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).

Mother of the Bride Dresses

Your wedding day is definitely all about you and your partner however, it is a really BIG deal for Mom’s. Mother of the Bride and Groom dresses have become something that we have been creating a lot this year and have already booked a few for next year and 2024! The best part is they don’t have to be the same style, 3 colours that are offered and although lovely can not be the whole personality of the Mother.

Mom’s should feel confident and beautiful as they are so proud and happy to be there by your side as you say yes to you special someone. She will most likely be tearing up from your beauty and not being a little girl anymore, doing that in something that allows her to feel good is such a wonderful experience too.

Shawls are also really popular with Mom’s and is something that can be custom to what she would love rather than just a rectangle piece of fabric that comes with her dress. All be it those shawl/scarf fabrics are a wonderful add on, having your own styled one makes a huge difference in how she will feel.

So whether it is for the Bride or the Groom’s Mother having a custom gown created for her is such a beautiful way for her to share in the experience and feel good AF on your wedding day!

Contact >>A.M.E.G. Designs<< today to book a call!

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”

5 Tips for Getting a Custom Fairytale Wedding Dress

Imagine a feeling of ease and beauty, knowing that from the moment you have the final fitting of your dress, you're going to be able to move through your wedding with such grace. Walking down the aisle, where your partner-to-be will be in awe of you… to the dance floor where you'll have the time of your life…

I am sure you have a vision, an idea that is pre-existing about how you wish to look on your wedding day. It’s the reason a 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. This will share some guidance from custom Brides I have worked with on the tips for getting the  Custom Fairytale Wedding Dress of your dreams.

1. Try on Dresses in a boutique to know what style you want. This is a crucial part of the Custom process. When you know what dress style fits you, you will have a better idea of the end result. 

2. What colour do you want? With Custom your dress can be any tint of white or any colour of the rainbow and beyond! I have had pink, blue with yellow tulle, White with red tulle and many more. Fabrics are also something to be sure on, this makes it a lot easier to find samples for your dress.

3. Get all the information you need from the Designer. Know what is included in the quote, Fabrics, Alterations, Fittings, taxes. What is the process? How many fittings will there be? What is included for the alterations? How much is the initial cost? Do they have a payment plan? Whatever you need the Designer should be able to easily provide you with answers to these questions.

4. You chose your Designer, incredible! Now you just need patience, ordering fabrics can take a little time so being patient is important. A great designer will include you in the entire process from start to finish. My Brides love when sneak peeks are shared in stories on social media.

5. Trust the process! Having your vision created by someone can be somewhat nerve racking however you invested in this and your Designer so go with the flow, she or he will make all your dress visions come true.

Take these 5 tips into consideration when you are looking into your wedding dress, they will help you know that custom is the perfect place to have your fairytale visions come true.

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

Wedding Guest Dresses

Wedding Guest

Dress Inspiration

Have you ever been invited to a wedding and immediately started thinking 'what am I going to wear?'.

Short, long, lace, floral, there are so many options as if you were the one getting married. It can be overwhelming but if you first start thinking of the silhouette that you love wearing and go from there is so much easier.

Make sure you know all the colours in the wedding and DO NOT wear those. In a mixture of floral or pattern is fine, but the Bride wants her lady's and colours to stand out, so let her have that for sure. Know if it's black tie or more semi-formal, that also can tell you how fancy to be when choosing a super say beaded dress opposed to a more say 'Sunday best' dress.

There are still loads of options and the pictures attached will show you dresses for the time of year, whether it be Spring/Summer or Fall/Winter. And of course you don’t have to wear a dress (I am biased because I make them lol :P) if you’re a total pants kinda girl, you have so many pieces to choose from as well. Like rompers (pants or shorts), gorgeous long wide leg pants with a beautiful sequined top and oh so much more!

The ideas are endless girl and I want you to have fun because you’re going to have a ton of it at that wedding so why not dress the part. Especially if you don’t get out very often. HA listen I totally understand and I, myself can’t wait to go to my brothers wedding on July 13th and dance the night away while celebrating our two families uniting. It’s going to be a total blast and guess what I did, I took the dress that I made for my baby shower altered it to fit me, while changing it up a little bit, now its absolutely perfect! I can’t wait to show you all, I will definitely be posting on all the socials for you to see :)

Check out some of these Spring/Summer looks accessorized by Stella & Dot. This line came out in 2017 and was perfectly floral in every way.

Now here are some Fall/Winter inspiration, created with fabulous fabrics of gold and navy, plus fun Holiday greens and beautiful embroidered laces! (Flower Hairpiece available SHOP NOW)

There you have it some beautiful pieces that would be perfect for any wedding Guest! Just follow the tips above, have fun and accessorize with a small subtle statement or a dramatically fabulous one. You can do no wrong here girl! (Tag @yourdesigneramandagarrett on Instagram in the outfits you choose, I would love to see!)

I hope this has inspired you!

Your Designer,

Amanda Garrett

www.amegdesigns.com

Love one of these options, Let’s chat about making your dress dreams come true!