Off-the-rack or ready-to-wear gowns are for those of you who say: “that dress was made for me.” I have seen gorgeous and appropriate dresses everywhere from Holt Renfrew to Brian Bailey to the old Kamikaze Highlander on Queen East. And there is always eBay – a friend of mine found an incredible, authentic 1940’s wedding dress for a song there. The more traditional methods of finding a wedding gown require a little more time, and while they might offer the freedom of expression, the degree to which you customize increases the research and number of decisions necessary to pull it off.

Purchasing a custom designed dress can be a very rewarding journey, but you have to be willing to take the challenge. Whether you bring your binder of magazine clippings, the veil your grandmother wore and the pink shoes you bought in Paris and must wear, it might be a surprise that you have a very distinctive sense of style and you know what suits you. Catherine Cooper, designer and owner of the Urban Bride, says it is important that any bride having a gown designed has the chutzpah to make her own decisions and feel confident with them. You have to be comfortable with the designer you choose; you must trust them and respect their abilities. Designer Lana Lowon of Lowon Pope warns that she will become your best friend for a couple of weeks as her dresses, because of their bias-cut, need a lot of perfecting.

Customized, or made to measure gowns, are the middle ground between a ready to wear dress and a custom designed one, but the range of customization is absolutely huge. As Catherine Langlois, owner of Catherine Langlois Bridal Design says, these dresses suit “fashionably informed” women, those in tune with the trends of the moment. At this moment, for those of you now wondering, dresses are strapless and bold in their embellishments, especially with beading, skirts are full and bustles are a must.

How does the process differ buying your gown from a boutique or a designer? Dina Alonzi, a Toronto bridal boutique, represents a number of designers - this gives you the opportunity to visualize your many options. On the other hand, individual designers like Catherine Langlois, Tina Cho owner of Partina and Lana Lowon can design a dress based on your tastes, needs and body shape, or customize something from their current line. If you like a local designer’s work, your first outing for a dress can be an intimate and specific interaction at their studio. A boutique works when you don’t know exactly what you want, or if the designer you want, like Toronto’s Rita Vinieris of Rivini, sells only through retailers or they are located outside of your travel area.

A full-service salon, like Dina Alonzi or Inez Di Santo will make a fair number of changes to the sample dress you like both through the manufacturer and via fittings at the boutique itself. As long as the structure works, the bodice of one dress can be put on the skirt of another, the colour can be changed and beading can be added to or paired down. The beauty of ordering a customized gown is that what you see is what you get, according to Dina Alonzi, but with the benefit of being able to make changes to make the dress uniquely yours.

One difference between a customized gown from a boutique and one from a designer, or a designers’ flagship store like Inez Di Santo, is that buying directly from the source means the dresses are made to measure, NOT based on the closest dress size for your body. Dresses from a retailer are ordered by dress size and then tailored to you. Be aware that if you have a long back, or ample bust, there may be additional costs added to the price of the dress because those changes must be made when the dress is cut, not during the fittings. Designers can incorporate these alterations into their estimates because they are also the manufacturer. Their costs usually include all the necessary fittings (4 – 6 for any dress should suffice). Additional changes at boutiques are priced based on the alteration, for example changing a hemline or adding a bustle.

Whatever the route you decide to take, enjoy it. This is one of those lovely experiences you will never forget.

Some things to remember
Both boutiques and designers ask for a minimum of six months to finish a dress, that said, designers will often speed up the process if you are pushed for time.

Terms like ‘made to measure’ mean different things to different people, so ask to have anything you don’t completely understand explained by each person you consult.

A note about economy
The general perception is that the greater the customization, the more expensive the item. Unless you are a perfect dress size, whatever you buy will require some alterations. Often times, starting with a dress and changing it to fit you can be just as, or more, expensive than starting with an idea and having the dress made to fit you. If you think you have a small budget, don’t be afraid to approach a designer with your ideas, you might be surprised with their response; some places, like Partina, put a similar value on their collections as they do on one offs.