Weddingbee Blog

It seems I am not alone in my aversion to bridal dress shopping. So many of you shared the same apprehension with me. But it wasn’t just the in person shopping that had me glum. After looking at countless magazines and online wedding dress galleries I wasn’t feeling any inspiration—in fact, I was feeling the opposite. I could rattle of long lists of things I didn’t want. No lace, no beads, no ruffles, no poof, no train, no bustle… ughhh. It’s hard to start designing a wedding dress from a list of negatives.

Thank goodness for Olivia Luca. This Portland OR based designer at least got my Pretzel brain thinking about wedding dresses. In brief, you select the bodice, skirt style, accents, fabrics and colors. The dress is made to a standard (i.e. not bridal) size. The fabrics are all natural fibers; most are sustainable and eco-friendly. I personally love Dupioni silk. Plus, the website is a blast.

Open the Design Studio at Oliva Luca to begin.

Your model starts in a slip. I like this so much better than standing half naked in a dressing room. *grin*

Select your bodice style. There are a ton of variations to pick from.

Select a skirt length and shape. Much to my delight there are options with and without a train.

You can add detailing like a sash or bow. Personally I am a fan of the wide shirred sash.

Select your fabric, color and size and the computer crunches the numbers and displays your creation. Much to my delight my love of Dupioni Silk and my dislike of a train puts this creation at less than $600. I spent hours playing on this site, creating dress after dress and actually found myself enjoying the process.

I could see myself in one of these modern, clean-lined dresses. No-fuss and simple—I liked the idea. Did I get excited about any of the designs that I made? Not really. Did I think I had found a solution to my lack of enthusiasm about a wedding dress? For the time being…

*All images from Olivia Luca

Did you have a list of things you “didn’t want” going into dress shopping? What did you end up with? If you had your dress made, did you go in with a vision or build it piece by piece?