Wedding Dress Sewing Patterns

DIY Wedding: 12 wedding dress sewing patterns to be the bride you want to be

Take domestic handicraft to another level. Don’t limit yourself to sewing everyday clothing and accessories…Let your creativity and style accompany you down the aisle thanks to the bridal sewing patterns listed in this article!

Your wedding dress should always tell your story, what brought you to that moment of happiness. 

Sometimes it’s difficult to express this in words to someone else, like a designer, a hairdresser, and so on.

Not everyone can fully understand what you really mean and desire, and, perhaps, some of you reading cannot afford a custom-made wedding dress so you were thinking of going to a bridal shop, picking a dress and that’s the end of it.

Image source: Glamour

Why don’t you think of an alternative that might seem scary but could actually make you proud, happy, and express the real bride inside you?

Creating a wedding dress yourself could be a true adventure and…fun! You get to decide the model, the fabric, the embellishments without worrying about changing everything again if you don’t like the result.

Plus, if you don’t have clear ideas, the process of making it yourself will help you test ideas, change your mind, see what works and what not, etc. until you will reach the best option that works for you.

If you aren’t convinced yet, take a look at this table comparing different ways to source wedding dresses based on information from Hitched:

Source	Average Cost per Wedding Dress
Bridal Boutiques	£900 – £3,000 OR 1050€ – 3500€€
Designer/Haute Couture	£1,600+ OR 1870€+
Vintage	£300+ OR 350€+
High Street	£50 – £1,000 OR 60€ – 1170€
Charity Shop/2nd Hand	£50 – £100 OR 60€ – 120€
Rental	£50 – £200+ OR 60€ – 240€+
Additional costs: Bridal shops appointment Alterations	£25 – £75 OR 30€ – 88€ £60 – £200 OR 70€ – 240€

If you decide to DIY your wedding gown, you will be in total control of how much you spend, where to save, and where to go wild!

The big pro is that you will be sure to cut off the costs of appointments and alterations as the maker it’s you!

Getting Started

Even if it’s quite difficult, try to take this project with calm, as you would with any other.

First of all, read our guides to learn to sew and how to sew to refresh some tips and tricks and get started.

Get some preliminary inspiration ideas from our articles on dress sewing patterns and skirt sewing patterns to see some models you might use later. 

If you are into retro styles, also check vintage sewing patterns.

If you consider yourself plus size, then you might enjoy our article on plus size sewing patterns as well!

There are just a few wedding dress patterns that are completely free of charge, you will find a good selection of them here.

You can find many Butterick wedding dress sewing patterns and analogous publishing companies selling their beautiful patterns online, even vintage ones! 

However, if you don’t want to spend on the pattern for your wedding dress, read our tips to save money with style!

Options to make a DIY wedding dress

1. 1. Use one of the free bridal gown patterns to sew for a full wedding dress or formal skirts and bodices from this article
   2. Merge tops and bottoms from different patterns (check our list right below)
   3. Use the pattern of any other dress and dress it up into your bride gown
   4. Trace the structure of a dress you already have and recreating it with other fabrics
   5. Draft a pattern yourself (check our guide how to make sewing patterns)
   6. Drape a pattern yourself (create an accurate mannequin with your body form by wearing a cheap t-shirt dress and wrapping yourself in tape)
   7. Thrift-flip a second-hand wedding dress
   8. Knit or crochet your wedding dress

Image source: Charisse Kenion on Unsplash

You don’t even need wedding-specific content to get inspiration! Check also our articles on:

• • sewing patterns
  • free sewing patterns
  • sewing patterns for beginners

Whatever option you choose, always remember to mark your creations with your signature! SuperLabelStore helps you design and make custom woven labels.  

Image source: SuperLabelStore

Single Dresses

Let’s start our selection of free patterns for wedding wear with full gowns! For separate tops and bottoms read on.

Wedding Dress by Modern Sewing Patterns

Modern Sewing Patterns offers the pattern for this classic style of wedding dress, model n. 5529.

It has a gored skirt and an off-shoulder neckline. The simplicity of the pattern makes it easy to embellish it in many ways with appliques, lace, beads, flowers, and so on.

Instructions are included as well.

Image source: Modern Sewing Patterns 

V-neck and high-waist dress by Modern Sewing

Forget those structured corset wedding gowns with huge skirts and hoop skirts that just make you want to leave your wedding party.

The solution to this problem is opting for this v-neck and high-waist dress by Modern Sewing which will make you feel free as air! 

If boho wedding dress sewing patterns are your cup of tea, then you will love it!

The flowing, loose ankle-length skirt is perfect to show off all the boho patterns textiles you collected during your travels!

On the website, you can find instructions for sewing it too.

Image source: Modern Sewing Patterns

Boho Kimono Dress by So Sew Easy

One more style from the bohemian wedding dress sewing patterns is this boho kimono dress by So Sew Easy. 

It’s a pattern-free project because you only need to cut straight lines into the fabric, just like with kimonos or boxy blouses!

You can extend the length of the dress as much as you want. It has a high waistline, similar to an Empire waist, and it can be tightened with a drawstring.

Image source: So Sew Easy

The Todea Dress by Mood Sewciety

For a fit and flare style, check out this open-back dress by Mood Sewciety inspired by designer wedding dress sewing patterns.

It is a pattern that invites the use of any fabric you may think of: velour, satin, or jersey…it’s your call.

You also make the strings to tighten the dress on the back for a sexy detail!

Image source: Mood Fabrics

The Bridgerton Dress by Mood Sewciety

Another fantastic free pattern by Mood Sewciety is this Bridgerton-inspired gown!

It borrows some elements from the fashionable gowns of the Regency era. These are the Empire-waistline, puffy sleeves, and a long flowing skirt.

The picture you see it’s a tweaked bridal version of the original pattern which is shorter and has a double puff on the sleeve. This shows you how you can modify any style of dress to make it look more wedding-like.

Image source: Mood Sewciety

This could also fall into the category of bridesmaid dress sewing patterns if the bride’s gown is more structured.

Little Bias Dress by Vera Venus

Another treat for the lovers of fashion historical styles is this bias dress that reminds us of 1930 and the gowns created by Madeleine Vionnet. Check Vera Venus’s website for more vintage style patterns!

The size is only 10/12 (Uk sizing) or 8/10 (US sizing) but you can grade it to fit your measurements. The skill level is intermediate. 

You will find two different pdf files. One is the pattern and the other has written instructions.

Image source: Vera Venus

The pattern has two versions, a longer one and a shorter one. The longest is called Nightgown but with a fine fabric it is a perfect wedding dress. Don’t you agree?

Do you know what bias means? It’s a dress whose fabric has been cut not following the straight lines of its warp and the weft but turning it at 45 degrees to get some stretch.

Crochet Wedding Dress by Craft Craft

Are you into crocheting rather than sewing? For sure, the process is less tortuous and you need less space…You could even crochet your wedding dress on your way to work or while watching TV!

You will have a beautiful result anyway, even without a complex construction! Just look at this beautiful crocheted bridal gown!

Image source: Craft Craft

Craft Craft gives you the visual patterns for the crochet stitches of this beautiful dress.

Separates

Let’s continue our selection of bridal wear with separate tops and bottoms to match! 

This is a good option if you are thinking of using your wedding outfit again and again because you can dress them down with more ease than with a full gown.

Cathrin Corset by Free Sewing

The first item on the list is this corset by Free Sewing which is a good option if you like strapless wedding dress patterns to sew. 

Originally, the corset was a type of underwear to wear under a bustle but nowadays it is used as a definite and quite noticeable element of a gown. Sometimes sheer fabric and trimmings are used to show and emphasize its boning.

It has a fantasy or nostalgic vibe for its boned structure which you can interpret with your favourite textiles. 

If you don’t know how to construct a boned corset you can follow the instructions on Free Sewing or follow the tutorials it recommends.

Image source: Free Sewing

Sweetheart bodice

To draft sweetheart neckline wedding dress sewing patterns because you want that kind of cleavage on your bodice (be it a separate or on a full dress), you can follow this tutorial by Brunaticality.

The Iris Skirt by Mood Sewciety

This dramatic high-low skirt will amaze all your wedding guests! 

You can personalize the skirt in many ways. You can have a long train or a more contrasting asymmetry between front and back, and you can even insert pockets, a comfy and cool detail!

Image source: Mood Sewciety

You can pair it with a shirt, a bodysuit, or a corset-like bodice.

To download the free pattern of this skirt, register at Mood Sewciety.

The Davallia Bodysuit Redux by Mood Sewciety

So many fashionable patterns by Mood Sewciety! This website is a true go-to resource if you like homemade sewing.

The Davallia Bodysuit would add drama to any wedding outfit you will choose thanks to its leg o’ mutton sleeves!

This pattern lends itself to so many interpretations. As you can see, the example they show is quite dark and rock but you can always opt for a more romantic look with a lacey fabric or an ethereal look with sheer tulle.

Image source: Mood Sewciety

Mood Sewciety also suggested adding some appliques to the neckline seam to enrich this already luscious bodysuit.

DIY Easy Wide Leg Trousers by Collective Gen

If you are not a skirt person and you would like to walk to the altar clad in flowing trousers then the palazzo pants are for you! 

Why should you give up comfort if it can be as elegant as anything else?

Image source: Collective Gen

Collective Gen shows you how to make these palazzo pants from scratch. You can make them in a white fabric similar to the one in the picture and you have ready the bottoms for your wedding! 

You will be bound to use these versatile trousers again in the future and if you get tired of the colour…well, white is the perfect base for clothes to be dyed! 

The first step is tracing wide-leg trousers like pajama pants. You can widen the legs as much as you like them to be! The wider, the more dramatic.

Here’s the end of the list!

Remember to take care of your precious wedding dresses and ensembles! Not only because it is usually made with fine fabrics, but also because it stands for all the time, energy, and patience you gave to the project. 

SuperLabelStore helps you never forget the maintenance instructions of your dresses thanks to the custom care labels you can design on the website! 

If you own a business, you are an independent designer and sewer then consider adding custom hang tags to your creations!

Image source: SuperLabelStore Facebook page