Going Bespoke with Sanyukta Shrestha: How to make the perfect wedding dress when a pre-designed one isn’t an option

sanyukta

Happy Sunday everyone, may the weekend be looking after you finely and leaving you feeling relaxed and wonderful. As more and more brides are coming aware of the provenance and ethics involved in the creation of their bridal gown, it makes me feel proud that we have been supporting a designer for several years now, for whom such matters are at the heart of everything she does.

Not one to jump on the sustainable bandwaggon, but have been leading it from the very inception of her brand, Nepalese born and now London based designer, Sanyukta Shrestha, takes great pride in producing eco fashion for brides looking for a more environmentally kind option when it comes to their wedding dress.

One of Sanyukta’s biggest strengths is her bespoke design service – that is, a dress that is created from scratch, based on everything you are looking for in a gown and after consultation with the designer herself.

“Many brides spent weeks and months even, constantly searching for their dream dress, trying on different gowns and finding that they love certain aspects of them but still don’t feel 100% in saying ‘yes to the dress’.  They often wish they could pick out elements of a number of different gowns and put them into one. Whenever this is the case, we always recommend the beauty and efficiency of a bespoke design service.”

10 Go bespoke with eco bridal fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha

Sarah + Connor by Doreen Kilfeather

Bespoke makes your dress so much more personal

If you are struggling trying to find the dress or you like too many dresses and cannot decide on one, bespoke can help you mix and match your ideas. A bespoke session in many ways can be like a therapy session that can help you find your ‘inner bride’. Honestly, we completely understand how baffling and overwhelming it can be for the newcomer to the world of bridal fashion – where do you even start?

A designer who offers a bespoke service can pinpoint certain things you love from anything – be it Instagram, Pinterest, movies or even a much loved grandma’s headpiece that you want to make sure ties in with your wedding dress, somehow. An experienced designer will pull together elements from all of your inspirations and help nurture and create the perfect dress.

Thanks to Sanyukta’s creative vision, I’ve had a bespoke dress designed and made and I couldn’t be happier with the result. I never thought I would go for a bespoke wedding dress but the beautiful organic fabrics which they use and attention to detail they apply at every stage of your design and fitting has completely changed my mind.  (Lucy, real bride)

You don’t need to worry about articulating your ideas either – a skilled designer will have a conversation with you in a relaxed environment and will be able to identify and pull your personal inspirations from that conversation, often without you even realising it.

11 Go bespoke with eco bridal fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha

Who, what and where?

Who, what and where – these three elements can help us and you determine your bespoke style. A wedding day is very much like a theatre production and similar to the way a planner would approach the planning of a wedding, we also need to know the all important factors of WHO, WHAT and WHERE.

Who will be there?

What is the role the bride wants to take? Bohemian and free spirited beauty or modern, chic city bride?

Where will the wedding take place, what kind of scene will be set?

Having a basic understanding of these three important elements will help us correlate everything together and start creating the perfect gown for your day.

18 Go bespoke with eco bridal fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha

Ruth + Nick by Tori Hancock

Size doesn’t matter

Catering to individual body types is what a bespoke specialist lives for as they will know how to enhance your figure given any size and shape and then tailor a gown perfectly to your every need. If your upper body measures differently from your lower half, if you have a large or small bust, if your waist is plus size or petite – none of this makes any any difference.

Sanyukta immediately honed in on my concerns, my style and my (very vaguely described) ideal dress and within minutes was coming up with ideas for a bespoke gown that would completely flatter me.  (Telisha, real bride)

The regular size classification does not exist here, you are your own size and it is our passion to create a gown that fits you perfectly and that makes you feel confident and wonderful.

6 Go bespoke with eco bridal fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha

Francesca + Michael by Photography 34
See full wedding here on Love My Dress

Bespoke Eco Design

One of the many benefits of choosing a bespoke design wedding dress, is being able to have this transparency with how the dress is made and what it’s made with. Choosing from a variant of different materials and how they are sourced can mean a lot at this present time.  The amount of waste that can be produced from one wedding dress alone can be colossal and honestly, how many of you can say for sure that you know where and how a wedding dress is made?

Bespoke design is all planned and measures in precise detail so there will be less waste of material. Furthermore, this gives you an opportunity of being able to have the luxury of organic fabrics which benefits the environment as well as your skin. Organic silks are softer and kinder to your skin and this is fact.

19 Go bespoke with eco bridal fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha

Bespoke dress means bespoke price

When having a bespoke design there are so many concerns about the price being sky high – when in reality, you can create your perfect dress so effortlessly within your budget. When you work closely with a designer to resourcefully choose how much material and detail you require on your gown, then you can determine the cost of your gown along the way. You can make it as low or high as you like – the options are endless and all entirely yours.

In this day and age, it is extremely hard to find a bridal gown that has all four of the qualities listed below

  • Luxury
  • Affordability
  • Ethically-made
  • Bespoke

When it comes to the word luxury, you don’t often automatically associate the words ‘organic’ or ‘ethical’ and the term ‘ bespoke’ is often equated with a very expensive choice. However, Sanyukta Shrestha, she combines each of these elements into an affordable design. It is also an added bonus with Sanyukta Shrestha gown knowing that your bridal gown comes with a complete guilt free purchase.

Sanyukta concentrates on comfort and breathability for her clients on their special day by using a selection of ethically made, fair trade and luxurious organic fabrics hand loomed by very skilled women in Nepalese villages. Sanyukta uses hemp and bamboo silk almost exclusively – avoiding cheaper and lesser quality synthetic fibres.

7 Go bespoke with eco bridal fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha

Sanyukta creates a tranquil atmosphere for all her brides. Her bespoke service is a highly personal one. Appointments are usually held at Sanyukta’s Behuli boutique and the shop will be closed to any other appointments whilst a bespoke appointment takes place. This designer wants to empower her brides and take care of them throughout their wedding dress journeys, making sure their every need and desire is met.

Sanyukta created the luxurious golden dress you see below for one of her bespoke brides. Sanyukta personally visited Nepal and worked with embroiders and artisans to create this master piece which took many hours of dedicated hand-crafted work. The gown is a real example of true craftsmanship and has used 3000 stone works and more than 10 thousand beads, all crafted by hand. It is great example of bespoke, luxury, fair-trade craftmanship, combining ethical fabrics to create the ultimate dream dress for one lucky bride.

25 Go bespoke with eco bridal fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha

Testimonials from real Sanyukta Shrestha brides

“Sanyukta’s discreet presence was both encouraging and inspiring. The materials she uses are soft and delicate beyond imagination, their eco-origins a tonic to our consumerist world, and she was wholly receptive to me having one of her designs in a colour that nobody had had before: a kind of art-deco pink, which did something magic to my complexion. Her service and attention to detail are exemplary and I have received endless accolades about the rarity and beauty of the dress (expertly fitted like a glove by Gina.”- Rowan, Real Bespoke bride

“Sanyukta is an extremely talented designer! I had a great time designing my dress with Sanyukta. Since I wanted a slightly unique, ethnic-looking dress, she spent a lot of time understanding exactly what I was looking for and worked with me to the design the dress. The dress not only looked beautiful, but it was also so easy and light to wear. It was very comfortable – I wore it for 12 hours, through the reception dinner and the party afterwards and danced in it a lot. Sanyukta was able to make the dress in less than 6 months, with very few fitting sessions. Sanyukta is fantastic to work with, and I highly recommend her!”- Parvathi – Real Bespoke Bride

16 Go bespoke with eco bridal fashion designer Sanyukta Shrestha

It has been a joy having my wedding dress made through Behuli by Sanyukta Shrestha. From the moment I met Sanyukta, she has provided me with expert advice and support in finding the wedding dress of my dreams. Thanks to Sanyukta’s creative vision, I’ve had a bespoke dress designed and made and I couldn’t be happier with the result. I never thought I would go for a bespoke wedding dress but the beautiful organic fabrics which they use and attention to detail they apply at every stage of your design and fitting has completely changed my mind. If you want to wear a dress that is ethically sourced, designed with a conscience and unique to you, I highly recommend you pay this lovely boutique a visit!” – Lucy – Real Bespoke bride

I knew Sanyukta was the designer for me within 5 minutes of meeting her. I have a difficult body shape to fit and was panicking about finding something in my style that would actually fit me, within the short timeframe we had before the wedding (5 months!). Sanyukta immediately honed in on my concerns, my style and my (very vaguely described) ideal dress and within minutes was coming up with ideas for a bespoke gown that would completely flatter me. The fabrics she works with are unlike anything I’ve anything I’ve ever felt before, and the fact they are fair-trade and eco-friendly was really a cherry on top. On the day, I felt so incredibly glamorous yet so comfortable (!!) and I felt so lucky to be wearing a dress which I not only loved, but that also supported a wider cause.” – Telisha  – Real Bespoke bride

Images of Victoria in a couture gold dress, by David Christopher Photography

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If you would like to visit Sanyukta and talk about your own bespoke design, Sanyukta and her team would love to hear from you. You will find a very warm and comfortable welcome at the London Behuli boutique, which is located in Fulham, SW6 1QR. Please email [email protected] for details.

We are very proud to recommend Sanyukta through our Little Book For Weddings. You will find our real brides wearing Sanyukta’s gowns here on Love My Dress.

 

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

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