Making My Wedding Dress – Design Inspiration and Getting Started
Hey friends! I cannot believe it is time to get started on making my wedding dress! Who would have thought it..
At the time of writing this, we’ve been engaged for almost 2 years, we have our venues confirmed and the date is now set. Wowsers!
So, after D promised he wouldn’t come looking, I decided I could help finance the cost of making my own wedding dress by sharing the process on my YouTube channel and here on my blog too! I know I’m as nosy as the next person when it comes to following along on these journeys, so I’m hoping you are too!
You can watch the full video over on my YouTube channel here but I’ve also embedded a small section as a taster too.
The Original Dream Dress
I’d had my eye on this wedding dress for a while, and it has gone onto my mood board for my ‘main’ look. What I love about it is the neckline, narrow straps, the amount of embellishment and the overall silhouette.
But, I don’t want to ‘replicate’ it… I want to take on board what I like about it, and create my own design.
Additional Design Inspiration
To help with this, I’ve been collecting inspiration on two Pinterest Boards. I’ve added them below so you can check them out.
On the left is the board for general wedding gown inspiration. I’ll pull details from this board during my design process, so I can really get the final design just right.
The board on the right is my inso board for separates. While I love the look of the wedding gown linked above, my sustainability values do have me leaning more to designing and making separates so that I can reuse them after the wedding.
Other Wedding Outfits
There will of course be other wedding outfits. For me I’m thinking ceremony & wedding breakfast is one, then the evening party is two. I’ll probably want something for the evening before, and then there’s honeymoon outfits too?
And my plan at this point is to make the outfits for my maid of honour, bridesmaids and flower girl too, though the MOH one will be tricky as she lives on a different continent to me.
I’ll keep you updated on this too, as the weeks pass!
The First Toile
While I haven’t fully finalised the design for my bridal outfit, I do know that I will need a corset bodice of some sort, so the first step was to cut out the pattern I got from the Oxford School of Corsetry Patreon about 18 months ago.
I repurposed an old calico toile toile – I do try to minimise the waste aspect of all my sewing projects – and at the point of sharing this update, it is sewn together, and awaiting the corsetry boning to be added.
I’ll report back on the next stage soon!
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The Second Corset Option
While the above corset pattern is a great one from a professional, I really want to use this book to draft a corset specific to my body measurements. I’ve already taken my measurements, and will be starting the drafting process this weekend, so stay tuned for that in the next post in this wedding dress series!
I think that is everything for today. I’m excited to share this journey with you so if you have any questions or suggestions, please do leave them in the comments below!
Hi, Eve, I am excited for you! Designing and sewing your wedding clothes is a wonderful and personal approach to your big event. I look forward to your progress and notes about the project. These days I’m sewing baby items for newborns whose families are in need of some help. These are going to a hospital to be given to new Moms and Dads. I’m on my second batch. The first one was delivered last Spring. It’s a great way to give back and to use my stash of flannel and baby knits. Happy planning, drafting and sewing!
Thank Anita! That is such an inspiring thing to do, I’m sure the Moms and Dads are very appreciative. ❤️