Wedding Dresses — Buy or Rent?

*this is based on my own budget & personal preference*

im a 2024 bride and i've already gone wedding dress hunting. it's quite a norm to rent wedding gowns in Singapore, and so i went to boutiques that offer gown rentals.

TO MY HORROR.

gown rentals for 2 days can be over $1000🫨 and there are fine line prints that made me feel uneasy, because if i were to accidentally stain their dress, i would need to pay more for a cleaning fee (im also doing a destination wedding and the 2 days is LOCAL BASED wedding only. there is usually a surcharge for OVERSEAS wedding). my jaw DROPPED. the 2 days can either start on the day of collection or from your wedding date (depending on vendor). to me, im not paying more than $1000 for ONE DRESS for ONE wedding day, and having to return it.

i came across BBB on Instagram and saw that they sell dresses. i always thought that buying dresses would be hella expensive because i watched too much Say Yes To The Dress growing up. but heck, an appointment wouldn't hurt!

and so i scheduled an appointment with BBB.

to my surprise, it is VERY affordable. i purchased 3 gowns + 1 veil for $2300!! the cheapest dress i got was at $550 and the most expensive one i got was $950 as it was poofy and super bling (worth!)

for my own personal preference, id rather spend $2300 for 3 gowns + 1 veil, as it gives me flexibility to do whatever i want with them. keep them, sell them, repurpose them. AND i can get it as dirty as i want as choose not to clean them or find a cleaner that can do it at a reasonable price.

so verdict!!

✨Brand: Bare Bones Bridal

🛒Product Item: Laura gown, Charlotte gown, Selena gown

💰 Price: from $500 onwards, highest price i saw was $1200 (i may be wrong so schedule an appointment to check out the prices)

⭐️ Rating: 5/5!

👍Why I like it: flexibility to do what i want with no obligations or binding contract with a company after collection.

i could bring people with me to try on gowns, certain companies strictly only allow 1-2 persons to join. if BBB is not busy, you could bring 2-4 friends/family!

an hour slot is a lot of time for you to try 4-6 gowns. i whacked the racks and tried on so many. service was excellent as they didn't mind! in fact, ENCOURAGED!

tip: opt for a 5pm slot is BBB doesn't mind on a weekend! usually you'll be the last appointment so you have flexibility and you won't need to rush for an hour appointment. (but you can always ask if there is anyone after you, perhaps u can stay an extra 15mins to try on one more gown!)

Where to buy: BareBonesBridal

📍 Address: 87A Desker Rd (by appointment only)

bonus: its quite easy to go there via MRT/bus, and take a short walk. Moovit is your best friend! it is also a cat friendly boutique so if you're allergic or scared of cats, let BBB know in advance as the cats are really friendly!