Just For You

Have you ever dreamed of a bridal gown created just for you? Two local dress designers are catering to that market by offering custom gowns that begin with a simple sketch.

 

Shannon Gale of Grand Rapids, Michigan’s Vue Design and Sally Stauffer of Bridal Design of Warsaw, Indiana, began imagining and making their own fashion designs as children and are now in the business of creating one-of-a-kind bridal dresses that go way beyond the “wow” factor. 

 

 

 

 

Grand Rapids is the home to bridal gown designer Shannon Gale, whose custom dresses are both stunning and imaginative.  She’s had a needle and thread in her hand since she was a little girl and is passionate about providing brides with a couture look at an affordable price point. 

 

From the first tea party design meeting in her studio in Grand Rapids (or at other locations convenient for the bride) her goal is to create a dress that fits the bride’s body type and personality. For instance, if a bride has her heart set on having freedom of movement she will create something that allows her to dance the night away without feeling heavy or weighed down.

 

She loves to blend styles and time periods and might combine a 50s bodice with a Victorian skirt. Her obsession with fabrics and cuts is evident in her collection. 

 

Shannon describes the wedding process as a “journey” and loves being a part of the process of creating the dress that will start a couple’s life together. 

 

She not only designs gowns, but perfects veils, headpieces, shawls, clutches and jackets. Her “Pink Petal” dress was featured in Pacific Weddings magazine.

 

Designing for the past 25 years, Shannon’s style has been described as “sophisticated, simple and elegant.”

 

For more information, visit vuedesign.net

Sally Stauffer’s Barbie doll had an amazing wardrobe – and it wasn’t purchased at a toy store. Even at age nine, she always knew what she wanted to do. 

 

She argues that the wedding dress should fit as perfectly as the match made with a future partner. That requires a collaboration that might start as something imagined by the bride or a fact-finding mission to discover the dress that is just right.

 

Sally is an honors graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles and returned to her hometown of Warsaw to follow her passion. 

 

She makes a fit sample to ensure the silhouette is ideal and then moves on to finding the perfect fabric for her work of art. Under normal circumstances, this process takes about six months, but it can be done more quickly if needed.

 

“Infinite selections and limitless options” is how she describes the creative process for the bride who wants something different than anyone else as she walks down the aisle into a brand new life. 

 

For more information, visit sallystauffer.com