Some might argue that 45,000php is a big amount already. But believe me, once you buy anything wedding related, the price tag doesn't come cheap. And by wedding garments, I'm not talking about my wedding gown only. My groom's attire and the attire of the entourage are also included.
Since we were planning to have a frugal wedding, we need to think about the attire that fits the budget. We also decided not to have a large number of entourage (only our siblings and few cousins) because we don't want them to pay for their dresses.
Groom's attire
I really like the color of his suit. It makes him stand out from the entourage. It was bought from a Turkish store here in Dubai and we even had a discount. The formal shoes were bought from a store at Dragonmart. The tie and white long sleeves were from a thrift store in Dubai.
Suit - 250aed
Shoes - 60aed
Neck tie & white long sleeves - 20aed
Wedding gown
It took me a lot of time to research on what my gown would look like and where I will purchase it. I was sure enough that I wanted a long sleeve dress with a high neck collar. Before, I was really into the idea of having a tulle skirt in the overall design but later on I was convinced that an all-lace design would be suitable for the rustic outdoor theme.
I have considered buying a ready-made gown from Dubai but the cost just doesn't fit the budget. I also dreamnt on purchasing online but worst case scenario: it will not fit me or worse - it will be a scam.
So, we agreed on getting it tailored same with my bridesmaids and flower girls' dresses. We looked for wedding fabric all over Dubai and ended up buying wholesale items in Ajman at a lower cost.
He might be mentally calculating our bill. Haha
Once all the fabrics were purchased, we sent it to the Philippines to get it tailored by my husband's family's local tailor (Nang Madonna).
My wedding shoes were bought for only 10aed at Day to Day here in Dubai. Why would I waste thousands when nobody would even see my shoes?
Groomsmen & boys' attire
We bought some light blue long sleeves, dark blue pants, matching neck ties and brown formal shoes for the groomsmen. For the ring bearer, coin bearer and bible bearer, we purchased brown shoes, dark blue belts and suspenders which were discounted items. We had difficulty in finding kids' pants and long sleeves for less so we didn't buy any.
Groomsmen pants - 50aed
Neck ties - 50aed
Long sleeves - 50aed
Shoes - 125aed
Boys belts & suspenders - 63aed
Boys shoes - 30aed
Sadly, most of these didn't reach the wedding day because it was sent from Dubai in a busy season. But thank God we didn't even bother and just went on with whatever he have. Good thing the boys did not complain at all. So instead, we asked all of them to wear white long sleeves and black pants. The neck ties did arrive on time so they all used it.
Bridesmaids & flower girls dresses
The color motif was supposed to be grayish blue but we had difficulty in searching for the fabric that's why our next option was Navy Blue. I told the bridesmaids and maid of honor (our siblings) to choose whichever design that would best suit them.
They had chosen their own fabric and told the tailor regarding the specific cut and design of each dress.
He realized back then that preparing for a wedding is quite tiring. We had to roam around a certain area in order to find a good price and fabric.
We even measured by ourselves through videocall with the help of Nang Madonna (the tailor). She sent us a measurement chart as our guide.
These headdresses at 28aed (all 4 pieces) were suggested by Nang Mairo (his eldest sister) which was inspired by the recent royal wedding in UK.
Lastly, the flower girls' dresses were also influenced by the royal wedding.
We even bought floral headdresses at 14aed from Gift Village in Dubai.
Cloth - 990aed
Delivery to Philippines - 480aed
Labor of the tailor - 1071aed
I hope you were all inspired. Big thanks to my husband's mother and Sheryl (youngest sister) for supervising the tailor. To Nang Mairo and Tin2x (his elder siblings) for being the best support system and the never ending effort for the preparation.
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