Choosing Bridal Studio

[gingar 0]

hi,

i was just wondering.. what is the procedure or criteria to picking a BS?

do you guys pick bs based on

1. gowns

2. photography

3. package/price

in that order?

[GnM 0]

that really depends on whether you are boi boi or ger ger...

and your preference? Clothes vs photographs? Price vs package? service vs everything else?

[korea 0]

hi,

i was just wondering.. what is the procedure or criteria to picking a BS?

do you guys pick bs based on

1. gowns

2. photography

3. package/price

in that order?

we chosen the BS b'cs this BS had done our ROM before so we went to look for this BS to do our AD again.

[JuzChris 1]

Find out more fm a few more BS by shoppin ard.. the one u find most comfortable & flexible wif is the one.

Those tryin to hard sell one r immediately off my list

Of course fren recommandation does play an impt role as well. Competitive pricing n gd service is wat I personally look out for

I wld advise not to spend too much on it save some $$ for yr reno instead, think practical.. after all the album will be store away & viewed onli occasionally

Edited July 10, 2007 by JuzChris

[korea 0]

Find out more fm a few more BS by shoppin ard.. the one u find most comfortable & flexible wif is the one.

Those tryin to hard sell one r immediately off my list

Of course fren recommandation does play an impt role as well. Competitive pricing n gd service is wat I personally look out for

I wld advise not to spend too much on it save some $$ for yr reno instead, think practical.. after all the album will be store away & viewed onli occasionally

yup, agreed. advisable not to spend so much $$$ on photos b'cos no point. after all, the album will be kept inside the drawer and only view long long time later.

[ARCHer 0]

First of all, you must know your budget. From there, you can then narrow down those BS that meet your budget. For example, if you are tight on budget, then there is no point looking at BS like Ted Wu, Vera Wang etc. 'cos they are on the very high end range. You visit them and see something you really like, and you end up being disappointed because you cannot afford them.

Once you have a budget in mind, then visit those BS that meet your budget. Check out their gowns, designs, photography, packages etc. If you can, get some recommendations from friends about which BS they use and their experiences. When you visit the BS, it is important for you to be comfortable with them and the service they offer. For example, when my wife and I visited one BS along Tanjong Pagar, we told them of our concept (my wife and I wanted to do a ballroom and a latin dance). Very few of them listened to this (maybe because they are not familiar with the requirements for ballroom/latin dance). One BS keep telling us how nice their gowns are, and when my wife tried on the gown, she found that it was so heavy that she could not dance in it.

It is easy to get carried away, since almost all BS would try to influence you to spend more (MTM rather than OTR, more decorations, keep the gown, buy accesories, more photographs etc.). Keep to the budget as much as you can. Don't be afraid to ask for freebies and bargain on the packages.

At the end of the day, you should be comfortable with the people providing you with the service.

[gingar 0]

I am ger ger!

hmm, so those along tanjong pagar road is considered mid-range? About 2-4k thereabouts ya?

I was at the home exhibition last month, was supposed to go look at reno/house stuff, but got hijacked by the BS there. After listening to them, the packages all start to sound the same to me, and the gowns and photos start to look similar as well.

I foresee a long and torturous process in selecting BS.. *sigh*

Will the BS allow you to try on their gowns before u commit to a package?

Did you guys bring your FH along when selecting BS? I read somewhere that BS tend to push their products more if the guys are around.. true?

[GnM 0]

I am ger ger!

hmm, so those along tanjong pagar road is considered mid-range? About 2-4k thereabouts ya?

I was at the home exhibition last month, was supposed to go look at reno/house stuff, but got hijacked by the BS there. After listening to them, the packages all start to sound the same to me, and the gowns and photos start to look similar as well.

I foresee a long and torturous process in selecting BS.. *sigh*

Will the BS allow you to try on their gowns before u commit to a package?

Did you guys bring your FH along when selecting BS? I read somewhere that BS tend to push their products more if the guys are around.. true?

ok... I need to plan this reply... gimme a few hours... when my kopi break comes, I will post something

[cornetto 0]

i'd go for photography... esp on the theme/style...

more or less made my choice liao

[GnM 0]

I am ger ger!

hmm, so those along tanjong pagar road is considered mid-range? About 2-4k thereabouts ya?

I was at the home exhibition last month, was supposed to go look at reno/house stuff, but got hijacked by the BS there. After listening to them, the packages all start to sound the same to me, and the gowns and photos start to look similar as well.

I foresee a long and torturous process in selecting BS.. *sigh*

Will the BS allow you to try on their gowns before u commit to a package?

Did you guys bring your FH along when selecting BS? I read somewhere that BS tend to push their products more if the guys are around.. true?

Okay, for ger ger, there are quite a few things you may want to consider...

It is very important for you to sit down and think about what you want for your wedding. Close your eyes and try to imagine yourself staring at the mirror on your wedding day.

Do you picture yourself in a really elaborate dress with lots of details like lace and embroidery? Or do you picture yourself in a simple gown with soft satin? Or you picture a organsa with lots of folds in the design?... etc etc

To give you an idea of what you like and dislike, going thru bridal magazine is the best!

My wife and I bought like so many magazines in the past two years, I have sort of lost count of the number already

This is really important, cos the kind of mental picture you have in mind will ultimately help you in your choice of BS.

Along Tanjong Pagar, at a glance, you will think that all of them are similar. That is far from the truth.

Some BS specializes in colored AD gowns. Some specializes in laces. Others specializes in embroidery. Yet others are just doing simple gum and paste designs for their laces and embroidery. There are also some with larger selections of evening gowns as compared to AD gowns... so the choices are aplenty for you to pick something you like.

So TIP no 1, remember to check out their selections for all the different packages they have on offer before you decide if that BS is the one for you or not.

to be con't....

If details and embroidery is of utmost importance, then going for OFF-THE-RACK (OTR) will give you more selections, as these are usually the ones that they will use as their shop specialties. The designs are usually very intricate and the lace and embroidery used is generous.

You can never... NEVER get that kind of details if you MTM. Unless you are willing to pay a fortune for it, then maybe you can get one extremely detailed and intricate in terms of handiwork.

Advantages of getting off the rack:

1) you are sure of what you are getting, cos you can see and touch the gown. You can even try to see if it looks good on you or not.

2) in the event you see something better before you confirm your gown, you still have the option to change.

3) if you still cannot find something you like by the time you need to confirm your gown, you still have the option to go for MTM.

So TIP 2... always negotiate your package to leave the option of MTM or OTR open!

The next thing you would want to consider is the selection of evening gowns. Does the BS have a wide choice of selection?

What would you get if you were to sign a package with them, what is the range of gowns you can choose from?

Most BS will have a few categories of gowns that goes with the different kind of packages offered. The more expensive the package, the better the selection categories of gowns offered. This is especially apparent in BS like Sophia and Milan.

So TIP 3... ensure that when you are viewing them, you are looking at the actual gowns that you can choose from. Make sure that you view all the different categories so that you have an idea of what is on offer to you when you shortlist them for your BS.

to be con't...

[GnM 0]

...con't

Other things you will have to look out for would be additional stuff that you can use aside from your AD. Like your ROM, your tea ceremony....etc etc...

Do you require a KUA from them? How is the condition of their KUAs?

Do you require to get a ROM gown from them? Do you like their selections of ROM/Tea dress gowns?

How bout make up and hair do? Do they cover for ROM as well?

How bout accessories? Some BS do not have any accessories included in their packages. So ensure that you have all these written down explicitly in your contract.

So TIP 4... Always ensure that all the extras you are thinking of is written down in the package when you are enquiring. This draft piece of paper is the first cut mutual agreement between you and the BS. Most of the time they will not allow you to bring it home. So take out your note book and start writing down notes.

Better yet, try to memorize the list when in the shop then jot it down later when you leave.

Cos some coordinators at Tanjong Pagar will sort of clam up when they know you are just doing a survey. When you don't take notes in front of them, there is a chance you will sign with them there and then cos you cannot compare your notes when you are "not" taking any.

In the event you rather do a MTM gown than to get OTR, then you have to have a good mental picture of what you want!

Don't bother with showing them designs torn off pages of the magazine. They can NEVER replicate the design.

This is simply because, when a BS post a gown on the magazine, they will usually use their best gowns, in terms of design, material and workmanship. When you do an MTM, reducing cost is the utmost importance to these BS, so they will just try to emulate the superficial design without any of the details.

A good analogy is like many bread shops trying to emulate the successful chicken floss buns of breadtalk. They look the same, but the texture of the bread is like water and oil when you do a comparison.

So TIP 5... Come up with a design of your own. Don't let the BS do a copy of what you see on the magazine.

Make-up artists... What sort of make up do you like? Natural? Neutral? Bold? Strong? Explicit?

Go thru all their photo albums. Especially those that are taken of their customers. Do you like what you see in the photo? Is the make up of the ladies to your liking?

So TIP 6... Always try to find out who is doing which girl's make up. Lots of happy brides are so proud of their PS that they actually post their pictures on the various forums for you to see. PM them to ask who did their make up. Do like what my wife did... ask lots of questions on the web. There will be plenty of people who are willing to help.

to be con't....

Edited July 10, 2007 by GnM

[GnM 0]

i'd go for photography... esp on the theme/style...

more or less made my choice liao

That is one of the way to go... selecting the theme that the BS is offering.

But here in singapore, there is not much themes to choose from. The BS here is totally not imaginative at all. Those BS across the causeway offer so much more in terms of indoor shoot!

Their indoor props are so interesting, and the themes are so varied between studios, you are spoilt for choices when it comes to shortlisting!

If I had a car, I would definately go there for my PS instead.

For the same cost, dollar for dollar comparison, I get so much more than what the packages in singapore has to offer.

anyways... I am extremely happy, thus far, with my current studio. The coordinator is extremely helpful and the gowns my wife selected are gorgeous. The suits that they selected for me, together with the shirts and other accessories also make me look so much more elegant than what I imagine them to be!

anyways... here is the rest of what I wanted to say in response to gingar

********************************************************

... con't

Photographs... does the photographer do justice to you and your spouse when taking the pictures?

Some photographers can take really good shots. Shots that dun look that what you can easily emulate on your point-n-shoot digital camera. I dunno how to explain to you... But when you seen enough BS, you will know what I mean.

Some of the photographs I have seen, the shots are not very clear as well. Others, the photographs in every album looks almost the same. As in, every couple in the different albums are asked to posed in the same way. Ended up looking like a album that is produced in a factory. Different people, similar clothes, same poses... duh!!!

Then there are those horror stories that I have read from the forums where the photos was totally not satisfactory at all and the studio will not arrange for another one to do a re-shoot.

And there are also stories where too many pictures are over exposed and not many pictures are left over for a good album of design, so ended up got to go with the misty kind of look to compensate for the over-exposed pictures... So it is important that you like the work of the photographer of the studio you have shortlisted.

Also, look at the different locations that is used in the shoot.

Do you prefer outdoor or indoor shoot?

what kind of indoor background does the BS have?

Are the outdoor shots good?

Did he manage to get the essence of the love between you and your spouse during the shoot?

So TIP 7... be sure you like the work of the photographer that you see in the various albums. Best if you can ask them for last year's work or the year before. This is so that you know that this photographer's work is consistent!

Package... how flexible is your package?

In the event you cannot find your gown, can you MTM?

How many photos do you get? Digital design? Hot press? Whole page? Album size? Any table top? Post cards? Small album?

How much are the additional photo going to cost?

How many pose to a page?

How many pages in your album in the package?

How many locations do you get to go for out door?

If you are to do the indoor and outdoor on separate days, how much do you have to top up?

How bout additional make up item like ampule? Eyelashes?

For additional change of clothes during the shoot, any charges? If change to own casual clothes, does it count towards the no of sets of clothes for the shoot?

what happens if it rains on the day you are suppose to go for your outdoor shoot?

Is transport provided?

How bout accessories? Ties, costume jewelery...etc... are they provided? during the shoot? during the AD?

What is the payment mode like?

So TIP 8... Always remember to get the coordinator to write down explicitly what is promised to you. Whether you can get more after you sign on the dot is another story. But what you negotiated for on the day you sign, must be written down explicitly. This is because the person selling you the package may not necessarily be the one who will be coordinating your wedding needs. It has happened before, where the coordinator will not do anymore than what is written in the contract cos she is not aware of the extras promised to you by the sales person. So beware!

After going thru Tanjong Pagar studios twice, the above posts are all from our experiences. Hope it helps.

[ARCHer 0]

Did you guys bring your FH along when selecting BS? I read somewhere that BS tend to push their products more if the guys are around.. true?

No disrespect to the BS along TP, but they can be really pushy. A couple of times, I told my wife that we should not be walking along TP together because some of the BS will really try their hard sell on you. If you FH is coming along, make sure you have a strategy. Good spouse/bad spouse work.... get your FH to be the bad spouse and say no or need time to consider.... that way, you won't be rushed into accepting anything. In our case, one BS was so insistent that they keep giving discounts and discounts.... but we still not keen because they could not implement the dancing gown concept.

[GnM 0]

No disrespect to the BS along TP, but they can be really pushy. A couple of times, I told my wife that we should not be walking along TP together because some of the BS will really try their hard sell on you. If you FH is coming along, make sure you have a strategy. Good spouse/bad spouse work.... get your FH to be the bad spouse and say no or need time to consider.... that way, you won't be rushed into accepting anything. In our case, one BS was so insistent that they keep giving discounts and discounts.... but we still not keen because they could not implement the dancing gown concept.

Oh yah... I forgot to add this point as well

So TIP 9... Do not be pressured into signing the contract.

If they can offer you the perks today, they can do it again tomorrow or next week or next month for that matter. They are always trying to hardsell you their packages. In singapore, there are 365 days of sale, so there is no worry about not getting a good deal.

Listen to what they have to day, jot it down as mentioned in my earlier post. Then go back and further discuss with your spouse.

Once you more or less have an idea of what you want from which BS, then go down and do fresh negotiations.

If you cannot get what you want, then go to the next one on your short list.

REMEMBER, the money is still in your pocket. You are still the boss... so dun be signing on the dot cos you feel that you are going to lose a deal. Deals are always made at BS. Your package is never the same as the other couple before or after you. Is it up to your bargaining skills that makes the difference what you get in your package.

My wife and I actually went to the BS a few times, and the one we are using now, we actually visited them around 4 times before we signed on the dot to seal the deal. And we got a better package than when we first walked into the studio when we first started hunting. !!

[cornetto 0]

But here in singapore, there is not much themes to choose from. The BS here is totally not imaginative at all. Those BS across the causeway offer so much more in terms of indoor shoot!

Their indoor props are so interesting, and the themes are so varied between studios, you are spoilt for choices when it comes to shortlisting!

If I had a car, I would definately go there for my PS instead.

For the same cost, dollar for dollar comparison, I get so much more than what the packages in singapore has to offer.

totally agree on that. price is one thing but most local bridal studios can't do the kind of style i want... seen through their photo albums (of real couples) and it's just boring, boring, boring.

luckily we dun stay very far away from the causeway... !!