Create a Wedding That Reflects Your Personal Style

(ARA) - The best, most memorable weddings reflect the
personalities of the couple getting married. To make sure
your wedding isn't a cookie-cutter copy of all the rest, don't
be afraid to infuse the event with your interests, shared
memories and personal style. There is no better way to
personalize and customize your wedding than with the
creative touches that a sewing and embroidery machine
afford.

Reva Lear, a wedding consultant for the past 25 years,
says that the bride and groom have a lot of opportunities to
create a unique experience: the invitations, the location, the
kind of ceremony and reception all say a lot about the
personalities of the couple.

Lear remembers one bride-to-be who enlisted the help of
her friends to produce a meaningful symbol for the
ceremony. Each friend embroidered good wishes for the
couple on a fabric square. The bride then collected all the
squares, sewed them together and made a canopy for the
ceremony that was not only beautiful, but had special
significance for the couple.

Here are some other ways to make sure your personality
shines through on the big day:

The Gown

Every bride wants her dress to be unique and one way to
get exactly what you want is to make it yourself or have
someone make it for you. Often brides-to-be will find a
bodice they like, or a neckline they prefer, but other aspects
of the dress aren't ideal. When you have it made you can
choose the combination of features that are most flattering.

"Today's computerized sewing and embroidery systems
make even a project like a wedding dress much easier
than it used to be," says Gayle Hillert, vice president of
education at Bernina of America, a premiere sewing
machine company. "There are books, Web sites
(www.berninausa.com) and Bernina dealers available that
can provide guidance on such subjects as how to work with
specialty fabrics, laces and embroidery. Bernina accessory
feet make sewing fine fabrics like satins or velvets easy
and there are a variety available like hemming, pintucking
and edgestitching feet that enable one to add couture
elements quickly and successfully."

Jane Michals of Aurora, Ill., wanted to make a dress for her
daughter Lorraine that she would treasure for years and
pass along to her own daughter. The end result, made with
a Vera Wang designer pattern from Vogue, was an elegant
silk gown with spaghetti straps that was perfect for the
warm September evening. She personalized the garment
by embroidering a border on the lining featuring lovebirds,
the names of the bride and groom, the date of the wedding
and the words "united in love."

"I incorporated a design from a Bernina design collection
and made a mirror image so that it would extend all around
the dress," says Michals. "I was able to do a much more
detailed design with the machine than if I had done it by
hand." She also made a matching drawstring purse for the
bride with leftover material from the dress, and a ring
bearer's pillow embroidered with a similar design.

Michals had some help from her Bernina artista 200E
sewing and embroidery system. Microsoft Windows
powered, it allows the user to create their own designs, and
easily edit the designs on screen using the artista 200E's
built-in capabilities.

"A simple touch like using the letters on the Bernina to
stitch the wedding date and names adds value to the dress
and gives it heirloom status," says Hillert. Even if you buy
your dress and veil, there are still ways you can personalize
it. With the right equipment on your sewing machine, you
can add a unique embroidered design to any garment.

"Not only can you embroider a border for the lining, you can
add embellishments to the bodice, skirt or even the train,"
says Hillert. "You don't even have to have a sewing and
embroidery system; our activa line of machines is powerful,
portable and easy to use. The activa 145 has all kinds of
built-in decorative stitches, convenient features and
accessories, which allow for easy embellishing."

Your veil can be customized in lots of ways too. Add
ornamentation such as tiny ribbons, beads and silk flowers
or attach lace edging to a plain veil. The more adventurous
bride may want to decorate with sequins, rhinestones, fur
trim or even feathers.

Favors and Gifts

The favors are an easy way to inject a bit more of your
personality into the day, and when you make them yourself
you can tie them into your own theme. Choose the bride's
favorite color and make drawstring bags to hold wedding
favors such as candied almonds, a heart-shaped wine
bottle stopper or a small scented votive candle.

Sachets made with ribbons and lace in your colors are a
wonderful way to remember your guests. Fill them with
potpourri or dried flowers that match your centerpieces. For
each member of the bridal party, create a personalized gift
by embroidering their initials on linen towels or napkins.

You may want to use some leftover scraps of material or
lace from your dress to cover a journal that will serve as
your guestbook. Continue the theme with your ring bearer's
pillow using leftover fabric embellished with lace, beading,
sequins or embroidery.

"These days it is not uncommon for people to spend
hundreds of thousands of dollars for a wedding," says Lear.
Her best advice: keep it simple, and plan an event that says
something about who you are as a couple.

For more information and project ideas along with tips on
specialized sewing topics like beading and embroidery,
visit www.berninausa.com. Another source of information is
the Web site of the Home Sewing Association at
www.sewing.org. To have your dress professionally made,
visit www.paccprofessionals.com to find a member of the
Professional Association of Custom Clothiers in your area.

Courtesy of ARA Content