How you can still have the dress of your dreams during coronavirus

We are hearing more and more in Plan to Postpone and from our brides directly about the impact that lockdown is having on what brides will be wearing on their big day. Even if their wedding is postponed, they still can't get to or feel comfortable going to a shop to try dresses on. 

So we spoke to the truly lovely Sally Bean about her process of making and designing dresses and how she will be able to support brides no matter what during this time. 

sally bean lace wedding dress

Advice and tips for brides during this time searching for a dress

For Brides who's date has changed 

I am so sorry that you have had Covid 19 drop into your wedding plans like a huge bomb and throw all your plans up in the air and scatter them like confetti.

I really hope at this stage that the initial shock and uncertainty of moving your date has passed and you now have a new date to work to. 

The majority of my brides are in your position and we have been in constant contact together planning ways to adapt their dresses.

With all my clients I have a very personal relationship and we have a 1-2-1 private what's app conversation together through the whole creation journey. From the second you enter my bridal world, I want you to feel at ease, excited, inspired and love every second of having your dress created made exactly to your measurements to enable you to look and feel phenomenal on your wedding day.

With my brides its summer weddings moving to winter or spring weddings so the look and feel of the original vibe of the day has been adapted to factor in the weather. 

The advice I have offered my brides who are moving from summer to winter this year. The summery looks can easily be adapted and you can still look amazing. Let's revisit the look on you, you will still be stunning!

Lets add a detachable beautiful tulle cape that picks out the details in your dress and works together and looks like it always was like that.

Or let's add a huge dramatic overskirt that adds volume and drama, and a little warmth that can then come off in the evening and show off your original dress. 

With my collections this year I am really inspired by transforming the 1 dress throughout your wedding day by adding overskirts, high neck lacey tops or big billowy sleeves then slowly adapting, taking layers off. Adding sparkly belts and glamming up to the max in the evening.

Particularly for wintery weddings, we are looking at fabulous big sparkly earrings to add in the evening and a really cool little shimmery jacket.

We could even bead into your dress to add a little more twinkle in the candlelight.
Basically I am telling all my brides, DO NOT PANIC!

With my brides, I have spent time sketching, designing and relooking at ways I can suggest adapting the design.

It is really important to me that my brides, don't fall into a panic and lose the love of creating their dress. If you are feeling disillusioned that is totally understandable. It's a grieving process of having your original plans taken away. But I really want to assure you, there are so many lovely options for you to adapt your dress.

If you already have your dress but want to switch the look up 

I recommend, spending a little time just pinning, wintery wedding looks on Pinterest for an evening, just pin, and tag and add to a board cover ups, sparkly things, anything you love that is remotely connected to your wedding look. Limit it to just a few hours and then review the board with fresh eyes the next day. You may find a recurring theme. A fabulous beaded jacket, or a gorgeous extra special modern headdress. A few details that can add warmth and adapt your dress into the new look.

Your wedding day is still going to be beautiful, I make all my dresses in house and we have the ultimate flexibility to adapt your design or create you something new within a really short timescale. 

If you are looking for help, please reach out to me and I can try my best to point you in the right direction or show you the accessories I have within my collection that may work for you.

wedding dress sketches

If your wedding is later this year

For Brides who's wedding is later this year and still on the dress hunt, do not fear! It is not too late to find your dream dress. 

I appreciate that not being able to try dresses on right now is really difficult and you may feel like time is ticking away and lots of uncertainty. You want to find the perfect look but do not know where to start or just can not find the perfect look or you have tried things on in the past but nothing fitted or felt right.

There is lots of options for you during covid I have been offering complimentary virtual appointments to brides to be, who are wanting to start their wedding dress search and get excited and inspired and start the creation of their dress journey.

I am showing you my collection via FaceTime, and designing and sending you sketches and swatches so that you can really get a true impression of what will suit you.

zoom wedding dress consultation

And then when we can meet and try on dresses together, I am making real life appointments mid July onwards. We can put an action plan into place to create your dress within 6 weeks if we needed too.

Another option for short timescale brides is to buy a sample dress and get it altered to your size. I offer this option too. 

(Also for my lovely overseas brides who are based out of the UK, we can still make your dress we can make a dress completely via a distance, we are making this way for a client in Singapore at the moment and she has a phenomenal design)

I think the best advice I can offer is, find the designer who you feel in tune with, who you trust and love what they do and reach out to them. If they are open and available for you and put you at ease that is wonderful. But if they do not, keep searching because it is imperative in short timescales that you feel real confidence in your designer and love every second of having your dress created even in a short timescale.

________________________________________________________________________

 

Thank you, Sally, for your amazing insight into how wedding dresses can still be achievable, even during lockdown! Your dresses are fantastic and we appreciate all the work you are doing to support your brides at this time in having their dream dress. 

You can see more of Sally's work over on Instagram and on her website