Real Bride Jade: A Custom Black Wedding Dress with Romantic 3D Floral Lace
An unconventional wedding dress doesn't have to sacrifice romance or intricate detail. For our bride Jade, the vision was a dramatic black wedding gown with delicate floral lace, a flowing A-line silhouette and details that felt entirely her own.
When Jade approached Envious Bridal & Formal, she already knew that a traditional white wedding dress wasn't what she wanted.
Instead, she had her heart set on a black wedding gown. Finding the right design, however, wasn't as straightforward as walking into a bridal boutique and selecting a dress from the rack.
Her journey eventually led to a custom-made wedding dress featuring dimensional black floral lace, a softly layered tulle skirt and a romantic silhouette that brought her original inspiration to life.
How It Started: Jade's Search for a Black Wedding Dress
We first met Jade at the Perth Wedding Expo in October 2021, where she stopped at our display and took an interest in our Lilura wedding gown.
She loved the design and asked whether it could be made in black.
Although her wedding wasn't until March 2023, Jade was already exploring the possibilities for a wedding dress that reflected her personal style.
Several months later, in March 2022, she contacted us again. This time, she had discovered a black wedding dress online that closely matched the design she had been imagining.
Rather than continuing to search for an existing gown, Jade decided to explore having the design custom-made.
The Inspiration Behind Jade's Black Wedding Dress
Jade's inspiration (found her inspo image online) n was a romantic black gown that combined intricate lace with a dramatic, flowing silhouette.
She wanted her custom wedding dress to closely follow the design she had found, including its delicate neckline, floral details and full skirt.
The aim was to create a gown that felt dramatic through its colour and silhouette, while retaining the softness and detail of a traditional romantic wedding dress.
Designing Jade's Custom Black Lace Wedding Dress
Jade's gown combined several distinctive design elements:
- A sleeveless bodice with an illusion scoop neckline
- A sweetheart neckline beneath the sheer illusion fabric
- Dimensional 3D floral lace appliqués across the bodice
- Floral details extending delicately onto the skirt
- A voluminous A-line silhouette
- A low illusion V-shaped back
- A corset-style back closure
- A sweeping train
The black colour gave the gown a striking appearance, while the floral lace and layers of soft tulle introduced texture, movement and a romantic finish.
It was the combination of these elements, rather than the colour alone, that made Jade's design distinctive.
Choosing the Black Lace and Tulle Fabrics
Fabric selection was an important part of bringing Jade's design to life.
We presented her with several black lace options that could work with her chosen silhouette. Among the possibilities were beaded lace and dimensional 3D floral appliqués.
After considering both, Jade chose the 3D floral lace.
The raised floral details added depth to the bodice, with appliqués extending onto the skirt to connect the fitted upper section with the softer layers below.
The A-line skirt was created using layers of black tulle, giving the gown volume while allowing the fabric to fall and move naturally.
Together, the lace and tulle created a contrast between the intricate bodice and the flowing skirt.
From Inspiration to Production
Creating a custom wedding dress involves translating an inspiration image into a garment with its own pattern, construction and proportions.
For Jade's gown, the process began with a mock-up.
The Wedding Dress Mock-Up
Before cutting the final fabrics, a preliminary version of the gown was created to assess the silhouette, proportions and fit.
This stage allowed the design to be reviewed before proceeding with the final construction.
It was an important step in translating Jade's inspiration into a wearable wedding dress.
Positioning the 3D Floral Lace
Once the mock-up stage was completed, work continued on the final gown.
The floral lace appliqués were selected and arranged across the bodice, back and upper skirt.
Their placement was carefully considered so the floral details could flow naturally from the fitted bodice into the fuller A-line silhouette.
This is one of the details that can make a custom wedding dress feel personal: the opportunity to consider how individual design elements work together rather than simply accepting an existing arrangement.
The Finished Custom Black Wedding Dress
As Jade's gown neared completion, the design she had originally discovered online had become a finished black wedding dress.
The illusion neckline framed the sweetheart bodice, while the dimensional floral lace added texture across the front and back.
Below the waist, layers of soft black tulle created the full A-line skirt and sweeping train.
We photographed the completed gown and shared the final production images with Jade before her first fitting.
After following the gown's progress through photographs, she was finally able to see the finished dress in person.
Jade's First Wedding Dress Fitting
Jade's first fitting was an opportunity to assess how the completed gown sat on her body and identify any final adjustments.
Although the dress fitted relatively well, several alterations were needed to refine its fit and length.
These included shortening the shoulder straps, taking in the bodice at the sides and adjusting the hemline.
Our tailoring team completed the adjustments before Jade returned for her second fitting.
The result was a more refined fit that complemented the gown's structured bodice and flowing silhouette.
Why Final Fittings Matter for Custom Wedding Dresses
A custom-designed gown is developed around an agreed design and measurements, but this does not necessarily mean that no alterations will be required when the completed garment is tried on.
Fabric behaviour, construction, individual fit preferences and the way a dress sits on the body can all influence the final fitting.
For brides considering a custom wedding dress, it is important to understand the expected fitting process, whether alterations are included in the quoted price and what additional costs may apply.
Following the completion of Jade's custom wedding dress in 2022, final alterations were undertaken at an additional cost to refine the fit of her gown.
Jade's Wedding Day
In March 2023, Jade wore her custom black wedding dress for her wedding.
Against the colours of the wedding celebration, the gown's dark silhouette, floral lace and flowing skirt made a striking statement.
But what makes these photographs particularly meaningful is seeing the dress worn on the day it was created for.
From the original inspiration and fabric selection to the completed gown, Jade's design journey had reached its final moment.
Jade's Experience with Envious Bridal
Following her wedding, Jade shared a detailed review of her custom wedding dress experience.
She described how difficult it had been to find a black wedding gown in Australia and how having a dress custom-made allowed her to pursue the design she wanted.
She was pleased with the finished result and shared that her wedding guests had complimented the gown.
Her feedback also highlighted two important considerations for brides planning a custom order: allowing sufficient time for production and understanding the distinction between a custom design and the final alterations that may be needed.
These are valuable questions to discuss before placing an order, so expectations around timelines, fittings and costs are clear from the beginning.
The Bride's Feedback
"If you're looking for a custom made wedding dress, Envious Bridal and Formal won't disappoint! I specifically wanted a black dress for my wedding; and the team at Envious Bridal and Formal made this possible. It was very difficult (if no impossible) to find a store in Australia at the time, that had black wedding gowns on the rack to try on. I searched other alternatives, and considered trying on a white dress I liked and getting this made in black; but I knew the turnaround for a custom dress was quite long and it was hard for me to visualize some of the white dresses in black without a reference photo. So instead, I found a black dress I liked online and Envious Bridal and Formal brought it to life for me. The processing time was lengthy; and ended up taking around 10 months to complete. So if you're considering a custom order, please allow enough time. The Envious Bridal team kept me updated throughout and answered any questions I had; they made the process as easy as possible for me and checked in with me at each stage of completion to make sure I was happy.
The only negative thing I will say (and this is probably my fault for not asking the right questions), but I did have my specific measurements taken for the dress so I did think at the time that getting a custom design made, also meant getting it custom sized to my body. But because I am between 2 sizes, they made it to the larger size so I did have to have alterations still which I didn't really budget for being it was custom made for me. But just something for others to consider when having a custom gown made - please ask if it will also be made to your size at the time; or if alterations will be extra even though it is a custom gown.
Otherwise a reasonably simple experience and I was very happy with the finished result! I got many comments from the wedding guests, everyone loved it!" - Jade Rumsley.
Considering a Custom Black Wedding Dress?
Jade's story shows that choosing a black wedding dress doesn't mean giving up the romantic details traditionally associated with bridal gowns.
From floral lace and sheer necklines to flowing tulle skirts and dramatic trains, a custom design allows you to explore the elements that matter most to you.
At Envious Bridal & Formal in Perth, we work with brides locally and across Australia to create custom wedding dresses inspired by their individual vision.
Whether you're considering a black wedding gown, a coloured design or a traditional ivory dress with personalised details, we'd love to hear what you have in mind.
A note on custom sizing and alterations
At Envious Bridal, custom sizing is now included in the price of your custom-made wedding dress. This means your gown is created using your individual measurements rather than standard ready-to-wear sizing.
Any final alterations required after your gown has been completed are charged separately. These may include adjustments to refine the fit, hem length or other finishing details.