Advice on choosing wedding dress!

M

minime19

New Member
Hello! I've been doing some research but still don't knw how to go about selecting the pre-wedding gowns this coming Wednesday!

I'm quite short with heavy bottom, so can't really fit nicely into Mermaid gowns that I like. thinking of just normal ball gowns and long train gowns. the bridal I'm using is The Aisle Bridal and heard that their evening gowns are very limited in terms of colour and variety, lots of designs are very old and dated. sighs. abit worried now.

Any experience to share? What should I be expecting to pay after I confirm the gowns, and must I confirm everything at one shot?

TIA!
 


Ooh I have a similar figure and I also signed with The Aisle! My wedding is still some time away though so I haven't done a fitting yet. I think ball gowns and a-line gowns will look nice on us; like something that's more fitted on the top that shows off the waist with a full skirt. When I last went to the boutique, my coordinator told me that new gowns will be coming in, so hopefully you'll be able to find a wedding and evening gown that you like. I haven't tried on any gowns, but when I browsed through the racks, they have a nice selection of gorgeous ball gowns. (:

Or you know, just go on and try some mermaid gowns anyway since you're already doing a fitting. You'd never know, you might just like the way your curves look in them!

From what I remember, my coordinator said that there are two more payments to be made after my deposit. Once after confirming the gowns, and another after the photoshoot / after everything (I think). When I went down to sign the package, I was nursing a freshly sprained ankle so I was a bit distracted, need to double check with my fiance. Each payment should be half of the balance.
 
Thanks for the replies! and I do hope to get my hands on the new gowns! I must agree they have nice white ball gowns, huge variety for this.

actually u can request to just try on some gowns first. I tried on the gowns once at their ubi outlet. the mermaid Xiao kelly recommended was not flattering, perhaps cus not customized to my heavy bottoms yet. hahaha it looked quite terribly empty at the top and waist part, but nearly fitting at the bottom.

good to hear more designs are coming! cus the rest of the gowns I tried were really the standard few that everyone else wore in the sample photos I was showed, so was feeling quite puzzled if that's all they'll have.
 
quick updates..

I just chose my pre-wedding gowns.. the standard package so 2white and 2evening. as cautioned by others, their outdoor gowns are really old, with black spots on crystals and stuff falling off...

White gowns:
when I first started out trying the gowns recommended, thought those were not bad, managed to KIV the first 2-3. bt subsequently, the rest were really either misfit sizing or not suitable, kinda creating an impression that the first few were the ones. but I recalled the advices to try trumpet, and found that TA only has 2pieces of trumpet. one is really simple, too simple for photoshoot. so I settled on the other..
and since the outdoor evening gowns were really under-expectations, I decided to go with a white gown for outdoor, which was fine and I like it.

Evening gowns:
I picked 2 coloured gowns for indoor shoot as I wanted variety. my mum is white traditional and voiced that I should get a red one. so I did. no complains, yet. the other I chose a light pink one, as I tot it could actually double/pass off as a nice wedding gown kinda feel rather than evening gown..

However...
after settling on the gowns, and suits, we proceeded to select the photographers. we were told that there are only 2 pre-wedding photographers that service ALL their customers. didn't sound convincing has we all knw they are quite pops, and the shop is always full! don't understand how the 2 pre-wedding photogs can service every single couple!

but the issue was, when we started flipping through the albums of the said 2 photogs, we sadly realised that out of the 4 gowns I picked, 2 appeared in the first album shown to me! there's only 2 explanations for this, either I got such awesome taste or that the shop only has that many nice gowns...

felt abit cheated and wasn't very happy in the end cus I feel that I wasted my 4hrs trying gowns (took half day leave for this) when I could have just "choose" gowns based on what I see from the album anyway. and even sadder that my wedding gowns are actually just the few sample gowns that everyone else has already seen in photos, with the same sets.

payment:
and so I paid about 60% during deposit (don't understand why we agreed to that). and today after picking gowns, we paid another 1k!! so that only leaves us with a retainer of 888 for the so called "AD photographer" which I was hoping we could cancel but can't!! we saw photos of the outsourced AD guys. given a choice, I wouldn't want that kind, it's really the typical cheesy and literal style, whereas I was actually planning for something more romantic and focused on details.

just hope to share that no matter which bridal, make sure u TRY on dresses that are not on the samples, and be sure to like first before paying anything. if possible, negotiate the payment! it doesn't make sense to pay 3.5k like me for nothing at all, and I won't even get my photo album after I have paid off 4k in full.

and if u have time, go ala carte! you get back all the photos at about the same price and u get to choose all the gowns u really like, from various shops. sure this takes more effort, but heck, it's once in a lifetime and u wan to be sure u like what u get.
 
@minime19 hush hush! look forward to the shoot then. maybe u will be surprised by how well e photos turn out? im doing ala carte but its really time consuming and more exp.. ive been to almost 10 bridals. hahah.
 
Aww I'm sorry to hear that! Now I'm starting to feel nervous about my gown selection. :eek:
 
Hello minime19,

I have also signed up with the aisle, and like you, we signed up for the actual day photographer at $800. Couple months later, we wanted to lock down the ad photog, but to our disappointment, their portfolios were not impressive. My bf had to speak to the coordinator and we managed to waive it off. Perhaps, you can give it a try?

Am planning to select the gowns soon, and i was told that my ad gown will be the same as the one that i choose for an indoor shoot. Is that the same for you too?

Am a little disappointed because my wedding is in early 2017, and yet i have to shoot in june, meaning i will have to choose my ad gown by early 2016.

Do share with me further on your experience. Many thanks!
 
hello, I managed to ask for diff gowns for Photoshoot and the AD during the initial discussion, hence no need to top up. think you can try justifying to them it's you big day and 撒娇 abit. talk to the sales person who sold you the package. apparently the lady boss is very media conscientious and in bridal mags and TV talk shows, she always claims that she will try her best to make the wedding memorable for brides and will accommodate etc.

as for the AD photog, does it mean you managed to get the 800 deducted off the total price?
 
I'm going for my gown selection tomorrow! So nervous. They only scheduled my fitting from 1 to 4pm though. Seems like it won't be enough time to select 4 gowns? Plus my fiance will be choosing his suit too. : /

I'm also nervous about the AD photographers, after hearing all this feedback. I hope we'll be able to waive ours or put the $800 towards something else in the package. :s Maybe I'll get my maid of honour to go along, lol. My bf and I are the useless, shy kind so she's been helping us to bargain for extra freebies and stuff.
 
Minkishly said:
I'm going for my gown selection tomorrow! So nervous. They only scheduled my fitting from 1 to 4pm though. Seems like it won't be enough time to select 4 gowns? Plus my fiance will be choosing his suit too. : /

I'm also nervous about the AD photographers, after hearing all this feedback. I hope we'll be able to waive ours or put the $800 towards something else in the package. :s Maybe I'll get my maid of honour to go along, lol. My bf and I are the useless, shy kind so she's been helping us to bargain for extra freebies and stuff.
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Hello Minkishly,
Do share with us your experience on the choosing of gowns! :) good luck too, I hope you are able to exchange the AD photog for something else. when is your big day, by the way!
 
Yeah! That's great! They initially wanted me to come down during this period too, but my AD is on 7 Jan 2017! So felt that it was way too early... Have lots of fun later!
 
therookus said:
Yeah! That's great! They initially wanted me to come down during this period too, but my AD is on 7 Jan 2017! So felt that it was way too early... Have lots of fun later!
Click to expand...

Wheehee, thanks! I doubt that I'll be able to find all my gowns tomorrow (I'm beyond fussy D:)

Out of curiosity, why do you have to have your shoot in June? It seems way too early since your AD is only in Jan.
 
I haven't planned a date with them yet! My fiance will be away on business till early April, so the earliest we can have it should be around that time. I'm sure they're going to get us to lock down a date tomorrow, lol. Oh well, it's good to know that they're on the ball! If it was up to me, I'd probably only select a gown in July or something. :x
 
And so my gown fitting didn't happen today! My consultant got ill and what pissed me off is that they only called to let me know 15 minutes before my appointment. Apparently she wanted to soldier on but decided in the end that she couldn't. I appreciate the thought, but I *really* would have liked advance notice so that I could have shifted my plans accordingly.

They wanted to push the appointment back to 4pm but we were already halfway there. My fiance decided to go back to work so he would have to waste his half day in case she's still not well by 4pm and the whole thing has to be cancelled altogether.

15 minutes notice.... I really hope this is a one off.
 
Oh gosh. That's terrible!! I think the next time you go down, drop them a note on confirmation at least a day before? Sheesh... Hope you can get it sorted soon. I just locked down a date with them. Thank you for sharing!
 
Yeah, I think they handled it rather badly. : / Now my appointment has been shifted to mid Feb instead and they changed my consultant as well.

Pretty disappointed since I was looking forward to choosing the gowns and things ended up like this instead. I'm now rather worried about how everything else is going to play out. Sigh. Maybe I was too impulsive, signing with them. : /
 
(cross posted from the Nov 2016 thread)

Just had my gown selection today! It was so fun, although I realized that I really really need to lose weight. :p

Any misgivings I had about my bridal studio went away today when I finally met my coordinator (Jeoncy) for the first time. After a couple of tries, she started to get an idea of what I was looking for and pulled some really really lovely gowns for me. I know people say that The Aisle has rather limited evening gowns but I was actually more spoilt for choice for the coloured gowns. And I'm a plus sized bride (currently UK12 / 14) too, so I think that's pretty good. She's also really nice and considerate. I brought my fiance, MoH and mother along and she gave them ample time between each gown to comment and take photos. Very happy with her service so far!

I think it was just an initial, one-off hiccup. Jeoncy seems very efficient and managed to draw up a whole timeline for us. We managed to settle on the dates for the trial make-up, first fitting and prewedding photography within an hour, and that includes the time we took to choose a photographer (we went with Jacky).

So yay, I feel good about The Aisle again. c:
 
Yay!! glad it all went well, and they turned things around for you! :D i've locked my appt with them in mid april, so i'm hoping it will be as pleasant too! :) by the way, do you only have one trial make up? would it be for the pre-wedding shoot or Actual day?
 
Ooh fun! Who is your coordinator? I might need to select my AD gown again because the indoor gown I wanted is currently soft booked a couple of days before my AD. They said there won't be enough time to dry clean / alter it. It's one of the new gowns that is very popular, grr.

I only have one trial make up that I'll be having a week before the photo shoot. I think for the AD, the photo shoot day can also be a kind of "trial" to see what kind of looks I like best. I'm a bit worried because they asked me to dye my hair but I have never dyed my hair before. Don't know what colour will suit me also, lol.
 
Minkishly said:
Ooh fun! Who is your coordinator? I might need to select my AD gown again because the indoor gown I wanted is currently soft booked a couple of days before my AD. They said there won't be enough time to dry clean / alter it. It's one of the new gowns that is very popular, grr.

I only have one trial make up that I'll be having a week before the photo shoot. I think for the AD, the photo shoot day can also be a kind of "trial" to see what kind of looks I like best. I'm a bit worried because they asked me to dye my hair but I have never dyed my hair before. Don't know what colour will suit me also, lol.
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Hmm, i think it's jiaxuan! oh dear.. okok, i do hope you can lock in your AD gown soon!! >_<

yeah! okay! thanks for letting me know regarding the trial makeup! hmm, i dont dye my hair too and dont intend to do so! cuz i have sensitive skin... haha. maybe instead of dye, you can consider doing highlights? might be a better (and safer option). :)
 
Actually I adore my outdoor gown so I'm keeping that as a back up. It's an older gown so they allow us to bring it out, but it still looks gorgeous. I pictured the outdoor gown being very nondescript and was preparing myself for that so I literally pounced on this one.

Ooh you're right, I might consider highlights or maybe something ombre so that most of the dye work is on the ends and not at the roots. I'm clueless when it comes to hair la, so I'll leave it to my regular stylist to decide since she knows my hair best. She's been lemming to get her dye kit out on me so I think she's going to be very happy.
 
Hi! I have signed up for TA and scheduled for fitting next week! Can advise what I should look out for and what is there to negotiate for? I remembered when I signed the package they told me it will be a different set of gowns from my prewed shoot, but when I called them to confirm, they said otherwise. So I was confused then... So does that means the 4 gowns u choose for photoshoot will be partly used for the AD?

TIA :) hope I have a good experience too! I too feel that 1-4pm is kinda short!
 
For my package, I'm getting 4 gowns for the prewedding photoshoot: 1 indoor white gown, 1 indoor evening gown, 1 outdoor white gown and 1 outdoor evening gown.

Some gowns can only be worn in the studio or on the AD, hence the difference between indoor and outdoor. Most of the time, the indoor gowns will also be used on the AD unless something happens. In my case, the indoor gown I picked for my photoshoot has been soft booked for my AD so I might have to select a different one.

My appointment lasted from 1pm to about 5.30pm, and that includes choosing my fiance's suits. His was done within half an hour though. I was quite lucky because I found gowns that I loved rather quickly. I actually fell in love with the very first gown I tried on.

I think my advice is to be adventurous and try a variety of necklines / silhouettes. Sometimes the right gown might be unexpected. (: Also be honest with your coordinator about what you like or hate about each gown so she will get a better idea of what to pull for you.

Lingerie-wise, I wore a white bustier but was told that a nu bra would be the best choice. They do sell nu bras at the studio, or you can buy your own outside. The coordinator will be with you all the way during the fitting so be prepared, especially if you're the paisey type. I am! But I'm resigned to the fact that before the wedding is over, she's going to be well acquainted with my boobies. XD

Most of all, have fun! Bring along some people who will be gentle yet honest. Best if they have similar taste as you. My mum took a ton of pictures at the fitting which actually came in very useful for me. It's a nice keepsake too!
 
Minkishly said:
For my package, I'm getting 4 gowns for the prewedding photoshoot: 1 indoor white gown, 1 indoor evening gown, 1 outdoor white gown and 1 outdoor evening gown.

Some gowns can only be worn in the studio or on the AD, hence the difference between indoor and outdoor. Most of the time, the indoor gowns will also be used on the AD unless something happens. In my case, the indoor gown I picked for my photoshoot has been soft booked for my AD so I might have to select a different one.

My appointment lasted from 1pm to about 5.30pm, and that includes choosing my fiance's suits. His was done within half an hour though. I was quite lucky because I found gowns that I loved rather quickly. I actually fell in love with the very first gown I tried on.

I think my advice is to be adventurous and try a variety of necklines / silhouettes. Sometimes the right gown might be unexpected. :) Also be honest with your coordinator about what you like or hate about each gown so she will get a better idea of what to pull for you.

Lingerie-wise, I wore a white bustier but was told that a nu bra would be the best choice. They do sell nu bras at the studio, or you can buy your own outside. The coordinator will be with you all the way during the fitting so be prepared, especially if you're the paisey type. I am! But I'm resigned to the fact that before the wedding is over, she's going to be well acquainted with my boobies. XD

Most of all, have fun! Bring along some people who will be gentle yet honest. Best if they have similar taste as you. My mum took a ton of pictures at the fitting which actually came in very useful for me. It's a nice keepsake too!
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for the advice dear :) Hope it will be good tomorrow!
 
Hi all BTBs
What to look out for before signing with the BS? Do I have to try on a few gowns first? If yes, should I wear nubra to the BS? Thanks!
 
Yes...try a few gown first before signing package and make sure they have the style you like first.

Diff studio have diff kind of designs. Most ppl pick the studio based on their gown avaliability
 
Yup, nubra would be great for the fitting! Actually, anything strapless and nude / white will be good but after my own gown fitting, I think nubra is the best. I wore a bustier and sometimes the cups or back was visible in some gowns so it was a bit harder to picture what the gown would actually looked like.
 
Minkishly said:
(cross posted from the Nov 2016 thread)

Just had my gown selection today! It was so fun, although I realized that I really really need to lose weight. :p

Any misgivings I had about my bridal studio went away today when I finally met my coordinator (Jeoncy) for the first time. After a couple of tries, she started to get an idea of what I was looking for and pulled some really really lovely gowns for me. I know people say that The Aisle has rather limited evening gowns but I was actually more spoilt for choice for the coloured gowns. And I'm a plus sized bride (currently UK12 / 14) too, so I think that's pretty good. She's also really nice and considerate. I brought my fiance, MoH and mother along and she gave them ample time between each gown to comment and take photos. Very happy with her service so far!

I think it was just an initial, one-off hiccup. Jeoncy seems very efficient and managed to draw up a whole timeline for us. We managed to settle on the dates for the trial make-up, first fitting and prewedding photography within an hour, and that includes the time we took to choose a photographer (we went with Jacky).

So yay, I feel good about The Aisle again. c:
Click to expand...
Good for you Minkishly! it must be blissful having the gowns you like!

I'm still stuck w the 4 old worn and tattered gowns that have been worn by tens of brides before me. called to ask for a re-choosing and they are quoting me $200 per piece that I wan to change. ridiculous. don't have nice gowns yet forcing clients to pay extra for their mistakes. totally ruined my mood for the photoshoots.
 
minime19 said:
Good for you Minkishly! it must be blissful having the gowns you like!

I'm still stuck w the 4 old worn and tattered gowns that have been worn by tens of brides before me. called to ask for a re-choosing and they are quoting me $200 per piece that I wan to change. ridiculous. don't have nice gowns yet forcing clients to pay extra for their mistakes. totally ruined my mood for the photoshoots.
Click to expand...

Which BS is this?
 
@minime19; Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that! Who's your coordinator, if I might ask? $200 per gown for re-selection is crazy! Maybe you could try and throw a little hissy fit and see if you can speak with the manager or owner? You can voice your concerns to them about the gowns being old and frequently featured, which you only found out after looking at the photo albums. Actually, by goodwill, I think it might be possible to waive or at least lower the re-selection cost, so you could give that a shot!

Maybe I'm bigger sized so the gowns that I can wear have been worn by fewer brides. Out of my selection, one is part of their new collection. My outdoor white gown used to be an indoor white gown but since it's one of the older designs, she allowed me to bring it out. My style is more traditional / classic, so I don't mind that it's not a more modern design. Out of some of the evening gowns I tried on, I did find that some of them felt older than the others.

Anyhow, I'd suggest voicing your concerns to someone "higher" on the hierarchy. I spoke with the owner, Yvonne, once over email and she sounded quite sincere and nice. Hopefully she'll be able to do something for you.

In the worst case, even if the gowns are older / commonly photographed already, I don't think it'd be evident in the photographs. Anyhow, for those close to you, they wouldn't know if other brides wore the same thing before.

Hope everything works out well! *hugs*
 
Hi, I signed up with another BS, and any gown re-selection is chargeable at sgd300... > < and actually I had the same experience that my gown were actually the album sample....I had a very limited choice and I need to top up for a better gown...Seriously, if you have time, go for ala carte better....or go down to the shop to test out before you sign up....once signed, you have no choice....
 
@Minkishly

thanks for your advice! sighs I seriously agree to go ala carte if time is not a concern. but the BF prefers packages as he doesn't wan to go shopping for evrything on our own
 
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