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40 Times Brides Decided To Make Their Own Wedding Dresses And Looked Beyond Stunning
Americans spend on average $33,391 on their wedding day. And while most lovebirds are willing to pay $540 on average for the cake, the wedding gown can set them back $1,509. If the pair are high spenders, the budget for the dress can soar up to $3,158, according to a study by The Knot.
No wonder so many brides these days are looking for smart alternatives when it comes to looking their best on the big day. Whether it’s due to saving some money or wanting to come up with their own dream design, some very talented women are taking the matter into their own hands.
From a $50 thrift store dress transformed into a jaw-dropping wedding gown to knitting their own dress on the bus on the way to work, these are some of the most inspiring looks from superwomen with mad arts and craft skills.
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#1
I Knitted My Lace Wedding Dress On The Bus On The Way To Work. It Took 5 Months And Less Than $30 To Create This Beauty
Boopie Dew 5 years ago
Wow! That is absolutely lovely. I would never have thought of a knitted wedding dress. Turned out gorgeous 😍
RELATED:
#2
I Made The Dress. I Did That From Scratch With Two Hands
#3
Made A Non Conventional Wedding Dress! V9296
Making your very own wedding dress you’ve dreamed of is not for faint-hearted brides. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible. The sewing fanatic and blogger Charlie, who has done it, warned everyone that “All romance aside, it’s quite a tedious, sometimes boring, sometimes frustrating process.”
It turns out, the actual fun of seeing your dream dress come to reality was nowhere around until 3 months before the big day. “Imagine not having seen yourself in a dress and it’s already 8 weeks before the wedding,” Charlie recollected in her blog.
If you choose the path of DIY-ing your wedding gown, you may have to come to the understanding that you won’t get to see yourself in a dress for way longer than you’d like. And it can be nerve-wracking.
#4
I Fell In Love With A Dress, But It Cost $2,200, So I Decided To Make The Same One Myself. I Used Scotch Tape And A T-Shirt To Make A Mannequin, And Bought 26 Ft Of Silk And Lace. Here’s The Result
#5
I Just Love How My Dress Turned Out
#6
I Diyed My Wedding Dress From Olive-Nets
Charlie suggests giving yourself a fair amount of extra time in case something goes wrong. Count all the unexpected breaks, mistakes, and moments you’ll need to slow down and give yourself a moment to think. Imagine facing multiple doubts, like pattern, decor, length, cleavage, texture, etc. and you’ll see that nothing goes according to plan, no matter how well prepared you are.
Another great tip is to “Decide on a design early on and try not to change your mind.” Sticking to what your gut is initially telling you may be key to actually accomplishing your goal.
Also, always think of buying extra fabric even if you’re sure you won’t need it. Miscalculations happen and it’s best to not try and avoid them, but be ready to tackle them with solutions.
#7
My DIY Thrift-Flipped Wedding Dress
#8
One Year Ago Today, I Got Wear This Beauty 🥰 It Took Me A Whole Week Of Sewing 12 Hours Per Day To Finish This One, But I Am So Glad I Took On This Challege
#9
DIY Wedding Dress
The last tip from Charlie is to “stop comparing your dress to others once you start on your project.” Not only is it unhelpful, but those thoughts can become really draining, especially if you start thinking someone else’s dress is better than yours.
In the end, it’s not really about the dress, but rather about the commitment you put into creating something as beautiful as your love you are going to marry. And this is the most precious thing you can think of.
#10
I Made My Wedding Dress. I Wanted Something Unique That Would Really Suit Me, And It Turned Out Great
#11
'celine' Wedding Gown With Built-In Corset
Joanna Blyther 5 years ago
I think she might of meant devastating as in effective or impressive maybe?
#12
This Dress Is The Star 🌟 And She Did It Herself After Seeing It On Pinterest. Congrats
Luna Lovegood 5 years ago
This reminds me of the post a while ago about the lady who did this to her dress and sells dresses like it. I wonder if that's where she got the idea. It looks amazing!
#13
The Biggest Project I've Ever Worked On In My Life, My Wedding Dress! This Dress Was The First Dress I've Ever Made And Was Constructed Over The Course Of 2 Years. It Has Around 60k To 70k Individually Hand Strung Sequins. I Hand Drew The Entire Dress Pattern. [self Drafted]
![The Biggest Project I've Ever Worked On In My Life, My Wedding Dress! This Dress Was The First Dress I've Ever Made And Was Constructed Over The Course Of 2 Years. It Has Around 60k To 70k Individually Hand Strung Sequins. I Hand Drew The Entire Dress Pattern. [self Drafted]](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f993566bae48_bQUyp01__700.jpg "The Biggest Project I've Ever Worked On In My Life, My Wedding Dress! This Dress Was The First Dress I've Ever Made And Was Constructed Over The Course Of 2 Years. It Has Around 60k To 70k Individually Hand Strung Sequins. I Hand Drew The Entire Dress Pattern. [self Drafted]")
#14
I Worked On My Outfit For 8 Months With The Help Of Online Courses. It Didn’t Work Out Perfectly, But I Did It, And This Is The Most Important Thing!
#15
My Wedding Dress. Holy Moly This Is The Best Thing I’ve Ever Made. I Just Love It Beyond Words.
#16
Handmade Wedding Dress
Boopie Dew 5 years ago
Omg!! That is beyond. If you're going to go with a non white gown, this is how you do it! My daughter actually wore a black gown for her wedding. Untraditional, but suited her so well.
#17
Handmade Wedding Dress
#18
Back In 2015 When I Was Making This DIY Wedding Dress Of Mine, Naked Lace Was (Or Was Becoming) A Thing
#19
This Beautiful Bride Made 👏🏼 Her 👏🏼 Own 👏🏼 Dress 👏🏼 And It Was Absolutely Gorgeous On Her!
#20
[vintage Simplicity 2442] My Wedding Dress
![[vintage Simplicity 2442] My Wedding Dress](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f993b13b649e_church1__700.jpg "[vintage Simplicity 2442] My Wedding Dress")
#21
[self Drafted] Last Time I Shared My Wedding Dress, But I Added A Last Minute Touch! It Was Magical
![[self Drafted] Last Time I Shared My Wedding Dress, But I Added A Last Minute Touch! It Was Magical](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f993b9668f1e_dKNX9Us__700.jpg "[self Drafted] Last Time I Shared My Wedding Dress, But I Added A Last Minute Touch! It Was Magical")
#22
Finally - This Dress. I Am So Glad I Was Somehow *overly* Confident Enough To Make My Own Wedding Dress
#23
I Spent At Least 100 Hours Working On My Outfit And Felt Great In It! I Think My Husband And I Looked Fantastic
#24
[self Drafted] I Made My Own Wedding Dress. It May Not Be Perfect But It Was Just What I Wanted
![[self Drafted] I Made My Own Wedding Dress. It May Not Be Perfect But It Was Just What I Wanted](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f9938cd06676_alQq05D__700.jpg "[self Drafted] I Made My Own Wedding Dress. It May Not Be Perfect But It Was Just What I Wanted")
#25
I Sewed A Wedding Dress With The Help Of Videos Online. There Is A Lot Of Handmade Work Here
#26
[fo] Wedding Dress (Loosely Based On By Hand London Kim Dress), Details In Comments
![[fo] Wedding Dress (Loosely Based On By Hand London Kim Dress), Details In Comments](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f99345827d33_yK1XB8N__700.jpg "[fo] Wedding Dress (Loosely Based On By Hand London Kim Dress), Details In Comments")
#27
Making My Own Wedding Gown Was A Dream Come True For Me
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
Even without knowing her you can see it suits her perfectly. Fresh and pretty.
#28
She Created Her 2020 Dress Masterpiece From Her Mother’s Wedding Dress
Kimberly Young 5 years ago
I love the idea of paying tribute by using a family member's dress, but modernizing it for your own tastes! Lovely!
#29
I Sewed A Wedding Dress Out Of Sweatpants...
#30
So My Sister Got Married This Weekend And I Designed/Made Her Gown🌚
#31
After Some Blood, Sweat, Burn Holes, Major Resizing, And A Million Other Little Sewing Snafus - I Made My Own Dress
#32
Still Soo In Love With My Selfsewn Wedding Dress
Boopie Dew 5 years ago
The backless edging and the straps are gorgeous . I'd like to see it from the front.
#33
Synne With Her Elegant And Down-To-Earth Wedding Dress That She Made Herself With The Help Of Her Mother-In-Law
#34
I Made Two (!) Wedding Dresses
#35
I Made Myself Both A Wedding Dress And An Outfit For My Husband. We Wanted A Celebration With Forest Fairy Aesthetics. And This Is What We Got
Nicola Roberts 5 years ago
I love that they love it, but the water is making me very uncomfortable. It's getting WET!
#36
One Year Ago Already! I Sewed My Own Wedding Dress...and It Almost Made Me Crazy!
#37
I Poured My Soul Into This Wedding Dress
#38
Sirja Made Herself A Wonderful Wedding Dress That Charms With Her Personality
#39
Finally Pictures Of My DIY Wedding Dress
Petra, princess of Brigid 5 years ago
It's amazing! I love how much it matches with EVERYTHING! The flowers, the background, your hair!
#40
Updated A $25 1986 Wedding Dress To My Dream Dress. Details In Comments.
Remi Flynne 5 years ago
100% improvement - this kind of thing I really admire. I could follow a pattern and pick out nice fabric but I couldn't in a million years see how to turn something like the left into the right. Nice one.
#41
Made My Wedding Dress. It Is Not Perfect, But It Is Exactly What I Wanted.
#42
I Made My Wedding Dress And Got Married Yesterday!
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
I hope that's a dangling participle and she didn't make the wedding dress yesterday. Lovely, BTW.
#43
The Dress Turned Out How I Drew It!
#44
I Figure If I Could Make The Wedding Dress In 6 Months, I Can Make The Honeymoon Wardrobe Too, Right?
#45
My Wedding Dress (Semi-Victorian, Semi-Steampunk)
#46
I Bought This Corset For £30 Years Ago, It Never Fit But Was So Pretty So I Added 3inches Of Binding In The Back And Tied A Massive Bow Round It!
#47
I Made My Wedding Dress So I Could Sparkle. :) [vogue 8943]
![I Made My Wedding Dress So I Could Sparkle. :) [vogue 8943]](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f991f9db7f38_bbYaxcy__700.jpg "I Made My Wedding Dress So I Could Sparkle. :) [vogue 8943]")
#48
My Hand Sewn Wedding Dress.
#49
Drafted And Sewed My Own Non-Traditional Wedding Dress [self-Drafted]
![Drafted And Sewed My Own Non-Traditional Wedding Dress [self-Drafted]](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f993d008d232_te1587f__700.jpg "Drafted And Sewed My Own Non-Traditional Wedding Dress [self-Drafted]")
#50
My Non Traditional Wedding Dress - Self Drafted
#51
Self-Drafted Wedding Dress!
#52
There Are Many Imperfections And Mistakes Were Made But I Successful Made A Wedding Dress! The Top Was Made From Vintage Doilies And The Skirt From Satin And Tulle. Learned So Much... I Love It! Mistakes And All
#53
2 Years Ago I Married My Husband In My Memade Wedding Dress
#54
My Completed DIY Wedding Dress
#55
It Has Been A Fun And Challenging Project
#56
've Always Been Super Colorful - My DIY Wedding Was Like A Culmination Of A Lifetime Of Drawing Rainbows And Painting Colorful Sunshines!
#57
[self-Drafted] I Made My Wedding Dress! I Went With A Simple Boho Feel For Our Backyard Venue
![[self-Drafted] I Made My Wedding Dress! I Went With A Simple Boho Feel For Our Backyard Venue](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f99394ec457d_7q8z8j2dey301__700.jpg "[self-Drafted] I Made My Wedding Dress! I Went With A Simple Boho Feel For Our Backyard Venue")
#58
My DIY Wedding Dress
#59
Fo Wedding Dress, Months Of Work
#60
Year Ago Today I Started Making My Wedding Dress! I Gave Myself Over Two Months To Make It But I Was So Pumped That I Finished It In Two Weekends
Claire Mannschreck 5 years ago
wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow
#61
My Wife Made Her Own Wedding Dress From Scratch. I Didn't Want To See It Until Our Wedding Day, I Was Stunned.
#62
My Selfmade Wedding Dress
#63
I Made My Wedding Dress And The Bridal Party Outfits! [self Drafted Patterns For All Pieces]
![I Made My Wedding Dress And The Bridal Party Outfits! [self Drafted Patterns For All Pieces]](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f992479894d5_gw83n7h49e651__700.jpg "I Made My Wedding Dress And The Bridal Party Outfits! [self Drafted Patterns For All Pieces]")
The Differently Wired Girl 5 years ago
Can't say I'm a fan of the bridesmaid's dresses, but her dress looks stunning.
#64
Let’s Just Take A Sec To Appreciate That This Gal Made Her Wedding Dress With Her Own Bare Hands
#65
I Made This Dress
#66
Even Though We Did A Basic Town Hall Wedding, I Made My Own Wedding Dress!
#67
My Homemade Wedding Dress Featuring My Shawl Knitted By My Mother In Law
#68
I Always Knew I Wanted To Make My Wedding Dress Myself. Despite Some Hiccups Along The Way, I Was So Happy With How This Simple Linen Dress Turned Out And How "Me" It Is!
#69
[self Drafted] Not Quite Perfected Yet, But I'm Insanely Proud Of My Wedding Dress! 19 Days!!
![[self Drafted] Not Quite Perfected Yet, But I'm Insanely Proud Of My Wedding Dress! 19 Days!!](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f9939eea7d3b_p0hXxZk__700.jpg "[self Drafted] Not Quite Perfected Yet, But I'm Insanely Proud Of My Wedding Dress! 19 Days!!")
Boopie Dew 5 years ago
Its lovely. When wedding is over I say keep displaying it like that, goes with the pics in the background.
#71
A Little Girly... But I Made A Wedding Dress!
#73
I Made My Dress! It Was A Labor Of Love
#74
My Wedding Dress Was A Huge Project I Took On Recently
Hilary Mol 5 years ago
...there is so much going on in this photo. DIY wedding dress, US Marine placard in the back, and the groom wearing a yarmulke, Scottish kilt, and cowboy boots.
#75
Best Friend’s Wedding In Two Weeks, Putting The Finishing Touches On Her Wedding Present! Used Simplicity 8596 For The Bodice, Self Drafted Circle Skirt And Butterfly Sleeves.
#76
I Made My Own Wedding Dress! Never Will I Ever Again Try Sew A Princess Seam In Silk Satin
Seabeast 5 years ago (edited)
When in doubt, hand baste before stitching the final seam on the machine. Also, you only need to notch the seam allowance on the concave (middle) panel seam allowances. You stay stitch the the convex side panels but leave them unnotched, put those pieces on the bottom against the feed dogs, and bend and curve the center panel around the edge as you sew.
#77
Finished Sewing My Wedding Dress And Petticoats! So Happy To Be Done! (X Post To Weddingplanning)
#78
[simplicity 8130 & Burda 6650] My Finished Wedding Dress!
![[simplicity 8130 & Burda 6650] My Finished Wedding Dress!](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f993c49db622_34wkq6o1f6sy__700.jpg "[simplicity 8130 & Burda 6650] My Finished Wedding Dress!")
#79
[burdastyle Tiered Dress #112] I Made My Wedding Dress! (Photos By Ericka Dawn Photography)
![[burdastyle Tiered Dress #112] I Made My Wedding Dress! (Photos By Ericka Dawn Photography)](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/5f993c5fbe041_h1pvilcdnplz__700.jpg "[burdastyle Tiered Dress #112] I Made My Wedding Dress! (Photos By Ericka Dawn Photography)")
#80
It Was Such A Special Project And I Found It So Helpful To Learn From Others While I Was Working On It
#82
My Mom And I Made My Wedding Gown! Self Drafted
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
I love this. Gorgeous colors and the horsehair edging is incredible, beautiful design, beautiful bride.
#83
The Original Inspiration For My Dress Was A Maggie Sottero Fit And Flare Gown (Swipe To The Last Pic) That I Saw On The Hudson Bay Website
Boopie Dew 5 years ago
I bet the bottom of this dress moved like she was floating when she walked.
#84
I Knitted My Own Wedding Dress. Enjoy!
#85
This Queen Married The King Of DIY On Her 21st Birthday
#86
I Made A Wedding Dress Out Of Burrito Wrappers
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
So beautiful. This is how you get what you want. Some of the grooms, though, needed help with ill fitting suits.
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
So beautiful. This is how you get what you want. Some of the grooms, though, needed help with ill fitting suits.
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