Ordering your bespoke wedding dress
Enquiries for weddings in 2026 and 2027 are welcome.
I start just one dress per month, and each dress takes 6-12 weeks to complete.
Bookings for 2026 weddings are now open. At present I have bespoke commission start dates available from February 2026 onwards.
I take on a limited number of bridal alterations per month. I am now taking bookings for the 2026 season. Booking early for popular summer sewing slots is encouraged.
HOW DOES MY bespoke DRESS GET DESIGNED AND MADE?
A free design consultation appointment begins the process where we will discuss what you require covering elements such as style, materials, the budget and time-scale. A design sketch and cost quotation will then be posted or emailed to you for your consideration.
An individual pattern will be drafted to your measurements and series of private fittings will ensure a perfect fit and finish. The process of a bespoke bridal dress starts with the making of a toile, which is a mock-up of the design in cheaper materials, allowing the maker to perfect the cut and the wearer to check the style.
All consultations and fittings take place in my shop-studio and so will be completely private and you will have my full attention during your appointment.
HOW DOES MY bespoke DRESS GET DESIGNED AND MADE?
A free design consultation appointment begins the process where we will discuss what you require covering elements such as style, materials, the budget and time-scale. A design sketch and cost quotation will then be posted or emailed to you for your consideration.
An individual pattern will be drafted to your measurements and series of private fittings will ensure a perfect fit and finish. The process of a bespoke bridal dress starts with the making of a toile, which is a mock-up of the design in cheaper materials, allowing the maker to perfect the cut and the wearer to check the style.
All consultations and fittings take place in my shop-studio and so will be completely private and you will have my full attention during your appointment.
Four to six months notice is usually required for bridal work though I do get booked up for the summer more quickly than the winter months. Once your booking-in fee is paid your sewing time is booked into my schedule and your dress will be made in the time we have reserved for you.
Most wedding dresses take me between 30 and 70 hours of sewing to create. The actual timescale is very flexible, we can spread the work over many months or begin and finish inside a few weeks.
I have made dresses with less than 3 weeks notice on occasion, please ring or email to see if I have space for your rush order.
What if I lose or gain weight?
This should not be a problem, though ideally you have reached your target weight before we begin work. The final fitting would normally be in the last few weeks before the wedding anyway to ensure a perfect finish.
If you lose more weight or gain after we have started, the dress can be altered to fit, within reason, as we go along. However if the change is more than 2 inches (a whole dress size) in either direction I cannot make the same promises about perfection that I can when I am able to measure and make for a stable body size. If you know you are likely to change size let me know at your consultation and we can plan our timetable to suit.
Maternity: I have also made dresses for expectant mothers and new mothers without any problems. We can make plans to measure you and create the dress at appropriate points in your pregnancy or after the birth. Having worked with such body shapes before (and having had a few kids myself) I know roughly what to expect and will make sure the dress allows for your changing shape.
Yes, I can, but no I don’t. I would usually be capable of re-creating a dress for you but if it is a design that is still available from the actual designer it is illegal (and immoral) for me to copy it. I am happy to use other people’s designs as inspiration and I actually encourage you to bring along pictures from magazines or the internet which we can use as a basis for designing your dress. It’s useful to have some idea of the kind of thing you would like.
I have made people near copies where the original was nearly right but not quite, with changes to the style, detail or colour to create the exact dress they wanted. If you really love a dress exactly as it is by another designer it’s best to buy it from the original source.
wedding dress alterations
I will sometimes undertake alterations on off the peg dresses if I have space in my schedule. I usually advise that wedding-dress alterations are made about 6-8 weeks before the big day but you can visit much earlier for a quote and then reserve time by paying a booking deposit.
I have altered more than 1000 wedding dresses during my sewing life and there is very little I cannot manage. If you are unsure whether your dress can be altered the way you would like I am happy to offer advice and help at a consultation appointment.
Most dresses cost £300-£600 to alter depending on what needs doing and how the dress is made.
For more information visit my alterations FAQ page.
today consultationBook a Bespoke ConsultaTions
The start of the bespoke process is personal a consultation.
We look at fabrics, sketch out ideas and talk about timescales & budgets
Bookings for 2026 weddings are now open. At present I have bespoke commission start dates available from February onwards, suitable for weddings in 2026 and beyond.
From Design to Destination...
Isn`t it funny how art has to go through so many strange, messy stages before it emerges as something complete?
The Poinsettia wedding dress was the first bespoke dress I ever made with the sole intention of using it in my window display. I wanted something sparkly and subtly festive to brighten Dorking High Street, where my shop is.
But before that I had to do what I always do - begin the strange dance with fabric, needle and thread. Starting with the very simple base, and slowly but surely building something beautiful. Poinsettia is a flower associated with the Christmas season, so it felt right to draw inspiration from its shape (as opposed to its vibrant red colour) and feature these stunning sequin statement flowers on the bust and hip.
My dresses often have second and third lives after I`ve made them, whether I plan for it or not. And this one is no exception. After it glistened in my shop window for the winter, it was used, funnily enough, for a summer wedding shoot. And after that for something even more unusual. But more about that in the next post...
Summer Shoot Photography - @KalaWeddings.UK
You might’ve noticed that I can get quite particular about language. I think it’s important, especially when that word can carry a lot of meaning. When words get misused, you as a consumer might get mis-sold something.
An example of this is the word ‘vintage’, which now gets tacked onto the description of any garment, whether or not it actually is vintage. Often the item just looks like it’s from an older period of fashion, and for many sellers now, that’s good enough to warrant the label ‘vintage’ (which it’s not).
‘Bespoke’ is another of those words. The word comes from ‘to bespeak’, which means, to ask for. Like someone walking into carpentry workshop and asking for something completely new to be made to their exact specifications.
Anything can be bespoke, if it has been asked for, to be made especially to your requirements and preferences. You often hear it in the context of bespoke suits, but the term doesn’t belong to any one industry.
When it comes to wedding dresses, you have a few options. Off-the-peg, which is what it sounds like. Then there’s custom or made-to-measure, which both describe when something is adjusted or changed. You might order a dress where there are options to customise the length, the sleeves, the neckline etc.
But true bespoke is something different. It’s a dress that’s been designed and made completely from scratch. Completely to your measurements and your ideas. With several stages of fittings and adjustments, to ensure it’s exactly how you want it. It’s an entirely unique garment, and this is why the price of a bespoke dress can be so much more than something off-the-peg or made-to-measure.
So, next time something online claims to be ‘bespoke’, now you know what to look for to make sure you’re not being tricked into pay more for less.
I won! 🥳🎉🥂
Last night was the Wedding Industry Awards (as if you didn`t already know) and I was up for two categories: Bespoke Bridal and Bridal Alterations. And I am now the regional winner for the Independent Dressmaker/Designer category!
I am so so pleased to have gotten this far, and I couldn`t have managed it without the amazing support of all you lovely lot. So thank you thank you thank you! 💜 to those who took the time to vote, to those who sent me beautiful messages, to those who got excited for me. Thank you!
And thank you to the @twia_official team as well! What a gorgeous night.
Next step: the National awards. Let`s see what happens...
Tonight is the Wedding Industry Awards! I`m in the running for two awards, which is all very exciting! 🏆
Since it`s such a special occasion, I decided to design and make myself a dress. That way, regardless of the outcome, I`ll feel like a winner. I rarely have time to make myself anything, so this felt rather lovely.
I used some gorgeous pink coloured silk chiffon, lined with pale gold silk satin, finished off with velvet ribbon. I started making the dress at 11am yesterday, and I finished it at 3pm today. Now I just have to finish making the bolero to go with it as well. I think we`re gonna make it! 🏃🏻♀️
Just to be extra clear 💜
#seamstress #dressmaker #historicalfashion #weddingdressmaker #weddingdressdesigner
It was a delight to help Rebecca feel like her sparkling wedding dress, resplendent in constellations, fit her perfectly on her special day.
Alterations for size or styling to shop bought or vintage wedding dresses are important to make a dress look like it belongs to you and to give you confidence on your big day. Very few people are a standard dress size so most dresses need adjustment to the bodice, hem length and straps (amongst other things).
There are a limited amount of slots available for each month, so head to my website and book yourself in (link in the bio).
Photography Credits on this Page
Now Booking (left): terry li photography
(right) Ellen J Photography
black and white with veil: adam hollingworth
bride in blush jacket: christellephoto
buttons and shoes: greg benji
Book a consult: linaandtom