What does it mean to have a custom wedding gown? Well here at The Castle, sometimes our brides narrow down their favorite dresses to two or three, and just can't decide between them. There is something about each dress that they love, and that's when I'll step in to see if there is a way to incorporate all of those favorite elements into a one-of-a-kind dress for our bride. Sometimes it's as simple as creating a custom back, or sleeve, or cape. Or perhaps choosing a particular shade of silk in blue or sage or blush...that's the beauty of choosing your wedding dress with us - we make each gown to order right here in our Los Angeles Atelier. Creating unique, one of a kind wedding looks is honestly, my favorite thing to do. And don't forget about the finishing touches of a dramatic veil and delicate hairpieces and jewelry. I literally search the world for the most unique and irresistible pieces to compliment your dress, and design custom pieces in-house as well. When a bride trusts me to make her dress-dreams a reality, I can't help but feel inspired. It's been a busy year, and here's just a peek at some of the things we've been creating in the atelier. Photo: Papillon | Jen HuangPhoto: April | Steve Torres I'm kind of known for my lace butterflies. I first created Papillon, back in 2013 as part of the Still Life Collection. We hand-tint these beautiful Guipure lace butterflies in soft pastels and muted tones, then hand stitch them to illusion tulle and place them just-so among climbing florals. Although this gown is no longer part of the collection, it can still be special ordered, and we recently had a bride fly in to see it. But when she tried on our April Gown, another blush floral dream, she was torn. So I suggested we make her a custom April gown with the Papillon back and that was it! Plus a dreamy custom veil with a few butterflies sprinkled in to keep the others company, and then you know what? How about some Swarovski crystals to make those gossamer wings truly shimmer? What a dream! She gets married this month, and I can't wait to see this gorgeous bride's photos, and then I'll tell you the whole story...and show you the custom shoes we created as well! Photo: Chrysalis | Michael & CarinaPhoto: Desert Rose | Jeremy Chou More recently, I created the Chrysalis gown as part of The Evolution Collection . Another butterfly beauty, this time with some sparkling fairy dust and French blue embroidery. I have a bride who adored both Desert Rose and Chrysalis, so I designed a combination of those two dresses...here's just a little hint...she is a real-life Fairy Queen, and I can't wait to share her wedding. The butterfly holds so much symbolism; the idea of transformation, metamorphosis and re-birth. It always feels like a good omen when I see one fluttering about our garden, and if one happens to land on you, doesn't it feel like a gift from nature? These little beauties hold great significance for my brides as well, and incorporating them into a wedding dress can bring another dimension of powerful symbolism into the day. Of course it wouldn't be a garden without flowers, and they are a recurring motif in my collection and a constant source of inspiration. Finding ways to adorn our brides in blossoms keeps our team busy with the exquisite artistry of embroidery and applique. Our Enchanted Rose Cape is the ultimate statement piece - especially if garden wedding romanticism is your vibe. These pieces are created all by hand, and since each one is a work of art, I'm always happy to customize this design either as a veil or cape, and with an unlimited assortment of flower choices. We had one beautiful bride who wanted all pink and blush blossoms, another in ivory to go with her Pearle gown, and we just finished an Ophelia version that is EPIC with petals of blue, mint, lavender and blush. Of course, silk white with some silver sparkle is always a beautiful choice too. We have so many gorgeous 2022 brides still to share, it's going to be hard to keep up, but stay tuned!
Photo: Papillon | Jen HuangPhoto: April | Steve Torres
I'm kind of known for my lace butterflies. I first created Papillon, back in 2013 as part of the Still Life Collection. We hand-tint these beautiful Guipure lace butterflies in soft pastels and muted tones, then hand stitch them to illusion tulle and place them just-so among climbing florals. Although this gown is no longer part of the collection, it can still be special ordered, and we recently had a bride fly in to see it. But when she tried on our April Gown, another blush floral dream, she was torn. So I suggested we make her a custom April gown with the Papillon back and that was it! Plus a dreamy custom veil with a few butterflies sprinkled in to keep the others company, and then you know what? How about some Swarovski crystals to make those gossamer wings truly shimmer? What a dream! She gets married this month, and I can't wait to see this gorgeous bride's photos, and then I'll tell you the whole story...and show you the custom shoes we created as well!
Photo: Chrysalis | Michael & CarinaPhoto: Desert Rose | Jeremy Chou
More recently, I created the Chrysalis gown as part of The Evolution Collection . Another butterfly beauty, this time with some sparkling fairy dust and French blue embroidery. I have a bride who adored both Desert Rose and Chrysalis, so I designed a combination of those two dresses...here's just a little hint...she is a real-life Fairy Queen, and I can't wait to share her wedding. The butterfly holds so much symbolism; the idea of transformation, metamorphosis and re-birth. It always feels like a good omen when I see one fluttering about our garden, and if one happens to land on you, doesn't it feel like a gift from nature? These little beauties hold great significance for my brides as well, and incorporating them into a wedding dress can bring another dimension of powerful symbolism into the day. 
Of course it wouldn't be a garden without flowers, and they are a recurring motif in my collection and a constant source of inspiration. Finding ways to adorn our brides in blossoms keeps our team busy with the exquisite artistry of embroidery and applique. Our Enchanted Rose Cape is the ultimate statement piece - especially if garden wedding romanticism is your vibe. These pieces are created all by hand, and since each one is a work of art, I'm always happy to customize this design either as a veil or cape, and with an unlimited assortment of flower choices. We had one beautiful bride who wanted all pink and blush blossoms, another in ivory to go with her Pearle gown, and we just finished an Ophelia version that is EPIC with petals of blue, mint, lavender and blush. Of course, silk white with some silver sparkle is always a beautiful choice too. We have so many gorgeous 2022 brides still to share, it's going to be hard to keep up, but stay tuned!
