When a woman smiles her dress should smile too.
A bespoke wedding dress that is as unique as you
Planning your wedding can be a stressful time with lots of big and small decisions to make. Finding your dream wedding dress is often daunting, but having it custom-made can be a wonderful journey of discovery.
At my studio, you can leaf through fabric swatches of beautiful silks and laces in a relaxed atmosphere. You may be inspired by a fabric there and then or you can tell me what you have in mind and I will source it for you. You are welcome to bring a friend or family member.
Creating your bespoke wedding dress
Following our initial consultation, I will prepare a quote for your dress and sketch some designs so that you can visualise your ideas. Once we have agreed on your design I will begin work on the pattern and create a toile (a full mock-up of the design in cotton sampling fabric) for your first fitting.
Together, we can tweak and hone your design as we go along – refining your dress at each fitting makes it so much fun. We can add detail and personal touches such as monograms of you and your fiancé or the name of a loved one. If you have some inherited fabric or lace, I can incorporate that too.
Looking for an alternative to a traditional wedding dress?
If you would like to explore something out of the ordinary and consider a tailored wedding suit for your special day please take a look at my bridal tailoring page here.
How much does a bespoke wedding dress cost?
My lovely client Salome contacted me after having visited lots of wedding boutiques in London. Despite spending hours trying on wedding dresses, she hadn’t been able to find something that felt right and was made from genuine high quality silk. Her mother who had been accompanying her on her trial appointments reached out to me and booked a consultation.
We discussed what they were looking for, taking into account the location of the wedding - by the beach in Southern France - and what hadn’t felt right about the dresses they had tried on to date.
We narrowed down the brief to the following key elements: A flowing figure skimming dress, perhaps cut on the bias, a non-shiny silk that didn’t have the appearance of polyester, and the right mix of elegance and discreet sensuality.
The results speak for themselves. In Salome's own words: 'I cannot thank you enough, Dara! I'm in heaven - a little cloud of bliss. My dress is the prettiest wedding dress I have ever seen!'
Victoria asked me to create an elegant yet daring wedding dress featuring a lace bodice and flowing silk skirt. She wanted a dress that she could feel comfortable in, but that would also be something truly special and unique. Together we worked on this design - combining different lace elements to create the bodice. It is backed onto illusion tulle creating a sculpted barely-there look. The bodice dips down gently at the back to create a V shape and a narrow belt defines the waist. Vicky and Thorsten's stunning Berlin wedding was featured on the Love My Dress blog. Click the link to see more pictures from this magical winter wedding.
Magdalena contacted me as she couldn't find the modern tailored wedding outfit she had dreamed of. Lena rarely wears dresses and knew that she wanted to wear trousers to her wedding, but still feel feminine and elegant with a modern edge.
We looked at some inspiration images she had collected at our first consultation and created her look from there. The two piece wedding suit is cut from 100% silk crepe and lined with silk habotai. To make sure it wasn't see-through three layers of lining were required.
Lena was thrilled with her look and said that she has never felt more beautiful or comfortable than she did on her wedding day!
For more pictures of her beautiful East London wedding please follow the link below:
Natalia chose a strapless dress with sweetheart neckline, a defined waist and full pleated skirt for her wedding at the Honorary Artillery Company Headquarters in Central London. This beautiful venue steeped in history needed a stunning sweeping dress to work well alongside the grand furnishings. In order to also make it functional for Natalia and lots of dancing in the evening we opted for a removable train which was cleverly disguised to look part of the skirt. A narrow belt with bow detail finished off the look and accentuated her beautiful hourglass figure. As a personal touch I stitched her grandmother's necklace into a pocket that was concealed in the fold of a pleat.
Elegance, functionality, comfort and small personal touches - the key ingredients in any Dara Ford wedding dress.
Elegance, functionality, comfort and small personal touches - the key ingredients in any Dara Ford wedding dress.
Zoe was looking for a romantic and elegant wedding dress that would be comfortable yet beautiful for her garden wedding in France. As the weather can be unpredictable at that time of year Zoe decided that sleeves would be best. She chose a gorgeous lace pattern with large scallop and leaf details which we used to full advantage along the edges of the neckline and hems.
The lace was underlayed with silk georgette and silk crepe satin. Luxuriously lightweight and comfortable to wear all night. You can see the result of the evening's dancing on the hem of the dress the morning after. The best way for a wedding dress to look in my opinion!
The lace was underlayed with silk georgette and silk crepe satin. Luxuriously lightweight and comfortable to wear all night. You can see the result of the evening's dancing on the hem of the dress the morning after. The best way for a wedding dress to look in my opinion!
The main focus of this stunning bohemian wedding dress is the guipure lace blouse with 3/4 length sleeves. Cat wanted a relaxed and comfortable outfit for her September wedding in Richmond and this three piece was perfect for her. A bespoke silk camisole was worn underneath the lace and a silk georgette gathered full length skirt finished the look. We chose silk pearl buttons to fasten the skirt and blouse.
Choosing separates is a great way to get more out of your wedding dress too - worn on their own each piece can become a part of your summer wardrobe.
Choosing separates is a great way to get more out of your wedding dress too - worn on their own each piece can become a part of your summer wardrobe.
A strapless pistacchio green wedding dress in duchess satin with draped neckline and intricate seam details.
We chose a sleek and elongating silhouette for Ida as she is 5ft3" tall and anything else would have swamped her frame. The overall look was elegant and sophisticated. On the inside of the dress we added personal touches such as monograms and incorporated some antique lace that she had. The look was finished off with a soft silk tulle veil.
We chose a sleek and elongating silhouette for Ida as she is 5ft3" tall and anything else would have swamped her frame. The overall look was elegant and sophisticated. On the inside of the dress we added personal touches such as monograms and incorporated some antique lace that she had. The look was finished off with a soft silk tulle veil.
Louise and Christine came to me searching for dresses that would reflect their individual unique styles, yet look beautiful alongside each other for their wedding by the seaside. We spent a lot of time pouring over lace swatches and fabric samples, discussing ideas and narrowing down their tastes.
Christine chose lace for her dress. A simple top with 3/4 length sleeves and a full skirt to which we added pockets in the sideseams.
Louise chose a floaty and romantic silk georgette for her dress. The draped sleeves were flattering and perfect for catching the seaside breeze. We felt that adding lace would have been too much, but chose to fasten her dress with pearl half round buttons.
The finishing touch were matching neckerchiefs for their dogs!
Hannah wanted a simple and laid back dress for her summer wedding. She was clear that it needed to be comfortable and minimal in design. This lace dress has a structured strapless dress underneath with a simple leaf pattern lace overlay. We chose the red belt to match her converse shoes which she had already chosen to wear with her dress.