Quite biased here because she made my wedding gown, but Richie Ortega-Torres is THE BEST when it…read morecomes to bridal gowns (and evening other gowns and dresses). Based on my personal experience, I loved her from my first appointment with her for my wedding gown. I didn't even bother looking elsewhere because I knew that she would make the perfect dress for me. Richie listened to what I said, browsed through my pegs and listened to my concerns about my gown. She had a few suggestions for me, but she never pushed for anything that I wasn't so sure about. Just from her sketch alone, I knew I had made the right decision of getting her, and as my first fitting came along, I was even more thrilled. There were only some minor changes to be done with my gown, all of which she and her girls handled immediately. With just 3 fittings, I was a happy bride-to-be and I can definitely say that I slept peacefully the night before my wedding as the gown was already set-up in my hotel room. Until this day, 1 and a half year later, I still look at my gown from time to time to admire how well-made it was. She lacing, the beading and the stitches were made to perfection and I can only hope that I can someday give it to my future daughter to wear on her wedding day.

At first Richie suggested me to look around here in CA.. I went to five bridal shops and I found a…read morefew dresses I like, but I wanted more of a Filipino design.. She was very responsive to my texts, concerns,questions, and pictures which I sent via cellphone. She was very honest. I love her responses. Then I told her that one dress I really love it and it has a very LOW back dress which wasn't my type at all. She quickly offered to make a similar dress with a covered back! She saved my life! Once she made a baseline fitting, she sent it to my cousin who flew here in CA and then my cousin brought it back to her in Makati. Then my ninang brought my final dress over here on time. Thank you Richie for making my beautiful dress! I'll never forget it!

In the Philippines, it has always been more popular to have a gown custom made than buy it off the…read morerack, most especially for gown for special events like weddings. However, there are still women who would like to see the actual product before making a purchase. This is why Rosa Clara exists. I once had a client who had several ideas as to what she wants for her wedding gown, so we headed to Rosa Clara to see some designs that closely resemble her pegs. Choosing from their wide range of styles, we were able to pick out 5 pieces most similar to what she had in mind. It was startling as the styles and cuts she actually liked did not suit her well and flatter her body type. The comsultants at the shop then picked three dresses that they had her try on. These dresses were not the bride's initial type, but we were quite surprised that the styles she tried on actually worked. In the end, she chose one that was not characteristically "her", but fit her and flattered her very well.

We went here to buy the accessories for Carlo's groomsmen. It's a bridal shop where they sell RTW…read moregowns for only Php2,500 to Php8,500. This is the place for the budget savvy bride. Plus, you need your haggling powers here! I was able to buy 10 suspenders and 10 bowties for only Php1,400 (USD29.53). Yes, the bundle technique works here. Don't be shy to say that you have a set budget and, if they like you enough, they will give in to your price. Go here on a weekday. Less people means they offer bigger discounts! :)

Aside from our Economic Mission, we were also on a mission to buy some wedding goodies. My cousins…read morealready pre-visited this place and took us here to buy supplies such as coins, rosary, veil, etc... Located in the SM mall on the 5th level is this tiny store. What I expected was a large store full of good, but this place is a hole in the wall with about 4 aisles of jam packed wedding stuff. I think it was a little too much for my fiancee so he patiently waited outside the store as I began making my selections. There are about 5 employees for this tiny store, and at times you feel kind of claustrophobic since the aisles are quite small to maneuver. By and large, we bought about $300 worth of wedding "stuff" and it's really good quality! Some of the items we purchased were: veil, coins, rosary, unity candles, sponsor candles, coin box, ring box, guest book, bible, and garter. The materials were pretty solid and not flimsy or cheap looking. We were happy to get those items squared away as it's one less item to worry about for our wedding!

From the owner: The Wedding Library's Bridal Fair is the country's most beloved bridal fair series held every…read moreFebruary and May. Meet over 350 wedding suppliers all under one roof and Win P100,000 for booking any supplier during our 3-day event!