The Best Underrated Bridal Designers and Brands You Have Not Heard Of

Wedding dress shopping is one of many tasks that brides look forward to most when getting married. However, it is important to do your research on the look and style you want before going into dress shopping. Decide upon a budget to stay within for your wedding dress, based upon who is paying for the gown. As most people do not think about this, but ask around and look into the quality of fabric and materials that designers use for their gowns.

Some questions to think about:

• Will my dress be ripped after my reception from people stepping on it and dancing?
• Is the mesh fabric so thin that it will rip easily?
• If my dress gets stains in it, are they removable?
• If one bead comes loose, will the others do the same?

From my experiences as a wedding gown seamstress, I have worked on several high-end designer name brands that you see on Say Yes to the Dress. Some of the designer gowns are too hyped up for what they are. For example, Hayley Paige, a trending wedding dress designer, has beautiful gowns that have become the most sought after in the wedding gown industry at the moment. However, post-weddings, handling the dresses is frustrating because the quality of tulle used for the dresses is very bad. I can only do so much closing the rips and tears on these dresses. The beads come off very easily also, so I have so re-sew on most of the beading by hand, which is so time consuming.

Here are my top 5 Bridal designers that you need to look at when wedding dress shopping:

Allure Bridal

This is one of my all time favorite wedding dress designer brands. Allure features on trend, modern silhouettes with glimpses of classic Hollywood glamour. They are well known for having excellence in design and craftsmanship in creating gowns for special moments of a bride’s wedding day. They use fantastic quality fabrics that are soft, with light cotton lace and ethereal English net, rich satin with intricate Swarovski crystals that will stay on the dress pre and post wedding. Allure gowns are affordable and range anywhere from $1000-$2500.

Kenneth Winston

I have had nothing but all positive experiences working with Kenneth Winston gowns. These gowns are the definition of glamorous, intricately detailed, timeless, modern, and fashion-forward. The detailing on these dresses is truly impeccable, and they use high quality lace and beading that will not fall off post-wedding. The combination of fabric colors and materials used throughout the dress is unlike any other brands I have seen. Kenneth Winston collections are well known in the industry for using the highest-quality materials for the most luxurious finish. So, if you are looking for glamour, timelessness, and a fashion forward dress that is of the highest quality, go check out Kenneth Winston.

Essence of Australia

Essence of Australia dresses are award winning that combine features of superb fit, attention to detail, and fashion-forward designs into each gown that will give brides the ultimate designer wedding dress feel on their wedding day. This brand uses the nicest lace, beading, quality cotton/polyester blend, and crepe that will not snag or rip easily. Any stains on Essence of Australia’s gowns are able to come out. The craftsmanship on these gowns are impeccable, and I have such great experiences working on this brand’s gowns, and I love to see all the different styles. These gowns range in price from $1700-$2800

Casablanca

Like the movie, there is a wedding gown brand named Casablanca. Casablanca is a privately owned company that produces their own gowns to ensure that all phases of production adhere to superb quality with their original designs and attention to detail. Unlike other designer brands gowns which are mass produced, Casablanca gowns are made to order and are made with such care and attention to detail and high quality materials. Each gown is unique from the rest. From my experiences, Casablanca is a bridal brand that is not talked about often, but it should be. The designs are gorgeous, and each time I work on them, I barely see any repairs that need to be done. The brand positioning of superb quality is spot on, and the lace, beading, and fabric cleans like a dream.

Pnina Tornai

I can see the hype about Pnina Tornai’s dresses from Say Yes to the Dress. A fashion-forward thinker and designer in the industry, Pnina is the trendsetter in the industry. I see her gowns all the time and how her design aesthetic is seen throughout all her gowns in her collections, she is true to herself and her style. Pnina Tornai gowns are as dramatic and exquisite as they seem on TV. She is known for her signature corset design which adds a modern touch to her like-a-glove fits. However, I was disappointed in the quality of Swarovski crystals used, as they were only glued on the dress and not sewed on, making it extra work for myself to attach back onto dresses when they come off and when they are cleaned. If you are looking for a unique, Haute Couture gown, and do not mind spending $4000-$12,000 on a gown, then check her out.