A custom-designed gown expresses bride's individuality
Brides are advised to allow lots of time for alterations on off-the-rack dresses
By Janice Bradbeer
Brides are advised to allow lots of time for alterations on off-the-rack dresses
By Janice Bradbeer
Sun Ngo wanted to personalize her wedding while honouring her culture.
Ngo, who is of Chinese-Vietnamese extraction, along with her husband Conan Wong, who is Chinese, decided to braid both their cultures and Canadian traditions into one strand on their wedding day.
Ngo, 27, had a traditional, Western-style wedding gown in mind that she saw in a magazine.
After unsuccessful visits to Spadina Ave. outlets, she decided to have her gown custom designed by Toronto designer Catherine Langlois for her August '97 wedding.
The result was a white crêpe floor-length gown with slight A-line shape and a fishtail back that created a small train. It was embellished with Schiffli lace and fine bead trim around the neck and empire waist.
The couple's nuptials included a traditional Chinese ceremony at her parents' home, an outdoor reception at Spadina House for 60 guests and another ceremony at Wong's parents' home.
The evening culminated in a reception at a Chinese restaurant during which Ngo changed into a Chinese gown with and embroidered skirt and jacket and Wong also dressed in traditional garb, although it isn't common for the groom to do so.
"We did it out of respect for our culture," explains Ngo. "It was a surprise for everyone."
This desire to uphold tradition and express individuality is one reason why some brides choose custom-designed over off-the-rack gowns, according to Langlois.
The designer, who has been in the business for four years, creates gowns reminiscent of the '50s and the Edwardian era.
She does 25 to 30 a year with prices ranging from $800 to $3,000. The average gown costs between $1,500 and $2,000.
It's the attention to detail and selection of fabrics, including high-quality lace, that makes Langlois' gowns sought after and unique, says the designer who works out of her home studio (416-652-9587) in the Christie St., St. Clair Ave. W. area.
Work on a dress can take anywhere from a month to a year, depending on the amount of intricate beadwork and lace involved. "I prefer not to work longer than a year," she explains. "Tastes change, bodies change and relationships change."
Her clients tend to be late-20s to mid-30s but Langlois has also done quite a few second weddings, which pose particular challenges.
"They still want something special. It's harder to find something ready-made. They don't want a party dress and they're trying to find something that's in-between where you can still look like a bride but not like a princess."
But there are several reasons why some women opt for off-the-rack rather than custom-designed gowns.
A custom-designed gown may require five, six or more fittings compared to an off-the-rack dress that will probably not require more than three fittings, according to Antonella Furfaro. She's a partner in the family business Gisella Furfaro Bridal in Woodbridge, which does both a custom and retail business.
Custom gowns may also take longer to make and require a genuine commitment on the part of the bride-to-be. And visualizing how a couturier-styled gown will look with only a sketch to go on can be difficult, says Furfaro.
The retail end of Furfaro's company deals in only two exclusive lines, with a price tag starting at $2,500.
Customers can try on different styles in a standard size 10/12 before placing their orders, which take about six months for delivery.
For the budget-minded customer in a hurry, Elizabeth Stuart Discount Bridal in Mississauga offers hundreds of bridal gowns, mostly from Canadian manufacturers, in sizes 6 through 20 with prices ranging from $299 to $699.
A bride-to-be can try on a dress in her size and take it home the same day if it fits.
One recent customer who wore a size 20 was able to comfortably try on a selection of dresses in her own size instead of having to squeeze into much smaller sample gowns, says owner Elizabeth Honsberger.
Honsberger says that for an additional fee, which varies from bride to bride, alterations can be made.
She suggests to her clients that they begin their alterations two months before the wedding, when they're relaxed and "nobody's in a rush."
It also gives the seamstress enough time to adjustments, although the store can accommodate last-minute work. Some clients require two or three fittings prior to the wedding.
"We've all heard horror stories about placing orders and not getting the merchandise on time," she says. That problem doesn't exist at her store since the selection is made from what's on the racks.
Prices are kept low because the store is constantly turning over its stock and bringing in new gowns.
