AllyKay Design
Special Occassion Custom Design, & Alterations
The AllyKay
How does one go about designing their own wedding dress? Well, it was a process, but so much fun to see my dress come together every step of the way. I encourage anyone considering "custom" to first go dress shopping for the experience. There is nothing quiet like going shopping and trying on gorgeous gowns with your closest family and friends. After "shopping" I was able to use my favorite try-ons to start the design process. My dress inspiration came from the looks of ballgowns with horsehair skirts because I love all the volume this trim adds to the skirt. I designed a modified sweetheart neckline dress with a pleated bodice, lace straps, dropped back, and full princess skirt with many flowing layers at various heights with horsehair used to build the shape.
Beyond the dress design, we have the veil that I have always dreamed of. This cathedral veil is 5 yards of tulle in length, gathered at the hair clip with a front face veil covering. The end of the veil is cut in the round and the is trimmed from clip on one side, around the whole length and up to the clip on the other side. It is detailed with the letter "H" hand-pieced together with lace pieces.
However, when it came to my dress, I didn't want just any pretty dress, I wanted a dress that could really transform. And that is exactly what was accomplished with my detachable over skirt. During the reception, my husband twirled me around and sent me off to remove the skirt and then it was party time after that with a much easier dress to dance in.
Photos by: Pixels and Prints Imagery
The Jenifher
One of the best parts of designing your own dress is the ability to combine many ideas into one perfect gown and that is exactly what we did for Jenifher's dress. Jeni's vision was to have a ballgown skirt for her ceremony and a fit & flare silhouette for her first look & reception. I love the versatility that this design had to offer. Jeni decided to wear her Fitted Dress with the train out for her "First Look" with Preston. She saved the big skirt for her walk down the aisle which made for a second dress surprise for her Husband that was waiting for her at the alter. The Ballgown overskirt with long train was elegant and perfect for her walk down the aisle to marry her soulmate. It also offered a new "first look" for Preston as he previously only saw the fitted dress on his beautiful bride. Detailed with only a few appliques scattered throughout the train & a stunning scalloped lace hem, this Ballgown really helped Jeni shine as it wasn't overdecorated. The overskirt was fitted to her waist and also held onto the bodice with a few lace pieces that hooked on with clear baby snaps, discretely hidden in the lace.
The low back on Jeni's dress & the perfect fit is what makes her dress a true showstopping piece. Making sure to match her illusion perfectly to her skintone with a seamless neckline & armhole edge, the illusion fabric on her back disappears showing off her amazing figure. I am honored to be the designer to bring to life Jeni's main dress, overskirt, & veil. She was the most beautiful bride.
Photos by: Artega Productions
The Abegail
After purchasing the perfect A-line gown for her big day, my best friend came to me with the design challenge of adding some sort of lace topper that would take this strapless gown to the next level. After discussing many options of sleeves and straps, we decided to go with a cap sleeve that just lightly falls off each shoulder. Abbey’s vision for her dream dress was to have a very see-through fabric that would still show the shape of the main dress beneath but also cover her shoulders and add some interesting details. After collecting a few inspiration images, it was time to source the fabric and lace, which brings us to the most exciting part of the dress re-design!
The bride and her mother thought it would be so special to use the lace from her mother’s wedding gown! Since we were going for a scattered lace look, we did not need too many lace appliques, but just enough to decorate her bodice just right. I was able to keep the majority of her mother’s wedding dress in-tact and only removed the sleeves! I had such a great time with this dress re-design, and how sentimental it is for this gown’s lace to appear on two family wedding dresses! We will have to see if this tradition continues! Make sure to check out the throwback photos from Bill and Ann’s big day on March 23, 1985.
Photos by: JJ Weddings LLC
The Bride's Parents, Bill and Ann, wed on March 23, 1985. Ann's dress was a lovely t-length, all-over-lace gown with typical 80's sleeves. These sleeves had the perfect number of appliques to use for Abbey's dress so we were able to remove her sleeves and repurpose them into Abbey's dream dress.
The Araceli
Araceli got married in November 2022 wearing a stunning structured Ballgown and a one-of-a-kind AllyKay Design Veil! She wanted to switch up the look for her reception and I had the pleasure of designing her custom Reception Dress! Her fitted crepe dress was a surprise for her husband on their wedding day! This stunning crepe dress is fit to her silhouette and decorated with an asymmetric viney lace. The deep sweetheart neckline was achieved with an illusion mesh that extended into a sheer back. As a designer, one of my favorite finishing details to add is buttons down the back of any dress and her illusion back with viney lace was perfectly accented with fabric colored buttons. Her bodice & upper skirt were accented with lace as well as her godet style train! To dance the night away, her godet train had an American style Over Bustle.
Araceli was inspired by my personal cathedral veil and wanted a similar veil as long as could be with beaded trim instead of lace. Her 5 yard long veil sweeps through the Catholic Church and each bead of her trim was hand beaded. Truly a labor of love, this beaded trim veil turned out amazing and perfectly shines with the light!
The Evan
Inspired by a tropical honeymoon get-away, Evan's dress was designed for this adventurous woman. This sexy halter dress is detailed with a cleavage revealing front and a completely open back. The lightweight lace skirt was gathered at the waist and extends to the floor. Evan enjoyed modeling her gown for a solo photoshoot.
Photos by: Sam Stember
The Alex
Alex and Kevin got married in June 2019 and headed on a Hawaiian honeymoon soon after! Alex planned a couples photoshoot on the beach and wanted a custom dress perfect for the occasion. After reviewing some inspiration pictures and discussing must-haves, we designed her thin strap v-neck design with loose flowing skirt, detailed with a slit! I love the addition of the slit in her design as it was perfect for this romantic walk on the beach and even a few silly running photos. The chiffon fabric was the perfect light-weight selection for this style so that the light breeze could catch her dress as it softly flowed. The little detail of a scallop neckline with some beautiful lace finished off the bodice design with just enough detail. Happy Honeymoon to the two of you!
Photos by: The Forwards Photo
