Renaissance Wedding Dresses:
An Interview with designer Kimberly Smith, Owner of Maiden Faire
Interview by Grace Sydney

Brides on a budget can find fairytale wedding gowns that conjure up an ambiance of chivalric love at Maiden Faire, which offers an array of affordable attire for the entire wedding party. Read our interview with Kimberly Smith, the owner of Maiden Faire, then peruse a gallery of her creations to inspire your dreams of a Renaissance wedding!

Theme weddings are becoming increasingly popular. Why do you feel that so many of today's brides are turning to the past for inspiration?

History is full of romance, intrigue, chivalry as well as legends and lore of fantasy and the fantastic. On what is one of the most important days of a woman's life, what better way to create a truly extraordinary memory than to incorporate all that the past can offer to create a wedding that dreams can truly be made of.

What advice can you give to brides in search of a Renaissance gown that will both flatter her figure and capture her own unique spirit?

Fashion is the best thing, next to a good nutrition and a healthy diet, for the figure! Modern design techniques are full of standards for all types of body styles. What many may not realized is that these same pointers can be found in period dress as well. For example, if a full figure or a very thin figure has taken to wearing long jackets as part of their personal, every day dressing program I would suggest that they incorporate a Surcoat into their period Wedding gown. Another benefit of the Surcoat is that the gown can be created with straight hemmed skirts, for dancing while the Surcoat, with a train, can be worn during the ceremony (over the gown) for the more formal look.

Another example of a dress style which I might suggest for some full figure or very thin clients is the ones that have an Empire Style waist line. The Empire waist actually falls directly under the bust so the skirts flow from this point over the lines of the waist and hips. You can see this gown style in the French and Italian designs as well as the more Medieval garments.

For pear shaped figures... in my personal opinion you can't find a better garment than a Renaissance one. In fact, for most since the skirts are so full a hip measure is not even necessary! For women who may be top heavy, the more undergarment piece known as a bumroll was very popular during the late Renaissance and Elizabethan period. By incorporating this into your Wedding choice they can balance out their appearance to be more of an hour glass.

Don't forget, color and trim as well! These are fantastic in using for disguising the figure. For example, again with a pear shape figure, I would suggest using and abundance of trim and lighter colors on the garment top pieces and plainer, more dark fabrics in the skirts.

Now then ... to capture one's own spirit? Again, I don't think anything could be better than Renaissance. For one thing, color is not a factor for a Renaissance bride. They would wear their best gown, regardless of the color. So, a Renaissance Bridal gown does not have to be white or ivory to be in line with the authentic. Of course, those options are most certainly available. However, if you do want a gown of color, simply open your closets and drawers. What color do you so most? We consciously and subconsciously by colors of clothing that we feel we look best in and simply feel best in. These preferred colors are fine with Renaissance Bridal gowns. Additionally, if working with a skilled seamstress, you should be able to have the option of presenting your own sketch, ideas and thoughts which they will use to work with you in designing the gown of your own mind.

What is the most requested gown in your collection? What do you feel is the appeal of this garment?

We truly find that we this actually changes with the season! With the autumn and winter months we see more of the Tudor style gowns being requested. I think it is the romantic fantasy look of the bell sleeves which are currently seeing a revival in today's fun fashions.

In the spring and summer months, a gown which captures the feeling of the one worn by Drew Barrymore in the movie "Ever After" is the most popular (photo, above). The gown I am speaking of is the incredible gown she wore in the Masque Ball scenes. After all, who does not want to look like a princess at their wedding?

While attention is mainly focused on the bride's gown in a traditional ceremony, at a Renaissance-themed wedding the groom's attire is equally as eye-catching. What clothing items do you recommend for grooms who want the style of their garments to harmonize with that of the bride?

With orders from our Brides, about sixty percent of the time we receive orders for their wedding party as well such as the Bride's Maids. About forty percent of the time we receive orders for Bride Groom as well so his attire will match that of his lady's. And about twenty percent of the time we receive orders for the Groom's attendants. The reason for this is so that everyone will coordinate. You should be able to select the use of the same fabric in all garments, in parts of the garments or even just using the same trim to harmonize the group.

Most men, we find, submit orders for the doublet which is in basic terms, a fitted jacket. We see request for the full garment to be made of fabric to match the brides gowns as well as for it to be made in the classic black with front brocade insets of the brides fabrics.

As far as pants, we honestly do not see a lot of order for slops, or the short (puffy) pants. Today's modern man just does not seem to be comfortable in tights either. Therefore, I always suggest either loose or tight fitting black slacks. These will be just fine in my opinion. After all, this is a big day for the Groom as well ... should he not be comfortable as well?

What advice can you give to couples on a budget who wish to incorporate Renaissance elements into their ceremony?

Budget, we find, is always a concern for planning a wedding. After all, there is so much involved with the reception, foods, photographers, etc. We always suggest that one of the fist steps to planning your wedding is to create a budget. Always estimate your finance availability high so you have money left over rather than have to find more to spend. Make sure you set aside a specific amount for your garments and then stick too it. Your seamstress should be able to work with you, your clothing ideas AND your budget. Although wedding gowns do appear to be rather costly, it has to be kept in mind that these garments do incorporate a great deal of fabric, trim and time. The most costly factor in these garments, believe it or not, is the trim. Trim can cost the same if not more than fabrics. The second factor is, of course, the fabric.

Therefore, the first suggestion in cutting the costs on your gown would be to either limit the amount of trims on your gown or to even apply it yourself! Do you have an old prom dress or maybe a relatives gown? Take the trim off this and use it on your gown. This can save you a great deal.

Next, fabrics can cost anywhere from seven a yard up to over a hundred a yard. Therefore, you can easily control your quote by the selection of fabric you use. Again, make sure your seamstress can work with you on this. You should be able to supply your own fabric, too. Some tips? Sure! As I had mentioned before, Renaissance Bridal gowns do not have to be of bridal whites and ivory's. You can truly use any color and any type of fabric. How about using a simple, lest costly twill fabric and then fronting it with brocade? How about shopping around at Wal-Mart (the dollar table) or other budget textile stores and finding your own to send to your seamstress. Yes, I said the Wal-Mart dollar table ... you can actually find some incredible fabric buys here. Last, remember that old prom gown? Or, how about draperies or damask table cloths ... all of these can be used in making your gown and help save a lot of money.

A few notes of caution though, if selecting your own fabric. First, make sure it is a good quality textile. After all, a skilled seamstress can create an incredible gown but if the fabric is substandard, no amount of creative stitchery will fix that. Also, if using something like an old prom dress or vintage draperies and cloths, they should be in good condition and clean. Finally, think twice before having grandma's heirloom bridal gown cut up. Although it may be a good idea at the time, there is no way to replace it after it is gone. So, if using this type of a textile in the creation of your own make certain that this is what you AND your family wants to do.

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photos courtesy Maiden Faire