Meet the South End Wedding-Gown Designer Behind Bremelia
Haven't been able to say "yes" to the dress at traditional bridal shops? It might be time to go bespoke.
Photo by Brit Perkins Photography
In her senior year of college at Mass Art, bridal designer Bre Budryk watched her friend walk down the aisle in an open-backed, elegantly simple crepe dress that flowed with every step. It was a big moment, not just for the bride but also for Budryk, who had designed the dress herself. “You see this person on the happiest day of their life, and it’s a very important article of clothing,” she says. “It’s not just a dress; it’s an extension of them.”
In the years prior, Budryk had focused squarely on figure painting, specifically rendering bodies and the movement of fabric on them. But in looking for a better way to apply her skills in the real world, she switched her major to fashion design, where a singular bridal project in her junior year solidified her career trajectory. “After that, I didn’t want to do anything else,” she says.
The change in plans clearly paid off: Six years later, Budryk’s bridal studio, Bremelia (a combination of Bre and her middle name, Amelia, passed down through generations of her mom’s family), crafts ornate and feminine dresses for Boston brides. Her fully customizable and handmade 2023 collection, for example, features blush and nude tones, luxe fabrics, and sumptuous details: think a sheer-corseted gown with a full skirt and floral appliqués or a beaded mini with voluminous cap sleeves. “I’ve always had a painterly mentality behind everything,” she says of her creative process. “I want to make my dresses feel fluid and painterly as well.”
View this post on Instagram
Every dress starts with a consultation at her SoWa studio, where the bride shares her vision, from which Budryk crafts a mood board, sketches, and fabric options. Sometimes, inspiration is a romantic dress from Budryk’s collection—which she encourages brides to make their own—or one particular design element, such as a 3-D-floral fabric from Germany that can be layered and played with to create something unique. Whatever the plan, once a decision is made, Budryk and her two-person team cut, stitch, hand-detail, and layer tulle, florals, beads, and pearls to create a one-of-a-kind gown. “I don’t want two people getting married in the same dress,” she says. “I want their dress to be theirs.”
First published in the print edition of the August 2023 issue with the headline “‘Tailor-Made.’”
Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Boston Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.
