Gail shares her dream bridal gown without having to spend for a designer to make it for her. Just see for yourself…

gail wedding gown

Last November 25, 2007 marked the first year of my marriage to Marc, my best friend and boyfriend since college. Up to now, I still can’t get over the fact that it’s been a year already. It seems only like yesterday when I saw my dad’s jaw nearly fall to the ground in shock after my sister and I casually told him that Marc and I were planning to get married.

Since both of us already had our own income, Marc and I shouldered majority of the wedding costs. Although this gave my dad the perfect excuse whenever annoying relatives tried to intervene with the plans, it also posed a problem: a financial problem.

I had to make the most of our tight budget. I knew that hiring a popular designer would set me back big time, so I just did what I usually do in times like these—I researched and improvised. I grew up with a mom who believed that practically everything you’ll need can be found real cheap at Divisoria, and in this case, she was right.

I searched the Web for the gown design I liked best, printed it out, and had a couturier in Ilaya Street at Divisoria come up with a similar design based on the modifications I wanted. I could have saved more if I opted for a ready-to-wear (RTW) gown, but I wanted a design that would fit me—I paid a tad bit more than the RTWs, but my total gown expense was still way, way cheaper than a designer gown.

The design I chose was a bit conservative (well, considering the latest trends these days, my choice was quite demure), and fit my theme, modern Filipiniana. It had cutwork accents, bell sleeves and tail, reminiscent of traditional Filipiniana but still had the modernity of simplicity. I didn’t want it too gaudy, but I didn’t want it too plain either.

At my wedding, friends and relatives kept asking me who designed my dress and how much it cost me. I can still recall the surprised reactions I got—they couldn’t believe that it was cheap, and that I didn’t hire a designer to make it. Looks can definitely be deceiving :)

I’m proud of my gown. It didn’t cost me much, but it brought to life the wedding gown I dreamt of having and had only thought possible for my Barbie dolls.

gail

We’d love for you to share your wedding planning experiences with us. Our Wedding Day Memories category contains stories of how women made their fairy-tale weddings come true despite being on a limited budget, or what they did to find the perfect wedding gown. Even those who are single can contribute to the section by telling us all about your Dream Bridal Gown.

If you would like your story to be featured in our blog, send a digital photo of your wedding gown and story to noemidado@gmail.com