How Wedding Dresses Are Made: Our Process

Going down the path of a custom-made wedding dress can be daunting. Chances are you've never been through the process before, and it can be challenging to know how it works.

To give you an idea of how we do our custom process, I'm taking you through the Euphorie custom wedding gown experience to let you know what to expect if you decide to become our next Euphorie Real Bride.

First of all, let's look at some of the reasons why brides go for a custom wedding dress over an off-the-rack gown and the benefits of a custom wedding gown:

• A custom-made dress will be created to your exact measurements, ensuring it perfectly fits your body.
• Having your wedding dress custom-made means you can choose to have any part of the gown created to your personal preference. You could add sleeves, change the style of the skirt, decide where the lace is placed, have detachable sleeves or an outer skirt to give you a transformation dress; the possibilities are endless.
• You might not be able to find the specific style of gown you're dreaming of for your wedding day, or maybe it doesn't come in your size; this is where having your dress custom-made comes in handy. Custom-made is the perfect answer for a bride who already knows what she wants.
• You want something made locally, and watch the process to ensure it's delivered on time to have peace of mind that your gown will be made and ready for you in time, without requiring alterations. This also saves the time & fuss of endlessly shopping around off-the-rack or waiting nine months to a year or more for your gown to come and the stress of wondering if it'll arrive on time. 
• The custom process also ensures your gown is one of a kind, made for you. You want a dress tailored to your personality that also fits the theme of the wedding. Or, you might want to be a part of the creative process of bringing your gown to life.
• Going custom is a good choice if you aren't sure about the exact gown you want because the designers are experts in designing wedding gowns and will help you find the right style to suit you.
• You want a gown priced ethically by a brand that isn't motivated by cost. For example, when you go the custom route, you get to pick and choose the aspects of your gown that you want at a fair price (be sure to ask for a cost breakdown if you're going through the custom process!) Which means the designer won't be overcharging you.
• Bodies change over time, if you buy a gown in size 12, but when the wedding happens, you're now a size 10 or 14, your dress will need alterations done, and this can be difficult at times on top of the stress of knowing whether or not you can find a seamstress that can confidently do the work.

How the Euphorie custom wedding dress process works:

Once you've contacted our customer care team and they've booked you in for a consult, you'll be coming to our Brisbane bridal studio to meet with our Creative Director/Head Designer, Keoula, where you'll sit down for a one-on-one consultation. 

During your initial consultation at our studio, you'll sit with Keoula and discuss any ideas you may have for your dress. If you have photos or ideas, you can show those to Keoula. Otherwise, Keoula will discuss potential styles and fabrics with you for your dream gown. 

At your initial consultation, Keoula will sit with you and sketch up some designs. These designs will also include the price option(s) so that you can consider which one suits your price budget the best, and you'll have time to think about your options, make a decision, and then get back to us within the next month or so if you do wish to go ahead.

Suppose you opt to go ahead and Euphorie Studios is fortunate enough to work with you to bring your custom wedding dress to life. In that case, our customer care team will send through (or you can opt to do this in person at your next appointment) a couture gown contract which lays out the conditions that we've agreed to make your gown, to give you the peace of mind of having something legally binding. We'll require a 30% deposit to start your dress. You can pay the remainder anytime on or before the pick-up of your completed dress.

After the deposit has been paid (or at the appointment to pay it), we'll book you in to have the initial measurements taken and finalise the design. We'll also show you some fabric swatches to get your feedback before we order anything.

The reason we'll take your measurements at the second appointment is so that we can start creating your toile. A toile is essentially a sample version of your gown, made in base fabrics, so that we can test your gown out and show you what it will look like before we create the 'real' or final version of your dress. We do this to ensure you're not incurring any extra costs unnecessarily and give you an early look at how your gown will look once we move on to the real version of it.

Important note: The toile is not your actual gown; it is merely a sample for you to get a clear idea of how a dress will sit on your body, how the style will look and a basic idea of what to expect before we move on to bringing the real thing to life. We do this so that you can confirm your gown is still exactly what you want, or possibly even make changes if you've realised you want some alterations made to the initial design.

Your gown, both the final and toile, will be designed and made right here in Brisbane at our private studio by our team of expert seamstresses.

After the toile stage is complete, we move on to creating the final version of your dress. Our customer care team will work with you to book all your fittings around your schedule in the lead-up to your wedding. Your fittings may include lace placements, hand sewing, and shaping the gown to your specific body measurements, among other things.

Once the gown is completed, we'll have you in for your final fitting before pick-up. The final fitting is to do the hem of your dress (where we'll need you to bring the shoes you'll be wearing to your wedding), and then your gown will be steamed and packed, ready for you to take to your wedding.

All final fittings at our studio come with a complimentary optional photoshoot. We'll have our photographer take photos of you in your gown to show you how you look ahead of the big day!

How our custom wedding dress process is priced:

At Euphorie Studios, we don't blanket price all our gowns at one specific price. To get a price for a dress, we'll need you to come in and meet with our head designer, Keoula, to go over the style you'll want and the fabric choices to give you a more concrete price.

We price our custom wedding dress process this way to ensure it's ethical & fair to you. We're also able to give you multiple options based on fabrics and how the gown is made to suit a range of budgets so that you can make your own choice on which option is best for you. You'll also receive a full breakdown of HOW your gown is priced and how much each part of the gown is costed.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What happens if my wedding is less than three months out?

We urge you to get in touch ASAP if this is the case - while it depends on several factors, we may still be able to bring something to life sooner. If you contact our customer care team and let them know your expected wedding date, they'll be able to give you options for what we can do to help.

What happens if I fall pregnant during the making of my dress?

Brides falling pregnant during the making process of their custom wedding dress is far more common than you'd think and isn't too much of a problem with the gown being custom made to your measurements. If a bride is pregnant, we urge you to let us know ASAP to plan fittings around the changes in your body. Typically, if someone is pregnant, we will move your fittings closer together towards your wedding date and compress the work into a shorter time frame. That way, we can ensure a perfect fit on your special day.  

What happens if my body changes throughout the process?

Body changes are entirely natural and something we often expect. We're all going to change over time. Bodies rarely stay the same - this is why a custom-made wedding dress is a perfect choice: the gown will be made to your body, even if you have any changes over time, and will fit perfectly on your wedding day.

What's the difference between a custom wedding dress and an off-the-rack wedding dress?

Custom-made: this is a wedding gown created uniquely for you, made to your specific body measurements from scratch.

Off-the-rack: This gown is made in standard sizing (6,8,10,12,14 etc.) and will often need alterations to fit perfectly.

Our studio located in Goodna is perfect for catering to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Springfield, Ipswich, North Lakes, and surrounds brides. We've also had over 20 years of experience catering to Queensland Brides, interstate, and international brides. If you'd like to book a consultation to discuss your custom wedding dress, please don't hesitate to get in contact today; our customer care team is always here to answer any questions or offer any support possible!