Queenstown Wedding Dresses - The Complete Guide
— By Gabrielle Maloy
16 September 2020
As the pieces of your wedding day begin to stitch together, so should the details of your wedding dress.
Your dress embodies your personality, your day, and your next stage of life, so it's an important choice, but not one to be intimidated by. Round up your closest girlfriends, sip on a glass of champagne, and let your vision run wild. Shop around from boutique to atelier, or walk through the doors of only one designer - it's up to you. Regardless, make sure to relish in this process. It's a chance to feel beautiful in your own skin, and to stir up wonderful memories of your relationship.
Whether you're after a timeless classic, hints of vintage charm, or the unconventional, you're set to find the perfect piece for your Queenstown wedding. We've uncovered a guide to show off Otago's finest designers, patternmakers, and sewists. From sketching pads to sewing machines, these experts dedicate their talents to creating the perfect dress for you, pushing the boundaries of what even they deem possible, with some also ensuring to convey the region's charm. Peruse through our guide to see what makes each designer unique, be it a focus on sustainability, luxe textiles, or hiring over buying.
Ivory and Stone
Image by Ivory and Stone
Exquisite, unique, affordable. These three words are what Ivory and Stone Bridal is all about when creating your very own dress for a Queenstown wedding. The Ivory and Stone team are based in Wanaka but work with brides worldwide. That's no mean feat. Striving to create a seamless and comfortable experience, Ivory and Stone bring you along every step of the way to bring to life a dress of your dreams at an affordable price. They don't even charge a consultation fee to come and try on dresses in their boutique - score!
Sourcing fine materials and providing expert craftsmanship is just the start for Ivory and Stone. When working with owner and head designer Annette, you are sure to be put first with your needs and happiness. Satins, silks, luxurious laces, tulles and chiffons combine before your eyes to stitch together your fantasies. Annette is driven to create jaw-dropping pieces with every grain of her being, and it shows. Her strong work ethic, nurturing soul, and detailed eye bleed into every piece she co-creates with her brides. This results in the beautiful Queenstown wedding dresses you're set to see in her workrooms. Yes, at Ivory and Stone, you can have an exquisite dress without forking out a fortune.
White Wild Wedding
Image by Celia Michon
Enjoy a luxurious dress hiring experience in the hands of White Wild Wedding. When planning a Queenstown wedding, it's understandable to need to relieve some pressure, be it for time or finances. The team at White Wild Wedding aim to do just that, with an array of stunning wedding dresses available to hire. If buying a dress is not an option for you, or you'd like to do the earth a favour, there's no need to fear you won't still feel uber special. Flattering and jaw-dropping styles line their racks, just waiting to be tried on.
White Wild Wedding is conveniently located within the heart of all wedding locations throughout Queenstown, Wanaka, and Cromwell, ready to bleed their styling and expertise into the fabric of your day. With inspirations and textile choices from far and wide, you won't feel restricted by their range. You're sure to discover that hiring may be the new buying, with a dress guaranteed to call your name.
Margaret Wray
Image by Margaret Wray
Margaret Wray is more than meets the eye. Lead designer Jamie Richards brings to the table 15 years of hands-on experience in the London fashion sphere. Combine this with her endless enthusiasm in creating the perfect gown for you and your Queenstown wedding, and you're set to walk away, smiling ear to ear. Margaret Wray is all about collaborating through every step to achieve your dream wedding dress, from the moment you reach out, to the finest of details, and the final fitting.
Margaret Wray's past collections can serve as inspiration for your look, or you can opt to start at the drawing board with Jamie. Her dresses reflect the individual personalities and styles of their brides, all with touches of vintage charm and flowy silhouettes. Her design and skill bring together sumptuous fabrics sourced from Europe, detailed embellishments, and craftsmanship for a personalised, timeless gown. Bring your vision into the hands of Margaret Wray to truly achieve your dream Queenstown wedding dress.
Nemo
Image by Kate Roberge Photography
Nemo Bridal & Couture are a passionate team of bridal experts eager to help you find your perfect Queenstown wedding dress. A one-stop-shop for all things wedding, they ensure quality and sustainability runs through everything they do. Founded 20 years ago as a pop-up shop in Arrowtown, Trudy Munro has continued to source the best sewers and stylists to service the community and their Queenstown weddings. Inspired by the statistics uncovering fast fashion as a significant pollutant, they are dedicated to being an ethical design space, so rest assured that you're doing the planet a favour with Nemo.
You're able to achieve your wedding dress dreams from the comfort of Nemo's showroom. Choose from high-quality bespoke tailoring, made to measure, hiring, vintage dress remodelling, or alterations. To fuel your vision, Nemo's website shows off their past collections of inspired seasonal bridalwear. Collaborating with other local wedding vendors for the shoots, they've created stunning garments, from modern androgynous glam, vintage romance, and everything in between. Complete your wedding party's look with Omen, their contemporary, high-quality suit hire outlet.
aMoment
Image by aMoment
So, you love a train, you love volume, and you love being beautiful? In that case, aMoment Wedding Dress Hire has your Queenstown wedding dress covered. aMoment was born and raised in Queenstown and has grown to service both Queenstown Lakes and New Zealand as a whole. A dreamy range of dresses is available, with all the cuts, colours, necklines, and accessories possible. So much so, you can have faith that aMoment's dresses will provide you with all the confidence needed to take on the day in style.
The team provides wedding dress hire services that are transparent and straightforward, with comprehensive sizing and pricing guides. Thanks to their experience in full-service wedding planning, and prized contacts within the region, aMoment goes above and beyond. A varied experience brought to the table means your entire Queenstown wedding day, starting with the dress, is as good as can be.
Novia Brides
Image by Novia Brides
Novia Brides believes the tradition of choosing a wedding dress with friends and family around is one to cherish, and they've got their very own Wanaka based studio to make it happen. Novia Brides keep on top of bridal fashion trends, adding beautiful pieces to their collection regularly, enabling any of your wildest Queenstown wedding dress dreams. Watch their space, and you're bound to fall in love with their hand-picked garments. Their studio walls are lined by leading bridal designers such as Yolancris, Hera Couture, Daisy Brides, Trish Peng, and more. Together under one roof, you're brought a fabulous range of modern, boho, vintage, elegant and feminine.
Novia's founder, Sandy, wanted to create a bridal boutique that "fostered inclusiveness, acceptance, understanding and respect, creating an environment where all who entered felt valued, beautiful and confident". What more could you ask for from a woman eager to help you through the process of choosing your dress? Novia's studio is set in a rural setting, offering all the peace one needs for such a vital decision. Sandy enhances her already beautiful studio with her nature, providing a truly memorable experience. She believes all brides deserve to feel this way when choosing a dress to mark the first day of the rest of their lives with their fiancé. Novia Brides also host trunk shows, travelling around with collections from some of their designers, to help those who can't make it to their studio for consultations.