Wedding Dress Designer – Vinka Design

The best time to start the search is when you already have a good idea of when your wedding is going to be and what sort of venue you’re going for, whether it be a church, a beach etc. This lets us know how much time we have to work with and helps us find an appropriate style of gown for the occasion. It’s never really too early to get started and making plans sooner often makes things easier as it gives you a better idea of how much to budget for. Because we make all our gowns in-house we can be flexible and if needed we are able to work on a tight schedule, though ideally we’d have around 4-12 months to ensure that everything is perfect.

Not at all. We are designers and a big part of what we do is about knowing what styles and fabrics to use to help accentuate and flatter a bride’s figure and personality so that she looks and feels flawless on the day. We have an extensive in-house collection of gowns and fabrics to work with for inspiration and are more than happy to work alongside you to bring your dream gown to life – even if you aren’t quite sure what it looks like yet.

While a large portion of our gowns are featured here we still have many that are only in our showroom, as well as a range of exclusive laces from all over the world that we are constantly adding to with pieces that are made-to-order. It’s not hard for us to find inspiration and our in-house collection is always growing, so it’s well worth coming in and having a look at what we’ve got in our atelier.

Most of our gowns are between $3,600.00-$7,000.00 depending on the fabrics used and the amount of work involved in crafting the gown. Custom-made gowns are generally more expensive but it does depend on the dress.

Consultations are where we discuss thoughts, ideas, likes and dislikes, the venue and so on to get a general feel for the overall look of the gown. Sometimes we start with a silhouette and find fabric to suit, and other times a fabric is chosen and the design is tailored around it. Often a bride will come in with her own ideas or having fallen in love with one of our gowns but we are also able to use our collection to try out different styles and explore different possibilities. The end result is a sketch that shows the concept of the gown and helps ensure that you are happy with its design so that the process of physically creating the gown can begin.

A consult generally lasts an hour and costs $100.00, which is then taken off the cost of the dress if a purchase is made. If more than one session is needed however it comes at no extra cost. You are welcome to bring along anyone you choose, whether they be parents, grandparents or friends, or even come alone – whatever you feel most comfortable with.

We generally like to have three fittings across the process, along with one appointment to take measurements beforehand. The first two fittings are about ensuring that the body of the gown fits perfectly, focusing on the neckline and the bodice. This requires the bra that the measurements were taken in, and ideally for the best fit it’s a good idea to be at the same size that you’ll be on the day. The second or third fitting will ensure that the hemline is the right length so having the shoes you want to wear at this point is vital.

We accommodate this simply by working a bit closer to the date of the wedding so that you’re as close to the size you will be for the day as possible – no extra costs are involved.

Usually we start making the dress 2 ½ – 3 months before the date, with brides usually being able to pick up the gown the week before or week of the wedding depending on what they prefer.

Accessories are an important part of the bride’s look and making sure that they flatter both her and the gown is essential. For us advising a bride on how to accessorise for the big day is an integral part of the process and we have a broad range of accessories and veils in-store to help inspire and bring your look to life. These are available for purchase and we can also make a veil to order specifically to suit your dress and tastes. Of course, if you already have your own jewelry, that works fine – you just need to bring it to the final fitting so we can make sure you’re happy with how it all fits together.

We do not – however, we are more than happy to advise, design or provide fabrics for the occasion.

This isn’t a problem for us, although we do have to do things a bit differently so as to minimise the amount of times you need to travel to us. We like to take measurements in the same visit as the initial consult and then ideally handle the first and second fittings together in the next visit, which we often do over the course of a day. The third visit is generally overnight and involves the third and final fittings. Depending on the complexity of the gown it will be complete and ready to be picked up by the end of the third visit. This is just a general idea of how we like to handle the process – ultimately the approach we take will change between brides so that we can tailor it to best suit your circumstances and the intricacies of the gown.