The fashion industry is known for inflated prices and fierce competition. That same can be found in the Pakistani Bridal dress design industry. And just like all other dress designs, anything made especially for you will be more expensive than ready-to-wear fashion.
Ready-made bridal dresses can cost you ask low as PKR 50,000/- (keep the posting day of this blog in mind, i.e Jan 2023). But how much will a custom design cost, you ask? The short answer to your question is, anywhere between PKR 200,000/- to PKR 2,000,000/- will get you a decent bridal dress. The long answer is that it depends on these five factors:
1- Who is going to make it?:
The #1 factor that determines the cost of Pakistani Bridal Dresses is the maker. If the design is being made by an upcoming wedding dress designer, then chances are they are going to be very flexible to your budget needs. However, if you choose a well know designer then they may charge a huge premium. Sometimes that premium is 4 to 5 times the cost of the material. The good news is that most of the well know bridal couture designers negotiate. Which may mean that one can knock off a serious part of the invoice amount.
2- Materials to be used:
Many may think this would be the number one factor, however, it’s not. The number one factor is The Maker as stated above. Now since that is settled, let’s move on to materials, the second factor that determines the cost of your bridal dress. Since ancient times, there has been a huge difference between the type of fabric worn by the rich and the poor. Ancient Kings and Queens wore silk while commoners wore cotton. We have a similar class system today. There are a bunch of really expensive materials available that are highly luxurious. And then there are cheap fabrics that may differ from country to country. In the case of bridals, the material used for embroidery will contribute significantly to the total cost.
3- Handmade or Machine made:
This is an overlooked factor and only those who are in touch with ‘behind-the-scenes’ action of bridal making would be aware of this. Even custom designs can be made on small stitching units. Although they turn out to be great, they are still made much faster at a much lower labor cost. On the other hand, handmade embroidery and Adda work are far slower and much more expensive.
4- The amount of work on the dress:
The amount of intricate work done on your dress, its density, and the complexity of its patterns can add or knock of Lakhs or rupees on your dress. Sometimes the embroidery is more expensive than the fabric itself.
5- Design and Cut
Design and Cut determine the amount of fabric to be used and the embroidered area size. Fully embroidered bridals are expensive. Dresses with Capes, Trail, Shawls, and a long dupatta with well-made borders add beauty and cost to your dress. So if you’re on a budget, keep your dress simple with low-density embroidery.
Conclusion:
The cost of your bridal dress greatly depends on who will make it, what material they will use, how much embroidery is done on it, how many elements the design entails, and if it’s hand-made by machine made. So depending on how much you can spend, you can juggle these factors to find something that you like.
