How to Compare a Hand-Stitched vs. Machine-Stitched Designer Wedding Dress

Your wedding day is your chance to show off. While some brides prefer simple sundresses and casual apparel, other brides want to go all out with ballgowns and other designs that make them the center of attention. When you hit bridal boutiques in the Columbus, Ohio area (meet our team here), you will have the chance to try on as many designer dresses as you want. Finding the right one requires that you look at the fit and price as well as whether it matches your venue and them. Another thing to consider is whether a hand-stitched or machine-stitched designer wedding dress is right for you.

What Is a Hand-Stitched Wedding Dress?

As the term implies, a hand-stitched wedding dress is one that the designer makes by hand. While they may use some machines to create the basic dress, they add any embellishments or decorations by hand. This may include stitching pieces of lace to the train and sewing jewels and other accents to the bodice. Those shopping in wedding dresses Columbus boutiques may find that there isn’t much of a selection of hand-stitched options and those that are available are expensive.

What Is a Machine-Stitched Wedding Dress?

Machine-stitched wedding dresses often have the embellishments that you want but are less expensive. This type of designer wedding dress is one that the designer comes up with and then sends to a factory. The factory uses sewing machines and other large machines to both cut the fabric to match the given patterns and put the pieces together. Designers can order dozens of dresses that look the same but come in sizes that fit most women without worrying about how they will make all the dresses by hand.

How Are They Different?

Shopping for designer wedding dresses in Columbus is a good way to see what styles are available and find the best dress for you. You might wonder how machine-stitched and hand-stitched dresses are different. Designers often refer to the two styles as being haute couture vs ready to wear dresses. A ready-to-wear dress is one that you can wear right away. When you buy one from a wedding dress Columbus Ohio shop, you have the option of working with a seamstress to alter the dress to fit your body. You may even find one off the rack that fits. Hand-stitched dresses are similar to haute couture dresses because the designer may make the dress specifically for you and no one else.

Custom Wedding Dresses

Hand-stitched dresses are often available as custom dresses. Though not all designer wedding dresses fall into this category, many do. If you spent weeks looking for the perfect dress without any luck, consider working with a new designer in your area. The downside to a custom hand-stitched dress is that it takes a long time to make. You might go through multiple fittings just to help the designer make the pattern and several other fittings before your big day.

Are Machine-Stitched Dresses as Good?

Women with bigger budgets often claim that nothing beats a designer dress custom-made for them. Other women think that hand-stitched dresses are always better than those made with a machine. You should keep in mind that machines today have more features than ever before. Some even allow the user to set up a pattern and walk away. When they come back, the machine will have the design they created already finished on the dress. In some cases, you cannot even tell that the dress was made by a machine.

When to Choose a Hand-Stitched Dress

It’s often a good idea to choose a hand-stitched dress if you are between two sizes. Wedding dresses usually run small, which can make finding the size you need a chore. You may find that you’re right in between two different sizes. While one is big enough that it hangs off your skin, the smaller size may feel much too tight. Hand-stitched dresses allow you to work directly with a designer and get a dress that fits you and no one else.

Women also choose hand-stitched dresses when they want embellishments that machines cannot create. While machines can do a lot of things, they still struggle with delicate materials like lace and chiffon. Chiffon is so light that it can rip when ran through the machine too quickly. Hand-stitched dresses are also suitable for women who want to add their own flare. You can use a needle and thread or a sewing machine to stitch your mom’s pearls to the neckline or if you want to add a pocket for a special memento. Keep in mind that you need to plan ahead of time for one of these designer wedding dresses. It can take months and up to a year or longer for the designer to craft the dress.

When to Choose a Machine-Stitched Dress

Many brides looking for the perfect designer wedding dress choose machine-stitched dresses because they want to save money. When you watch bridal shows on TV, you’ll see women who can afford to spend $5,000 to $10,000 or more on a dress that they will only wear for one day. Machine-stitched dresses come in a range of price points. While you might find dresses that cost this much, you’ll also find some that are more affordable.

Buying a machine-stitched dress is also the best option if you have limited time. You may not want to wait a year or longer to marry your special someone. The machine-stitched wedding dresses Columbus boutiques offer are either in stock or available for shipping. You can buy one off the rack or pay for one that should arrive within a few weeks. If the dress doesn’t fit the way you want it to fit, you can pay for alterations too. A seamstress can turn a machine-stitched dress into the wedding dress you always dreamed of wearing on your wedding day.

Navigate the World of Designer Wedding Dresses

Navigating through the world of designer wedding dresses can seem like an almost impossible task. You might spend several hours or longer in one boutique and then visit a few more. When you find the right dress, you’ll know it and feel it. That dress will make you feel the way you always wanted to feel and leave you eager to know what your spouse will think. Wedding dress Columbus Ohio boutiques offer both hand-stitched and machine-stitched dresses. While machine-stitched dresses are often cheaper and come in different designs, they only come in limited sizes. Hand-stitched dresses cost more but allow you to choose a custom dress. Brides can choose a designer wedding dress of either type to feel special on their big days.