When you are searching online for wedding dresses I am sure you have come across some wedding dress companies that tell you to buck the traditional wedding dress shopping and design your own dress. It says to go into local bridal shops to figure out what you like and what you don't like and then the online retailer will design it for you! While that sounds wonderful, let me give you two reasons not to!
1) These companies aren't local so they don't support your local community, they don't sponsor events and they aren't creating jobs in your local economy. They also basically knock off the hard work that designers put into creating these dresses and the imitation piece is never as good as the original.
2) What they fail to tell you is most bridal shops can do this for you as well! We have been doing custom wedding dresses at Melissa Ashley Brides for over 10 years and most bridal shops carry at least one designer that can do custom changes. The best part about working with a local shop is that you can see and feel all the materials that are going to be used and the final product will be exactly what you are looking for.
One of our main custom designers is Casablanca Bridal, we carry a large selection of their dresses and are well versed in their customization process. The changes occur directly in the factory after a sketch of the gown has been approved by the bride. There is a wide variety of customizations that can be offered. They range from simple changes such as changing a v-neck to a sweetheart or other times they can be major changes such as taking the top of one dress and putting it on the bottom of another. We work directly with our designer to fulfill the vision of our brides and create truly remarkable wedding gowns.
Let's talk about different options for customizations. Some of the small changes that can be made are if the v-neck was too low it could be raised or if it was too high it could be lowered. If the strap was too thin it could be made thicker or vice versa. Necklines can also be easily changed from say a halter to a soft sweetheart. If the dress already has arm holes, it is very easy just to extend those into sleeves at any length. Pockets can even be added to any dress! All of these customizations are easy and on the minor side but it is just enough to make the dress your own!
Now for major customizations! The possibilities are endless! You can take the top of one dress and put it on the bottom of another. Fabrics can be changed as well as skirt shapes! The entire silhouette can be altered to fit your vision. We have taken strapless dresses and built up straps and illusion backs and even added sleeves. We can add beading to the plainest of gowns or remove or extend both sleeves and trains. Casablanca is well versed in customizations and they will make it look like that dress was always made that way! Here are some customizations along with the sketches that were created to envision them. Check our blog in 2021 to see these dresses in real life!
Dress One was the bottom of the first dress and the top of the second dress and it looks like it was made to be together forever!
The second customization was a fairly easy one. The bride loved the top of the dress but wanted the skirt to be all one length and no lace on the bottom.
The third was a complete customization! we started with the first dress added the bottom of the second dress, the off the shoulder sleeves of the third dress and we also added a layer of sparkle net tulle! A customization such as this you should expect about 20+ weeks because you are basically creating a brand new dress.
If you are looking for a dress and having problems finding the perfect one contact your local shop and see if they can help you create your dream dress! To see more Casablanca dresses that can be customized make sure to visit our website https://www.melissaashleybrides.com/casablanca-wedding-dresses and view all our current inventory.