Inspiration and Design

When I first came upon the mad idea of making my own wedding dress, I found resources surprisingly scant.  My guess is that people who do this have a wealth of experience already and don't perhaps feel the need to document the steps?  Looking back, finished projects on Burdastyle might have been a good place to start.

Anyway, I saw this dress on Etsy and fell in love - I'd been browsing the big websites and half of Etsy for something that felt right.

 

Check out the stunning drape in the back:

Living in the UK, getting this made and shipped here and then refitted to be perfect was just not an option.  But the design looks simple enough - sweetheart bodice and a big old (bias cut?) skirt.

After some research, I chose Burda 8320 for the pattern (now out of print):

Despite the creepy 80s styling and dodgy jacket, the style lines looked simple enough to manipulate.  I did think it had the sweetheart neckline already - but not according to the line drawing?  Maybe the boning of the sample is causing that shaping? Who knows.

All I had to do was make it fit, change the neckline and add some bulk to the skirt to make it more wedding-y and perhaps even add a train.  None of which I had done before...HA