The benefits of choosing a bespoke wedding dress
Katie Mew • 1 January 2020
Isle of Wight Wedding Dresses
Choosing a wedding dress is never easy - it can take a lot of time and money to find your dream dress. With the cost of commissioning a ‘made to measure’ wedding dress often falling in line, if not cheaper than some of the top Designer brands, we think brides would be barmy not to consider spending money on a dress that’s tailor made to their body and taste.
We got in touch with the lovely Katrina Rigby at Forget Me Not Designs
to find out what goes into choosing a bespoke dress and to discuss the merits of this option vs off-the-peg designer frocks.
Well here's the thing...is there a difference? All dresses are made one at a time even if they are made in huge production numbers. So why not create that ‘one dress’ to perfectly fit the girl who is going to wear it.
The obvious difference would of course be the quality of the finished product, but if you could be sure that it would match the quality of an ‘off-the-peg’ dress with the bonus of a perfect, tailored fit wouldn't that be great?
This is exactly what Forget me Not Designs does. These professional dressmakers have been designing, producing and selling wedding dresses from their premises in Ryde for the last 24 years, for brides all over the UK and Europe. Forget me Not is every inch a Designer label in its own right.
When you walk into Forget me Not, you are met with a beautiful collection of silk and lace dresses, showcased in calm and luxurious surroundings. You’re greeted by a friendly face, albeit slightly puffed having run up the stairs from the workshops - we all know that running any business is never as easy as it might seem, but these ladies seem to do whatever it takes to smile through all the hard work!
With bespoke wedding dresses, it’s very common for brides to be a little nervous when it comes to trying them on, so the team at Forget me Not know how important it is to help customers feel totally at ease. Like all the best bridal boutiques, these pros will let you choose any dresses you’re keen to try on and help you get in to them. Don't worry if you are not a perfect 10, they can make nearly all brides look like they fit perfectly into the samples (without the use of Car wash sponges or bulldog clips!) Once you have tried on a few dresses you will soon get an idea of what you don't like and the ladies at Forget me Not can advise further dresses for you to try on, following this feedback. What you see in the mirror will help this process of elimination and help steer you towards your perfect dress.
You might end up falling for the designer dress on the rail just as you see it. Or you might wish to make a few minor tweaks to the cut in order to get a better fall line in the fabric. You may end up liking the top half of one dress and the skirt of another and the fabric of the first one you tried on. Well, that's all good too! They will take these elements and turn them into your dream dress The best bit is that you will know what it is going to look like as a finished design, because you have chosen all your favourite cuts from the sample dresses. Et Voila! You are a dress Designer. As the designers always aim to create the perfect dress they will be honest and advise if your ideas are not going to look quite right, or could be improved one way or another.
Remember, if you go to a high end Designer Store in London you will be doing the same thing, trying on samples that don’t perfectly fit and trying to imagine what it would look like if it clung to you like a glove. You then have to have it altered when it arrives, at extra cost, or even pay silly money at the outset for something made-to-measure. You are still quite unlikely to ever see either the designer or the person who will actually be making the alterations. At least with Forget me Not, you know you’ll be heavily involved in the designing process, have a chance to review the progress at each fitting, and end up with a perfectly tailored dress, all for the same price!
Roughly half of Forget me Not’s brides come from "mainland England" following friends' recommendations, or having seen their stunning work at the National Wedding Show, so go on - they must be worth a visit.
Wight Wedding Days X
As the old adage goes, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe." These words have echoed through generations of brides, encapsulating the essence of classic wedding traditions.
Congratulations! You've just said "yes" to the love of your life, and you're officially engaged. This exciting moment marks the beginning of a beautiful journey together, but it also initiates the intricate process of planning your dream wedding.
It’s hard to predict what will happen with everything that the last 12 months have thrown at us, which is why we feel it is best to take everything with a pinch of salt. In the best-case scenario, we will be able to have large weddings from 21st June, but there is a caution to this tale…
So it comes to that point where you are talking to your venue, wedding planner, or your florist about the itinerary for the day and start to discuss factoring in time for throwing your bouquet. Some people feel it’s tradition to throw the bouquet, with your back turned on the gathering hoards of your single female guests all standing feigning impartial desire to be the one that catches it, and so securing the luck that will ensure they are…next. The fact that they strategically placed themselves next to the woman shorter than them and at good elbow-to-the-head height, is neither here nor there. I have to admit that when I have been at a wedding and someone has decided they are going to throw their beautiful bouquet, even the venue staff press their faces against the glass to capture a little of the atmosphere. In these modern times anything goes and you can pick and choose which ‘traditions’ you would like to make an appearance at your Wight Wedding Day, and the bouquet throw is one of them.
I’ve never really been one for wearing make up all the time, this is mainly because I haven’t quite got to grips with what I’m doing when it comes to all the different products. There are so many options available and my skin never seems to know what’s best for it. There are times during the winter when I’ll develop noticeably dry skin; then, come the spring it’ll be oily and no make-up will be required during the summer months. Basically – I’m making excuses for being a bit lazy when it comes to making myself up. Of course, there are people getting married out there who will have different commandments and routines when it comes to skin and body care. Some apply a minimal amount, some slather it on; some care for their skin daily and some only on special occasions, or when they have time. I know some people who are so up-to-date on make up brands and preparatory products that they are able to apply make up as beautifully as a professional. Sadly, unless I go for a talent transplant some time soon, I can only dream of ever being able to make myself look catwalk beautiful on my own. If like me, you think you might like the help of a professional make-up artist on your wedding day and you want to know what to expect without paying for a demonstration, I went through it for you. Jo Lofthouse of Isle of Wight Make up and Facepaint offered to help me to experience and understand what happens during a bridal consultation. Offering to give the full effect as she would with any bride or member of the bridal party, so I can give an insight into what the process would be (this blog post). Hopefully, this will help demonstrate the fantastic benefits of using a professional make up artist, especially for any future brides who have never had their make up done professionally.
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