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As soon as you get that ring on your finger, heck, even when you get the slightest clue that you’ll be getting that ring – yes, the engagement rock – you’ll probably look up all over google on tips, how-to’s, where-to’s on all things wedding.

And we bet you’ve gone through the 1,000 wedding checklists – from ones that lists “your favourite pet’s food bowl for reception” in there to “write Aunty Sally’s name label in Pink because that’s her favourite colour”.

So, for our latest blog post, we decided to be niche.

Let’s talk about… the 5 things you should AVOID when gown shopping.

• Bringing 20 People Along

We know, we know. Shopping for a wedding gown is an important event and can be an emotional one (e.g. when a family member or close friend sees you in that gown for the first time!). You also want to get opinions from people who matter most, especially those who can be honest with you – and you might actually have quite a few individuals just at the top your head!

While it’s important to get opinions on wedding gowns, especially from loved ones, it’s equally important to not bring along too many friends and family members. This is because too many different opinions will not help but rather, will cause more confusion. Our suggestion is to bring along 3 – 4 really close family members or friends, who aren’t afraid to share their honest opinions with you, and whose opinions you value the most.

• Trying on 20 Gowns

The more options, the better, right? Well, it depends. One trend that we often see is that trying on way too many gowns always isn’t helpful because it tends to cause more confusion in brides and this often leads to more stress.

• No Budget / Being Unrealistic About It

Not having a budget or an “idea” of how much you would like to spend on a wedding gown really isn’t helpful to anyone. Wedding gowns range from a few hundreds to tens and thousands of dollars, hence having a budget in mind will be very helpful in narrowing down your choices. On that same note, being unrealistic about your budget will only cause disappointments to all. Our two cents worth is to understand the quality of gown and look around to get a clear idea of the cost of your ideal wedding gown. Feel free to drop us a note at contact@dentellebridal.com for a quote on your dream wedding gown.

• Gown Shopping 3 Months Before Your Wedding

Planning a wedding itself can be quite stressful so shopping for something as major as your wedding gown, just a few months before your wedding, will only add to the stress. We recommend giving yourself enough time to survey the market, understand the kind of gowns you like and of course, giving the designers enough time to work on your gown. We suggest gown shopping 6 to 8 months before your actual wedding date. 

• Gown Shopping Without A Clue

It’s okay not having an idea about what you want in a wedding gown. Maybe, it wasn’t something that has crossed your mind and really, you’ve never given it much thought – till, well, you got proposed to. That’s fine.

But, having 0 idea about the kind of wedding gown you want when gown shopping really isn’t advisable – I mean, where do you start and where do you end? Our take on this is to browse through wedding gowns online, look up wedding inspirations on Pinterest, etc, get a rough idea on what you’re looking for in a wedding gown – details can always be built and added on when meeting with the designers.

We hope you’ve found this little list useful. Please feel free to drop us a message if you have any questions at all!

 

 

 

Based on our years of experience designing wedding dresses for brides-to-be, we’ve put together a list of top concerns shared by these precious brides when it comes to selecting wedding dresses (in no particular order).

1. “My wedding dress needs to fit my wedding theme.”

…… And also my bridesmaids’ dresses, and my husband’s tie colour, and the chairs and.. and.. the balloons and the wedding cake!

While your wedding theme might be the deciding factor for almost everything, you really don’t want to compromise on the dream wedding gown you’ve always longed for as a little girl. Take a peek below at one of the dresses we’ve designed for our bride’s quirky wedding theme:

Quintessential Mexican flowers embroidery adorns the off-white satin wedding dress.

A Mexican-themed flat lay photography of wedding details.

A Mexican themed wedding cake, with similar flower patterns as seen on the bride’s gown.

Saying “I do” in true Mexican style!

Photos credit: Calvin Koh Photography

 

2. “Is This Appropriate For a Church Wedding!!?”

Colour, style and ceremonial importance of a gown differs, depending on religion and culture of the bride and groom’s families.

So, can you have your dream wedding dress and at the same time, not against any cultural or religious taboos? Of course. We’ve worked with numerous brides in creating their dream wedding dresses, keeping in mind the different sensitives of religious & cultural wedding rituals and ceremonies.

Walking towards “happily ever after” in a beautiful off-shoulder Dentelle Bridal custom creation! 

Photo credit: Vinoth Raj Pillai

A beautiful moment captured at Bride Deanna’s Akad Nikah. Bride Deanna is a classic beauty in this Dentelle Bridal custom-made, traditional Malay wedding attire.

Photo credit: Ameir Fikri

Bride Chee Lim getting ready for her big day in this stunning high-neck, sheer gown layered with premium laces and topped with beadwork.

Photo credit: Yung Yaw Photography

 

3. “But My Hips Are WIDE!”

Every single woman has a body part she’s not comfortable flaunting and wish it was nicer. For brides who’d like to have their hips look slimmer or arms look smaller, we use the right amount of fabric and laces to create to ensure the material isn’t too thick; but that it’s able to conceal parts that they wish to have concealed.

The key here is to communicate honestly about the insecurities of your body parts and we’ll recommend and work on a design you’ll be comfortable with and look gorgeous in!

Ball Gown / Princess Aline : Good for those who want to hide the hips.

Cap Sleeves Design : Suitable for narrow shoulders.

 

4. “I Wanna Show Off My Collarbone”

You know what they said – if you’ve got it, flaunt it. If you have a sharp collarbone, get a design that will show that. If you have no waistline, create an illusion of it by getting a dress that has some detailing on the waist and minimal on some other areas so you could highlight your “new” waistline.

As for elongating your figure or add inches to your height, the key is to "free up” the neckline (think: V-neckline, scoop or a lower neckline) so it won’t constrain the neck and bust area.

We designed an illusion neckline with the right design and placement of laces, to place emphasise on our Bride Lisa’s slender shoulder frame; giving width to the shoulders. 

Photo credit: Zach Chin 

 

5. “I Want To Add a Dragonfly Symbol to My Dress. Can I?”

It could be a type of lace you’re into or that butterfly symbol that holds a meaning for you and your fiancé. Or if you’re as cool as a bean, add pockets to your dress so you can keep your mobile phone with you at all times.. you know you need to take selfies!

And.. if you don’t want anything AT ALL on your dress.. that can be done too!

Bride Huiru’s gown is adorned with beautiful 3D butterfly motifs on bodice and dress.

Photo credit: Goosebumps Bridal Studio

 

6. “It’s A Waste of Money To Spend So Much On A Dress I’ll Only Wear ONCE.”

Not really, especially if you opt for a two-piece or even a three-piece wedding dress you can recreate and wear, post wedding. Or, host a wedding dress party with your closest friends after a few years!!

Bride Valerie in an exclusively custom-made, two-piece wedding dress.

Photo credit: The Wedding Barn

Bride Valerie celebrated her wedding anniversary wearing the “bodice” of her wedding outfit.

Photo credit: Valerie Chua 

 

7. “A Custom-Made Wedding Dress Will be SO expensive.”

There are many factors that would affect the cost of a custom-made wedding dress – mainly the design, the material, the handwork, etc. The key here is to be honest with your budget and leave the rest to us to work something out!  

Did we cover your thoughts/questions you have in mind? Feel free to reach out to us with questions at contact@dentellebridal.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Custom-made wedding dresses aren’t just for royal brides though many today still opt for the conventional way of hunting dresses (renting, wedding packages, etc.) simply due to a misconstrued notion that a custom-made wedding dress is always more expensive than a rented one.

Here’s how to know if you’re better off with having your wedding dress custom made or rented..

Go for a custom-made wedding dress IF:

• You can’t find something off the rented rack – especially if you have a particular design in mind.
• You can’t find a dress off the rented rack that FITS you.
• For any dress you pick off the rented rack, there’s ALWAYS something – and it could be a tiny detail – that you don’t like but can’t remove.
• You have a dress design in mind which you know will go so well with your wedding theme and bridesmaids dressess… OOoooHHH!
• You are an “artsy” person and you want an unconventional two-piece wedding dress which you can alter into party dresses after the wedding, HAH!
• You don’t like the “time frame” that comes with wedding dresses for rent…. Like, who’s got time for that, right – especially if you’re doing a destination wedding!!
• You dislike going to many places and compromising on dress designs.

Besides, with the amount of money you’ll fork out for a rental dress, you can actually own one for your wedding... a design that belongs to only you.

Drop our lovely team a message at contact@dentellebridal.com if you have any questions on custom-made gowns. We can’t wait to hear all about your dream wedding dress!