Buy a dress or made myself one?

I ordered my dress online and the fabric is identical to that of the one I tried on at the bridal boutique.

Making your own would be a really interesting thing but i don’t know how time consuming that would be.

Whatever fits in your budget! Davids bridal have been having sales you may want to check them out or even look for people selling their old ones

Look into cocomelody they have samples you can try on at home. You can also custom make any gown to what you want. Also, I didn't have the budget for this and since my mom paid for my dress she wanted me to go to a store and try them on, look at Anomalie. They let you custom make your own gown but they do all the work.

I wouldn't make your own unless you are highly skilled at dressmaking and very patient. Try on styles locally and see what looks best on you and design your own to have made by a local seamstress or on Etsy.

Making your own would be a really cool idea! If you do decide to go this route, I recommend allocating much more time than you think it will take and start on it sooner rather than later. This way, if you run into issues or anything comes up, you still have plenty of time to correct it. Otherwise, if everything runs smoothly and you finish it sooner than planned, you'll have extra time to invest elsewhere.

How much are you trying to spend on a dress? Maybe bring the dress to a seamstress and get quotes to compare whether it will be much of a savings to reconstruct the dress. Although your friend’s fabric might be quality, the seamstress needs to be skilled or the dress can be a total fail. Depending on what you want to spend you can pretty much get it at David’s Bridal because they definitely don’t fall under the category of “expensive” for bridal gowns. You might actually do better going on StillWhite.com or PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com and find a new or even pre-loved dress for less money and of better quality than David’s Bridal offers.

If you’re reallyyyyyyy good at being a seamstress you could make it if not just buy it. There’s plenty of ways to get an inexpensive dress. My first dress is $400 & the second dress I will be changing into is between a $25 one and a $130 one so I’m sure you can find something in your price range

You could do both. You could buy a dress from JJs house to use as the silhouette, that way you already have the base. And then you could add or alter based off of that.I personally got an expensive dress. I too went back-and-forth with deciding if I was going to get a jJs house dress or make a dress, but then I thought about it and I was like you know what I’ve always been frugal and conservative on spending when it comes to my clothes my whole life.Always tried to find the best imitations and the best deals. And then said, this is my wedding day. It’s my one day where I can truly just relax and treat myself. If it falls into your budget, I would suggest getting a nice dress, but if you feel that you can put that money towards better things for your wedding then I think JJs house with alterations or changes would be the best way

Making a dress is definitely not something I would be able to do, but if you have those skills more power to you! It would be awesome to design your own dress, but I don’t know that it would actually be cheaper. Will you need to buy any additional fabric? My best friend loves sewing, but fabric really adds up, especially quality lace, satin, etc.
I bought a $2500 for $200 during a sample sale, so it’s definitely possible to find a designer dress for more affordable prices, it just may take some searching. If you have the time, skills, and patience, I say go ahead and make your own dress- just be honest with yourself about your limitations and what you can create so you aren’t disappointed and end to spending more later. Good luck!

I ordered my dress from JJs house for $178. It is amazing and the same quality as the bridal stores.

Buy! A quality wedding dress is constructed very differently than any other dress. At least buy a discounted dress and make the minor changes yourself (change sleeve type, turn into a tea length, etc).

I bought my dress online from a bridal resale site called Stillwhite. It's just as advertised and it's designer so the fabric is very well made. I'd definitely give it a shot before taking on the responsibility of making your own dress. I'm not saying that you aren't capable but I also wouldn't want to add extra stress/pressure. Most, if not all the dresses are generously discounted and there's price ranges for all budgets.

Depends on your budget i guess and your skill with a sewing machine. Have you made dresses before? If not, or not many, sometimes you can end up wasting more money trying to DIY something than if you just went and just bought it from a professional in the first place.

Personally, I'd advise to buy your dress. I am particularly picky on what i like and it took me a long time to find the right style and dress in my budget but really there's so many options out there at all different price ranges. To me, your dress is one of those things that is important to have right...(not necessarily expensive) meaning to wear something that fits you just right and needs to be constructed properly (you dont want weird bulges or have it rip at the seams), especially since you're going to be moving all day in it, and you have to take pictures in it etc. - if you feel confident that you can do that by making your own then that's awesome - please show us your progress on it! But if you're not so confident, then evaluate your limits - can you make it look right? is it gonna flow properly etc. It also depends i guess on how intricate of a dress you want too. What are you envisioning? also consider how long it takes - its taken a good 8 months to build my dress for example.

If you're looking to stay on a budget and that's your main reason for considering making your own then i'd advise setting a dress budget and maybe finding some other things to DIY instead to help on the price? i.e: diy your veil, flower crown, accessories, etc.

If you really are going to commit to going this route though and are not necessarily the best with a sewing machine, then i agree with the other ladies, find a base dress and alter it with accessories or appliques. Or find a seamstress that can do it for you/design and build it.

You'll have more peace of mind if you try on in person.

I bought a chiffon Morilee bridesmaid dress in white from a bridal salon for $168. Bridesmaid dresses typically arrive in 3-6 months, which is faster than a wedding dress. It's a nice option to have a dress that's a blank slate so you can have more variety with accessories.

View Quoted Comment Thanks! I’ll definitly will take a look.

View Quoted Comment

No problem.

I worked in a costume shop in college (theatre degree) and making dresses can be extremely easy or extremely hard depending on the pattern, details, and/or silhouette. I personally would not make my wedding dress. I bought mine at a cute little off the rack boutique.

I would potentially make one for someone else but not myself. Many hidden costs come with making your own dress. I don't know if you have a mannequin or the quality of your sewing machine but both of those things will be needed. Also, you'll need a second pair of hands (that know how to sew/at least can follow your instructions) to help mark for alterations. This is because it's extremely difficult to pin a dress for the hem or to tighten sleeves while you're wearing the dress. This doesn't even add if you want a lace overlay or sequins or embroidery.


Overall this answer isn't to discourage you away from making your own dress but, to say overall it might end up being cheaper to buy your dress rather than make it yourself.

I ordered a customized dress from Cocomelody. It’s exactly how I wanted it. I tried on a similar dress with their home tryon. I won’t be wearing it now since we’re eloping and I want something that is simpler without a train, etc. that’s easy to manage. But it is a gorgeous dress.

View Quoted Comment Hows the material? Cocomelody does have many gorgeouse dress.