How to Find the Right Custom Dressmaker: 18 Questions to Ask to Find the Right Fit

If you’ve been searching bridal shops and scouring Pinterest for the perfect wedding gown, you may feel discouraged if it doesn’t seem like the perfect gown is out there for you.

Ready for some real talk? It’s possible your perfect gown isn’t out there…yet.

Whether you are looking for a specific color, a dress inspired by a movie character or your favorite cosplay, or you simply can’t find one dress that has everything you want in one, it may be time to consider getting a custom made wedding dress.

Why Should I Get a Custom Wedding Dress?

Most people never get the opportunity to have a garment custom-made for them, but a wedding is the perfect time to pull out all the stops and spoil yourself with a dress made just for you.

Getting a custom wedding gown means you’ll have all the say in what your dress looks like. It will be made to your unique body shape and measurements. It can include special features like unique fabrics, colors, pockets, detachable sleeves or trains, or other design elements that are difficult (or impossible) to find in stores. It can truly express your personality in a way that off-the-rack wedding gowns simply can’t.

If you’re considering a custom wedding dress, the first step is to find a custom wedding dress maker you can trust.

Why Finding the Right Dressmaker is Important

Ordering a custom wedding dress is a more hands-on process than the traditional process of ordering a gown from a bridal shop. It involves lots of communication to make sure the designer or dress maker fully understands your vision and feels confident they can execute it.

You will likely be working with a custom dress maker for several months to a year, so it’s important that your personalities work well together and you can communicate effectively to eliminate as much stress as possible from the process.

Different custom dress makers have different processes, timelines, and costs involved, so it’s important to know what you are signing up for before you sign a contract.

How to Find the Right Custom Dressmaker for You

If you are like most people, you have probably never ordered a custom garment, let alone a wedding gown. So, how do you go about finding someone who is the right fit?

We’ve compiled 18 essential questions to ask custom dress makers, bespoke designers, and custom wedding gown design companies to find the right partner to create your wedding gown.

• Do you have a portfolio of past work?
• Do you charge a consultation fee for a sketch, fabric selection, or other work before I am ready to commit to ordering from you?
• How soon before my wedding should I start the design process?
• How do you handle measurements?
• How much do your custom gowns cost? (Ask for a starting price, average range, or rough estimate for a specific design)
• Do you offer payment plans?

Get all 18 essential questions in a printable PDF by entering your email below. You will get instant access as well as an email with the link to access this resource in the future.

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Free Printable - Custom Dressmaker Questions

Is Hannah Caroline Couture the Right Dressmaker for You?

We encourage you to interview any custom dressmaker using these questions, and any others you may have come up with, before deciding who to work with. If we are one of the custom wedding gown design companies you are interested in working with, contact us to see how our responses stack up. We’re happy to answer these questions and any others you have to see if we’re the right fit!

What to Read Next

I hope these tips were helpful! Here are a few other helpful posts to check out:

• 5 Ways to Highlight Your Tattoos on Your Wedding Day
• What to Expect at Your Wedding Dress Fittings
• How to Have a “Bridal Shop Moment” When Ordering a Custom Wedding Gown Online

About Hannah Caroline Couture

I am proud to specialize in creating custom wedding gowns for brides of all sizes, with a passion for providing an amazing customer experience whether I get the chance to work with you in person or at a distance. While I love making garments in any size and for any personal style, I get a little extra excited about working with plus-size brides and brides that want to get married in something really unique and non-traditional.

Find Your Dream Dress