Bridal Boutique: The Little Atelier with Big Dreams

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A few months ago, I texted the Baby Barangay girls in a panic. I had a tropical themed wedding to attend and didn’t want to spend an insane amount of money on a beautiful dress I would probably only use once. Patty (who is our forever godmother) came to my rescue and recommended Bridal Boutique: a new design group which was just about to open their first design studio.

She invited me to the event itself so I could chat with the designers and see if this was a right fit. I’m happy to report that everything went beautifully and this was the winning outfit that Bridal Boutique designed for me.
We decided to go for a two piece outfit that way I could wear the skirt an blouse again and again in other occasions. We also went with jersey and light fabric so that it wouldn’t be prone to wrinkling during travel and would be light enough to use in our humid, tropical weather. At the end of the day, it was perfection I am so glad I went with Bridal Boutique for this task.

I was curious to learn more about how this business started and what sets them apart so I invited founders, Tina Zamora and Kristine Ongcuangco to share more about the company. Here are some wonderful images from their launch as well.

Bridal Boutique owners Kristine and Tina during the launch.

How did Bridal Boutique Start?
In 2015, right around the time Tina got engaged she started scouting Manila for boutiques that carried ready-to-wear gowns to find options as she was always apprehensive to get one made. The stress of having to wait to see it up until a few days or (if you’re lucky) weeks before the big day was too much.

The scarcity of choices in the city left Tina with no choice but to have one made. While waiting for the dress, she wanted a backup dress just incase. So during her work travels she was able to purchase one…okay, two dresses as options if she ended up not liking the custom made gown.

However, her designer pulled through and she loved her dress! She was just stuck with two beautiful dresses that she didn’t want to go to waste. So she tried selling them online to friends who might be looking for one.

Kristine, on the other hand, has always been into getting dresses and outfits made for her so the idea of having her own atelier was a dream.

From there, the two friends decided that maybe together they could come up with something great.

What sets you apart from other designer ateliers in the country?
Here we want you to find the perfect dress just as much as you. So we take into consideration all your concerns and tailor fit what you need and want with what we can provide. We always go the extra mile in providing not just exceptional service but quality products, as well.

For our brides we know how finding a wedding dress can get tiresome especially if you can’t find the one you have in mind, so if our “ready-to-wed” selection cannot be altered to what you want, we also have a team of talented designers who work together along with our founders, to create what you’ve always dreamed of wearing as you walk down the aisle.

We make the creative process from design to production, exclusive and very personal; taking care of one bride at a time. We are a cut above the rest and definitely different from all the others because we have everything a bride could need from her dress to her hair piece, from her robe to her shoes; a one stop bridal shop. And all this value at a very generous price.

Who are your designers?

We have three: Froilan Dosdosen, Dara Ang and Camille Villanueva.

Are you really just for weddings as per your name? What other events can you cater to?

Not just for weddings. We also do formal and semi formal wear for men, women and children. We can also do day to day casual clothes and costumes.

Do you design items for men as well?

Yes, we do. We just launched our very own menswear line called Man.Made.

How much time should a person give to get a design made?

We can do rush order as fast as one month with a rush order fee. But ideally we’d appreciate 6 months time for wedding dresses. And one month for formal wear.

Where do you often source your materials and fabrics?

We usually get materials from different fabric stores all over Manila depending on what we’re looking for.

Can people come to you with their own fabrics to customize?

Yes! Thats okay too.

Can be people come to you for alterations on other dresses they have?

Yes they can.

What types of clothes would you say you specialise in?

We’re blessed with such talented designers that we can pretty much cater to whatever the client needs. But if we had to say what we specialize in it would be wedding gowns and formal wear for women.

How can people see previous designs you’ve done?

Our social media sites (Facebook, Instagram) have photos of previous designs and who wore them.

Bridal Boutique is located at Unit 2218 Tower B, Fort Victoria, 5th Avenue corner 23rd Street, Taguig, Metro Manila 1634