Gown/s

Three years ago, Joey, a friend of mine made a sketch for my wedding gown. That was during the time when I do not have my engagement ring yet but has already received a promise ring. It was a simple haltered gown with a "belt". That was how I wanted my gown - simple.

A year ago, a co-worker Kate started her wedding preps. She showed me the gown she would have for her wedding, and told me that her wedding day is the only day in her life that she gets to wear a princess-like gown. Makes sense, I thought. She accompanied me to a wedding gown shop just so I would know what type would suit me. I tried on 5 different gowns, 2 stood our from the rest. Both gowns were the complete opposite of what I originally thought would look good. There wasn't a "bride feeling" with the other gowns I tried on, maybe because they were too simple. So from then, my view of what I would wear for the wedding changed. If only I could get a gown here in Australia for less than $1000. The gowns I liked cost $1700 and $1900.

A week later, Celia, another co-worker who got married 2 weeks prior told me that she got her gown from the internet and cost her less than $300. "So that's 300 dollars times 40-ish equals 12,000-ish pesos." Quite a steal! So I browsed the site, and the gowns ranged from simple to not-so-simple. I knew then I would get my gown from there.

When my mom came for a visit last May, I told her I would be getting my gown from the internet. She was hesitant at first, until I asked Celia to pretty please bring her gown to work so I could show my mom and convince her. She did (and bless her, she was able to take the gown back home after more than 4wks) and it got my mom's approval.

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So anyway, as we're on a budget, we also need to find a wedding supplier to make the entourage gowns. My first and only option then was to have the gowns made in Divisoria. So I asked Joey to please sketch gowns (initially to convince my mom about our color motif) which can be easily copied in Divisoria. The last thing I want is an elaborate design but badly executed. I also told him to make them long gowns.

The weekend after last, Joey gave me the sketches. They were beautiful. I loved all the gowns he made! They all look so classy and elegant. The girls would definitely love 'em.

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Come August, I've started sending inquiries to gown designers/makers to ask for their starting rate for bridesmaids gowns. 4 of them replied, all of them way above our original budget. The cheapest quote we were given was twice the original budget we had for the gowns. R went to a wedding expo and told me the budget we had for the gowns was unrealistic, we had to increase it. And so we did.

Mother's gowns... Both Mommy and Mami initially wanted to just buy RTW gowns off the rack. That changed.

I sent Joey's sketches to 2 different suppliers to ask for their quote, and we chose the one who gave us the lowest. Aside from getting the entourage gowns, we will also get R's barong tagalog from him plus the mothers' gowns. He has also quoted us for barong tagalog for our best man and ring bearer.

I am now waiting for his email re the fitting schedule, and the sketches for the mothers' gowns, flower girls and barong tagalog.