Bespoke / custom wedding dress that isn’t a “wedding dress” – does anyone have any good (preferably) and reasonably priced London dressmakers to recommend?

[ComtesseDeSpair]

I’m getting married in September and don’t want the whole white lacy dress shebang (I would be filthy and have red wine down my front before the ceremony had even begun.) I have a pretty established idea of what I want in mind, based on a couple of old magazine photos and a dress I already own. I’ve contacted a few dressmakers / boutiques about having a dress custom made and it’s patently clear that the moment the word “wedding” is mentioned the prices go ££££ and the service goes mental. I don’t want to pay £3,000+ for “a unique bridal experience” with a load of faff and gubbins and upselling and to have a champagne dress-revealing afternoon with my mum and all my bridesmaids. I just want a really competent dressmaker to take my measurements, draw up a design and make me a non-white, non-lacy, non-decorative fairly simple a-line ballgown.

Does anyone have a recommendation at all?

Alice's boutique based in Colchester not London

Hi, I'm in a similar boat - did you find anyone good @ComtesseDeSpair

@bluejelly - I did! I found an online store based in the US called Ieie Bridal who will either make any one of the hundreds of styles they have in their catalogue to your size, or make you something entirely custom designed. I was a little apprehensive at the idea of buying online initially but the feedback and customer photos in the reviews were excellent. I ordered a custom I designed myself and couldn’t have been happier - the quality of the fabric and tailoring was amazing. I had my measurements taken by a local dressmaker and sent them, I was expecting finished dress to need some minor alterations but it fit like a glove and didn’t need a thing.

See photo below - I got married three weeks ago 😀 As you can see, there was a lot of fabric involved and whilst you can’t see it clearly, a lot of tailoring and boning in the bodice. I paid around £500 for it. You do have to account for custom fees (I avoided this by having mine shipped to MIL in the US and collected it in June when we visited) but even had I had to pay those, there’s no way I’d have found something I liked so much as well made in a bridal shop or custom made in the UK.

https://www.ieiebridal.com/

They also have an Etsy store where you can see the fantastic feedback and customer photos.

Oh wow that is super helpful thank you! And your dress is stunning!!!! I hope you felt like a million dollars wearing it, it looks incredible!