Wedding Projects: Cloaks

I don't know what it is, but in the last two years I've been asked to make many cloaks for weddings. In the past two years I've made over a hundred cloaks specifically for local weddings, and I think I've shipped more than twice that number. I'm not counting cloaks used for Halloween, LARP, or any other events in this number. That's just wedding cloaks.

Sometimes I've outfitted just the bride. Other times the entire wedding party needed cloaks (and other assorted garments). All of these have been fun, but the most fun I've had has been working with a lovely bride and a sweet little flower girl. The bride had very specific colors in mind, as most brides do, so the cloak had to be a particular shade of navy. Very particular. Luckily this bride was a joy, so we spent several hours choosing just the right fabrics. Eventually we stumbled upon a heavy navy satin that was just the right shade and had the perfect drape.

Next up was the lining. This was easier, but only slightly. It had to be the brightest white and it had to be incredibly light. The navy satin was already heavy enough. The white also had to serve as the shell of the flower girl's cloak. When we found a satin that would work perfectly, the bride was ecstatic.

Now all we had to find was the perfect lining for the flower girl. For this, the bride also had a very specific idea. White with red hearts. Not pink. Red. After a little searching, I did find a lovely white taffeta with red hearts. Perfect.

A few days later the bride and flower girl were twirling, showing off their new cloaks. The bride was impressed, but the flower girl was ecstatic. I don't think I'll ever tire of working with children. She was the cutest thing.

And as far as I know, the wedding went off without a hitch.