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Bespoke Wedding Gowns
Bespoke Wedding Gowns
Well, what a year it’s been for Elvi Design! We’ve had lots of beautiful Elvi brides tie the knot, we’ve been a part of a number of Perth bridal fairs and we’ve had our brides featured in Hello May, White Magazine, The Wedding Playbook, Nouba and Polka Dot Bride.
We thought we’d share some of our favourite moments from 2015. We honestly can’t thank our Perth brides enough for the wonderful year we’ve had, you make coming to work each day an absolute dream!
We wish you and your family a happy & healthy 2016!
Holy camole! Yes, I like to make up words from time to time… but this year has been incredible!!!
We’ve created more wedding gowns than ever before (I did a quick count and we are looking at about 50 brides!!) which just blows my mind.
I’ll always be fond of the very first wedding dresses we created but by golly, I’ve loved every dress we created in 2014.
Here is our wrap-up… there was lace, there was tulle, there was a touch of beading and boy oh boy, there was a heap of silk. We went crazy on lace sleeves (literally), we created a number of gorgeous tea-length gowns and every time, we did something different. Because that’s what we do!
Enjoy! And we’ll see you in 2015 for more awesomeness xxx
Hayley. Image by Anna Rose Photography.
Armani. Image by Ross Wallace Photography.
Elyse. Image by Ross Wallace Photography.
Lucy. Image by Emma Pointon.
Jaymie. Image by Still Love.
Kate. Image by Total Whitsundays.
Victoria. Image by Candine Van Moolenbroek.
Victoria. Image by Candine Van Moolenbroek.
Hanny. Image by Fiona Vail.
Ayaka.
Claire. Image by Lee Griffith.
Jilly. Image by Le Photogenic
Gemma.
Hannah. Image by Still Love.
Emily. Image by Still Love.
Sarah. Image by Lifeline Photography.
Sarah. Image by Love is Sweet Photography.
Janina. Image by Funky Photographers.
Emily.
Jo. Image by Merge Photography.
Liz. Image by Christine Lim.
Matilda.
Soraya. Image by CJ Williams.
Lauren.
Emma. Image by Bird on the Wall.
Emma. Image by Bird on the Wall.
Chantelle. Image by CJ Williams.
P.S If I missed you, it’s not because I don’t love you but because we don’t have photos or they aren’t web quality.
I frequently get asked what to avoid when looking at wedding dresses, here are my top 5 pro tips-
Don’t rush your decision, whatever you do, don’t go wedding dress shopping and decide on the day. Sleep on it. I never pressure a potential bride to make her mind up on the spot. I think it’s really important that you take it all in, go home and get some perspective. If you’ve been to 5 bridal shops in one day it’s very likely your head is spinning and you don’t even know what kind of wedding dress you want anymore. Trust me, it’ll be worth the couple of bucks you may have saved if you ‘booked on the day’. I’m sure the bridal shop would still offer you a good price if they really wanted your business.
When I quote on a gown, I include all fabrics, fittings and initial alterations. We even provide a timeline if you are trying to lose weight to avoid excessive alterations. It is really important that when you find the perfect wedding dress you ask what it’s going to take to make it fit you perfectly. If you are buying off the rack, it’s likely that you’ll need to have it taken in and the hem taken up. Be aware, this can add $500+ to your wedding gown and push your budget over the edge. The worst part is when you hear the gown only arrives 1 – 2 months before your wedding, this leaves very little time for error.
Ahhhh, one of my favourite things. I was brought up from a young age to appreciate fine natural fabrics – wool, linen, cotton and silk. We use silk as a base to all of our made-to-measure wedding dresses. It is more expensive but if you are going to have a dress made to fit you, why not indulge in a bit of luxury? Silk is a natural fibre, it allows your body to breathe and is light to wear. It is important to ask what you are investing in when you find the perfect wedding dress. Ask what is the gown made from? This will give you a good idea of whether or not you are getting a good quality product.
Georgette, Satin, Chiffon, Taffeta, Dupion and Organza are all types of fabric. These mediums come in a synthetic fabric called Polyester or a natural fibre called Silk. Polyester is a dirty word in couture.
There are a number of eco brides who are aiming to lead a sustainable lifestyle and their ethics don’t support poor working conditions. Please bear in mind that some bridal stores purchase your wedding dress for $50 to $200 and then sell it to you for $2,000 to $4,000. They are able to do this because they are manufacturing overseas, the quality of the garments and working conditions of the workshops can’t be guaranteed. It is worth enquiring as to where they purchase their gowns and who designs/makes them. There is half a chance that if you purchase a Chinese made gown with a hefty price tag, you can buy a rip-off version for a fraction of the cost. Now, there is no originality in that, is there?
Most women know what suits them, if you take a look at your wardrobe – what do you wear? Apply this to wedding dress shopping. It’s important to keep both your body shape and style in mind when buying your wedding gown. It’s a good idea to try on a variety of styles to find the right design for you. Once again, take your time, you’ll figure out pretty quickly what works and what doesn’t.
Jaymie in a Elvi Design made-to-measure gown. Image by Still Love.
We have become well-known for our delicate, hand sewn lace work. In fact, most of our clients visit us because they love the idea of a lace wedding dress.
The beauty of lace is that there are so many options and different ways to use lace to create different looks. You could have a soft lace that accentuates a romantic boho wedding gown or you could use a heavy corded lace to create a vintage inspired lace wedding gown.
We often work with a client to find the perfect lace to suit their style of wedding and their personality.
Shannon by Russell Ord Photography
Hanny by Fiona Vail Photography
Elyse by Ross Wallace Photography
Veronica by Izo Photography
Shea by Merge Photography
Davina by Julie Welsh
Jo by Still Love Photography
Jessica by Christine Lim Photography
A few words from one of our brides about how she felt in her Elvi Design wedding gown…
“I think the classic line is to say ‘like a princess’ but I didn’t feel like a princess, I felt like a queen! The dress fit so well and was exactly how I had imagined it. I loved swishing my skirt around and spent a lot of the afternoon twirling!” – Victoria McFarlane, 2014
Ayaka married her love, Soren, in Hawaii. Their intimate ceremony and romantic marquee reception was held on the beachfront.
We created a full-length lace and tulle wedding dress for Ayaka. The fitted sweetheart bodice featured lace straps and a lace covered back. The bodice swept into an a-line skirt of soft tulle and was finished with self covered buttons down the back. The overall look was very soft and romantic.
A few words from the bride-
“Everyone loved my dress!! I can’t thank you enough for making the most beautiful dress for my wedding day!! I can’t wait to wear it again when we have a wedding party back home! How lucky am I!”
Ayaka and Soren’s day was captured perfectly by Tupou Photography.
Now I’m all for a dramatic gown with a beautiful, long train but… here are a few reasons why short wedding dresses are becoming a popular choice for modern brides –
Short wedding dresses are available in so many styles, take a look at some of the designs we’ve created…
Daphne Tea-Length Gown / Image by Still Love Photography
Shea’s Tea-Length Lace Gown / Image by Merge Photography
Naomi’s Tea-Length Gown / Image by Ted Murphy.
Davina’s Tea-Length Wedding Gown / Image by Julie Walsh
Lucy’s Short Wedding Dress / Image by Emma Pointon
Jaymie’s Tea-Length Gown / Image by Still Love Photography
Jessica’s Tea-Length Gown / Image by Jason Tey
It’s becoming less common to wear ‘white’ these days, in fact, I haven’t made a ‘white’ wedding gown in years. We work with shades of ivory or even hints of colour. We help each of our brides to find the right colour to suit their skin tone, the design of the gown and the setting of their wedding.
If you are looking for bridal wear in Perth that is different, it’s a good idea to look into having a couture gown designed and made to fit you.
Here are a few examples of our couture gowns where we have created something different…
Fiona’s Oyster and Ivory Lace Gown. Image by CJ Williams Photography.
Hayley’s Bridal Blush Gown. Image by Anna Rose Studio.
Shannon’s Silver and Ivory Wedding Gown. Image by Russell Ord.
Julia’s Red Wedding Gown. Image by Bride.
I often get asked by brides what to do with their wedding dress after the wedding. Some brides are interested to know how to care and store the gown, others would like to think of ways to re-use the gown. Here are a few suggestions –
Firstly, I suggest you get the gown cleaned as soon as possible. This will give your gown the best opportunity to get rid of any dirt accumulated on the day. If you get a mark on the day, it’s a good idea not too touch it!! Wetting it, rubbing it or applying heat will make the mark set.
Dry Cleaners we recommend-
It’s also a good idea to get a quote from your local dry cleaner.
You can either store your wedding dress on a coat hanger in a breathable dress bag or have it wrapped in acid free paper and placed in a box. We provide each of our brides with a coat hanger and breathable dress bag. Stay away from wire coat hangers and plastic bags.
Why not change the colour of your wedding dress so you can wear it again as a cocktail or evening gown? This is such a great idea if you go to black tie events and think of the fond memories you’ll have wearing it.
It’s a good idea to shorten your wedding dress, you could make it knee-length or even remove the train. It will make it easier to wear the gown again!
You could use the fabric from your wedding dress to create a Christening/Naming Day outfit for your children.
Image by Ross Wallace Photography
With Winter fast approaching, I start thinking about Winter weddings. Personally, I like the idea of a Winter wedding, I envisage a beautiful rich colour palette, moody skies and luxe accessories to layer up with. Here are some suggestions for Winter wedding dresses…
I know, we all like to dream and it would be really nice to look at every designer gown imaginable but you will be helping yourself by setting a budget early on. From what I’ve read, a good guide to what is ‘normal’ to spend on a wedding dress is somewhere between 5 to 15% of your budget. For some women it can be more if they decide to spend less on other wedding items.
This will then help you to select the wedding dress shops that you’d like to visit. When you find a wedding dress shop that you are interested in visiting, check their website to see if they list a price range or ask when you enquire if they have gowns within your price range. This will save you a lot of time and disappointment. It is a much better feeling to go shopping when you know you can purchase the gowns you are looking at!
You might find this infographic helpful, for more info click here.
Purchase a couple of bridal mags, browse through some bridal blogs and spend some time on Pinterest. Start to get an idea of what you like and what you think might suit your body shape and personality. It is very easy to get carried away, when brides come into my studio with lots of inspiration, I ask them to show me their 3 ‘must have’ details. We will work with these details initially and then finalise the design as we go.
The dress is one of first things you start thinking about when you start planning the big day but it is a good idea to set a date and book your venue before starting the hunt for the perfect wedding dress. The time of year that you get married and where you decide to get married can definitely have an effect on the style of wedding dress that you choose for your wedding day.
Brides order their wedding gowns anywhere between 6 to 18 months before their wedding. If you are getting married in the busier months it is a good idea to confirm your dress as soon as possible. If you’d like to have a dress made, you will need to allow 6 months for this process.
It might surprise you but it’s common practice to make an appointment with bridal stores, it is especially necessary for more exclusive boutiques or ‘made-to-measure’ designers. Making an appointment will ensure that you get the attention you deserve.
Whilst it’s lovely to have support of all your bridesmaids, sisters, sister-in-laws and mother/mother-in-law. It is a good idea to limit the number of people you take with you when you go wedding dress shopping. I suggest that you give everyone the opportunity but limit it to two or three people at a time, anymore than this and you will feel overwhelmed by everybody’s different opinions and styles. You need to feel like you on your wedding day so do what makes you feel comfortable. I encourage you to try and keep focused on your own style and personality when trying on wedding gowns.
Jo’s Wedding. Image by Still Love.