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How I Designed and Sewed My Own Wedding Dress: The Ultimate DIY Challenge

As a pattern designer, the idea of making my own wedding dress was always a romantic notion, and it felt natural for me to create my own wedding dress from scratch. I wanted something that wasn’t too traditional but featured a narrow waist and a well-supported bust. This was a perfect opportunity to make a corset—a piece I’ve always wanted to tackle and learn more about, and to use fabrics I’ve always loved.

THE INSPIRATION

For the initial shaping, I used a vintage wedding dress I bought about a decade ago from an antique shop in Lewes, East Sussex. This dress has a beautiful silk brocade skirt and a lovely drape that I wanted to replicate, though I’m using different fabric. The vintage dress fits me almost perfectly around the waist and serves as a starting point for the shaping I want – particularly the skirt shaping. 

The original vintage wedding dress I had sitting in my wardrobe
One of the sketches I created once I realised the direction I wanted to go in.

THE CORSET 

The sewing journey itself began with making the corset. I chose the Pretty House Maid Corset pattern designed by Clockworkfaerie, inspired by the Symingtons corset factory in Market Harborough, just 20 minutes away from me. This is my first corset, and while I’ve never worn one before, I’m delighted with how it turned out. It fits me beautifully, even better than it fits my dress form, which is a different size. The corset is made from cotton coutil with a satin overlay. I chose satin for the exterior to help the dress fabric drape gracefully and avoid bunching. I used metal corset busks for the front closure, and Spiral Steel Boning for the boning channels. Additionally, I used cotton jewellery cording for the corded channels as recommended by the pattern designer. I followed THIS video made by the pattern designer herself. 

Because this was the corset I would be wearing underneath my dress on the day, it made fitting the wedding dress much easier.

THE FABRIC

While the corset was taking shape in February, I began the hunt for the perfect fabric. I stumbled upon a stunning embroidered Chandari fabric from Akrithi in India that immediately captured my heart. Its delicate floral patterns and ethereal quality were exactly what I envisioned for my wedding day. I also purchased silk lining from Akrithi, dyed to match the outer fabric. The silk has a beautiful drape but lacks structure, so I’ll line the bodice with lightweight cotton to support the boning. This choice allows me to wear the corset directly under the dress and provides the added benefit of reusing the corset.

The Embroidered Chandari fabric
The pure silk dyed to match the Chandari

THE BODICE

With the corset completed, I moved on to draping and cutting the bodice using calico fabric. I envisioned a sweetheart neckline with draped sleeves, which I felt would add a romantic touch to the overall design. I needed to ensure the bodice neckline sat well above the corset, as the corset itself was a it revealing. To hold the shaping, I added feather-light boning to the seams as well as along the internal bust area to help keep the top edges where the drape sleeve woul hang from structured. The back features a simple placket closure with hooks and hand sewn loops.

ADDING DECORATIVE TOUCHES

To add a personal touch, I decided to embroider along the bodice seams, using silk threads to create texture and visual interest. I purchased the beautiful silk threads in different shades of off-white colours from Mulberry Silks – the silk threads were a dream to work with. I based the embroidery on a sketch I did for some basic embroidery techniques I was familliar with which included feather stitch, leaf embroidery, French knots and 3 dimensional roses.

THE SKIRT

Next, I turned my attention to cutting the skirt panels. Since the vintage dress’s skirt fit me well, I traced these panels to create my dress. I was relieved to discover that I had just enough fabric for both the bodice and the skirt. The embroidered motifs on the Chandari fabric were meticulously placed to avoid any pattern-matching issues. For the lining, I used the silk fabric, which I starched to prevent slipping during the cutting process.

I first joined all the exterior Chandari fabric skirt panels using French seams, ensuring a neat and durable finish. Afterward, I did the same for the silk lining, which I had starched beforehand to help prevent the fabric from slipping during sewing. Once both the exterior skirt and the lining were assembled, I carefully basted the pleats and fitted the skirt to the waist. I initially sewed the skirt to the waist with a long stitch length, made necessary adjustments, and then securely stitched the skirt in place before pressing. I noticed that the waistline naturally tended to form a basque shape at the front, so I decided to follow that direction.

However, after attaching the skirt, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the lack of gathering where the skirt joined the waist—it didn’t provide enough definition. To address this, I used the remaining fabric to create a bustle, which only partly fit around the waist and attached with hooks and hand-sewn loops. The bustle gathered beautifully at the back Basque point and also concealed the back skirt closure, adding definition to the waist and a bit of a draped romantic feel to the dress. 

Hand rolled hems
Feather stitch embroidery along the front centre skirt seam

FINISHING TOUCHES

During my final fittings I noticed that although the smooth satin fabric on the corset helped keep the bodice sitting smoothly, it also meant the bodice would slide downwards. By adding hooks to the side seams of the dress and metal eyes to the corset I was able to secure the bodice in place once over the corset. I also hand-sewed cups to the inside of the dress to ensure a smooth fit over the corset. As the wedding day approached, I focused on finishing the bustle and hemming the skirt. I used rolled hems for the outer fabric and a narrow rolled hem for the silk lining. Despite the challenges, including mending my dress form and cutting the sleeves with very little fabric left, the dress came together beautifully.

THE FINAL DRESS

The final dress exceeded my expectations. It turned out to be a bit more princess-like than I had initially imagined, but I was absolutely thrilled with how it turned out.

The overall cost was less than what I would have paid for a custom-made gown from embroidered fabric and pure silk, yet more than a ready-made synthetic dress. However, the experience of making my own wedding dress was worth every moment, and I have no regrets. If you’re considering making your own wedding dress, I hope this story inspires you to take the plunge.

All we had to do now was pack our garments into our hand luggage (yes there were vacuum packs involved).

Finalised embroidery on the waistline
The dress all finished in the dressform

THE WEDDING DAY ITSELF

The culmination of months of hard work came to fruition on the 8th of May in the enchanting town of Martina Franca, Puglia, Italy.

Our wedding day was everything we could have wished for—intimate, emotional, and perfectly us. It was just the two of us, joined by our amazing photographer, Youness Taouil. Youness met us at our Airbnb accommodation, where he captured the excitement and anticipation of the day. He then set up our first look, where Steve waited outside for me to make an appearance. It was a deeply emotional moment, one that we will both cherish forever.

After the first look, we strolled through the charming streets of Martina Franca, greeted by locals wishing us “Auguri” in Italian, which added a heartwarming touch to the day. We made our way to the beautiful Palazzo Ducale, known for its stunning Baroque frescoes, where we were married by the town registrar. The entire ceremony was organized by Deborah from Just Get Married Italy, who took care of all the details, including arranging a translator and witnesses for us.

Following the ceremony, we changed into casual wear and video-called our families to share the joy of the moment. We then headed to the restaurant Gaonas, where we enjoyed a lovely, relaxing meal. Later in the afternoon, we dressed up once more and met up with Youness in Monopoli to capture the afternoon light and the sunset. It was a wonderfully relaxed and perfect day, filled with love and happiness.

Photos copyright 2024 by @fotoyounesstaouil

TIPS FOR THOSE OF YOU WISHING TO SEW YOUR OWN DRESS

If you’re thinking about creating your own wedding dress, here are a few things I learned along the way that might help:

  1. Give Yourself Plenty of Time: Crafting a wedding dress isn’t something you want to rush. Start early, allowing yourself ample time to plan, gather materials, and make adjustments. I found that starting with the corset and working my way through each piece gradually made the process more manageable and less stressful. I did take a few full days off work to solely sew my dress and that was a huge help. 

  2. Match Your Design to Your Skill Level: Choose a design that aligns with your sewing experience. For me, the corset was a new challenge, but I was confident enough to tackle it. If you’re newer to sewing, begin with a simpler silhouette and gradually take on more complex elements as you gain confidence.

  3. Seek Help When You Need It: Don’t hesitate to ask for assistance. Whether it’s advice from a sewing friend, feedback from a family member, or even consulting with a professional seamstress, getting a second opinion or a helping hand can make a world of difference. I found that discussing ideas with my fashion design student niece, and my vintage seller friend, Honeykins Vintage with a knowledge of fashion history often led to better solutions and added inspiration.

  4. Enjoy the Journey: Making your own wedding dress is an incredibly personal experience. Embrace the ups and downs of the creative process. There were moments when things didn’t go as planned—like the skirt needing more definition—but finding a solution became part of the joy and learning. Don’t pressure yourself to achieve perfection; instead, savor each step and celebrate your progress.

  5. Have Fun and Let Your Style Shine: Remember, this is your dress, a reflection of your unique style and personality. Don’t be afraid to experiment or take creative risks. I ended up with a more princess-like dress than I initially envisioned, but it felt right and true to the moment. Let your dress tell your story and be proud of what you create.

Wtach the full YouTube video of me making my wedding dress here...