It's around mid July when I finally visited my dream designer, Patricia Santos of PS Officiel, for our first meeting, consultation, and measurements. She was one of the suppliers that I mentioned were our non-negotiables / must-haves, because she's known for her ethereal aesthetics, dainty silhouettes and dreamy visions, which were all the qualities I'm looking for in my ideal designer. So, regarding the cost, I was prepared to shoulder it as I have a good estimate on my head on how much she possibly charges for the gown. The peg I shown her was in this chapter.
Upon entering her atelier, you will be welcomed with sparkles, glitters and glamor as a number of her designs were displayed strategically. It was also a weekend and you may have to wait a while for your turn as there were a lot of clients waiting for their turn whether it's a consultation or fitting session. I suggest if you could, schedule your appointments on a weekday which I later did, as there were fewer people and more time and focus to each of us during our appointment. Upon meeting Ms. Patricia in person, she was really friendly and seemed professional. She would sketch the design in front of you while you discuss, which was a delight to witness. She also immediately understood my inspiration upon showing her my pegs. She immediately guessed where it originated (from Berta Bridal). We clicked! I believed this was an important factor in meeting your designer to make sure you have the same aesthetic in mind. This moment served as my sign and affirmation that I would not regret hiring her. She quoted me 225k for the gown, including swarovski embellishments and unlimited alteration (reduction) before the event. Any changes would also be entertained as long as it's not too far fetched from the original design. Additional charge may only possibly incur if I happen to gain weight as it's difficult to expand or extend an already made gown. I believed this was a good offer, as I knew no matter how final I thought my design was, I was bound to think of something else or add other details to my gown along the way. I also paid her fully that day.
I was scheduled for my first fitting after 3 weeks around 1st week of August. Below was my first fitting including only the base materials and fabrics of my gown:
As you can see, the bodysuit was still too long, the skirt was also too long. We were getting the basic measurements exact first. Length is easier to cut later, better if most of the design is implemented before cutting as you may never know, it might look better when longer. Although, I was long dead set on only having floor length gown as this is a beach ceremony. I wouldn't want to have difficulty walking and dragging sands and dirt along my skirt. The straps were also not ready yet, and of course, no embellishments too. This was expected for the first fitting.
For each fittings, Ms. Patricia will personally attend to her clients. She required this that no fitting can be allowed without her, which was very reassuring. She always had 1-3 assistants for all my fittings to jot down notes and changes as well as pin any marks for adjustments.
There was not much difference for the second fitting. It was another measurement adjustment session. For the third fitting, I had my coordinator tag along. This was the progress of the gown:
A few laces were placed to test how it would look like and if I liked it before they proceed on placing them in the entire gown. Also, only a few beading were done to show me if the bead work's good enough for me. As of this point, I was able to gradually visualize what my finished gown would look like and it excited me. By the way, I was also her first client to have requested a bodysuit designed gown, much to Ms. Patricia's excitement as well.
Selfie with Ms. Patricia and Mam Monina (my coordinator) after the fitting
There was a development, particularly for the skirt for the next fitting. It was thicker as they placed inner organza to create the shape. It looked nice, but when Ms. Patricia saw it, she wanted to redo it to just 1 layer, to have that sheer, translucent illusion fitted for the beach, which I totally agreed! The bodysuit was also more or less embellished and already at the right length at this point.
For the following fitting, the skirt's mostly embellished already with the flowing floral vines with 3D flowers. As you may notice, the skirt's also reduced the inner layer to have that sheer effect. Ms. Patricia also added a thin glitter tulle as the 2nd layer to have that touch of sparkle with movement, which I thoroughly loved! The skirt length was at the ideal length already, and the straps were also in place. I just requested to have a few more lace and embellishments in some of the vacant spaces in the bodysuit, as well as more lace and applique at the front of the strap. The only remaining major pending item was my reception tutu skirt that was inspired by Giambattista Valli's signature puffy tulle skirts and gowns.
Tada! Here's the tutu skirt during the succeeding fitting. It was really cute, much more in person. Although I did not take this home yet, as I requested the skirt to be embellished with a few more laces and crystals. It's not in the original design, but that's the beauty of Ms. Patricia's offer. These laces and embellishment additions have no extra cost as long as we had the common goal of beautifying the ensemble further.
Initial tutu reception skirt before requesting more embellishments
Here's the final and finished skirt, just the way I liked it! Also, the finished and more embellished bodysuit as I have requested previously was also done. These were photos from her executive assistant prior to delivering it to me for my final approval.
Finally, I got everything around late January, which I would say was just on time. It wasn't an easy feat, as I think I went back there for around 7-8 fittings, definitely the most number of gown fittings I could ever experience. But, just by looking at the finished dream-to-reality gown blew all my stress and anxiety away. The whole package also included all the ceremony accessories, as well as the stick-on bra, and some spare beads and crystals that I requested as emergency kit, in one giant pretty and sturdy box.
My verdict and overall experience:
Late December 2019 was a bit of a fiasco as a post from one of her clients went viral. I will be honest here as I pride myself as being a perfectionist. If I have come across a review like that before I met her last July 2019, I would not book her. I did thorough research that time and failed to see any negative reviews around, even from people I knew that had hired her before. It's why I chose her in the first place. My second choice was Mak Tumang. But since our first meeting went very smoothly, I did not bother looking around for others.
So was the viral post also true to me or was it just a special case for a number of brides?
Let's just say, Ms. Patricia was really friendly and pro all throughout. She was present in all my fittings except for the last which was embellishments assessment only. However, I highly suggest you also coordinate more closely with her production head, so that all noted adjustments and changes would be closely monitored and applied to your next fittings. After all, it's the production team that directly touches and alters the gowns. I did this around my 6th fitting onward (with approved permission from Ms. Patricia) when I noticed the progress on my gown was somewhat slow and some agreed changes were not made. Upon coordinating with her staff, the progress and changes were much faster and accurate, much to my delight and relief.
Having the need to do that, made me think the post was true in a way that she needs more experience in managing and handling her staffs, as well as quality assurance. I did experience some nights of anxiety and worries on the gown. This might also explain why I had to go back there more times than needed, as some of the fittings had really minimal to no changes. I also had my coordinator tag along in 2 of my fittings for this reason. She was definitely talented when it comes to knowledge in design, fabrics and other technicalities that would really make the creation beautiful, hands down. However, her time and staff management really needs improvement. Proper estimation of work load capacity especially during peak seasons is also necessary. What I liked most about her was how she communicated with me in a friendly manner, how flexible she was when she just approved any of my requests and changes, as well as allowing me to communicate directly with her staff about my gown. She was really chill to talk to, which can be both a positive aspect (flexible and negotiable), as well as negative (can be looked as slacking off a bit, I guess?).
In the end, I still got the gown I thought I could only dream of, and that's what mattered. I was also able to say goodbye during my last meeting with her. That's one big check off my to-do list, as well as my dream bucket list.
Actual photos of my gown when worn during my wedding in the next upcoming chapters! Although, you can already see some of them around my site. (wink)
***All my posts are in no way sponsored or paid. I narrate our wedding planning adventure like a diary, with only actual facts and experiences.***
Chapter 11: How My Bridal Gown Came to Life
Days to go: 6 months
Wedding Planning Progress: 50%
Wedding Planning Team:
1. Bride & Groom
2. Wedding Coordinator: Monina E Events & Marketing
3. Venue: Sunlight Eco Tourism Island Resort
4. Event Stylist: Monet Event Styling (packaged with coordinator, Monina)
5. Photo / Video: Mayad Studios
6. MOH, Bridesmaids and Flower Girl Dresses: Jannah & Keith Fashion Boutique
7. Fan Souvenir: Jeanalds
8. Minor Wedding Elements, Materials and Miscellaneous Items: Divisoria & Shopee
9. Bridal Robe: Event Starters
10. Bridal Hair Accessories: Halo Bridal PH
11. Entourage Robes: SHOPPERSONALIZED BY:jaemieann
12. Ceremony Accessories and Unity Coin: Tela at Moda / The Wedding Library
13. Wedding Rings: Forever Couple
14. Bridal Barefoot Sandals: Waltz Manila
15. Bridal Gown: PS Officiel
Prenup Shoot:
1. P/V, HMUA, Stylist, Outfit Rental, Coordination: 玫瑰星座 Rose Studio
2. Accommodation: Wyndham Sanya Bay c/o Rose Studio
3. Photo Slideshow: Rule of Thirds
4. Location: Sanya, Hainan, China
Tinghun:
Days to go: 4.5 months
Tinghun Planning Progress: 25%
Tinghun Planning Team:
1. Bride & Groom
2. Venue, Catering, Styling, Musician, Cake, Ceremony Snacks & Drinks: New World Makati Hotel
3. Tinghun Robe: Soler. Divisoria
4. Mom's Gown for Tinghun: Jannah & Keith Fashion Boutique
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