There is no doubt that a perfectly fit wedding dress is the core of the bridal image. Bride is usually spending a lot of time and energy before finding the ONE, which will perfectly fit in every way. It can be the style, concept, specific designer, a venue and the unbeatable “ohhhh, I WANT IT!”
But when it comes to choosing the dress for the special day there can be several options for the bride. Lets try to look at them together to have a better understanding of each.
1-Renting a dress
This option is usually a prerogative of the rational brides or the brides with a very limited budget. Cutting the cost and saving your self from storing the dress are the ultimate advantages here.
But there are some disadvantages too. First of all, finding the proper size and style available in rent can be an issue. Second, some brides can be confused with the fact that the dress is not unique and was worn by undefined number of girls before her. Also you have to make sure that the dress will come back to the owner in a perfect state, so apart from all worries and fears you have another one: don’t spoil the dress.
N.B. (update) As we have heard from our brides, sometimes the cost of the rent is higher than the cost of the low/medium range dress from world-known designers. Yes, you got it right and it is true! Make sure the cost of the rent/ tailoring / cleaning the dress after the celebration is lower then just buying a new one.
2- Tailor made dress
Will definitely be more exclusive and should fit perfectly as it will be made only for you. You have all the possibilities in the world to customize it and pick up the elements and materials. Working close enough with trusted tailor the bride can get the dress of her dreams.
But, unfortunately there are some disadvantages to that option as well. You just have to spend a lot of time and effort to make sure that you will get what you want in the end of the day. Saying this we want to highlight the importance of the right tailor/dress designer that shares your vision and able to deliver the result. Oh, and we forgot about the cost. As an average you can expect 12’000-13’000 AED for the work and add the cost of all fabrics to be used.
The best advice we can give here is to make sure that you picked up the right tailor as they he/she will be competing with the world-known designers of the ready-made dresses. Go through portfolio (but don’t trust it too much), ask for the previous clients contacts and call them, ask their opinion and experience. This will give a better picture and will save you from a lot of stress and even desperation. Make sure that the time needed to make the dress is suitable for you.
3- Ordering on-line
Seriously? Ok, let’s go through this option quickly.
The main and only advantage is the cost. But same time you have to be aware that the risks are very high. Most of the times you will end up with the dress that will not fit and will not look as on the pictures. We intentionally have tried to order on-line several times and it was a total disappointment.
There is a good reason why this type of business doesn’t do well in the wedding industry. But, if you still have decided to try your luck, the best piece of advice we can give you is to have a second option in case it will go wrong. Also find the local tailor and ask if they can help you with the dress. Ask for the price as this will be an additional cost to the on-line and delivery price.
Remember, most of the wedding boutiques do not take any dresses for fitting if the dress was purchased somewhere else.
4- Buying a dress in the wedding boutique.
This option is the most reasonable, but lets look at the disadvantages. Well, finding the right dress just for you can take some time as most of the dresses are few pieces only. If you have to order the dress (because the size or the model is not available) it can take up to 6-8 months, so planning ahead is very important. And although customization is possible you will have to trust the brand designer’s vision for the overall style.
Nevertheless this option is giving you the most freedom of choice. You will choose from recognized designers with decades of experience a unique style. Price range can also vary starting from 4500 AED to the limit of your imagination. Apart from that, you will find that most of the dresses are available and already waiting for their owners (which means that there is no risk in quality of the final result). And finally, the tailoring for the dress bought in boutique is usually free of charge.
The best advice is to plan ahead, visit several boutiques, find the style/model that you like and yes…please don’t forget about the “ohhhh, I WANT IT!” This is your one-in-a-life-time celebration in the end of the day.
We hope that it is clearer now that each of the options has its own peculiarities. We wish that you will have all the positive experience in the world because you deserve it.
