Wedding Attire Supplier Reviews – Bridal Gown, Prep Robe, Entourage Gown, Mother of Bride Gown, Barong, Customized Shoes

Wedding Gown: Lu Moreno

Link: https://www.instagram.com/lumorenocreations/

Peso Power (Booked October 2023): Starts at Php 35,000 (wedding gown), plus add-ons for additional skirt, lace/beads etc.

Lu Moreno was a LIFESAVER. I had booked my wedding gown designer 10 months before the wedding, and had agonized so much over it. Honestly, I really wanted an off-the-rack gown because I’m super Type A and I hate not knowing what the final gown would look like. There’s always this fear that the sketch might look great, but it would look horrible on me in actuality. Unfortunately, I went through multiple RTW gown stores and couldn’t find any gown that spoke to me. So in the end, I decided to go gown designer.

Unfortunately, in October (2.5 weeks before my wedding), my original gown designer stopped responding. He went completely AWOL – FB deactivated, calls went nowhere. I had my coordinator follow up with him too (he was vouched for by my coordinator when I was booking), and nada!! No one had seen him. His store was closed, and employees that my coordinator contacted said they couldn’t reach him too. At this point, I was feeling quite panicked since I had already paid 50% downpayment for my wedding gown, my entourage gowns, my mother and grandmother’s gown, and even the barong of my dad and brother! Ang laki na diba? But with a heavy heart, I started reaching out to other gown designers because parang naghihintay nalang ako sa wala. At this point, a lot of designers were no longer accepting brides for December – super busy season eh.

Thankfully, Lu Moreno messaged back and said she could do it! She had finished her December brides early so she was opening an additional slot. It felt like an answered prayer. I went to her store, and it was so nice and collaborative. She had me try on different gowns in different styles (top and bottom), and it completely altered my idea of what I wanted my gown to look like. Initially, I just wanted a light tulle gown with minimal beading – medyo ethereal and romantic look? I think this was mostly influenced by all the garden wedding gowns I had been seeing on Pinterest. But honestly, I didn’t really know if I would like it. All I knew was I didn’t want the heavily beaded gowns because I felt they were so heavy and just too sparkly for my tastes. So being able to try on gowns of different styles was a HUGE help in allowing me to go beyond my “comfort zone” since Lu made me try on stuff I normally wouldn’t bother with. I think RTW stores can have confirmation bias kasi, since you’re the one who indicates what style you like, so you don’t really get to explore beyond that.

What we ended up with was a two-way dress – split into three articles of clothing: a top, a ceremony skirt, and a reception skirt. For the top, I opted for a butterfly neckline. For my ceremony skirt, a detachable (deflated) ballgown (haha I call it deflated because I only had one layer of lining under it – so a bit similar to A-line but not quite) in tulle. For my reception skirt, I had an Italian silk crepe skirt made in a tulip cut (this was a discovery! I super liked it when I tried it on as I felt it enhanced my curves – I have big hips – while also minimizing the areas I don’t want shown)

But the two month journey to my wedding gown was really an adventure. Lu really tells you upfront na she needs your commitment to go to the store six times because she wants you to see step-by-step how your gown is forming, and you can actually ask her to alter and refine the design even further based on how you feel about the gown. This is a clear departure from most designers actually – who just sketch, then once the sketch is approved, that’s it.

I ended up going back seven times to Lu’s store. It was super stressful… In my first measurement, I was incredibly stressed (because of my original designer issue) and I think that resulted in me gaining a fair bit of weight. For my first fitting, my measurements had changed significantly (think 2 inches gone!), so waley ang fitting. For my second fitting (two weeks later), I had lost even more weight (another 2 inches gone!). CRAZY TALAGA. I wasn’t even dieting. I think it was just my body see-sawing between stress eating and stress not eating?

Then on my fourth fitting, I had gained back the 3 inches. Oh man, I mean I was quite sad about this but Lu was such a huge encouragement during this time as she calmly walked me through how my insecurity areas (e.g. arms, tummy) can be hidden through boning and silhouette. She assured me 100% that I would look like the most beautiful bride.

Aside from the whole weight see-saw, I was also struggling in choosing the lace/beading. Lu showed me several designs, but I just felt it wasn’t me. In the end, I went with this nice intricate leafy lace beads that I felt looked subtle enough. But when Lu showed me what it looked like a week later when she mocked it up on the gown, I was horrified. Like there was this visceral NO reaction. Not that it was ugly, but that it just felt so not me.

Again, Lu was so patient with me. She asked me what my issues with the designs were, and made sense of my ramblings. In the end, we both realized that I simply wasn’t a lace and beads girl. I wasn’t a minimalist girl either. I wanted some structure, some design, but I didn’t like all those sparkles. With this in mind, I sent over a couple of Pinterest pegs that I found more attuned to this mindset, and we worked from there. I ended up choosing this kind of seashell design, which had these nice pleats. Lu then added some flower beading that was subtle but added that sparkle under the right lighting.

I can honestly say that the end output was 100% worth it. When I look at myself in my wedding gown, it is sooo far from how I originally envisioned it to look like, but I can also say with confidence that this gown is SO me, and I really really love it.

So huge thanks to Lu who saved my wedding gown and helped refine it into this beautiful vision. I also love how Lu might not be a designer by trade (like I don’t think she’s the type to craft these intricate designs, and she works better in collaboration with the client), but she is an excellent seamstress. As in literally, when I try on the dress and I point out areas I want hidden, she automatically knows – ah sige, dagdagan natin ng boning diyan, or we can do xyz (I have no idea what these mean LOL but I do know the end product always ends up as I would have wanted it, and that I look great from all angles).

The only area where I felt Lu was a bit pushy was in terms of the dress train length. I really wanted it floor-length since garden wedding and I feel it’ll get super dirty if it’s long + I didn’t want a heavy gown + I had a dance during the reception so I didn’t want to carry a bustle. But Lu kept insisting that it CAN’T be floor length, because it won’t look nice in the photos and you’re only a bride once etc etc. Tbh, I think if I really put my foot down, she would’ve just gone with it. But my sister (my maid of honor) kept agreeing with Lu so I wavered. In the end, we agreed on a one foot train,

Then Lu offered to lend me another skirt (similar look as my current one) that was floor length, so I could wear that during my dance number. Unfortunately, I only saw this skirt (the borrowed one!) on the wedding day and it was MASIKIP. As in it fits a bride whose waist is 2 inches smaller siguro. Thankfully, I only needed to wear it for ~30 minutes so I squeezed myself in and told myself to stop breathing (hahaha jk but not jk). It did make my waist look unnaturally cinched though LOL (also I wore it super high waist na), but thank goodness I could take it off once the dance ended otherwise I’d be deadz.

Other inclusions I availed of:

• Veil (standard)
• Mannequin (borrowed)
• Prep gown (borrowed), although I provided my own chemise

For the prep gown, Lu had a couple of options for me to choose from. Only consideration for you to borrow it is: It has to fit you, and you need to have it dry-cleaned before returning it. I really like this white prep gown she had kasi medyo kakaiba ang design and rather whimsical. Plus I hadn’t seen it elsewhere (apparently it was one she designed herself!). Super nice. At least I didn’t have to buy/rent elsewhere anymore.

I also availed of her on-the-day assistance (Php 7,000 – it’s free for Metro Manila brides, but I had to pay for her driver fee since my wedding was in Tagaytay) but in retrospect, this wasn’t needed because I required zero assistance on-the-day. The gown fit perfectly, and she left before the ceremony once she saw everything fit. In my mind, I thought on-the-day assistance meant she’d also help in fluffing out the dress etc during the ceremony to make sure the dress was presented well (fyi ang gulo pala ng dress when I sat down! I didn’t realize – just saw in photos, oh well). But, I should’ve clarified better what she meant by on-the-day assistance I suppose. In the end, the price I paid was really for my peace of mind!

Overall, for brides who want a collaborative step-by-step process with the designer, and for brides who want a designer who listens to them and really takes their feedback into account – Lu is for you. However, just keep in mind that she REALLY requires you to commit to coming to her shop at least 6 times because she also doesn’t want to skimp on the co-creation process. However, if you’re the type who just wants the designer to sketch for you and tell you xyz looks good on you, then Lu is not for you. Mastrestress ka kasi she wants your input every single step of the way.

Entourage Gown: Lu Moreno

Peso Power (Booked October 2023): Starts at Php 5,000 (any material). Additional fee depending on the design, and if you want to add lace/beads.

I had a rough idea that I wanted my bridesmaids to be in different colors (colors of the sunset specifically – mustard yellow, rust orange, peach, lavender) and that I wanted them to choose their own designs (top) while the bottom would be the same (tulip skirt, same as my reception skirt) for that cohesive theme.

With this in mind, I chose specific colors from the catalogue Lu gave me. Initially I wanted tulle as the material (for a garden wedding), but I think we changed the material! Tbh, I can’t remember na hehe. There was an issue with the colors because I originally wanted rust orange (and that was the color I chose), but when my bridesmaid went to have her fitting, it became a bright orange (she termed it highlighter orange). I complained and Lu said that this was because the supplier changed the exact shade corresponding the swatch code… thankfully, the color worked really well still with my other girls, and that bridesmaid had a very fair complexion so she could pull if off. So imbis na sunset, naging sunrise colors nalang haha ok din I guess, to signify new beginnings. But my tip to brides is: document all conversation and agreements between you and your suppliers. That way, if may issue, may mababalikan ka. In this case, I always send a viber message after detailing all the agreements. So nung nagka-issue, I could screenshot and show what was agreed upon. In the end, Lu said that if I was unhappy with the color, they’d change the whole thing free of charge. But since mukhang ok naman, we just retained the existing dress instead

My bridesmaids went to Lu 3x – first was for measurement (you can also measure yourself, and just send her your measurements). This was also when they discussed their design preference with Lu – and she gave feedback on whether the design was a good fit given their complexion and body type. Second visit was for the first fitting (2 bridesmaids were pretty much good to go at this point, but the other 2 had adjustments because they either gained or lost weight), and third visit for the final fitting. I think mostly ok by the final fitting – may changes lang sa gown length, and addition of ribbons etc. One bridesmaid lang, lost so much weight by the final fitting! So she went back a fourth time.

Overall, no issues naman. One note though is it’s better to go to the studio when Lu is around. My bridesmaid went when Lu wasn’t there (her fault, she had scheduled for morning but suddenly couldn’t make it because may emergency meeting at work, so she went in the afternoon instead when Lu wasn’t around). She relayed some requests (adding a ribbon at the back of her dress) to the staff, which didn’t seem to have been relayed till Lu, hence why she still couldn’t get the dress at the final fitting.

Overall, happy with the quality of Lu’s work (love how she took the initiative to include pleats designs in my bridesmaid dresses so that was something that tied them together further!) and the ease of working with her. I would definitely recommend her to brides searching for an affordable designer for their entourage!

Mother and grandmother gown: Merri Chan

Link: https://www.instagram.com/merrichandesigns/

Peso Power (Booked October 2023): Starts at Php 15,000. She’ll provide a more definitive quote once you’ve agreed on the design and the material + beading/lace intricacy required

Initially, I was planning to go Jerome Ang for my mother and grandmother’s gown because he’s already tried and tested (but very clutch magtrabaho kaya medyo stress). But I decided to check out Merri Chan also because I’d heard good reviews about her. Upon meeting, I found her very nice and chill to work with. Not only that, but she studied Architecture in college, and she really brings in that perspective in her designs – they’re all quite unique and structured. Plus, given she’s Chinese (ICAn, but brought up more traditionally) and relatively young (30s), I thought she might relate well with my mom and grandmother. And I was right! It takes a special touch to relate well with old aunties, because they’re very opinionated. My grandmother, in particular, used to be a seamstress, so she really knows clothes and is very particular about quality (especially if it’s her own clothes). But Merri was always very patient with them at every fitting, and took care to always compliment and soothe any concerns they might have.

In total, there were four visits. The first one was for measurement, and for sketching out the designs. She got my mom to agree to this lime green material (very eye-catching and bold!) and my grandmother to agree to this cute Queen Elizabeth-esque design. The second one was for fitting. There were adjustments that needed to be made, especially in the boobs area, as well as with the length. The third one was supposed to be the final fitting – but there were still some issues with my mom’s dress. In particular, Merri’s staff cut my mother’s gown a bit oddly, medyo tabingi ang length! Unfortunately, this could no longer be fixed, so Merri offered up a creative design by adding a flowy shoulder strip of cloth to kind of hide this.

Overall, both gowns were very comfortable for both my mother and grandmother, and they got compliments during the wedding day – which made my mother especially happy hehe! I would recommend Merri – especially for Chinese moms and aunts, because she’s really good at handling them. My mother was telling me that she was a bit upset about the length issue, but because Merri was so nice, she decided to just let it be. O diba?

Prep pajamas: Clovermint

Link: https://www.instagram.com/clovermintph/

Peso power (Purchased November 2023): Php 1,090 per PJ (top and shorts) + Php 120 (monogram)

I really wanted to give my entourage something nice and useful. So when asking them to be my bridesmaid, I decided to gift them cotton pajamas from Clovermint! I loooove their pajamas – they’re so cottony soft and super comfy. Craftmanship is great too. I was choosing between Clovermint vs Linen and Homes (bamboo pajamas – also sooo nice against the skin), but in the end, opted to go with Clovermint because they could add personalized name embroidery.

Messaged them via IG. Communication was seamless. I told them the quantity, design and size I wanted (got the measurements from Lu haha #sneaky), as well as the name I wanted embroidered and the font to be used.

1.5 weeks later, the PJs were ready and I booked a Lalamove to pick them up!

Aside from the PJs, I also gifted my bridesmaids matching hair accessories (purchased from Shopee) which they used on my wedding day, as well as cute fluffy slippers (which we didn’t really end up using lol! But I still use mine at home actually haha). Gift for bridesmaids, check!

Customized Wedding Shoes: Prome and Theus

Link: https://www.facebook.com/promeandtheus

Peso Power (Booked September 2023): Php 4,500 (real leather) based on my peg

I hate buying shoes because I am very particular about them. Alam mo iyong feeling na you know you don’t like something but you don’t know what you like? That’s me. Haha I hate shopping!! Clothes, shoes – lahat iyan, I feel tired just thinking about it. From January to September, I was lowkey shoe shopping but couldn’t seem to find THE ONE. Until I chanced upon this super pretty (and basic) pair Kindah shoes at Aldo! They cost Php 4,695 when I saw them (but when I checked today, Php 3,500 nalang!). Link: https://aldoshoes.com.ph/products/kindah-heeled-shoes-white-bone?variant=43938312421633&currency=PHP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImYmVoa2UhAMVUy17Bx0UBgrsEAQYAyABEgLtkvD_BwE

Anyway, they look GREAT on my feet, and felt super comfy too. Only issue was the heels were too tall. My husband is only one inch taller than me, so I was planning to just buy one inch heels. Unfortunately, this was 2.25” so this was out.

But I couldn’t get it out of my mind. So I started searching for local shoemakers. Asked for quotations, and decided on Prome and Theus given their quick response rate. Overall, super quick – I sent them my peg, they gave me a quote. I went to their store to get my feet measured (you can also measure yourself and just send to them). 3 weeks later, they informed me my shoes were ready for pick up.

Quality-wise, it’s OK. The Aldo shoes definitely looked more pulido – but the Aldo shoes were also made using polyurethane (which tbh I’m ok with, but Prome and Theus insisted real soft leather was better because it will only look better as it aged). I tried wearing it to a wedding just to test the shoes, and ohno, masakit! Masikip siya sa taas na part – since it’s square-toed, it kept hitting my skin every time I took a step.

I messaged Prome and Theus about it, and they told me to send back the shoes so they could repair it. But (and this is me), I had read so many horror stories of how repaired shoes came back worse off, that I decided to just break it in on my own. So for one week, I wore super thick socks then wore these shoes and walked around the house in them.

It worked! By my wedding day, it was very comfortable. I wore it from morning (start of prep shoot) to midnight (when my reception and after party ended). Zero problems. The only thing I noticed pre-wedding was that the leather started to crease (which I think is normal?), but medyo pangit tignan sa photos if halata, so I bought shoe clips on Shopee to hide them for photo taking purposes.

Overall, I think Prome and Theus is decent. Definitely not perfect, and quality could use some work (you can see it’s manually made, vs machine-made), but I also think it’s always good to support local manufacturers. Price point was good for me.

Groom Barong: Kingsmen Bespoke

Link: https://www.facebook.com/kingsmenbespoke?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Peso power: Php 25,000 (piña barong) – separate charge for camisa

Very chill and easy to work with (according to my husband). He went to their store, got himself measured, then chose a design based on what was available. The second time he went back (a month later), he tried it on and took it home.

Honestly, my husband is definitely the chill half of this couple, so I think he’s genuinely an easier customer to handle vs me haha! But in general, he likes Kingsmen and his whole family gets their barong made here for all the weddings they attend

Father and Brother barong: S Bridal Boutique

Link: https://www.facebook.com/Sbridalshop

Peso Power per barong (Booked November 2023): Php 4,500 (piña cocoon w/ scattered embroidery) + Php 500 (tailored camisa) + Php 500 (transport fee for home visit)

Honestly, I was so stressed over my wedding gown/entourage gown/mother gown designer issue (see above), I kind of forgot my dad and brother also needed barongs. 7 weeks before the wedding, I scrambled to search for a barong designer and stumbled upon S Bridal (via WAWIES). I decided to go with them because they replied the fastest and most comprehensively.

I had them do a house visit to get my dad and brother’s measurements as well as to bring samples of the designs they had available. This entire process was very smooth. She told me I should expect the barongs in a month’s time and I figured, ok, sounds good!

One month later however, wala parin! I followed up and it took them forever to reply (ok mga 2 days) but since it was so near my wedding, I was feeling super stressed already. They’re so hard to contact! I tried messenger, I even reached out to previous WAWIES brides to get their contact number (tried texting, calling, Viber message etc). Finally they replied and told me my brother’s barong was done, but my dad’s wasn’t.. kasi nagka-issue daw sa embroidery. Omg panic! But they assured me my dad’s would be done within the week. I had my brother’s barong shipped over, and when he tried it on, it was too big! Soo crazy. Syempre na-stress ako lalo. I communicated with them and they asked me to ship the barong back. I’m pretty sure they used the wrong measurements to make the barong, because everything was just off (but actually it fit my dad quite well).

A week later, I started following up again. Before sending over the package, they took a pic of the barongs and camisa and I noticed that my dad’s barong didn’t have the scattered embroidery we had agreed upon (and I had paid extra for). I immediately flagged and ayun nga, they forgot about it huhu). So they promised to fix it and to have it ready by the next day. Haay at this point, I was already contemplating rushing to SM to buy a ready-made barong nalang. My wedding was literally 4 days away!

Thankfully the next day, ready na mga barong and camisa, so I had it Lalamove’d. Unfortunately, when my dad and brother tried the camisa + barong on, my dad’s was fine, but my brother’s camisa (which was supposed to be custom-made according to his measurements) was too tight in the chest area. Again, I messaged to complain. They said they’d fix it, and I asked them to shoulder the shipping fee na this time since dami ko na binayad na shipping with all the back and forth… They agreed, and they were able to send over a new camisa the next day and this one fit well.

Hmm honestly, the barong and camisa quality are quite good actually – craftmanship-wise. And I appreciate how they own up to their mistakes and are open to correcting them. But, ang hirap nila macontact… definitely not one of my stress-free suppliers. If I booked them months in advance, I think this wouldn’t be as big an issue, but because I was on a very tight timeline, sobra stressed talaga ako. In the end, they delivered though. And their price point really is quite good. So I might recommend to budgetarians. BUT start early with them and over communicate!