Cedar Park boutique styles women in wedding gowns and prom dresses

Sherry Ayles began sewing at age 10, and after seeing her love for the craft flourish throughout the years, she opened a small alterations and custom clothing shop in Austin in the 1990s. After taking time off to stay home with her son, who is now in high school, Ayles opened a new store, Customary Couture, in Cedar Park in 2008.

"In the '90s when I had my little shop, all I did was alterations and customs, and then I started doing bridal gowns, and I absolutely love doing custom bridal gowns," she said. "Here, I started out with just bridal dresses, and moms would come in and say, 'We really need a prom store out here,' so we expanded, and now we sell prom dresses, too."

Sales are split almost evenly between bridal gowns and prom dresses, Ayles said, though the shop also sells bridesmaid and mother-of-the-bride dresses, veils, belts and other accessories. Prom dresses and other items can be purchased off the rack, but brides must make an appointment so staff can hand-pick gowns based on budget and style preferences.

"I never want to put a girl who has a $1,000 budget in a $3,000 dress because she will compare her budget to that dress, and it's not fair," she said, adding that many bridal magazines and television shows misrepresent the actual price of wedding gowns. "I know there are girls out there who think if they go to a boutique, the dresses are going to be $5,000 and they can't afford that, but that's not the case. The majority of the dresses here are in the $1,000–$2,000 range, and right now we have only a few gowns in the store over $2,500."

Unlike many commercial dress stores and boutiques, at Customary Couture the price of some bridal gowns also includes the cost of alterations, which Ayles does herself. Bridal consultant Callie Spencer said that although the store sells a variety of styles, mermaid-shape and lace fabric are the most popular.

"My favorite part is the look on their face when they find their dress and they love it," she said. "That means I've done my job."

Finding the perfect dress

Searching for the perfect gown can be overwhelming and confusing for some brides. Experts offer this advice:

Order the gown about six months before the wedding, leaving time for shipping, alterations and unexpected delays.

Be prepared by researching different styles of dresses before going shopping.

Beware of counterfeit dressmakers who offer greatly discounted designer gowns shipped from overseas. If not seized by U.S. Customs, some dresses can arrive damaged, off-color or the wrong size with little available recourse for refund.

Customary Couture, 500 Cypress Creek Road, Ste. 130, Cedar Park, 512-918-1112, www.customarycouture.com