Teri designed a $1700 pretty simple, silk dress for my wedding in September of 2015. Teri is very good at explaining how the architecture of a dress works, which is why I picked her over a boutique designer. She was never super friendly during our visits, even forgetting that we had an appointment once or twice. She was pretty cold when I brought my mom and mother in law in.. not very fun during a very exciting time. The most important thing... the dress never had much done to it whenever I had an appointment! She would literally start sowing on it when I'd come in and made very simple and sometimes careless details that I had to ask to have redone with more care. The worst thing, the day of picking up the dress, she was not done with it, finishing it in front of me. She DID NOT FINISH THE SEAMS UNDER MY DRESS. It was literally tattered seams underneath and I had a train, so if it flipped over, it was tattered shreds. She said this was normal, to preserve the soft look on the outside. I took it to two seamstresses afterward and no one said this was normal or acceptable. But we had no time to fix it before the wedding so I wore it anyway. During my wedding I felt self conscious and worried that my dress would show the tatters or would fall apart... as I had jeweled straps and the jewels were very lose. I had to donate my dress afterward because it was just falling apart... and they would only accept the dress because they could use the fabric to practice on lol, they couldn't even fix it to be worn again. Sorry ladies, don't let this happen to you. Get the dress and the experience you deserve, somewhere professional. read more

My husband and I got married after dating for seven years. By the time our wedding came around, we already had bought a house and cars together, were on each others' life insurance policies, etc. So, the idea of the traditional wedding did not appeal to us...instead, we wanted to throw a chic, modern party. After trying on dresses at many stores in the Portland area, I never found something that was exactly what I was looking for. There were elements to several dresses that I loved but none of them combined into one. Here's where Terri at Embellish Design comes in. I decided that having my dress custom-made was the way to go. I contacted Terri and went to her studio in her house in NE Portland. Let's just say that the woman is AMAZINGLY talented. She went to Parsons School of Design in LA and her abilities are incredible. We sat down and discussed different dresses and styles, fabrics and details. She brought out fabric samples and talked about the pros and cons of each. The experience was incredibly fun...we built a dress that was exactly what I had wanted on all fronts (fabric, shape, detail). Her work was incredibly gorgeous AND the cost of the dress when all was said and done was cheaper than any of the dresses I had tried on in the shops. She also has a party dress business called Olivia Luca. read more

I discovered Olivia Luca through The Knot website, the owner who runs Embellish Design also runs www.olivialuca.com, and I am so, so, glad I found her. I had been drawing out the wedding dress of my dreams for months (and I'm so glad my professors didnt complain about drawing during class!), but no bridal magazine or store had anything like it. I wanted to design my own dress. I know what works for my body shape and style, and I wanted something elegant, timeless, and actually comfortable so that I could feel like myself and look beautiful on our wedding day. I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money on the dress I would wear for just one day. I wanted natural fabrics - I dreamed of a real silk dress, not polyester satin. So imagine my joy when I found the olivia luca website - a design your own dress program that is so much fun! You can design the shape, choose the fabric, pick embellishments, and then get a price quote for your design. I played around with this website program a lot. My dream dress: v neckline with crossover fabric, sleeveless, princess seams, a-line skirt. Once I was ready, I emailed the owner, Terri. She replied promptly, and we soon set a phone appointment to discuss what I wanted and what options to consider. I described what I wanted - silk, shiny without clinginess, soft to the touch. She recommended a gorgeous fabric which is a silk and hemp combination. It has a gorgeous ivory color (called silk white) and sheen, and soft to the touch, and the hemp gives it a bit of weight so that it drapes perfectly without clinging. It was the perfect choice. She sent quite a few fabric samples, and that made the choice easy. She sent me pictures of similar dresses, and those were helpful in deciding the shape of the neckline and other details. (her website and blog also have very helpful pictures). She had a winter sale, I think 25-30% off if I ordered by December, her slow season, and I did. The dress of my dreams cost $425 including shipping! It was ready in about 3 months. The only downside was that the dress was large, but I knew I would need to get it fitted by a local tailor, so it's best for the dress to be a bit large. (alterations from Margene's Bridal were affordable - the women there loved my dress). Then I had a bit of a crazy bride moment, where I considered having an elaborate sheer overcoat with train, and Terri was fabulous with this creative project. I sent her drawings, we discussed fabrics, we looked at pictures for inspiration, and oh my gosh, had I done it, it would have been exactly what I wanted because she was so good at understanding my unique vision. It was a joy to work with her creatively. But I ended up calming down and seeing the light of day, and realizing it wasn't what I really wanted. Largely because once I saw my dress fitted to my body, it was just gorgeous, and covering it up seemed wrong. I wanted the dress to shine. Terri and I ended up designing a gorgeous silk chiffon shawl with French floral lace that I found at Britex Fabrics and shipped to her. She charged me far too little for this gorgeous work, I think under $80. She sewed along the curves of the lace so perfectly, it was beautiful. It was so soft and pretty, and exactly what I needed on the day of my wedding (a foggy January morning). I highly recommend Terri, she was so easy to work with, had great recommendations, was incredibly engaging and fun to discuss design with, and I ended up with the dress and shawl of my dreams, for far less than I thought I'd have to pay. Thank you, Terri! read more

I visited all the best wedding dress shops in town and no one had anything close to my vision, so I went to Terri with a few pictures form the internet and a dream. 4 months later I walked down the grassy aisle in Hood River wearing the most beautiful wedding dress I ever could have hoped for. Terri strikes the perfect balance between honoring my vision and ideas, but giving real feedback that only a long time professional could give. Every stitch was sewn with care and skill. I only wish I had more special occasions for her to design a dress for me. I'd love to work with her again. Thank you Terri! read more

I just had my dress custom designed by Terri, it was exactly what I was looking for and was the best experience I could have asked for. I struggled to find anything I liked and Terri was able to deliver more than I could have ever imagined. The dress fit perfectly. I flew in from Denver to have my dress made, she was so efficient with my time and made the process so simple. I would highly recommend Embellish to anyone looking for their dream dress! read more

I worked with Terri to create a custom wedding dress and I could not have been happier with my experience. Not only is Terri an incredibly talented seamstress, she is also prompt in communication, was patient with me as I honed in on my design concept and was an overall joy to work with. She worked within my budget to create a unique design that was not only beautiful but comfortable as well. She has extraordinary attention to detail and truly went above and beyond; not only did she create a fabulous dress for me, she also crafted a custom sash, veil and hair jewelry piece all from scratch, all unique and stunningly gorgeous. I cannot recommend Terri highly enough!! read more

I can't possibly put into words how lucky I am to have found Terri. I already knew I was up for a challenge when my search for a mid-century cocktail gown turned into a search for a very specific Givenchy gown worn by Audrey Hepburn in classic film. I began searching for local dress makers, (doubtful that if it could be made, whether I could even afford it) and felt most impressed with the range of designs on Embellish's site. I didn't see anything particularly similar to the dress I wanted, but what I did see was the quality of her craftsmanship, and her amazing ability to design equally beautiful gowns from completely different ends of the spectrum. So, with that, I made the call, and wow, and I glad I did. The woman gets it. In fact, don't be surprised if she knows what you want more than you do! She was very upfront with me about all of my fabric and construction options, and how they would effect pricing. She also made a point to add period-specific detailing, which really reflects just how knowledgeable she is about her craft. Ever have a hair stylist can only give you THEIR favorite cut? Not Terri. She always made sure that the dress was what I wanted, and a reflection of my personal style. After copious amounts of photos, and a handful of fittings, I literally had my dream dress. No one could shut up about the dress at the wedding, and now neither can I, which is why I think if I say one more positive thing about this woman then Yelp will think we're in cahoots:) Just go see her. read more

AMAZING! AMAZING! AMAZING! I needed a special occasion dress for a party I was attending in New York. Not just any dress, but one that I could actually sit in, would not need to suck in my stomach all night, wear torturous undergarments, or need to don a wrap to cover the fact that I've done too few push ups lately. A dress that would cover the my least favorite body parts, and enhance my best. After looking at local departments stores, boutiques, and online, not finding anything I loved (at a price I could afford), I went custom, which you might think more expensive. Teri was very respectful of staying within my budget parameters. She created my ideal vision. Actually, improved on it. Recommended fabrics that would work with my body, and that would be forgiving. She really made it all work. Got it done on time, and on budget! I now have a stunning dress that was custom made for me, that is comfortable, makes me feel beautiful, and that will be a classic. Can it get better then that? I think not. read more

I don't write reviews very often, but Terri at Embellish Design really deserves your business and the five star review. Just like everyone is saying here, she guided me to help me stay within my price range, she is professional, and she is a *top notch seamstress* - my dress was everything I dreamed and more and everyone at the wedding loved it. I also appreciate her knowledge of eco-friendly materials - you can ask her about these. What motivated me to write this review however, is that she went out of her way to help me find, last minute, a steam and press establishment in Bend that could handle a wedding dress also last minute when I by accident got the dress all wrinkled on the transport to the wedding site. So reassuring on a last minute emergency! Thank you Terri. read more

I can't say enough good things about Terri at Embellish Design! I just recently got married and the dress was better than I could have imagined! I thought I had found a dress off the rack, but then realized it wasn't going to work for a number of reasons. I found Terri, showed her a picture of the dress and explained what I liked and what I didn't like about it, and we started from there. She payed very close attention to what I was saying and asked lots of questions along the way. Terri was very professional throughout the entire process and took her work very seriously. This was important to me since it can be a little scary not knowing exactly what the end result is going to be! Another thing to note about Terri is how she not only stuck to my budget that I laid out for her in the beginning, but she helped me save along the way when she found a cheaper lace that was actually more beautiful than the original one we thought we would use. I ended up spending less than I would've for that off-the-rack dress. Terri was also able to whip up a veil for me in no time for a great price. The dress was completed ahead of schedule and about a week before I was scheduled to fly out to my wedding destination, I realized I wanted a bustle added. I also realized that there was a slight issue with how the sleeves were hanging, and I needed the dress steamed. I emailed Terri and she fit me in right away and took care of all of those things for me without charging extra. Thank you Terri! read more

I have wondered how to write a prolifically adequate review to properly communicate how amazing Terri, my experience with her, and the end result dress were.. I am sure this will not give it all proper justice, but... I tried on dresses in some of the most "exclusive" shops in Chicago and Austin, and met with several other designers here in PDX. All I can say is, for much less than what I would have paid elsewhere, I ended up with the most amazing and uniquely beautiful dress I could have ever hoped for. Her design skills, focus on my priorities, detailed attention and what I know was endless hours of work resulted in the most gorgeous and fabulously fitting dress, of any kind, I have ever seen. The dress was a true reflection of my personality and style and was the star of the show at my wedding. Highest recommend. read more

An amazing experience. Went to see Terri to have mother-of-the-bride dress made. I didn't want a traditional MOB dress and had seen a dress she made for friend which was unbelievably perfect. The whole experience was wonderful. I wasn't sure what I wanted and Terri guided me and nailed exactly what I wanted. The dress fit perfectly. I had certain parameters....like hiding my unlovely arms and she created a shoulderless lace jacket to go over a beautiful silk sleeveless dress. She picked the perfect color. Terri listened so well and worked around what I wanted and created the most beautiful dress. Now I have a dress and a lace jacket and have worn both again. She is so nice to work with and you will get what you want for sure. My highest recommendation. read more

Terri made my beautiful wedding dress. She worked within my budget to create a dress that I felt amazing in. Her workmanship is impeccable and the whole experience exceeded my expectations! read more

I had a specific look in mind for my wedding dress, and Terri brought that dress to life for me! She was great at explaining differences in fabric, giving options that kept in budget and discussing how the budget could be divided up (spend more on the silk, or more on the lace, etc). She was very professional, we had to reschedule a couple appointments but she always gave me plenty of heads up. When the dress was close to finished, I was worried that the top was too boxy, and she invited me to come back for a quick visit to try it back again where we discussed some options if I wanted to adjust it. I also changed my mind during my last fitting about the hem length, and Terri was very patient and helpful finding the length I wanted; I felt a little bad about the late change, but she was great, she wanted the dress to be what I wanted, and she re-hemmed the dress for me within a week so it was still finished a month before the wedding. I loved my dress, I felt beautiful on my wedding day, and I am so happy that I went to Embellish to have my dress made! read more

Working with Terri to create my wedding dress was an absolute dream. I was involved in each step of the process, from ideation, to material choices, to design, to fitting (obviously). She did an amazing job of talking me through the design and material choices -- taking into consideration my shape, my areas I'm more self-conscious about, my favorite elements of other dresses, and the environment in which we were getting married. She was always open and honest about budget and time, and really stuck to what I asked for. We made some changes throughout the process to fit my desires. She found a really unusual embroidered fabric for me that I just fell in love with -- I really appreciated her dedication to creating a dress to fit my vision. My dress fits wonderfully, looks absolutely gorgeous, and was very comfortable. Terri also provided a lot of information on how to care for my dress and travel with it, which was excellent. Terri was my calm and fashionable oasis in the craziness of wedding planning. It was a pretty magical experience and I would absolutely recommend her to any bride! read more

so many thanks to terri for her perfect tailoring of my complicated corseted second hand couture gown. thank you so much! // cheers SJH Wedding Oct 2012 read more