The highlight of wedding planning is often the search for the perfect wedding day look. What you choose to wear is a symbol of your unique love story and personal style. But as you browse styles online, you might find yourself at a crossroads: should you opt for a completely custom made wedding dress or explore the possibility of customizing a stock style?
The answer, like your love story, is deeply personal. It hinges on a few key factors: your vision, your budget, and your timeline. If you have a very specific idea in mind – a dream design that seems to exist only in your imagination – and you have the budget and time to invest, a custom made wedding dress might be the ideal path. It results in a truly one-of-a-kind creation.
However, if you’ve found a dress with elements you love and are open to some tweaks to make it even more perfect, customizing a stock style can be a more budget-friendly and quicker option. It’s also a great middle ground if you desire a unique touch without the full commitment or cost of a completely bespoke design.
If you’re still unsure about what path to take, let’s break them both down by their pros and cons.
Is a Custom Made Style Right for You?
For some nearlyweds, nothing but a truly original design will do. If this resonates with you, make sure to understand the advantages and disadvantages before you say, “Yes” to the sketch:
The Pros of a Custom Made Wedding Dress:
- Uniqueness: You aren’t limited by existing designs. You collaborate directly with our designer to bring your exact vision to life, ensuring a design that is entirely your own.
- Perfect Fit: Your dress will be made to your measurements, minimizing the need for extensive (and sometimes costly) alterations. It will feel like it was made for you, because it was!
- Control Over the Design: From the fabric to the embellishments and silhouette, you have the final say on every single element of your custom made wedding dress.
The Cons of a Custom Made Wedding Dress:
- Higher Cost: Creating a custom made wedding dress typically involves more labor, specialized skills, and potentially unique material sourcing, which translates to a higher price tag. But, it’s an investment in your individuality.
- Longer Timeline: The design process, pattern making, fittings, and final construction of a custom made wedding dress can take several months. This requires careful planning and a comfortable timeline leading up to your wedding. We prefer at least six months before your wedding date, but the more time the better!
The Best of Both Worlds: Customizing a Stock Style
For brides who like an existing design but crave a personal touch, customizing a stock style offers a great alternative to give you a personally unique wedding day look. This path can be particularly appealing if:
- You’ve found a dress with a silhouette or certain details you love but want to alter aspects like the neckline, sleeves, or embellishments.
- You’re looking for a more budget-friendly way to achieve a unique look without the full expense of a custom made wedding dress.
- You’re on a tighter timeline, and you need a quicker turnaround time than a fully bespoke design allows.
Like a custom made wedding dress, choosing to customize a stock style comes with its own set of advantages and limitations.
The Pros of Customization:
- More Affordable: Modifying an existing design is generally less expensive than having a custom made wedding dress made, as the base structure and some of the labor and materials are already accounted for. Keep in mind that the more customizations you add, the more costly your bridal look becomes.
- Faster Turnaround: Since the core design already exists, customization process usually takes less time than a full custom creation. Oftentimes, customizing a stock Edith Élan style doesn’t change our standard 16-week lead time.
- Visualization: Not everyone can envision their wedding dress from a sketch. Starting with an existing design, allows you to visualize potential changes more easily. Plus, our designer or our boutique partners are experts who can offer guidance based on the existing design to achieve what you are looking for.
The Cons of Customization:
- Limits to Customizing: The extent to which you can customize a stock style will depend on the dress’s construction and our capabilities. Major overhauls might not be feasible or cost-effective.
- It’s Not Completely One of a Kind: The customizations will give you a personalized design, but the base design will still be recognizable as a variation of the original stock style.
Essential Factors to Consider
Ultimately, the choice between a custom made wedding dress and customizing a stock style comes down to your individual priorities:
- Complexity of the Design: If your vision involves intricate details or a completely unconventional silhouette, a custom made wedding dress might be the only way to truly achieve it.
- Designer Expertise: Some designers specialize in bespoke creations, while others excel at modifications. Research designers whose expertise aligns with your chosen path.
- Personal Style: If you have a strong and distinct sense of style that you struggle to find in existing designs, the freedom of a custom made wedding dress can be incredibly rewarding.
Choosing the Right Path for Your Dream Wedding Dress
Whether you envision a completely custom made wedding dress born from your unique imagination or a beautifully personalized stock style, the most important thing is that your final choice reflects your personal style, fits your budget and timeline, and makes you feel absolutely radiant on your special day. By carefully considering your vision and weighing the pros and cons of each option, you can confidently embark on the journey to finding the wedding dress of your dreams.
Let’s Get Started!
Edith Élan offers both paths. For nearlyweds interested in a custom made wedding dress, we offer a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your vision to determine how to best create your vision. If you’re ready to embark on your journey to your dream bridal look, reach out to us to get the converstation started. Or, reach out to any of our boutique partners who can help you customize any of our stock styles.
Feature image photography provided by Leigh Hayward Photography
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Be Inspired, Bridal Shopping Tips + Advice