Wedding Dress Part 1

I am very excited that my next dress is actually the dress that I am going to be walking down the aisle in! I was a little nervous to make my own wedding dress, but now that I have finished making the bulk of the dress and only have to add detailing and tailor it, I am confident that I am going to have a beautiful, one of a kind wedding dress that will showcase my own personal style and beauty.

I decided on the style of my dress by looking around at patterns to get ideas when I found this beautiful tea length dress with a flattering A-line style and a classic high neckline. I altered the pattern to include a plunging V-neck in the back to freshen up the style and give it a sophisticated, yet sexy look. I wanted something that was completely different from all the full-length, sweetheart wedding dresses that are everywhere right now. The dress is made of an ivory satin fabric and has beaded lace embellishment along the neck. The original lace had iridescent pink sequence and white beading, so I switched out the sequence with glass silver seed and clear bugle beading.

I am so excited to finish the dress and find the perfect pair of retro, amazing shoes that will stand out with my one of a kind 50's inspired dress. For the big day I plan on wearing retro inspired makeup and hair including red lipstick and a wavy up-do.

Here's some photos of my dress transformation from my first minimalistic vision to the intricate beaded lace detailing that is on the dress today:

Version 1

My initial design was simple tea length dress with a high neckline made in ivory satin fabric. I love robins egg blue, so I chose a simple ribbon to add color and definition to the waist.

Version 2

I switched out the ribbon for a thicker, creamier looking robins egg blue sash that was tied on the side of the front to bring interest to the front of the dress.

Version 3

Since I didn't feel the sash was too glossy and didn't bring enough interest to the front of the dress I decided to make the dress less minimalistic by adding a beaded lace collar to the neckline of the dress. I made the collar from the beaded hem and cut pleats into the fabric to make it lay flat.

The original beading (see below) had white beading and pink iridescent sequins that felt too immature, so I took out all the sequins and added my own glass silver seed and clear bugle beads to bring more interest to the lace and add a hint of color.

Here's the original beading with the pink iridescent sequins that came with the lace before I replaced it.

Now I've done the first fitting of my dress I decided to use the same lace beading from the collar with a lace  detailing around the waist.