Ask These 12 Questions Before You Rent Or Buy A Bridal Gown In Singapore

There are FOUR main kinds of brides:

(1) “Pragmatic” Bride – Bride under this category would prefer to wear something that fit their figure.  Something saves and still looks good. 



(2) “Designer” Bride – A bride who has spent time doing a lot of research and is able to go into detail on the technical terms like A-line, ball gown, mermaid silhouette, “court” length gown, “sweetheart” neckline, “u-shape” back, etc.

(3) “Adventurous” Bride – A bride who is willing to express themselves and explore different bridal gowns based on personal liking and her personality.

(4) “Uncertain” Bride – These brides are excited, but at the same time, not sure what they need.  Usually, they need some time to come to terms with what they need.

For the “Pragmatic” Bride and “Designer” Bride, there will be a separate article each, addressing their needs.  This article hopes to assist the “Uncertain” Bride to able to have a better understanding of what to look out for when finding their ideal wedding gown, especially if the bride is depending heavily on the bridal boutique.

In no particular chronological order, these are some of the common questions to reflect upon, addressing these questions would formulate some key points to trigger specific ideas for the wedding gown from the right boutique.

Click here to read the "Ultimate Wedding Guide."

1. How far in advance should I start looking for a gown?

The process of choosing a wedding gown should be enjoyable.  If you are not enjoying the process, you should pick a boutique that you feel comfortable with and seek their advice. 

Any good bridal shop would be more than happy to assist you with this.  So that brings us back to the question of how early we should engage the bridal.  

Start looking around at least 12 months prior to your wedding date. Spending a weekend to visit some boutique without rushing would easily take up to 4 to 5 weeks. 

If you are going for designer bridal gowns, it would take another 3 to 4 months.  That adds up to half a year gone.  The remaining 6 months should give enough time for delivery, alterations, and final fitting. 

Not forgetting as you reach closer to the actual day there are many other preparations that can be overwhelming. The last thing you want is to rush through and compromise your ideal gown.

Taking the among of time to prepare your ideal wedding gown makes the actual wedding day more meaningful when you finally put it on.

2. If I want to depend on a bridal boutique, how to select the right boutique that is professional and has knowledgeable consultants?

Good things don’t come cheap, and neither does it mean expensive means well.  It is good to find a boutique that can give your that “value for money”.

Before you start walking in or booking an appointment, it is good to read a bit about the individual boutique websites.  The forum might give some hints, but cannot be taken too seriously.  Very important to look out for good services. 

A boutique with the right service attitude will go a long way in providing a good experience.  Another crucial criterion is to find out how many years the boutique has been in business, experienced consultants come for years. 

A good consultant should comfortably share ideas with you on the fabric, design concept, silhouettes, neckline, etc.  Eventually, through the discussion, you might develop your vision of your ideal gown.   

The right bridal shop will not only advise you on the right gown that will enhance your figure and highlight your strong points but also select a gown that is complementary to your reception venue.

For example, a long train gown (gown with a long sweeping skirt) may not be suitable for a beach ceremony. And the bride needs something “loud” for a march-in if there is a huge ballroom banquet to be held.

The right boutique should able to carry a series of evening wear, good suits for the groom, traditional tea dresses for tea ceremony (for Asia culture), perhaps “Mini” (Dress with a hemline well above the knees) for bridesmaid dresses, veils, headpieces, accessories, undergarments, and shoes.

3. Should I go alone or with friends during the bridal gown selection?

If you have a certain bridal gown selection in mind, it is good to limit yourself to bringing only one or two close friends with your best interest in mind.  As too many opinions might distract you from hearing your own inner voice.

Again a good trustable boutique would be able to advise you, accordingly too.

4. What is the right price for my bridal gowns?

Often brides that are on a budget tend to discuss the prices by actually looking at the gown.  It is very important not to compromise low prices for the bad gown. 

Have a quick run-through of the collection, and give your consultant an exact price range so that the bridal gown that you are potentially eyeing fits within your allocated sum to spend.

To give a fair judgment, complications of the design, fabric, and lace used should be part of determining the right price.

It is essential that your price for the gown should take into consideration of good skill capability for your bridal gown alteration.  Only the best-fitting gown would complete an ideal bridal gown.

5. In general, what to look out for in the gown?

It can be tricky when browsing through the shelves.  A bridal gown doesn't look good on the shelves, but that doesn't necessarily mean it won't look amazing on you. Be OPEN to an experienced consultant's opinion regarding which bridal gown will flatter your figure.

Click here to read about "How does Gown Rental Really Work."

6. Which white will work for my skin tone?

There are over 20 shades (off-white) of white to choose from, and the only way to know which one looks best on you is to try it on.  Usually, a bridal gown in the ivory color flatters the bride's skin tone is better.

7. Which is the right choice, there are so many different fabrics out there.

If you are not into “designing” your own gown or intend to spend heavily on your gown, do not let the choice of fabrics be your concern.  You can do a bit of research, but your best bet is to get your hands to feel the gown. 

Fabrics have an individual characteristic to match the design, and more importantly, do you feel good when the bridal gown rest on your skin?

8. Customization for the off-the-shelves gown?

Any good boutique will have an in-house experienced seamstress to do any minor customization of the bridal gown picked from the shelves.  So do not hesitate to inquire about specific changes that you have in mind to create the ideal dress for yourself.

9. Can I get cheap gown and yet look amazing?

When you walk into the aisle, everyone will be focusing on your overall presentation and how lovely you look in your gown, so the single most important factor when it comes to a “perfect” wedding gown, is the way it fits.

If a bridal gown is perfectly tailed to your body, it will look like it was made for you by the most fashionable boutique in town!  Hence seeking the services of an expert seamstress from the right boutique is essential.

10. Are there any pretty alternatives, “different” bridal gowns?

Yes, in fact, plenty of colored bridal gowns are one popular option among celebrities to give a more unique look to their wedding gown.  Some Italian or American famous designers do carry the unconventional bridal gown collection.

For example, a two-piece gown top and skirt combination, especially if it is made from a silky fabric or has beading.

11. How many fittings will I need? 

Bridal Shops with good alteration skills, typically suggest two fittings but are not limited to two.  One for the first fitting to pick up all the small detail so that the bridal gown is perfectly sculpted to your body. Another probably a few days prior to their big day to get the most accurate fit.

12. After the bridal gown selection, when will my dress be ready for the first fitting?

Regardless of rental (common in Asia) or purchase, there are basically three possibilities, 

1. Selecting the bridal gown off the shelves,

2. Made-to-measure from concept, and

3. Imported gown from designers.

Depending on how busy the boutique is, usually for off shelves to first fitting would be two weeks to a month.  For made-to-measure, it is about 3 to 5 months. It may be longer for a designer bridal gown.