The Biggest Sewing Project of My Life
As we say goodbye to one year, and welcome another, it is with a small amount of apprehension that I approach 2026. Not because I want 2025 to continue… but because 2026 is the year that we get married, which means I am also about to embark on the biggest sewing project of my life – to date!
I have already shared a little about the plans I have for my own bridal outfit, but alongside that there are many other things to create ready for our big day in August.
We had intended to do part rental for the men, but when they visited a Moss Bross in the Uk in early December, it became obvious that the quality wasn’t there (cheap material choice) as well as the limited availability to actually see what the garments looked like.
Note this was not me seeing the items, but my OH who is not as ‘particular’ as I am with materials, so that is a sign of how much more unimpressed I would have been!
I know this is in part because they won’t have their spring/summer collections in yet, but we would also be receiving the rentals close the the end of the summer season, and it’s clear that they will be looking quite ‘tired’ by then.
So, we cancelled that plan and came about another. Let me share with you what our intended plan is, and how I will be tackling it throughout 2026. Perhaps this may then help others who are planning to make their own wedding outfit and those for members of the wedding party.
The Wedding Party
I should start by listing out the wedding party, so that I don’t lose track of anyone or anything! I’ll do it without names for privacy. These are all the ‘roles’ that exist:
- Bride (me – ET)
- Groom (D)
- Father of the bride (DT)
- Maid of honour (CK)
- Bridesmaid 1 (SA)
- Bridesmaid 2 (ST)
- Flower girl (M)
- Best man (J)
- Usher 1 (AT)
- Usher 2 (AR)
- Usher 3 (ER)
Then we also have, who technically aren’t ‘wedding party’ but are very important to our day:
- Mother of the groom (DA)
- Father of the groom (RA)
The Colour Story
In fashion, when designing a collection, we refer to the colour ‘theme’ as the ‘colour story’, and maintaining consistency throughout is what helps to keep the collection cohesive.
Our colour story is dark navy blue, cream and a burnt orange. Orange is my favourite colour, blue is its complimentary colour, and cream makes a nice break for the eyes to rest. Look at me going all colour theory on you!
How this looks when broken down across the wedding party is:
- Navy blue: jacket and trousers for groom, father of bride, best man, three ushers and possible father of the groom.
- Ivory / cream: bride’s outfit, waistcoats for father of the bride, the ushers and perhaps the father of the groom.
- Burnt orange: dresses for the maid of honour, bridesmaids and perhaps flower girl, waistcoats for groom and best man and ties for all male members.
What I’ll Be Making
Now we can work through the above and create a list of the pieces I will be making and then think about the fabrics needed too.
Suits
My other half loves suit shopping, so I will not be making any trousers or jackets for him, the best man or the ushers, especially since the latter are all teenage boys and will continue growing.
D and I will go suit shopping in the new year and then the boys will all get kitted out with a smart navy suit early summer 2026 when we can be sure of their sizing.
Father of the groom also intends to sort himself out, so that’s another suite done.
My dad is the only remaining suit wearer and it is possible that I may make for him, or we will get him fitted for one in the spring.
Possible Need: One jacket and trousers for father of the bride, in navy blue.
Shirts
I haven’t included shirts in the suits section, because shirts take less time to make than a suit. The groom and best man will sort themselves, as will the father of the groom.
I think we’ll just get the ushers shirts from a UK store – they wear white for school, so it’s not hard to get sensibly priced options for them.
I do like the idea of making a nice white shirt for my dad though. He has longer than average arms so often finds existing shirts are too short in the sleeve for him. A me-made shirt would be something he could wear after the wedding.
Possible Need: maybe a longer than average sleeved shirt for my dad.
Waistcoats
We are opting for double breasted for the groom and best man and single breasted for the ushers. While I do have a few waistcoat patterns at my disposal, the groom is keen to not add to my pile, and has said he would like to find waistcoats for him, the best man, and the ushers.
Possible Need: If I do make a waistcoat, it is likely only for my dad.
Dresses
This is where the meat of the project lies… I will be making multiple dresses and this will take the most time and the most fabric.
I’ve said that my MOH and bridesmaids should wear any style of dress that they feel comfortable in but that it should be in burnt orange. As I have asked them to be part of the wedding party, it is also unfair to expect them to have to cover the costs of a new dress. Therefore, I will be making them.
Maid of Honour
Currently uncertain as to which style my MOH would prefer, but that’s because it hasn’t been the most important topic of conversation between us. This will be remedied in the spring and then I will have a final meterage for fabric.
Bridesmaid One
I’ve already got a few photos of the dress my first bridesmaid is comfortable in, having snapped them when back in the UK last summer.
Next job is to source an existing sewing pattern that is similar, measure her up when she comes to visit in late December and then create a mock up.
Bridesmaid Two
Sweet youngest niece of mine, already found a dress on Amazon that she thought would work because it was just £13. Sadly, it’s a cheap polyester in the wrong colour, but she rocks for being conscious of the costs involved!
I will be seeing her in January, and we will look at some styles of dresses that she has (not many, she is more comfortable in leggings and tee shirts like her mum) as well as what she likes the look of.
I will avoid making a toile too soon, as she is of an age where she grows in height and I don’t want to double up my work load. However, getting down with the style and her current measurements will allow me to source the right pattern and get a truer estimate of the fabric required for her dress.
Flower Girl
We are not having children at the wedding, as our family is large on both sides and adding the children in will effectively double the cost, which is already scandalous. So the only child who will be in attendance is my great niece as flower girl.
She will also need a dress, and as she will be just 18 months I will also make matching bloomer style knickers too!
Absolute Needs: two adult sized dresses, one teen sized dress, one toddler sized dress, all in burnt orange, most likely in woven fabric but I am open to knit if it’s the right colour.
Skirts
The only skirts I know for sure I’ll be making are my own, though I am more than happy to make separates for my MOH and bridesmaids if that is their preference.
For the main ceremony and wedding breakfast, I will likely be wearing a full length skirt and then for the evening party I will probably opt for something a little shorter and easier to move in, though this may be after the first dance.
Just because we know what our first dance will be to, and a longer length skirt will work well for it.
Absolute Needs: two skirts for me, one with several layers and a slight train at the back, the other shorter and easier to move in.
Neck Pieces
The men will all be wearing an item at their neck, and I will be making these from the same burnt orange fabric as the dresses, assuming the latter are made from woven fabrics.
Absolute Needs: two cravats, two full ties and three bow ties – though I’m not sure my nephew will wear one, so may have to switch to five full ties.
Corsets
And then we get to the hardest piece, the corsets. I have always known that I would wear a two-piece corset and skirt outfit for my wedding. I want to be able to reuse it, and not store it in a wardrobe never to be worn again.
With this in mind, I will be making two corsets. One for the practice, and one for the real thing.
I have already started on the process and documented it in this post about making my first wedding corset toile. That toile has been taken in and repurposed with denim – not yet finished but I will share photos soon – and the second iteration is in progress.
I have also sourced some beautiful bridal fabric samples which I think will work well, but I also want to check a few London based fabric stores before committing.
The final thing to consider is my Mum’s wedding dress. It was a simple handmade dress she made to marry my dad, and a couple of years before she died she gave it to me to ‘do something with’.
It is my intention to use it somehow within my own wedding outfit. I’m not sure how, as it is pale blue in colour with small flowers. Perhaps as a lining against my skin, perhaps as the boning channels on the wrong side of the coutil… I don’t know how I’ll incorporate it yet, but I do know I will. I want my Mum to be as present as she can be on my special day.
Absolute Needs: One fully finished corset.
Fabrics to Be Sourced
Navy blue suiting for the father of the bride though I will double check with my dad. I’ll also need a woven fabric in cream that is suitable for the waistcoat front for my dad. When I’m home in January I intend to make him put on a waistcoat so I can establish whether he would prefer a single or double breasted one.
I also need to find a nice white cotton shirting for a shirt, one that isn’t too tightly woven that its stiff and structured but not too loose that it looks out of sync with what everyone else will be wearing.
For the waistcoat back, a cream or ivory colour satin will work a treat – it could even be the same as used for the upper layer of corset if I go with satin.
The dresses, neck ties, cravats and flower girl knickers will all need to be made from a woven fabric in burnt orange – most likely woven but if there’s a suitable knit, I’m open to it. I know some people are more comfortable in a knit fabric than a woven, so I will see what’s available.
Coutil for my corset is already in hand – it was purchased soon after we got engaged to solidify the intention of making my own. I do still need to source a fabric to go on top of the coutil. I have samples of a lace option and a beaded option that I like, but the cost is higher than hoped, so I may also consider hand beading. Maybe.
Then there is the skirt/s to get fabric for. The longer length version for the ceremony and meal will require layers, and will possibly be tulle. The shorter length version may be something more structured and woven. Either way, both need to be fabrics that work with the corset overlay fabric.
And finally, I need to also make sure I have all the extras needed:
- Stabilising materials like interfacings and canvas
- Linings for clean interiors
- Buttons for closures on trousers,
- Elastics for anything that is pull on
- Zippers that match the fabric for woven dresses and trouser fly opening
- Rivets for the corset
- Ribbon to tie the corset – will I have this burnt orange at the back?
- A waistcoat slider at the back
Final Tally
I will update this as the time goes on, either with specific photos or links to more in-depth posts on each item I make, but here is a final tally of items to be sewn by me for our wedding in August 2026. Anything with an * is a probable, but not definite:
- 1 fully finished corset (ET)
- 1 full length skirt to match the corset (ET)
- 1 shorter length skirt to match the corset (ET)
- *1 suit jacket (DT)
- *1 suit trouser (DT)
- *1 long sleeves shirt (DT)
- *1 waistcoat (DT)
- 1 adult dress (CK)
- 1 adult dress (SA)
- 1 young adult dress (ST)
- 1 toddler dress (MW)
- 1 toddler bloomers (MW)
- 2 cravats (DA and JR)
- 2 neck ties (DT and RA)
- 3 bow ties (AT, AR and ER)
That’s a total of 15 definite and 4 probables… see, I told you this would be the most epic and biggest sewing project of my life!
Let me know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below, I would love to hear how you tackled such a big project if you made your own wedding outfit and / or that of others!
