REAL BRIDE: Rachel’s Story
“…I , like many brides to be, made the fatal mistake of ordering a dress a couple of sizes smaller with the expectation that I was going to drop a load of weight before the big day….so when I turned up and met Cynthia, (after doing a lot of searching for Wedding Dress Alterations) I was a little (more than a little) panicked. Not only was the dress far too small, but it also had very little shape – ie., it did not pull in in the right places….all in all it was a bit of a disaster…
Within a matter of weeks, Cynthia had completely transformed my dress. It was unrecognizable from the garment I had handed over – in the most amazing way”.
BESPOKE WEDDING DRESS ALTERATIONS
Although Rachel lives in Berkshire, she also works in London and so she contacted us after realizing that her dream wedding dress was turning into a nightmare. Unfortunately, we see this kind of problem all the time so by no means were we surprised by her request.
The biggest challenge though came once we had had the chance to look inside the dress to discover the construction methods were very limiting. Unlike in previous years, modern dresses are so heavily appliqued to reflect trends, they are almost impossible to unpick prior to letting out or taking in.
Rachel was so over-the-moon that we were able to find a way forward, she immediately made room in her work diary so that she was able to attend several fitting appointments at the Oui Madam Bridal Atelier Studio.
Speaking of her visits to the studio, Rachel says “Cynthia was amazing! She assured me that something could be done, was super friendly and made me feel 100 times better about my obvious faux pas”.
We began by meticulously unpicking the entire bodice of the dress along with as much of the lace as we could remove from the side panels. This was a time-consuming process because we had to be able to reuse the lace despite the multitude of fine stitches in invisible thread. The inner corset was remodeled to support the bust whilst elongating the waistline to define Rachel’s curves as much as possible. The back neckline was gently redefined and reshaped to enhance and lengthening the upper body, drawing the eyes of her guests towards her waistline.
Because Rachel was getting married abroad, we weren’t able to share instructions about ‘Getting Ready On The Big Day’ with bridesmaids or mother-of-the-bride. To overcome that challenge, we recorded a series of short videos detailing important tips which we then forwarded to the bride.
Oui Madam Bridal Atelier is renown as one of the leading Bespoke Wedding Dress Designers. The Bridal Atelier is adjacent to the Designer Village in London’s Wembley Park London. Boasting a exclusive collection of hand crafted bridal gowns, inspiring brides in search of the ultimate wedding dress design without breaking the bank.
