pros and cons of custom designing your wedding dress vs just buying it from a boutique?

I'm a passionate couturier........A custom made gown not only means you will have a gown proportioned perfectly to your figure, the colour, fabric and finish will be perfect, not a compromise. Couture gowns are built from the inside out which means in most cases, no bra is needed, it's corseted to your shape. The outer layers are added one step at a time, so you'll end up with a gown you not only love the look of, it will flatter your figure and giive you the confidence to feel your best on your wedding day.

Most designers keep a selection of samples you can try, they can be orded with no changes or many, I find this helps with clients visulaising what they'd love to have, some girls have pictures of design features they like and a good designer can put together the best shapes and finishes that will work for you.

When you prchesse an off the rack gown, at best, it is ordered to your largest measurement and then adjusted as close as it can be to fit you else where, It's worth asking alot of questions about the costs and what will be done, as it can add up. Quite often brides are shocked too see that by the time they purchess a gown and have it altered, they could have had a gown made to fit at a comparable price. (Beware of lace up gowns that dont fit the your bust/back properly as it all gets pushed up and over the neckline).

If you are a standard height and size, an off the rack gown is an option you could consider, seeing your custom gown take shape around you at your fittings though, is definately a wonderful experience if you can afford it. The key is finding a designer who you connect with and can work in with the budget you have.

Best of luck!