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).

Fall Weddings

Fall is definitely one of my very favourite times of year. With cool, crisp weather and gorgeous foliage, its the perfect setting for a seasonal wedding.

Autumn does so much more than set a pretty scene though, you can use the spices of the season for cocktails, muted, warm and earthy tones, dried and paper florals or fresh of course. The arrangements can include apples, pumpkins and gourds, OH MY! From sweet décor to delish spiced cocktails, you can’t go wrong choosing a wedding date in September, October or November.

When purchasing a dress from a boutique it is good to know that you can add colour, an over lay or something unique that makes the dress exactly what you are wanting for your fall wedding theme.

Going the custom dress root can be very exciting because you can truly do anything you want. From a two in one overskirt and cocktail dress (picture couple loving the rain) to a Black dress fit for any autumn themed wedding.

I really love those halloween weddings but the classic black, orange and white with silver skulls and candelabras. Very chic and super fun! Can you imagine being able to wear a costume to a wedding?

Plan in those cute umbrellas incase it rains and of course your favourite fall beverage. It is your day and you can have anything you’ d like. This bride added this sheer overlay with cuffed sleeves to her dress to incorporate her edginess and add as a layer incase it was chilly.

You never know the temperature you’re going to get so come prepared for your photos. This bride and groom lucked out and get a moderately warm day which made for some stunning pictures without covering her dream dress that we altered.

Have some fun with a fall themed wedding, it can be truly anything you want it to be!

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!

Train Goals

Yesterday I posted a really awesome dress with an fantastically long train. And so that's what we're gonna talk about today is #traingoals. There are so many ways that you can achieve trains and I don't even think that people really know.

For example, right now I'm doing a dress that has the hem is to the floor. There's no train on the dress, but the veil she's wearing is a incredibly long cathedral veil. It is 122 inches, which is really, really long. The Bride just wants that for the ceremony. She wants that little bit of elegance and drama for walking down the aisle. This is a perfect way so that you can then take it off and you don't have to worry, no bustle, nothing like that, you can just go on your way and have a great time at the reception.

If you don't know what a bustle is, a bustle is when you hook or tie, pieces of the back of the train so that you can move around and dance without the train being stepped on or getting in the way. It's a really great way to do that. However if you don’t want a train on your dress, this is a perfect option.

You can also achieve your train goals without, having to do a bustle by having a removable skirt, so you can have a dress completely made for you and then have a piece that goes over top that you remove. That gives you that huge, long length that you want for a train. You can also, if you want even more, have a very long veil over that long train to give you that even more extension for your train goals.

Then we have different types of trains. There's sweep, chapel, cathedral and royal. The history of wedding dress trains goes as far back as 800 years ago, when the length of the train was used to indicate wealth and social status. The longer the train, the wealthier the family—and naturally, longer trains provided a more dramatic effect to impress any guests in attendance. Of course these days it’s not like that, Brides can wear anything they would like to. A lot of the time the train is for the aisle and for the pictures. If you're looking for that, extensiveness of a train, because you love them then there's so many options, especially with custom.

If you have been dreaming of that beautiful dress with that royal feeling contact <<< us!

I hope this was helpful towards making those dream dress visions come true!

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

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.

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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.

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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

Elopement

At the end of last summer, I did an amazing collaboration with quite a few talented ladies. This Fall elopement shoot was incredible. We just got to the location just after a storm passed at 8am, it was a bit chilly that morning and very windy. But as we all arrived and got every thing set up, Models dressed and camera ready. It got warm, blue skies appeared and the sun created such great light peaking through the woods.

Claireville Conservation in Brampton, Ontario is like a dream. Especially for a photo shoot, we had several landscapes to choose. From rolling Hills to a rocky road and even into the woods, no wonder we all had such a fabulous day! 

The couple were gorgeous and really so in love, which truly takes your breath away with such intimate moments. I was lucky to be apart of something so very special. If eloping were just like this, I think more couples would do it ;).

Creating this dress was really wonderful, from the first designs to the day of the shoot. It is romantic and flowing plus a little flirty underneath the beautiful veil like removable skirt. I love the way the wind carries and fills it up in some of the gorgeous pictures by Roxana Martinez Photography.

I hope this inspires you and fills you with so much joy!

Do you plan to have two dresses for your Wedding Day but it’s adding up to be too much for your Budget? A removable skirt may be the perfect option for you. Beautiful and elegant for down the isle and then a reveal for the reception and ready to dance the nice away. Check out the fun and flirty blog post of the amazing pink Wedding Dress that goes from twirly to cocktail hour. Contact ME Your Designer Amanda Garrett to get started on your dream two in one dress!|

Beautiful work by;

Published by: The Bride Link

Photography: Roxana Martinez Photography

Floral Design : Raindrops on Roses Floral Design

Design: Coordinate This Design & Decor Inc.

Cake : Cakelaine 

Dress : AMEG Designs

Beauty : Beauty by Sacha

Headpiece: Ilieana George - Couture Bridal Accessories

Credit to models:

Bride: Mariya Miloshevych 

www.mariyamiloshevych.com

Groom: Geoffrey Cameron

Thought of Eloping?

If you are interested in an elopement but still want some family and friends there, the best place to go is Coach House Weddings.

‘Elope– 1hr, up to 10 guests, weekdays only $950. Your legal ceremony, which lasts about 15 minutes, will have you married to the love of your life. Perfectly documented.  Our photographer will capture all your moments & details. Within 1 week, you’ll receive your fully downloadable gallery to print & share all your pics. Choice of either fresh flowers for you both, a wedding cake or champagne toast.’

I recommend this unique and wonderful experience!

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Wedding Accessories

A few years ago now, I had the amazing opportunity to work with such a wonderful bride. Her dress needed some alterations and she wanted to add some accessories that made her feel so incredible on her wedding day. She had been nervous and had some doubts about the dress before the alterations. When your body changes during and after pregnancy, it can be hard not to worry about how clothes look on you now compared to what that used to be. Let me tell you though, my biggest goal is to help you look and FEEL absolutely beautiful inside and out. After altering and adding a fabulous sash to her dress, as well as, making a hair piece to complete the ensemble. She was absolutely stunning!

There are times where I end up doing alterations for other members of the bridal party and for this one I altered the sister of the grooms dress who was also a Bridesmaid. I love so much when I can be apart of making more than just the Bride happy. When every women I provide my services for can dance the night away at the wedding too! Take a look at how wonderful and happy both Bride and Groom were on the special day. You can also peek at the Bridesmaid dresses they were really stunning as well. Ahh, don’t you love reminiscing about the things that just turn out so well!

Photos captured by Picture Pro Studios

You can see more stunning photos of this wedding and more in their Galleries :)

Looking to have your dress altered perfectly, I am here for you Contact me!

Want something custom, I’ve got your back for that too, let’s get started!

Your Designer,

Amanda Garrett

www.amegdesigns.com