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!

What's a dude doing in a lingerie store, you ask? Well, for sure I wasn't there for myself. But as…read moreI write this, I have a friend who's about to get married civilly and he doesn't want to blow his and his fiancée's budget on an expensive gown. Nosing in and around Starmall EDSA-Shaw, I chanced upon this tiny shop selling women's undies. It's called Creem Lingerie. I swear, I wasn't lured in by the colorful, vibrant thingies hanging on the racks. I mean, being a married guy kinda makes me, uhm, knowledgeable and unmindful of women's underwear. Rather, what caught my eye was the row of white wedding gowns hanging by the wall. And I immediately remembered my abovementioned friend. I entered the boutique to check out the gowns. They all looked new and made of good quality fabric. Best of all, they were all reasonably priced - I know because when my wife and I got married, the price of her gown bore a huge hole in our budget. Indeed, if you are tight on cash or you simply do not want to spend big money on something that will only be worn once, then the gowns here at Creem Lingerie are good for the job. Lastly (and I'm going to say this just because I accidentally saw the price tags after I checked the gowns), Creem Lingerie has very affordable women's underwear. Some of them go as low as PHP 150.00 and they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. This boutique is a must-visit when you're in Starmall EDSA-Shaw and if you're a woman, of course.

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!

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! :)

When I was still in grade school, one of the hottest topics would always be who would you marry,…read morehow your wedding would look and, of course, the perfect wedding dress. This was a topic every girl thought about even before getting to highschool prom! So, to cut a long story short, I was never one of those little girls who had a dream wedding. Actually, I never even planned to get married! Well, well, well... Plans change in many surprising ways! Yes, I got married last week and I walked down the aisle in my Five Designs gown! Honestly, I really didn't have any idea on what style I wanted. So, I based the design on what Carlo wanted to see me in: show off my shoulders & serpentine/mermaid silhouette. In my head, i wanted to focus on comfort. I wanted a dress that had no beading or bedazzling and I didn't have to wear any girdle under it. Whatever I weighed on fitting day, that was it. No more losing weight! Again, since I wanted to be comfortable, I wanted to be in flats. Kacci and Maxine listened to my requests and I put my full trust in their design and style for the dress. I literally had only 2 fittings. Overall, my dress was very ME! It was simple, no-fuss, easy to wear and, yes, I didn't have to change shoes at the end of the night! :D Apart from my dress, Kacci and Maxine also designed my mom's and my mother-in-law's gowns. I wanted their gowns to be simple too and designed for them to be used again in future celebrations. So, their dresses were made with Jersey fabric and the colors we picked complimented each other. :) If you are looking to have a dress made, I totally recommend you head over to Five Designs! Kacci and Maxine really take the time to know you and make sure your dress fits you and your personality! Super duper happy bride here :D