Making Your Wedding Dress for Unique

You only get one chance at a wedding dress (hopefully) so you want it to be something truly incredible. More and more brides are customizing their gowns. So before you decide on a dress, take into account each aspect of the dress and determine what you really would like it to be. Here are some ideas to consider.
Waistband

Maybe you want to put all the emphasis to be on the waistband of the dress, such as a high jeweled cummerbund or a basket weave sash of chiffon, particularly if this is your best body feature.
Dress Sleeves

Think about having the sleeves in a different material than the rest of the dress. You could use lace, netting, chiffon, or even crochet. Also consider the type of sleeve – ruffled cap, blouson (widens towards the bottom and then cuffs), ruched bell (pleated at the armhole and then gradually widening), banded puff, bubble, kimono, dolman (wide at the arm hole and then narrows at the wrist), illusion (basically transparent) and shuttle (narrow at the armhole, then widens substantially and then cuffs at the wrist) are all interesting ones.
Back of Gown

The back of your dress is what your guests will see when you are taking your vows. Make it something special with a single ruffle going down the back center of the skirt, a laced up bodice, or maybe the skirt just cinched up in many layers in the back to create a puffy skirt effect.
Skirt

If you are quite adventurous with your dress, why not do something really unusual with the skirt. What about a skirt made of velvet, sequins, fake fur, or even white feathers?
Underskirt

You could do something unique with the underskirt of the dress. You could have a layer of tulle peaking out from underneath, maybe even in a different color such as the color of your bridesmaids’ dresses. See over 30 colors of tulle. You could also attach some silver trim along the bottom of your gown for a winter wedding.
Dress Train

Your train is also an area to consider. Maybe you don’t want one. Or maybe you want a separate train that flows from the waist or the shoulders and can be removed for the reception. It doesn’t have to be wide and heavy, it could be a more lightweight material like tulle. It could also be in a different color to add distinction.
Gown Color

Consider making your wedding dress a combination of two colors. For example the bodice could be a champagne color and the skirt could be ivory. This is actually a good option if this is your second wedding and you are not comfortable wearing a totally white dress.
Dress Embellishments

Take into account the type of jewels and embellishments you want on your dress. It can make all the difference on a plain dress. You could add small topaz colored jewels for a fall wedding or red rubies for a Christmas wedding. The embellishments can go along the neckline, on the skirt, or at the edge of the sleeves.

Crewel is a nice embellishment for a winter dress. Crewel is embroidery using thicker materials such as chenille. It gives your dress more dimension. Pearls are a favorite but you can always try something new by using freshwater pearls or softly colored pearls in pinks and lavenders. Swarovski crystals are also becoming popular to use to embellish wedding gowns. You will find some inspiring ideas for embellishments at MJ Trim.