 'off the peg' dresses that cost more than that.

My starting point was to try on a bunch of dresses, decide the shape i liked and Olivia and I went from there, discussing fabrics etc.

I am having mine made by White Leaf Bridal in Brighton. It is costing me £1100 which is about £1500 cheaper than a similar dress I was going to get. The service in the shop was absolutely amazing and she spent ages pinning and tucking and adding to the sample dress until I had something vaguely resembling what I would like.

It was nerve racking handing over a deposit for 'an idea' rather than a physical dress, but I am glad I decided to go down this route. The other plus side is that she doesn't require my measurements until around 5 months before the wedding, so plenty of time to lose the last few pounds