Just met some of the stylists from the design studio for a styled shoot we were doing and they were so friendly and helpful when we needed them after our dress didn’t come in the mail at the last minute. I definitely recommend them!

Emily helped to reconstruct my mothers wedding dress from 1980, which was a TASK. Emily was simply the best to work with throughout the entire process, drawing up a rendering of my dress on our first visit, and guiding me through several fittings throughout the process. Beyond the incredible dress creator that she is, Emily is warm, easy-going, and made me feel so comfortable during appointments. We are so grateful for Emilys beautiful work, and highly recommend to anyone interested in a one-of-a-kind dress to remember.

Emily was a dream to work with. She took the time to explain the difference between fabrics, and styles and knew what would work best for my petite body type. She was patient and listened to my ideas which turned into a beautiful custom made wedding dress, that I adore! She was timely and professional, and made me feel comfortable with her and her team from day one! Id highly recommend others to meet with her and consult on a custom made dress.

Emily is so talented and her dresses are always so beautiful! Ive had the opportunity to photograph a few brides who were wearing her gowns and Ive loved every single one of them. Plus my brides are always gushing over their dress! Highly recommend Emily!

Where do I begin?! I had such an amazing experience working with Emily to create the dress and veil of my dreams. After obsessing over Emilys stunning collections for months I contacted her. However, I am located in the Philly area so seeing that Emily was located in Charleston, I wasnt quite sure if we could make it work, but she did!! Emily went to great lengths to accommodate me not only in the planning process, but fittings as well. Emily did an in home appointment with me for my first appointment (unheard of!!!). This was so nice to be in the comfort of my home with my ladies with me! I honestly had no idea what style or type of dress I was looking for, but I knew I was in good hands when Emily brought several styles of dresses for my to try on. As I tried on each dress, we went through likes and dislikes, and at the conclusion of the appointment Emily had sketched me my dream dress! In addition to my dress, Emily also designed me a custom veil with vintage lace passed down from my husbands grandmother. The veil was absolutely stunning. Throughout the entire process I continued to be in awe over Emilys professionalism, expertise, knowledge and pure talent. This designer is a true artist.

Emily brought my bridal vision to life! She created a custom embroidered cape and over-skirt to accompany my wedding gown. She has such a great eye for details and was so patient with me and my indecisiveness. Emilys custom work truly made me feel special on my wedding day!

Emily made the wedding dress of my dreams! I met with her about 10 months before my wedding and described the type of dress I wanted and she made it completely from scratch. The dress was exactly as I imagined and she was receptive to my idea and offered up complementary suggestions that ended up making the dress a beautiful fit for me.She was able to custom make my dress that fit within my budget and timeline. I was completely at ease and trusted her 100% throughout the process, it couldnt have been a better experience.

Emily does perfect wedding dress alterations! The top of my dress needed to be reworked into a deeper v-neck and I was really nervous about how it was going to turn out. Emily came highly recommended by my dress shop. Her own dresses are beautiful so I knew I was in good hands. She is really talented and easy to work with. She fixed the neckline, reworked some of my lace, added buttons down the back, created a sash, hemmed it and took in the bust. My dress was perfect only after 2 visits. She was quick and spot on. Thank you for making my dress perfect!

Emily is absolutely brilliant! I am so lucky I basically fell into her shop and services. I already had my dress, but was in desperate need of someone who I trusted to alter my precious gown. Emily did, and honestly for such a FAIR price. I completely the amazing work and dedication. Everything was done in a timely manner, and with total attention to detail. Emily also did a custom veil for me, that I absolutely fell in love with. I didnt even know I wanted a veil until I got mine, and now I wish I could wear it EVERY SINGLE DAY. I thought I could maybe purchase a cheap one online - no...color matching, fabric quality, length of veil were all crucial aspects. We so enjoyed every meeting with Emily and having her as a part of the experience. Maybe one day she can make me a special gown for another occasion!

Absolutely exceptional in all aspects of service...I was breath taken by the time she had turned a dress I did not want to wear to something I am thoroughly enamored with. It takes my breath away.. Emily is highly skilled with extreme creative abilities. She listens intently and knows exactly what is needed, yet she is humble and genuine. It was a wonderful experience.

Emily did an amazing job creating my custom wedding gown. I made an appointment at her studio with a vague idea of what I wanted, and she walked me through the process of designing my perfect dress, from fabrics and shapes down to the most intricate details. The result of our consultation was a gorgeous gown that not only perfectly fit my measurements but also my personality and style. Many guests at my wedding complimented my dress and said it was so me. I felt beautiful and elegant on my wedding day, and knowing the dress was made for me gave me a confidence boost and made the day that much more special. Emily was perceptive and professional throughout the entire process & I highly recommend her work.

I used Emily for my wedding gown alterations. She came at the recommendation of the shop where I purchased my wedding gown. She was great to work with and very flexible in terms of timing for appointments. We had a few last minute alterations that needed to be done and I was freaking out about how close it was to the wedding; she promised me it would all be fine and she was right! in fact, my dress was PERFECTION. She did a wonderful job with the alterations and it fit so well that I didnt want the night to end because that meant I didnt get to wear it anymore! I would recommend her services to anyone and everyone.

I had picked out a dress and long sleeve top I wanted sewn together for my wedding and had a gut feeling Emily was my best bet. I was absolutely right. It turned out absolutely amazing and the process was so smooth. She was so amazing at each appointment and my entire family loved her. Every time I saw the dress it transformed more and more into my dream dress- all from two pieces of fabric! Couldn’t recommend her enough.

I could not be happier with both the experience working with Emily and the dress she created for me. Emily has a beautiful way integrating her design expertise with the vision of her client. She made me feel deeply involved in the process of the design so I was getting everything that I could have dreamed of in a wedding dress. She also offered creative solutions to make my vision come true in a way that I could have never found in a dress off the rack.I recommend her custom wedding dresses to all of my friends getting engaged. From start to finish the experience working with Emily was nothing short of spectacular.

Emily created my dream gown from a vintage shell. From deconstruction to reconstruction, she listened to everything I was looking for and she brought it to life. Couldnt be happier.

Emily is a master of design! After trying on too many dresses and not falling in love with any I felt discouraged about finding the perfect dress. I decided to try the custom route and never looked back. From our first conversation to each appointment Emily listened compassionately and asked every question to make sure that she completely understood my vision. Emily worked her magic and created two perfect outfits for my wedding weekend- a two piece jumpsuit for the rehearsal and my bridal gown- both absolutely impeccable in every way. Emily made my mom a shawl (a very last minute request!) to match her dress. Emily listened to every single detail and created my dream outfits more beautifully than I imagined possible- she made me feel like a real life princess. Emily even came on site on my wedding day to steam the dress to perfection! I recommend Emily over and over again and am already looking forward to the next event that she can design for me.

Emily made my dream dress come true! I have never felt more beautiful in any other piece of clothing.I had a dress I had bought a couple years ago, planning for a Chicago wedding. My husband and I decided to get married in Costa Rica instead and I wanted to drastically transform my dress. I came in with a bunch of pictures of features of dresses I liked and Emily nailed each feature flawlessly and had such elegant and creative ideas to build on the vision I had.Not only did the design end up perfect but she made the dress fit me like a GLOVE! It is so flattering on me and I felt comfortable explaining any insecurities I had that I wanted the dress to help with. Her skill and eye for design are extraordinary.Please, please if you want a dress that is EXACTLY what you want, go to Emily.

Emily created my dream wedding dress. Creating my dress with her was my favorite part of the whole wedding planning process. Emily has created such a unique and special process for brides to be able to customize their dress and be a part of the design. My dress was comfortable, exactly what I wanted and completely one of a kind! She was thoughtful and timely and fun to work with through the entire process. There is no question she is the BEST bridal studio in Charleston!! My mom also had a stunning mother of the bride dress maid by Emily.

From start to finish, every part of my experience with a Emily was top notch. She was able to incorporate my mothers veil (from 1983!) into my bridal look. She updated it flawlessly to incorporate custom pearls and beading to match my dress while still preserving some of my moms original lace. It was so special to wear a family piece as I walked down the aisle! Emily also added some gorgeous pearl straps to the side of my gown. They looked as if they were part of the dress from the very beginning and I got so many compliments on them. The best part was that Emily had the foresight to attach them with snaps so that they could be removed for full range of motion when it came time for dancing. I loved the unique, personal experience, high quality work, and attention to detail I received when working with Emily!!!

I accidentally stumbled upon Emily Kotarski Bridal when looking for my wedding dress. I had made a few appointments at different bridal salons in Charleston, SC and thought I was heading to a normal bridal boutique. I was so surprised to find out I had an appointment with a designer! I never thought I would be able to have a dress made for me! The whole experience was amazing from start to finish. It was so special and unique to get to watch my dress come together with every fitting. Emily is incredibly talented and wonderful to work with! 10/10 would recommend!! It’s truly a one of a kind experience and I was blown away seeing the dress finished.

Emily Kotarski is beyond AMAZING! I didn’t shop at any other bridal stores because I knew what I wanted in a dress would not be found in stores. Emily was able to take every idea I had and turn it into a reality. The dress she created for me out did all of my expectations and it was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen! She also made me the most amazing custom white romper for my rehearsal dinner and a custom garter! If you are looking for the ultimate dress shopping experience you need to make an appointment with this amazing designer. I am so thankful I chose Emily to design my own, one of a kind, custom wedding dress for my special day! Thank you Emily, you seriously are the BEST and so incredibly talented!

Emily truly has a gift - she is able to guide and cultivate your dream wedding dress even if you have no idea what that looks like. By working with her, I received a personally made, one-of-a-kind dress that was redesigned from my moms dress - its everything I wanted!!! (and I actually spent less money working with her than had I gone to another boutique.) It made my wedding experience so unique, memorable and special - what more could a girl ask for during her wedding preparations.

Emily made my daughters wedding gown shopping nothing short of a dream! My daughter brought Emily a series of photos showing which neckline she loved in a gown, the shape and the type of lace but couldnt seem to find the perfect gown anywhere. Here she was able to create the perfect gown and when Emily pinned together my daughters idea right before our eyes, we knew we had come to the right place. It was clear throughout the entire process of creating the gown that Emily was the one to trust when it comes to looking for a custom gown. Every last detail of the gown was simply perfect on the big day and my daughter was so comfortable in her gown all night! If you are looking for your dream dress, Emily will make it happen!

Emily was a pleasure to work with! I was worried about having alterations done on my gown because it was all lace. However, Emily made my dress flawless! I felt like the most beautiful bride because of her! She is very personable, easy-going, and really has an eye for detail. All I knew going in was that my dress gave me no shape and was too big—she was able to tailor it to my body and made it fit like a glove! I highly, highly recommend her!

Emily helped me create a custom veil for my wedding, and it was a perfect experience from start to finish. She is so incredibly talented; a true artist. She provided personalized creative guidance in selecting my lace, the design of the lace trim, veil length, and color. She was nothing short of perfectly professional and punctual throughout the entire process. She has an impeccable attention to detail, evident in her business and her designs. Having a custom-made veil was the ideal way to add a truly specialized touch to my attire, and I wouldnt have trusted this to anyone but a real expert: Emily Kotarski. Charleston is lucky to have her!

I had such a great experience working with Emily to design my wedding gown. The whole process was smooth and so much fun! Emily is incredibly talented, and she was able to take my vision and turn it into reality. She was always there to answer questions or offer advice, and she even made some last-minute alterations on my gown two days before our wedding. I cant recommend Emily enough!

Emily was the best! She altered and customized my wedding dress, created my veil and created the most beautiful dress for my mom for the day of my wedding. Her taste is amazing and we could not feel more comfortable during the entire experience. She was SO easy to work with, so sweet, so attentive to all of our wishes, and made the whole experience absolutely amazing. So glad we found her!!

Working with Emily was hands down the easiest part about wedding planning. From the start Emily made the experience absolutely wonderful and so easy. I had no clue what to expect but she was so confident with every aspect of the designing process. I loved how Emily took control when I was unsure about something. She was confident, knowledgable, and 100% the professional the whole time which put me completely at ease. The best part was that Emily made my dress even better than I could have ever even imagined. She exceeded my expectations.

Emily Kotarski, bespoke bridal designer, is so talented. She is fantastic to work with and we would highly recommend her because:1) I bought my wedding dress from a couture designer in London but it needed significant alternations because the dress was a size 10 and I am a size 4. Emily was recommended by a wedding planner in Charleston. We were concerned about how many alterations the dress might need, but Emily quickly put our minds at ease.2) Emily did a magnificent job fitting the wedding dress to me; it fits like a glove! It was a complicated process with miles of tulle and French lace and a complicated corset but the dress fits perfectly! It could not be any better if the original designer altered it herself.3) After early positive experiences with Emily, we decided to have her re-make my moms wedding dress for me to wear to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Emily removed the collar, changed the neckline, and took off the sleeves so it was a major redo and it looks fantastic! In addition, she designed and made a gorgeous silk skirt to pair with my moms re-done wedding dress blouse so I could wear it to the rehearsal/dinner.4) Using left over lace from both my moms dress and my wedding dress, Emily custom made 3 purses, a wristlet for the me and 2 clutches for the MOB and MOG.5) Emily made embroidered handkerchiefs for 5 women, using silk from my moms dress, during the remake process.6) Emily also made my veil by altering my moms wedding veil, and the result is stunning with my wedding dress.7) After unsuccessfully shopping for the perfect MOB dress, Emily worked with my mom and her friend who is a wardrobe consultant to source and design her MOB dress. Emily sourced the fabric which is Swiss embroidered silk with glass beads. And she made 3D beaded flower embellishments for the neckline, and pins for my moms hair. It’s incredible, and she is so happy with it.8) Emily was very flexible in working on our time table. I lived in Germany during most of the alterations and Emily always made herself available for appointments, the few weeks I was in town.9) Emily got married herself recently and the fact that she was planning her own wedding, and making her own dresses of course (she had 3 wedding dresses for her day) did not negatively impact our appointments or the work she was doing for us at all.10) And finally, Emily’s prices are fair, based on the detailed work and special laces and fabrics used.

Every part of my wedding gown process with Emily Kotarski Bridal was fantastic! I contacted Emily with an idea to re-design my mothers wedding dress from 1981, to create a dress that was perfect for me. I shared with Emily my vague ideas of what I had envisioned. She listened and within minutes began pinning and designing my dream dress. I immediately knew I had found the best person to customize my gown. I cannot wait to unveil the newly designed dress at my wedding in a couple of weeks. I am forever grateful for everything Emily did for me, and will continue to refer her to my friends and clients.

Working with Emily was a dream. I came to her frantic in the weeks before my daughter’s wedding, and Emily went above and beyond, creating a stunning lace overlay for my daughter’s wedding dress. She is extraordinarily efficient, talented, and responsive, and she created the most beautiful bodice that my daughter (and everyone else!) loved. We are so grateful for Emily’s help, especially under the tight time constraints, and we could not recommend working with her highly enough.

Emily was absolutely amazing to work with. I went into this process not entirely sure what I wanted, and she helped me figure out my likes/dislikes and craft the perfect dress. She is professional, sweet, and timely, and she did a wonderful job!

I can’t begin to describe how instrumental Emily was in my gown process. After trying on dresses at several boutiques with no success, I turned to Emily with an idea for a dress that I had in my head but couldn’t find anywhere. From day one, Emily was supportive, excited and a total pro. My expectations were high, but she far surpassed them in every way. Not only is Emily a technical mastermind, she’s professional and just a wonderful human being. Would recommend to anyone looking to design or customize a gown.

I only wish I had found Emily before I found my dress, because I would have had her design one! Shes had the very best training, and it shows. Her work is as wonderful as she is to work with. This city is lucky to have her!

Emily seemed to know exactly what I had envisioned in my head... her creativity and expertise made my dream wedding dress a reality! I could not have had a more perfect dress created for me!

Emily was nothing short of professional when helping me with my wedding day gown. I originally purchased it from a boutique, but I started second guessing my choice after the purchase, so I immediately contacted Emily for her expertise. She not only assisted me with a new vision, but also executed it flawlessly. She then made my custom cathedral veil, which couldnt have complimented my dress more. Thank you for your swift and beautiful work, Emily!

Great experience crating my dream dress based on 2 dresses that I fell in love with. She is very accommodating and wants to make sure things are done right!