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Bespoke Wedding Gowns
Bespoke Wedding Gowns
Where do you start? There are so many options and there are bound to be many dresses that are the perfect wedding gown for you!
You may have dreamt about your wedding gown as a young girl or the thought may not have even ever crossed your mind. Either way, here are a few steps to follow when choosing your wedding gown…
It is really important to know where you are getting married before you decide on your wedding gown. I doubt you’d want to wear a long sleeve, heavy lace full-length gown on a 35 degree day at a beach wedding! Keep your venue in mind when thinking about your wedding gown.
Always ask yourself, does this suit the setting of my wedding?
Jess’s Tea-Length Wedding Gown for her Rose Garden Wedding. Image by Christine Lim.
I know… it is really easy to get excited and fall in love with a gown that is out of your price range. I suggest you set yourself a budget before you even step into a wedding dress shop. This will save you a lot of pain and allow the staff to lead you in the direction of your perfect wedding gown (that fits within your price range).
I always ask my clients what are a few key features of their favourite dresses (yes, the ones your wear everyday!). It’s amazing, most women actually know what suits them and they wear those styles every day.
It is really important that you still feel like ‘you’ in your wedding gown.
Ok, now that you have your venue, price range and style in mind it’s time to hit Pinterest, wedding blogs and wedding magazines to figure out what style of dress you like.
We recommend that you try on a couple of styles and visit a few wedding dress designers before you make your final decision.
I’ve had a number of brides visit us recently in search of the perfect beach wedding dress so I thought I’d share my thoughts and tips on beach wedding gowns.
Firstly, it’s really important to consider the physical setting of your wedding when thinking about your wedding gown. Beach weddings are more relaxed so you can ditch the veil, the big princess gown and the black tie suit!
A softly gathered silk georgette skirt and lace bodice would be perfect for a romantic, bohemian beach wedding. This style is very flattering and can be dressed up or down.
Juliet Gown by Elvi Design. Image by Christine Lim.
A bias cut silk satin gown enhances the curves of the body and offers something a little bit sexy. The beach is definitely the place to get married if you want to show a little skin!
Carla Silk Satin Gown by Elvi Design. Image by Christine Lim.
A shorter hemline is perfect for the beach, you won’t have to worry about a long gown in the sand. Consider a knee-length or tea-length wedding dress.
Rose Tea-Length Gown by Elvi Design, Image by Christine Lim
If the destination is likely to be warm, you need to consider how many layers your dress has and what fabric it is made from. Ideally, you need to minimize the layers and stick to natural fibres such as silk. Silk will allow your body to breath and minimize sweating.
Beach settings are very bright, it is important to make sure your beach wedding dress is not too sheer and that you are wearing appropriate underwear. It is worth testing out the dress before your wedding!
If you went with a relaxed wedding gown, you need to reflect this in your accessories so consider simple sandals, thongs or go barefoot!
There are so many options available at the moment. The following accessories would be great for a beach wedding-
Flower Crown
Birdcage Veil
Tulle Headpiece
Handmade Silk Flowers
Lace or Beaded Headpiece
Work with your fiancé to find something suitable for him, it’s a good idea to ensure he is also comfortable. He could wear suit pants, shirt and a vest. You could opt to leave out the suit jacket and tie to keep the ‘look’ more relaxed.
If you have decided on a relaxed, beach wedding and the bridal party is wearing less formal attire it is a good idea to let your guests know. Simply note ‘Beach Formal’ or ‘Smart Casual’.
I think the best bit of a beach wedding is that it is often a ‘destination’ wedding which means a holiday for everyone and definitely helps set the relaxed mood you are looking for as a beach bride!
Thea and Eden were married in a sweet garden ceremony at Thea’s family home in October last year, it was followed by a reception at the Breakwater in Hillarys.
Thea visited us early in 2013 looking for a full-length lace wedding gown that was soft, flattering and suitable for their garden wedding. We came up with a soft ivory lace and blush pink design that had a sweet-heart neckline fitted bodice with a low back and cap sleeves. The skirt was soft, fitted to mid-thigh and then it floated into a long train with a dramatic lace edge. Placing a very soft pink tone under the ivory lace enhanced the pattern of the lace and worked perfectly with Thea’s flowers and bridesmaid dresses.
A few words from Thea –
“Thank you both for creating my beautiful dress. The process was so enjoyable, I never felt stressed or unsure, you and Brigitte made me feel at ease and I knew I was in safe hands. My gown was amazing, the lace stunning and most importantly it was super comfortable! I felt like myself and that was important to me. Thank you again!”
Here at Elvi Design, we like to embrace the trends for the coming year but we also like to work with the Bride’s personality, style of wedding, venue and the time of the year when designing her bespoke wedding gown. These are the top 10 wedding dress styles that will dominate 2014 bridal fashion.