The Creative Process - Made To Measure Wedding Dresses

A made to measure wedding dress is so very special. One of my favourite parts of the process is meeting the bride at her initial consultation. It’s where you get chance to visit the studio see my work and decide if you’d like to put your trust in me to create this very special gown .
The studio is set on the Hampshire Berkshire border in a very private and peaceful countryside location, you’ll park opposite the tennis courts ( helicopter landing available) and if you’re lucky see a deer whilst having your fitting .
The Blades Bridal studio is a working environment which means you’ll see not only the progress of your own dress but also the development of other projects all different and unique .

I believe that the process should be effortless for the bride. That it should flow with ease and grace. I fully engage myself heart and soul with each creation and treat every bride as an individual so my style is yours and I mirror your desires .
Here is breakdown of your appointments

Consultation
Where the bride decides if she can put her trust in me to create this very special gown . We explore inspiration, fabrics and trimmings, the type of wedding and emotions one wants to express .

Toile fitting and design reveal
At this stage I have taken all the brides ideas, researched and produced a series of designs. A simple dress shape called a toile is moulded onto the brides figure, where I can begin to proportionally design the wedding dress to flatter and enhance the brides figure. By the end of this appointment which is approximately 3 hrs we have made lots of successful micro decisions together .

1st dress fitting
The wedding dress has been pattern cut and constructed and is now ready to try on for the first time . I check the fit, length and positioning of details and add extra where needed. The fastening is added next .

Final dress fitting
The dress is finished all fastenings are added the hem and details complete. It’s a chance for the bride to try on with her accessories some of which we may have created too and to get used to walking and often practice dancing. Always an exciting appointment.

Collection
The dress is pressed and bagged ready. The drawn illustration is wrapped as a parting gift and a sign of my love and appreciation for being part of your special day .

For those customers that are traveling from abroad, Initial consultations can be done over video call and your gown can be collected by a trusted member of your bridal party. The same process applies to red carpet and evening dresses.

Catherine Blades Couture creates bespoke bridal gowns that reflect who a bride truly is at heart . Each dress is lovingly designed and constructed not only to flatter and draw amazement but to give the bride confidence in being authentic .