Lace for your beautiful wedding dress
Wearing a lace dress on your wedding day will make you feel like you have stepped out of a fairy tale. But the real reason that lace has stood the test of time is that it is flattering, fabulous and looks beautiful for any wedding style.
Until the middle of the 19th century lace was totally made by hand, a very labour intensive process, making it very expensive and exclusive. Today almost all lace is made by machine making it affordable, however there is something unique and special about handmade lace especially for your wedding dress.
Lace comes in a wide range of qualities, weights, patterns, colours and price range. It is an all time favourite of brides but how do you choose the right lace for your wedding dress. When a bride comes to see me for a consultation to have a lace wedding dress made, I always discuss the theme of the wedding and her design preferences. But then I also explain about the wide range of lace options and discuss budget – a handmade lace could cost anything from £100 to £1,000 per metre.
Claire came to see me when she was looking for her dream wedding dress. She liked the idea of a 1950’s style wedding dress with a lace bodice and sleeves. She chose a beautiful handmade Chantilly lace that was mounted on the bodice of her duchess satin dress. The lace sleeves were left unlined to show off the delicate beauty of the lace. If you like the idea of using handmade lace in your wedding dress but need to stick to a budget this is a beautifully flattering option.
There are as many different laces as brides who wear it. Here’s how to recognise 5 of the most popular wedding dress lace fabrics:
1. Chantilly lace – a fine net or mesh with a delicate floral design edged with silk thread. It has a border with a scalloped frayed edge.
2. Alencon or French embroidered lace – a net background with raised motifs embellished with small beads and cord. Authentic Alencon is hand made in France, it is distinguishable from imitations because it is only 36” wide and has a frayed edge. It is very expensive and popular with brides. Factory made versions are 60” wide and more affordable.
3. Venetian lace or Guipure lace – a fine lace with a heavy raised floral or geometric design. It does not have a net or mesh background, the motifs are held together by silk threads. It is very expensive but a wide range of cheaper machine made versions are available.
4. Crocheted lace – Irish crocheted lace is still made by hand. It mimics the more expensive Venetian lace, it is delicate, elegant and beautiful.
5. Embroidered lace – is embroidered on a base, usually woven or knotted net. This can be hand or machine made and is often embellished with beads and sequin.
If you are considering a lace wedding dress and would like some advice you are welcome to email me [email protected]
Leave A Comment