Create Your Dream Bridal Look: Custom Canadian Wedding Gowns with Kathryn Bass and Katrina Tuttle

Kind Bridal
Jul 17
5 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Finding the perfect wedding gown is a milestone in every bride’s journey. Typical bridal gown shopping often fall short of capturing a bride’s unique style, fit, and vision. That’s where custom-made wedding gowns shine. In Canada, two exceptional designers, Kathryn Bass Bridal and Katrina Tuttle, craft gowns that blend artistry, sustainability, and personalization. Their approach lets brides design gowns that truly reflect their personality and story, using sustainably sourced fabrics and innovative mix-and-match collections.

Why Choose a Custom Wedding Gown?

A custom wedding gown offers more than just a dress. It provides a personal experience tailored to your style, body, and values. Here are some key benefits:

Unique Design: No two custom gowns are the same. You create a dress that matches your style that no one else will have.
Perfect Fit: Custom gowns are made to your exact measurements, ensuring comfort and confidence.
Personalized Elements: You can choose fabrics, necklines, skirts, and design details that suit your taste.
Sustainable Choices: Working with designers who prioritize sustainable garment creation processes reduces your wedding’s environmental impact.
Collaborative Process: You get to work closely with designers, making adjustments and incorporating your inspirations.

These benefits combine to make your wedding gown a true reflection of you, enhancing your special day with authenticity and elegance.

Meet the Designers: Kathryn Bass and Katrina Tuttle

Kathryn Bass Bridal – Vancouver

Kathryn Bass Bridal is known for size-inclusive patterning, ensuring every bride feels beautiful and comfortable. Based in Vancouver, Kathryn offers a mix-and-match retail collection that allows brides to combine different fabrics, necklines, skirts, and design elements. This flexibility means you can create a gown that fits your vision perfectly.

After your gown is crafted, local Halifax wedding dress alterations specialist Rhiannon Lawrence can help perfect the fit, ensuring your dress feels like it was made just for you—because it was.

Pearle by Katrina Tuttle – Halifax

Katrina Tuttle’s bridal studio in Halifax offers a bespoke experience with in-process alterations. This means you collaborate with Katrina as your gown is being made, allowing for adjustments to design and fit throughout the process. This hands-on approach ensures your gown evolves with your vision and fits flawlessly.

Katrina uses more sustainably sourced fabrics, supporting eco-conscious bridal fashion. Her mix-and-match retail collection also lets brides combine elements from different gowns or bring in outside inspirations to be incorporated into their design. This flexibility helps brides create gowns that are truly one-of-a-kind.

How the Mix-and-Match Collections Work

Both designers offer collections that break the traditional mold of wedding gowns. Instead of choosing a single style, brides can:

Select from a wide range of European-sourced fabrics, including luxurious silks, delicate lace, and flowing chiffon. Each fabric provides distinct textures and fits, enabling brides to choose materials that align with their vision for comfort and elegance on their special day.
Explore an array of necklines, from classic sweetheart and off-the-shoulder to modern high neck and plunging V-neck styles, ensuring they find the perfect neckline that complements their body shape and enhances their overall look.
Discover the ideal skirt silhouette, whether it be a dramatic ball gown, a sleek A-line, or a whimsical mermaid style, allowing brides to select a cut that makes them feel confident and beautiful as they walk down the aisle.
Add unique design elements such as intricate lace sleeves, decorative buttons, removable accents like capes or overskirts, and a variety of accessories including veils. These customizable features allow for a truly personalized gown that reflects the bride's taste and personality.

This creative approach to wedding gown design encourages personalization and self-expression. For example, a bride might love the intricate lace bodice from one gown but prefer the flowing skirt style of another. With the mix-and-match option, these elements can be combined seamlessly, resulting in a one-of-a-kind gown that tells the bride's unique story and makes her feel truly special on her big day.

Bringing Your Inspirations to Life

One of the most exciting parts of working with Kathryn Bass and Katrina Tuttle is the ability to incorporate your own inspirations. Whether you’ve pinned ideas on Pinterest, admired a vintage gown, or want to honour cultural traditions, the designers welcome your input.

This collaboration means your gown will not only fit perfectly but also tell your story. The designers’ expertise helps translate your ideas into wearable art, balancing aesthetics with comfort and practicality.

The Bespoke Experience with Katrina Tuttle

Katrina Tuttle’s in-process alteration service offers a rare opportunity to be involved in the gown’s creation. As the gown takes shape, you meet with Katrina to try on the dress and suggest changes. This ongoing dialogue ensures the final product matches your expectations in both design and fit.

This process is especially valuable for brides who want to tweak details or ensure the gown moves beautifully on the wedding day. It’s a true partnership that results in a gown made just for you.

Size Inclusivity and Perfect Fit with Kathryn Bass

Kathryn Bass Bridal stands out for its commitment to size inclusivity. There is no size limit, and every gown is patterned to flatter your unique shape. This approach helps brides feel confident and radiant, regardless of size.

After the gown is made, Rhiannon Lawrence, a local alterations specialist, works closely with brides to perfect the fit. This final step ensures the gown hugs your body comfortably and looks flawless from every angle.

Sustainable Fabrics and Ethical Craftsmanship

Both designers prioritize sustainability by using fabrics sourced responsibly within Canada. This choice reduces the environmental footprint of your gown and supports local textile producers.

Sustainability in bridal fashion means:

Using more ethically made and sourced fabrics from Europe.
Making each gown to order to size to reduce textile waste.
Supporting local artisans and reducing shipping emissions.

Choosing a custom gown from Kathryn Bass or Katrina Tuttle means your dress is not only beautiful but also ethically made.

Pricing and Investment

Custom wedding gowns from Kathryn Bass and Katrina Tuttle range from $1,750 to $4,000. Most gowns fall between $2,500 and $3,100, depending on fabric choices and design complexity.

This investment reflects the quality of craftsmanship, personalized service, and sustainable processes. When you consider the uniqueness and perfect fit, a custom gown offers excellent value.

What Brides Are Saying

Many brides who choose custom gowns appreciate the personal connection with their designer and the confidence that comes with a perfect fit. They love how their gowns reflect their style and story, making their wedding day even more memorable.

One bride shared, “Working with Katrina was amazing. I could see my gown evolve, and the fit was perfect. It felt like the dress was made just for me.”

Another said, “Kathryn’s size-inclusive approach made me feel beautiful and comfortable. The mix-and-match options let me create a gown that was exactly what I wanted.”

How to Start Your Custom Gown Journey

If you’re ready to create a wedding gown that fits your vision and values, here’s how to begin:

Schedule a bridal consultation with Kind Bridal to shop both collections at our Halifax bridal boutique.
Bring your inspirations and ideas to your bridal consultation.
Explore fabric and design options from their mix-and-match collections.
Collaborate on your gown’s design and fit throughout the process.
Enjoy the experience of wearing a gown made just for you.

Your wedding gown should be as unique as your love story. Custom Canadian wedding gowns from Kathryn Bass and Katrina Tuttle offer a beautiful, sustainable, and personalized way to celebrate your special day.

Choosing a custom wedding gown means embracing your individuality and values. With expert designers like Kathryn Bass and Katrina Tuttle, you get a gown that fits perfectly, reflects your style, and supports sustainable fashion. Start your journey today and wear a dress that’s truly yours.

Photo Credit to:

Photographer: @katmasonphotography

Planning & Design: @katmasonphotography, @katharinaluisephoto, @shainasterrett

Couple: @lindseyreynolds__ @Luke_reynolds23

Makeup: @daniellegrasleybridal

Venue: @lordnelsonhotel

Cake: @trickdoughbakingco

Public Gardens Dress: @kindbridal

Veil: @pearlebykatrinatuttle

Suit: @dominionhaberdashery

Florals: @propsfloral

Jewelry: @meglizabet