Southern New England Wedding Guide
Making Your Own Wedding Dress


Wedding dresses are expensive. But they are beautiful, and this is one day where you want to be the most beautiful woman in the most beautiful dress in the world. Still, you need to save money wherever you can, and youre wondering if you could make your own dress. Yes, you probably can if you have enough help, skill, and time. There are four steps to making your wedding dress: designing, choosing fabric, embellishments, and sewing and fitting.

Designing

Before you decide on a design, go shopping. Try on several wedding dresses, and notice what you like about each. Maybe you like the sheer sleeves on one, and a pearl-encrusted bodice on another and the handkerchief hem on still another. Make notes about what you do and do not like. Make a rough sketch of what you want your dress to look like.

Next, you need a pattern. If you know how to make your own pattern, go for it. If not, you can still have a custom-designed dress by buying several patterns and using different features from each. You might take the sleeves off of one pattern, and the bodice off of another. Its easiest to do this if the patterns are all the same brand and size. Assemble your pattern pieces and make another sketch, a working sketch of the dress,

Choosing Fabric and Embellishments

When choosing fabrics, remember that you will wear this dress once. The fabric doesnt have to hold up under a lot of wear, so sometimes a cheaper fabric will do. Look at the characteristics of the fabric, too. Silk looks lovely, but it wrinkles, too. A synthetic might be a better choice.

Feel the fabrics, and crush them in your hands to see how they handle. Look at the cut edge of the bolt. How much fraying do you see, and will this make the fabric difficult to handle? Talk to the sales clerks, they are very knowledgeable and can help you choose the best fabric for your wedding dress.

Sewing

Sewing is the long, tedious part of making your wedding dress. You can use cheaper fabrics without any problems; they may even perform better than more expensive ones. But the construction of the dress must be well done, so take your time. Youll actually make two dresses: a fitting muslin and the wedding dress itself.

Fitting

Fitting your wedding dress occurs all along the way. The first fitting will be with your pattern. Pin the pattern parts together and check to see how it will fit you. This is a very rough estimate, but you will find out if the pattern is too small or too large for you, and adjust it.

Next, youll make a fitting muslin. You really dont want to skip over this step. Not only will it help you make sure the dress fits, but it gives you an opportunity to practice the construction techniques you will use to make your wedding dress. When youre making the wedding dress itself, try it on at every juncture.

When the dress is finished, have a friend help you with a complete fitting. Make any adjustments so that it fits perfectly, and then have someone help you fit it again. Usually, your wedding dress will be done at this point, but if it still needs to be adjusted, continue to adjust and fit until its just right. Your last fitting will be a few days before the wedding.

You can make your own wedding dress, and it will cost less than buying one. Youll also have a custom-designed dress that is perfect for you.

If your dress is another color, or has hints of color, consider dying the wedding shoes to match, but remember, less is more.

Wedding Plan Guide
On news shows, when the anchors report on same-sex marriage the graphics that jauntily pop-up over their shoulders are usually a variation on traditional wedding cake toppers, except there are two brides or two grooms holding hands under the tiny plastic arch. You might take the sleeves off of one pattern, and the bodice off of another. Beautiful lyrics accompanied by a haunting melody provide a meaningful and dramatic impact on both the wedding couple and wedding guests. This interlace design with its unbroken lines symbolizes the binding of a man's soul to the earth and the process of a man's eternal spiritual growth. If you are of mixed faiths (i.

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Your last fitting will be a few days before the wedding. Consider using tickets and/or playbills to create a theater-related wedding centerpiece. Another way to get the best wedding camera pictures for your wedding is to choose the proper background for your pictures. Go to craft stores, and get ideas there. Next, youll make a fitting muslin. Trading in Pumps for Flip-Flops: Is a Beach Wedding for You?