The first step for this custom sunset ombre wedding dress was designing and making a simple, elegant wedding dress in pale ivory duchess satin and tulle. Then came the fun part; dip-dying it in a gradient of beautifully vibrant colours. I call this particular combination my ‘Phoenix’ colour-way. It’s one of the most popular choices for brides looking to add colour to their wedding dress. It starts off fiery, with yellow, orange and red. Then it transitions into deep crimson and finally purple and blue. These colours together are just such a stunning combo.
“We had an amazing wedding day and the dress was definitely a talking point and had lots of compliments. Thank you for making the perfect dress for me.”
– the bride
Photography – Holly Mills Photography
Making a Custom Sunset Ombre Wedding Dress
Before I could eve think about applying colour, I had to design and make the dress I will be dying. The dip-dying is really the last part of the process. I colour the dress after all the other steps; after the consultation, the design being approved, the toile being made and adjusted and the final dress being sewn.
The first fitting (above), involved the bride trying on the rough draft of the design (the toile). Once she was happy with how it felt, and I was happy with how it fitted, I could get started on using the beautiful fabrics we picked out for the final dress.
For this bride I first designed this elegant, off-the-shoulder wedding dress. The bodice is made from light weight poly duchess satin, and the skirt is layers of tulle and lining fabric underneath. This meant the bodice could be quite structural, with its sweetheart neckline and slightly sculptural panels. Making the lower section from layers of tulle allowed for a big, full skirt that still felt light and airy.
I always make sure to add subtle finishing touches that aren’t really noticeable, but make the dress feel high-end. I fully lined the dress, and sewed in a concealed zip at the back. A wrist loop and bustle hook-up for the train were also included.
Above is the final fitting before the dying process began.
Dying a Custom Sunset Ombre Wedding Dress
I’m sure different artists use different methods to achieve the same effect. When I was first experimenting with the best way of applying a lot of different colours, I found that floristry sprays were my weapon of choice. The bride chose the Phoenix colourway, which is essentially a partial rainbow. The colour fades out at about 18-20” up from the hem, although some brides choose this to be higher or lower, depending on their personal preference.
If you’re not sure about committing to your colour choices, you can always order a sample of any combination via my Etsy shop. Then you can be sure you’re happy with how it looks before I get to spraying.
The first step of the process is applying colouring to the lining. For the most vibrant results every layer of fabric should be dyed. This gives a lot more depth to the colours as well.
Then I slowly build colour on the top layers of the dress. In this case, the several layers of tulle. Spraying the colours isn’t a precise science. It takes time and a trained eye to judge when the colours look blended enough without things getting muddy.
The Finished Dip Dye Wedding Dress
The dress on the stand, and the final fitting with the bride.
Before and After
I’m a sucker for a ‘before’ and ‘after’. So here they are! Both are beautiful wedding dress choices, but I think for two very different brides. Un-dyed is simple, classic and refine. Dyed is a whole different, vibrant story!
If you love this custom sunset ombre wedding dress but want to see these colours on a different dress, here’s a different style in the same colours. Or, you can find a whole array of different dip dye combos all gathered here.
If you feel dip dye might be the direction you want to go for your wedding dress, you can check out my FAQ all about dip dye. Or if you want to order a sample of a different colour combination, you can via my Etsy shop.
