Framing a wedding Dress

[imagemakers]

Hi all

I have had an inquiry from one of my customers to frame her wedding dress, this is something i have never done before, i have only been a framer for 10 month, can anybody give me any advice on how to do this.

Thanks

Simon

[An Old Master]

Quote a price first - might save a lot of head scratching for us all. Could/should easily be in the several hundreds.

[StevenG]

If you ever look at Pinterest there's quite a few examples there, but as Pete says, it's gonna cost!

I read an article recently though on that exact topic, it wasn't too in depth but it did give a few good pointers. Darned if I remember where though


Got it! but when I said recently I don't know how it's dated 2006, anyway if you've access to the Guild website you'll find the article in the Oct 2006 Art Business Today.

[imagemakers]

Hi

I will work out a cost first because she wants the frame 7' x 3' so i need to find a company that can supply a piece of perspex that size and find a cost for it.

[Roboframer]

Here you go http://www.sheetplastics.co.uk/Acrylic_ ... ylic_Sheet

[imagemakers]

cheers I will give them a try

[IFGL]

I have been asked to quote for 2 and both times they virtually ran out of the shop, a job like this is gonna take lots of time and won't be worth doing if you don't charge enough or if you have bags of spare time.

I sometimes wonder how much people think these things are going to cost, I just quoted as a quick guesstimate between 600 and 700 ( probably would have been a bit more) to re stretch and re frame a original oil (fairly valuable Joe Scarborough) at 9 ft x 4 ft, I thought this was very reasonable given the size and value of the painting, the customer was not happy with the quote at all.

[prospero]

Such a thing as a wedding dress is going to gobble up huge amounts of time and nervous engery just preparing the thing before you think about the frame. Depending on how voluminous it is. Even a simple one is going to be very labour-intensive.

When you get to a glazed frame that size with enough depth to take the dress without squashing it, you are veering away from framing and into cabinet making. If not civil engineering. A realistic price would be around the 2K mark. If you think that's OTT you won't when you have done it.


Why anyone would actually want to frame their wedding dress is another story.

[misterdiy]

We just did this one and although technically it wasn't too challenging it was a logistical nightmare and our workshop area is 800 square feet! It completely disrupted everything and of course everything was oversize. The mount was stitched from two jumbos and acrylic was special order. Backs were made up as well. It was very close to four figures, so Prosperos price looks dead on. Oh and it was 7 feet tall by 5 feet wide

[misterdiy]

Well Prospero we did have someone ask us to frame an umbilical cord Why anyone would want this on a wall I have no idea

[prospero]

Well I thought those little baby hands and feet casts were creepy.

As mr.diy points out, big frames are not just small frames that use more material. Over 4x3 you start to get problems sourcing oversize boards, glazing and such. More special orders with carriage and attendant complications. And unless you work in a aircraft hangar, a big job will monopolise an average workshop. Extra hands usually needed as well. Therefore the price needs to take a quantum leap.

I once quoted 400 to do a bridesmaid's dress. Needless to say, the customer baulked as she only wanted to display it once at an exhibition or something. That was really a 'top of my head' quote. I think I would have been severely out of pocket had she actually taken up the offer. The funny thing was that she said she would have a look around for a cheap poster frame and use that.
Don't know if she found one, but I would love to have been there when she tried to put it all together.

[Trillian]

According to Brides magazine, the average cost of a wedding dress is £1340, for something you'll (hopefully!) only wear once. Therefore, £2000 to preserve it, and be able to look at everyday for the rest of your life seems quite reasonable! Failing that, you could suggest to the customer that she has the dress turned into cushion covers:



she'll still get to see the dress everyday, and it will cost a lot less than framing, some of the fabric could also be framed

NB: Prepare to duck if you are the one to suggest that the dress could be cut up