Top 10 FAQS about custom dresses

Commonly Asked questions

about having your

dress designed

1. Do you have sample dresses?

   • Yes, we do have sample dresses that you can come and see however they’re all from photo shoots, as brides keep their dresses.

2. Can I try dresses on?

   • Not here, we absolutely recommend finding a style that you 100% love and fits your body type before meeting with me. This will help to ensure that the finished dress will be exactly what you wanted.

3. What is included in the quote provided?

   • Everything included for this dress quote; fabric(research and shipping), labour, minor alterations, fittings and taxes.

4. How involved can I be in the process?

   • You can be as involved as you want, some brides want me to send updates and pictures as I find fabrics and get things done, others wait until there first fitting. Totally up to you, this is your investment so I will provide as much information as I can for you during the process. 

5. What is the process?

   • Can be found in the Investment Section of my website.

6. Is there a required deposit? Is it refundable?

   • Yes there are two deposits required; one is for booking the first meeting appointment which is $100 to hold your spot and will be taken off the final payment. The second is 50% of the final payment at the first meeting, this ensures completions and enables me to purchase fabrics for your custom dress. Neither of these deposits are refundable. We do have payment plans available, inquire within.

7. Do you make dresses for the whole Bridal Party?

   • Yes, we make dresses for you, your ladies, the mother of the bride/groom and the flower girls.

8. How many fittings will I have?

   • That is dependent on a few things; typically there are two fittings the first and the final pickup, however if weight is lost or something about the dress need to be drastically alter(does not happen often) then there may be 3-6. This is to ensure the perfect fit, when it is custom made it is truly made for you!

9. What types of fabrics do you use?

   • We find quality fabrics within your budget that coincide with the month your wedding is in, ie; if your wedding is in the summer months we will find light weight satin’s, silks chiffon’s and laces that work well with the style of your dress but won’t make you swelter in the heat.

10. How long does creating a dress take?

    • Currently we are booking meetings 8 to 12 months out from your wedding date, depending on if they are bulk orders or single dress orders. Everything depends on when fabrics are found, purchased and then scheduling fittings.

I hope these have answered any questions you may be having about making a custom dress your dream dress. If there’s anything else you’d love to know, I’d be happy to help, contact me (Amanda Garrett).

Black and White Wedding Inspiration

This week we’ll be discussing black and white weddings! 

Black and white weddings are a classic and simple concept that we absolutely adore! 

These are two colours that have been associated with weddings for years! When you were a kid most likely you were picturing your husband in the black tuxe, it was always a black tuxe, white boutonnière, and a long white princess dress for you haha. 

However, times have changed. Though these are common colors for such a special occasion, this palette is however not for everyone. There are hundreds of new themes and styles for weddings but is this classic one still chic? 

Both black and white are simple to dress up or down. No matter how lavish or simple your nuptials are, these colours are simple to obtain and work with. Black and white are excellent options if you want something simple, affordable, and attractive all at once, unlike some other colours or current designs.

If you are like me and love lace, which is very chic these days, add that as the white in your black/white, but as a twist try it in both black and white in your wedding decor and fashion accessories.

This shoot was featured on Today’s Bride Magazine Blog >>Click here to see more<<



I hope this has inspired you!

Your Designer,

Amanda Garrett

For all inquiries and booking for your custom designs or alterations clicking here. You can also purchase and browse our online selection on our site, Instagram, or click here for more custom accessories such as hand-crafted veils, crowns, and more!

Connect with us on our social media to stay updated on our latest creations, promotions, and posts”

Photographer - @ec3moments  

Venue- @davinci.banquethalls 

Florist - @dynastyflorist  

H&MU - @icabee.hairandmakeup  

H&MU - @missbaglione  

Event Coordinator - @foreverframedevents  

Wedding Signage - @the_lavishco  

Cake - @sweetstarbakeshop 

Resin Pieces - @norhyme_justresin 

Models - @courtney.jessome.official @natashaacomand  

Host - @aweddingsoiree

Featured on @todaysbridemag blog

Bridal Accessories - @gorgeesbrides.ca

Demi-Couture, Couture and Haute Couture

Lets talk about the different type’s of couture gowns that you can order here at A.M.E.G. Designs!

First we have our Demi-Couture which are gown that are our own creations, like you would purchase from a boutique however they are still made to measure for you, still custom. We have ready made patterns and we know the fabrics and everything that needs to be used for our Demi-Couture lines, which you can find on our website. All we need is your measurements and we can create everything made to measure. You can alter them slightly so you can remove or add sleeves, adjust the necklines slightly, change the back a little bit and/or you can adjust the length. Other than that, they are preset designs but still custom, completely customized for you to fit you. Demi-Couture Gowns take 4 to 6 months to create.

Couture is your vision, your vision, which you bring to us and we create for you. When you have a couture piece made, we create the pattern and a keepsake sketch for you to have and frame after. You choose the fabrics and we make everything, it is your design we're just creating it for you. Couture Gowns take 8 to 12 months to create.

Haute Couture is everything is basically made by hand, even the lace is pieces together with beading added. It is very much like art, with all details and every finishing detail down by hand. These can take 100 or more hours to create. Haute Couture Gowns take 12 to 18 months or more to create.

So that is the difference between each of our Demi-Couture, Couture and our Haute Couture gowns that we create here at A.M.E.G. Designs. I hope that this helps you to narrow down what you would love for you dream dress vision! You can take a look at our Demi-Couture on our website >>>here<<<. and to find out more about our Couture and Haute Couture options >>>contact<<< us, we're happy to answer any questions that you may have so that you can have your dream dress visions come true.

I hope this helps you narrow down what you would love for your wedding dress!

Your Designer,

Amanda Garrett

Alterations

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

Today we are going to discuss Alterations as that is a BIG part of what we do here at A.M.E.G. Designs!

The Alteration services that we provide for include the entire Wedding Party, from the Bride and Groom to the flower girl and ring bearer. Any dresses and suits that are involved in or going to can be altered here.

I am mainly going to be speaking about dresses today however I will discuss briefly about suits and how it works. Let’s dive in!

Hemming, the number one alteration we do here and you would believe how many types of hems there are and how many layers some dresses have. The main questions that I will ask; how many layers is your dress? Is there lace, horsehair hem, are there any layers attached? This all allows me to provide the most accurate quote. Counting the number of layers is important, make sure you peal those beautiful layers apart so you make sure you have provided the right amount. I have had clients send videos to ensure they count them correctly.

Lace and Horsehair hems are the most costly as we need to remove, cut and replace most of the in order to cut the hem to the desired length. Horsehair can be on one single layer of your dress or multiple, we had a dress recently that had 8 layers and 3 of those had horsehair hems. It does take a bit more work so that is why it can be on the higher end of cost for alterations. There are also hems where the fabrics are connected and may even have horsehair in between which is where you’ll find the cost goes up in terms of hems.

Lace trim is a similar process to horsehair hem as we need to remove, cut and replace or we can raise from the waist, or we can add some more tulle underneath and if you are wanting a little bit more volume this works well and its quite cost effective. Now when replacing the lace trim we want to make sure we do not change the pattern of the skirt and have to consider the appliques or lace. Some brides so cut it and aren’t too worried about keeping the same look and others want us to adjust those appliques as well. Which in turn of course is a premium cost. We can raise at the waist as long as it makes sense to do so because you have to take a lot into consideration when doing the hem this way, the zipper, lace, pleats, beading, to name a few.

Tulle hems are fairly easy as we just need to precisely cut it the length we need. Rolled hems are the most common, we cut and If you are keeping your train then we only cut and hem the front while blending it out to the sides , this way we can easily bustle the train for you and keeping it all floor length at the front.

Next the most common alteration is taking in and letting out. Since the pandemic letting out has been something we have been doing a lot more of which definitely gave us an opportunity to figure this one out more because our brides needed to get into their dresses. This can be done in a few different ways; most commonly adding a lace up back however, you can add panels, which I would only suggest on lace dresses and only letting out about 2 or 3 inches and to find lace that will match seamlessly. A lace up back would require to remove the zipper and create the pieces , loops, back cover piece and ribbon. This is something that does change the look of the dress and not everyone is a fan so you have to be completely open to it if it is the only option for you to wear your dress. Taking in can mean we need to remove and replace lace and/or bead, if the lace is in the seam it is much easier for us to take in however this is hardly ever the case. There may also be boning which creates more structure to your dress that we have to remove and replace in the side and bodice.

A bustle is something that lifts your dress and train up so you can dance the night away and enjoy the reception. We have done 1 point bustles to 12 point bustles it just depends on the style of dress. When you come for your fitting we figure this out either the first or after we adjust the bodice and hem. We need to play with it, it’s very much like a puzzle, which I love to do. So when we do them you can see what it will look like once we’re done.

Everything else, adding illusion necklines, adjusting necklines, adding lace for more coverage, adding sleeves, and straps in all different ways. You can have them removeable or completely attached. You can also have a complete deconstruction done if you love a dress but it isn’t exactly your vision we can make it so. Also know this will change the style of dress and if thats what you want then fantastic! Also be sure to ask a seamstress or a few to see if your dress can be turned into something you absolutely want to wear on your wedding day.

We also can do any of the above for any other dress in your wedding. All suit and shirt alterations are also available here pants, jacket, shirts, take-in, tapper, hem, adjust sleeve length, vents and more!

I hope this serves you and has provided some wonderful information for you in terms of alterations on your wedding day.

Contact us >>here << for information and to Book now for Fall/Winter 2022 and 2023!

Your Designer,

Amanda Garrett

Fabrics, Colours and Bling Bling

Hello, we're back. It's a wedding Wednesday, once again, and today we're talking about fabrics, colors, bling-bling all the things that make every single detail of your dress magical. I believe that details matter so much, the littlest things can matter to create your vision.

When it comes to custom, what happens is you get to choose your fabrics completely and totally 100% all you. So this is how this dress is uniquely yours, right? When we have our visionary call, we talk about all the things you love about certain fabrics, satin, lace, tulle, chiffon and the colour you would love.

I then go and I search for options for you, and then I send you those options. Typically I like to send four or five depending on what we're looking at and a lot of the time this is for lace and other things like trims.

This way it's not overwhelming and you get to choose what you want to have for your dress. A lot of the time, my brides they're very decisive. Some are not, but that's okay. We work through it and we find whatever we need.

This bride wanted to have an very light off-white wedding dress.

Now during the process of choosing fabrics we must find it in the colour you are wanting. Whether if be Bright white, off-white, ivory or even PINK! I've had brides ask me, will this color worked for me. When you try dresses on, you'll see what colors work for you, and you'll know that you either want white, white, or another variation. I also have samples of fabrics that you can place against your skin to see. Most of the dresses we create are off-white, however, we’ve even dyed fabric to get the exact colour that our Bride envisioned her dress to be.

Then we have the bling bling bling! Bling-bling, jewels and beading can be incorporated into many aspects of your dress. If you have lace on your dress, it can be incorporated into the applique, added to trim or the edge around your hem or train. Adding a belt is always a way to add a little something extra or it can be just in your hair.

With the addition of a glitter fabric under neath and a small sequin throughout the lace appliques gave this bride just the right amount of shine for her wedding day.

Every Bride is so different and have such a unique visions. They either want the entire dress covered in beading and crystals or very few sequins that give only a little shimmer when the light hits the fabric. It's going to be for your personality, that fits you best. So BLING it up or tone it down, with custom you can have all that your heart desires.

Those are some of the main topics during our visionary call your fabrics, colors and your bling bling. the fabric and the color that comes first after we do our measurements. Then you receive options , once you choose, the fabrics are ordered and we get started on creating your dream dress!

Contact us to book your visionary call today!

Head over to our Instagram as that is where we hang out the most and will find loads of information in our stories and posts.

Your Designer,

Amanda Garrett

Wedding Wednesday: Heirloom Dresses

“Every design begins with an even better story.” - Lorinda Mamo

The best part of doing a deconstructed dress is that mom is involved. Typically the ones I've done, they've all been from mom. But I have done ones that are from a address that you purchased and you want a complete overhaul on it.

Then there's also, from grandma, from great-grandma heirloom dresses, they're so much fun to do and create a modern style from to bring your personality forward, but still being really sentimental because they're from your Mama. Right? So I love this topic. I love talking about deconstruct dresses.

I love creating from deconstructed dresses. I've had a few this year and the first one I did, I created it was a big ball gown dress with poof sleeves, the nineties, right? A lot of them are very similar and lots of intricate beading. I love the way the lace and the beading and everything is on these dresses from the nineties.

It was done really, really well so for this one, I took the bodice out and I removed the skirt and made a mermaid instead of the ballgown. But we reattached the ballgown as a removable back piece. And she looked like an absolute princess, as you can see.

What we did was we created the mermaid, but we used the top and we made the sleeves, small, like quite a bit smaller actually. An off the shoulder look, but they still had a little bit of poof because she wanted that princess look, that, almost Disney princess look and we were able to create that.

Then I just took pieces from the skirt that I had cut and I put them on the bottom parts where the fitted part of the mermaid went and, then it kind of trickled a little bit over, onto the flare of the mermaid, it was absolutely gorgeous. We also had to alter it quite a bit and she came from Ottawa.

We did quite a few fittings and she drove six hours to do this because she really, really believed in the investment of making this dress exactly how she wanted and she wanted it done by me. That was amazing. So, there was quite a few fittings and we altered the back completely. I added functional buttons that went all the way down the dress back. And we really worked together to create something really beautiful for her, her mom was so excited because she was wearing a piece of her on her wedding day.

---

The second one I did this year was another one from the nineties. A very big ballgown, really high neck line with gorgeous lace detailing and fringe beading. The bride specifically said, “I can't have that beading, uh, the fringe beading can not happen”, so we made sure that was used in a different way. However, this one, I just removed the pieces of lace appliques and put them all over the piece that I created.

Basically I created a dress for her, that was a very beautiful flowing dress she had tulle, on the top, like a tulle mesh that was see-through. Covered it with the appliques from her mom's dress and did a little bit more simpler on the back. She had her mom's buttons down the back as well, such a nice touch.

I also removed all the beading, all those fringe beaded pieces, I created a belt for her and it just made the dress.

Doing it this way you still get that sentimental value of mom's dress or whoever's dress, and be able to do it to the style you would love most. So wonderful.

---

I've also created pieces from these heirloom dresses, where I created a type dress. I used the bodice and then I created a bottom and I added the bottom lace to it and to the knee basically. It was just a reception dress and it was absolutely stunning.

You can do anything with a dress, either from either an heirloom dress or a dress that you see potential, and you see that there is something in it that you love, but you want to create it and make it your own exact uniquely to you. And that is what we do here.

That is why I do what I do to make things and create things to bring your vision to life so that it is uniquely yours. No one else is going to have these pieces ever. And, and that's the beauty. The whole point is that you feel beautiful and confident and, you know, looking back on these pictures from your wedding day, you're still going to be swooning over these pictures and you're going to be so happy that you made the investment and you did.

So wishing you a very happy Wednesday, and I hope that you have a fabulous rest of your week.

Your Designer,

Amanda Garrett

www.amegdesigns.com

A Real-Life Fairy God-Mother

Once upon a time, in a cozy house, on a quiet street, in a village on the edge of a booming metropolis, a young seamstress discovered she could perform magic. It was a transformative sort of magic that could make every bride look and feel amazing…

We all love fairy tales and, when I complete a dress for a client, it makes me feel like a real-life Fairy God-Mother! The magic occurs when a bride’s vision comes to life, and fits all of their curves (or lack of them) perfectly. True to the genre, all good fairy tales begin at home. This one is no exception. You see, I struggled with body-image issues for a long time. For years, I suffered from never feeling happy in the clothes I was wearing — literally feeling uncomfortable in my own skin. Everything changed on the day I picked up my scissors, cut into some fabric, and sewed my first dress. I took the pattern and adjusted it to my measurements. There was a moment, just before I tried it on, when I felt hesitant, worried my work would let me down. But the moment I pulled that dress on, well, it was magic. It fit me perfectly and, as a result, for the first time in my life, I felt fabulous! That dress made me aware that having something tailored to my own personal shape made me not only feel more comfortable, but heightened my self-image. Inspired, I embarked on a journey which, with a lot of self-love care, has helped me see an even clearer image of myself. It also gave me a clear vision for my business, to share my joy with the world! I have experienced the thrill of that moment over and over again. My goal has been to elevate and accentuate the best parts of my clients, leaving the rest behind them. Every day, I use my weapons of dress construction to make visions come to life. The ultimate challenge is to listen to an idea that someone has in their mind and translate it, craft it, form it into what I hope resembles their dream dress. Over the years, I have created and altered hundreds, if not thousands, of gowns and there is one thing that makes everything I do worth it: witnessing the ecstatic joy on their faces as they slip into the dress for the final fitting. The transformation into a fairy tale princess is immediate as they turn and spin around in front of the mirror, feeling the perfect fit, beaming with happiness. Dare I say it again? It’s magic!

Each of my clients arrive with a vision, an idea that is pre-existing about how they wish to look. It’s the reason custom-made, tailored design is the perfect solution for most brides, especially after searching and trying on what feels like a thousand ready-made dresses. That’s where I come in! As a crafter, there is nothing more satisfying than starting a project, finishing it runs a close second. The process is stimulating. At the initial consultation we discuss fabric and style. I measure every inch of my client to ensure the gown will fit all those ‘perfect imperfections’ (with thanks to Ed Sheeran for such a great expression). Sketches and cups of tea, and more sketches and tea, until the gown starts to come to life in my mind. There is such delight in sourcing fabric – the satins, the silks, the lace – it’s like a smorgasbord of texture. Then crafting out the pattern, piecing the dress together like a jigsaw puzzle, to ensure a perfect fit. The moment of truth comes as I prepare to cut. Like a carpenter, I measure twice, double-checking pins are secure before I pick up one of the most critical tools in my toolkit – no, not a magic wand – a shining pair of scissors. For me, there is nothing more exciting than pinning freshly cut pieces of fabric together and sitting down at the sewing machine. And this is where I wish I did have a magic wand to wave, or perhaps some sparkles or a puff of smoke because, with a ‘Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo’, the perfect fitted dress has come to life! Exactly what was envisioned, or more frequently, the words are, “Amanda! This is better than I could have ever dreamed!” Yup, I feel like a Fairy God-Mother every time.

Over the last ten years I have been privileged to create some lovely dresses, but I believe the dress you see here reflects my best work yet. For some reason, I just feel creatively connected to this one. It highlights my skills. The style is based on a pattern that I have altered many times and followed once before, however I have never created one quite like this. My husband says it’s his favourite and he has seen more wedding dresses than any other man I know. Each piece of fabric that I cut, each layer upon layer that was sewn together felt effortless. It was almost magical, as if I was achieving the vision towards our first fitting on some sort of a creative energy high like no other. My client arrived for her fitting. She loved it! She was delighted to see her vision becoming a reality. Each lace appliqué was hand-sewn and took several days. With the kids and other obligations in my life, there were moments when I felt I would never finish the bodice! But as each day passed, I grew more excited to continue. The final result was such an achievement. It is an honour to provide a service that fulfills dreams. To say that I enjoy ‘crafting’ is a gross understatement. Each piece that I alter or create to fit the bride’s size, personality and style allows me to share my magic with the world. My goal is for everyone to feel beautiful and confident on the day of their wedding and beyond.

And so we draw to the end of the fairy tale. The little seamstress who discovered she could perform magic feels most days like a real life fairy godmother, making each clients dress visions come true. And, as she creates their dreams, she is living her own. Dreams that are so big and beautiful, there are times she has to pinch herself to believe they’re true. And somewhere, behind a pile of fabric, surrounded by needles and pins and scissors, she is grinning from ear to ear, because she is living ‘happily ever after’.

A dream come true

“I showed Amanda what I wanted in my wedding dress and she worked so hard to get every detail to perfection! She was lovely to work with and is so talented. She also made my garters and veil, my mom's Mother of the Bride dress, the dresses for my bridal party, and face masks for the bridal party and groomsmen. I highly recommend her if you want a custom bridal experience. She will make your dreams come true!”

Wedding and Bridesmaid Dresses created by Amanda Garrett from A.M.E.G. Designs

Photography by Maranda Elysse Photofraphy