Caley Cheney's Design Challenge--How to Design a Bridal Gown "Across the Pond"

This post is by Caley Cheney, Glasgow, Scotland formerly of Dandridge, TN in her own words:

I hate most wedding dresses. I’ve never been the girl that had her wedding planned at the age of 10. I didn’t have the colors picked, the song to dance to, or even know what kind of ceremony I wanted. So when Steven proposed to me, I found out the hard way just how behind I was on the whole wedding planning process. I mean, most girls at least know what to expect. Then again, most girls are also living in the same country as their fiancé. I was in Glasgow, Scotland when I started trying on dresses. My husband is Scottish, and I was visiting him to spend time together during the wedding planning. This would have been far less tedious if the wedding was actually going to be in Scotland, but we had decided to get married in Tennessee near my family. Naively undaunted by the task of planning a wedding while overseas, I booked the venue and then started looking for dresses.

I walked into the first shop in July and was asked when the wedding would be taking place. I smiled and told her it would be on October 23. Without missing a beat or looking up from her notepad, she nodded and said, “Ah, 2011.” When I corrected her and explained that I meant 2010, as in a few months from that day, she looked at me incredulously and froze like an overburdened computer. Once successfully rebooted, she informed me that “less than six months” is a short order for a dress. Later I was told stories of brides trying on dresses at the hint of a proposal, and even the ones who could wait for the ring had found their dress within a week. I must admit that I was shocked to suddenly find myself much further behind than I had anticipated, but I was determined and decided to pick up the pace.

I lost count of how many dresses I tried on and how many shops I went to. After scouring the area I only seriously liked one of dresses, and even then I didn’t love it. I was plagued with wanting the top from one dress, the bottom of another, and then a middle section that didn’t exist anywhere in Glasgow. I took a deep breath and went home to consult my dear friend the Internet, where I found Tricia.

Tricia is like a little wedding dress fairy godmother, only with measuring tape instead of a wand. It is crucial to find wedding vendors that you can have a good working relationship with, and Tricia and I spoke the same language right from the start. I sent her pictures with explanations trying to describe what I was looking for and she would send sketches back to me. In a matter of a few weeks we had managed to co-design a dress while in completely different time zones and countries. Slowly, my fear and desperation melted away as I found that the certain features I had sought were truly able to exist in one dress. My only limitation was my budget, but as I gave that to Tricia from the start, we were able to work within it using creative and practical choices.

We didn’t meet in person until the first fitting on October 2, 2010. Although we had a hiccup when we realized I had been misinformed in Glasgow about the fabric, Tricia insisted we could redo it in what I had originally been looking for. She was very patient and understanding, two things worth their weight in gold for brides-to-be, and by the time I came for the last fitting on October 17 I couldn’t believe what a beautiful job Tricia had done with the dress. Finally, the week of my wedding, I could get all girly and excited and say, “This is the one!” I didn’t feel like an actor in a costume pretending to be someone else, as I felt in so many of the “shop” dresses I had tried on. I am no princess, and I don’t want to dress up as one. My custom dress made me feel glowing and gorgeous but still comfortable and happy to be me because I had a hand in making it come to life. Don’t get me wrong, I still say I don’t like wedding dresses… but I love mine.

A Long-Distance Design Project

In early August, 2010, I received an inquiry from my website regarding a custom bridal gown; the contact number was a "615" area code, so I assumed middle Tennessee for the bride's location.  Imagine my surprise when I called and found out Caley Cheney was residing in Glasgow, Scotland! 

We chatted for a few minutes and I explained the design process, instructed her to send a few pictures of gowns she liked so I could get an idea of her style.  After looking over a few pictures, I began sketching, scanning and emailing designs to Caley.  She would email with desired changes; I would re-sketch, scan and email again.  After a few days, we had the design finalized.  She made a trip to a seamstress in Scotland for measurements, sent them to me and the construction began on the gown. 

Two weeks before her wedding, she came in for a first fitting on her wedding gown and we had our first face-to-face meeting!  Caley is a beautiful lady with long brown hair and gorgeous eyes!  Her personality is best described as "exuberant".  I am attaching a few pictures which were graciously sent by Caley's photographer and long-time friend, Maria Clark.  The pictures are beautiful; the wedding location was near Dandridge, TN.  Maria's photography captures the beauty of the area and the joy and unique style of the bride and groom.  Caley's new husband, Stephen, is Scottish; the couple will soon return to Scotland.

Thank you, Caley, for making my job more interesting!!! 

So You Got An Engagement Ring For Christmas!!!!!

Well, here we are--almost at the end of 2009!!! We've almost finished a decade of the 21st century!!! WOW!! And as we begin the second decade of the the 21st century, I'm sure many of you are making plans to spend this decade and many more with a new spouse! Soooo. . . . let's talk about weddings! and wedding gowns! and bridesmaids dresses! and mothers' dresses! and more.

New trends in bridal? Bridal gowns with insets of color and bold colors intermingled are on their way out. Lace and vintage-look gowns and those that are very classic in styling are setting the standards now. Strapless is still a great look and will continue to be popular, but many brides are looking for straps or bolero jackets to add more emphasis to the shoulders. One-shoulder gown or gowns with assymetrical accents are very strong for the upcoming season.

For the bridesmaids? Tea-length, knee-length or floor-length are all popular depending on the time of day, season, etc. Colors run the gamut with some strong greens, teals, and blue--from baby blue, to aqua blue, to turquoise and carribbean blue. Soft, flowing chiffons are very popular and taffetas are making a comeback!

For mothers? anything that doesn't make them look like the grandmother-of-the-bride! All mothers want to look their best and we help them do that. Again, chiffons, laces and taffetas are all standout fabric choices for mothers-of-the-bride. And we have all that and more!

Visit our website at http://www.triciasbridalandpageant.com and our Facebook page "Tricia's by Design to see a few of our beautiful brides from 2009 and earlier. Call me at 276-995-2245 or email tbd@mounet.com to make an appointment to find YOUR perfect bridal gown and attendants' gowns.

You dream it, we do it!!!!