Helping Dress Mothers of the Happy Couple for the Special Day

Last year I received a call from Elizabeth Bailey, a local wedding and event planner, her daughter Caroline was getting married and the dress for her big day was still on her to do list. The wedding was just a few weeks away.

I was thrilled to help Elizabeth in any way that I could!

Here’s the story in her own words:

My search for a beautiful dress to wear to my only daughter’s wedding is an interesting story. Although I did go to a few major department stores and small boutiques and tried on dresses, I mainly searched on-line. I would order dresses that appealed to me with the thought of returning all but “the one”. At one time there were 12 long dresses hanging from every part of my bedroom that had been shipped to me. There was a pretty Badgley Mischka dress that was my favorite of the group so I took it to Ella to ask her to do the alterations. She kindly appeased me and pinned the dress for alterations and then before I left, in the very nicest way, suggested that I have a dress custom made to wear to the wedding. Citing that it was a special day and that I deserved it, I took listened to her advice and told her I would have to think about it. Long story short, I decided to commit to Ella for a custom dress and it’s one of the best things I ever did. The experience was wonderful — she made me feel so comfortable at each fitting — and I loved choosing fabrics and embellishments with her. She is so creative! I love the special things she added to the dress giving it movement and interest. She took seriously the term “Garden Black Tie”, a term we used throughout the wedding planning process. My previous main fear — that someone else would arrive with the same dress— of course couldn’t happen with a custom design.

Prior to the wedding I did not show the dress to anyone but my daughter (who went with me to each fitting). My three sisters, my friends and even my husband didn’t see the dress until the day of the wedding. When I walked down the aisle with my son to take my seat for the wedding, I loved the look on my sister’s faces because they thought the dress was so pretty and the color so amazing. It really was a joyous day and because of Ella’s suggestion that I have a one-of-a-kind dress made, I felt very good in my dress choice for my daughter’s wedding.

When I was asked to write an “ask the expert” column for Valley Living Magazine, the first thing I wanted to write was about helping mothers of the bride with their choice of dress for a very important day.

Elizabeth’s story was a perfect example of how wonderful the whole experience can be for you. We had fun designing her gown, it was beautiful, exactly what she wanted and very special.

I’d love for you to let us design your special gown, one of a kind, beautifully made with love and care and enjoy the process!

To help Mothers of the couple with their dress for a special day, we turned for some tips to Elizabeth Bailey, Baltimore’s premier wedding and event planner, and our special client as well.  She offers a unique perspective on the process, as she works closely with Mother’s of the Couple.
A custom-designed dress for your child’s special day provides the advantage of selecting designer, hand-picked fabrics and embellishments. The dress is designed to the exact preferences, specifications and measurements of the client.

Five Top Dressing Tips for Wedding Moms

1. Start early. As soon as there is a wedding date, research colors and styles that you like. Decide if you’ll wear long or short (there is no rule for that).
2. Choose a color you love and that is appropriate for the season. You do not need to match the bridesmaids!
3. Once the dress has been chosen, start to put together your accessories: shoes, jewelry, purse, undergarments and wrap. Always have a back-up pair of shoes. You’ll likely want to change into a more comfortable pair during the reception. And please — get properly fitted for a bra.
4. High-quality alterations are your friend! If your dress doesn’t fit properly, it won’t be comfortable, and you will not like the way the dress looks when the wedding photos come in after the wedding. Be sure to get the dress pressed and steamed with final alterations ahead of time. Be ready early to guarantee a stress-free dressing experience.
5. Consider treating yourself to a custom-made dress. The fit and the style will be perfect for your body type.  Most of all, you will never have to worry about a wedding guest showing up in the same dress.

Schedule your appointment and bring your ideas, colors of the wedding and any other details you would like us to take into consideration.  During our consultation we will design your gown, considering all the elements, choose the fabrics, details and sketch your dress design. While the design may evolve and some details may be added or eliminated, your original vision for your dress will remain our guiding light for your big day.

Last Words on This, from Elizabeth Bailey:

As a wedding planner, I see many mothers of brides and grooms on the wedding day. Some have amazingly beautiful dresses while others clearly neglected making a thoughtful decision or took the time to have the dress they did purchase altered properly.  Wedding photos are shared so much and last for generations to come. It’s important for the parents to look nice at their children’s wedding. I would really encourage all wedding moms to reserve time to talk with Ella about having a beautiful dress made for their child’s wedding.