8 Ways to Customize Your Wedding Dress

Here comes the bride — in a one-of-a-kind dress!

October 24, 2022

By: Jen Glantz

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Uniquely You

One of the most exciting decisions you’ll find yourself making during the wedding process is figuring out what dress, or outfit, to wear on your big day. Whether you’re someone who has always dreamed of what look they want to walk down the aisle in, or you haven’t given it much thought, when you start the process of heading to bridal stores and shopping around, you might consider options you never thought you’d adore.

As your wedding gets closer and you’re finalizing your style for the day, you might wonder how you can customize and personalize your look even more. Want to make your dress, or outfit, feel even more unique and more like you? Here are the ways you can make that happen.

Add a Family Heirloom

One special way to incorporate something meaningful from your loved ones is to take a family heirloom and add it onto your dress. If you have a piece of jewelry (like a charm or locket) or a piece of fabric (from your mother or grandmother’s wedding dress), you can ask your dress designer or tailor to find a way to sew that into the dress. It’s up to you if you want it to be visible or underneath the dress, so only you know that it’s there.

Pick out Statement Jewelry

Even if you found your wedding outfit straight off the rack at a bridal store, there are still ways to give it a splash of your own personality. You can style the outfit with statement jewelry that looks and feels like you, whether you go with bold earrings or a necklace that sparkles from every single angle.

SHOP THE LOOK: Nordstrom, $120.00

Include a Pop of Color

If you’ve never been a fan of an all-white wedding dress, there are many ways you can add a pop of color to make it stand out. You can add removable accessories, like a shawl or train, in a different color or pattern than your outfit. Or you can customize the color of your outfit so that it’s anything but white.

SHOP THE LOOK: Etsy, $119.00+

Go With Detachable Sleeves

Want to look extra elegant at your ceremony and have a more comfortable look for your reception? One fun way to switch up the style of your outfit throughout the night is to have detachable sleeves. That way, once the ceremony ends, you can unbutton or unclip the sleeves, and change up the look of your outfit. It will feel like you’re wearing two different styles throughout the night.

SHOP THE LOOK: Etsy, $158.88+

Use Your Own Meaningful Fabrics

If you’re designing your dress from scratch, ask your designer if you can use fabrics that are meaningful to you. Ask family members if they have any garments (whether old wedding dresses or other meaningful dresses) that they’d like to offer up so you can use the fabric as part of the dress you make. That way, the dress you wear on your wedding day will come from the memories, and the materials, of something the people in your life wore during their own special moments.

Sew On Extra Details

If you’re having second thoughts after picking out your dress, there are still ways to alter it so it’s the vision of your dreams. You can ask your tailor, or dress designer, to add on some extra details, from beads to sequins. Before adding more onto the dress, ask them to lay out the look first so you can make sure it’s exactly what you had in mind.

Create it from Your Own Vision

After searching all the local bridal stores in your area, you might decide that the perfect dress for you is one that you create yourself. Put together a vision board of different dresses and highlight what you like about each. Then find a designer who can work with you to make that vision come alive. Before you know it, you’ll have a custom wedding dress that just feels right.

Include a Unique Veil

One accessory that can change the entire look of your dress is the veil you wear during the ceremony. When you go to your next dress fitting, try on different options, from Cathedral length styles to Birdcage styles. Find a look that fits your personality and personal style best. You can then customize the veil even more by adding embroidery, a lace trim, or even pearl beads to give it an elevated and bold look.

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YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 10 Tips from Wedding Dress Designers on How to Pick the Right Dress for You, 15 Wedding Shoes for Every Kind of Venue, 50 States of Wedding Flowers

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