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Frequently Asked Questions

How much/what is the price range of a BOA wedding gown?

BOA’s pricing structure is unique to the industry standard. 

Our pricing includes our gowns being made to measure on the brides body shape and height, it includes a mock-up version of the gown being made from soft calico, the hem, bustle for dancing and any fitting alterations required throughout the process.
Our price ranges from $4500 to $12,000 with the average cost of a bespoke design being $7000.

We like to work outside of ten months to the wedding, however, our time frames are flexible and can be customised just like our gowns. Should you have less time to your wedding, don’t hesitate to reach out to see what we at BOA can do for you. 

If you are within five months of your wedding, we occasionally sell our sample gowns off the rack if the gown can be tailored to fit with minor design changes.

Absolutely!! We would LOVE to, our BOA Custom Experience page has everything you need to know.

At BOA, we do things differently. Rather than selling pre-made gowns, we design and create each dress in collaboration with our brides. With over 24 years of experience, our in-house designers offer honest advice, personalised styling, and a calm, considered experience from your first appointment through to final fitting. Every gown is handcrafted to order, made to your measurements, and designed to reflect you — not trends.

Everybody! As a custom design, made to measure store, we have our gowns made to your body shape and height, and include all alterations in the cost provided based on the individual’s design. As far as our in-house samples go, we have most of them made in an AU14, but we have many tricks to make these samples fit larger or smaller bodies. As designers and tailors, we are skilled at pinning the gown in, or creating a divider to make up a gap at the back where required. We always express and explain the differences between the way it would fit when made to you, vs the way the sample is fitting. 

Worried about sizing? Don’t hesitate to call or email us.

Should you become a smaller size than when you started, we will tailor the gown to fit. Should you become a larger size than you started, we can take the gown out as much as the seam allowance allows us, should there be not enough seam allowance, we are most often able to replace and the zip and buttons for a lace up back – please see our T’s and C’s for fitting time frames and pricing.

Yes! We include our fitting alterations, one mock-up gown, your hem to your chosen heel height, and bustle for dancing all in the quote we provide you that is based on your design.
Heel changes, design changes and drastic fitting alterations may incur additional charges, assessed on a case to case basis. Please see our T’s and C’s for more information. 

Yes, the reason is that we do our tailoring, designing and fittings all in house. It is so important to us that you feel special, because you are, and you deserve our undivided attention throughout your time with us. We are a small, consciously selected, curated team that puts our heart and soul into every consultation we have.  

If you would like to experience the true nature of BOA and have your tailored experience, please book online or call us on 0435 179 102.

For sure! Have a read of The BOA Experience for more information. 

Very! It is important to us that you have a huge say with your dream gown, The BOA Experience is all about you! It isn’t about us as the designers, hence our name, Brides of Armadale. Think of us as your Fairy God Mothers, guiding you to uncover the most spectacular version of yourself, helping you to determine and dissect what it is you want even when you don’t quite know how to say it. We want to hear your opinions, likes and dislikes, the more we understand you the more we can provide you with your unique and personalised design.

Yes, it would be our pleasure! Please contact us or visit The BOA Experience for more information./process/

Yes, you can – we also offer Flowergirl gowns! However, we do ask that you let us know, we work with pins and very small beading, it is important that our boutique is a safe and comfortable space for all. We also ask that you let us know so that we can ensure there are no other brides within the space as it’s imperative that all of our guests have the best experience possible.

We are a small team of designers and tailors, see About Us for more information. 

Depending on which option of The BOA Experience you choose, your gown may be entirely custom-designed, a personalised version of one of our BOA designs or simply, one of our thoughtfully curated designs exactly as it is. Even when selecting an existing design, each gown is individually made to your measurements and customised to suit your body, style, and vision. No two gowns are ever the same — every BOA gown is thoughtfully created for you and you alone.

We have the utmost respect and admiration for all designers and will never copy a gown. We can draw inspiration and ideas from other designs but will never disrespect another designer by copying their hard work and intellectual property.

Yes, we do! Please visit The BOA Experience for more information.

We love your family and friends! And as much as we would love to have your entire crew come and celebrate you, we are a small boutique and only have adequate seating for up to three guests. We’ve been in the business for a while now, and find that smaller groups allow the experience for you, the bride, to be more centric focused. This is super important to us as we always want to hear your voice first! In saying that, should you have four, we would never turn any of your loved ones away, please let us know and we will be sure to book you the slightly larger change room for a more comfortable experience.

Our gowns are made in Siew’s sister’s workroom which is located in Xiamen, China. We have a close working relationship with our friends in Xiamen and have also had the privilege of spending some time in the work-room too! Our work-room team are a set of skilled pattern makers, machinists, couturists, and beading and lace specialists, they all have a wonderful work life balance, above average wages, fair and far above industry standard working conditions as well – we know, we’ve been there!
We love tailoring and designing our collection in-house, and appreciate the business relationship we have curated over the past 15 years. 

We also do many finishing touches on the gowns in our boutique!

For more information have a read of our BOA history.

Yes, as a custom store, we are able to source you different fabrics, including patterns, colours and compositions. We also work closely with Tylers Fabrics, and Silk World should I work-room not be able to find what you are looking for.

Wedding gown shopping can be super daunting, it’s not like shopping for a normal dress, it’s a big deal and that shouldn’t be minimised! Here are a few hints, tips and tricks that can help you be more prepared for your shopping experience.

If possible, wear skin coloured underwear, wearing skin coloured means avoiding shadows under light coloured gowns avoiding shadows in places we don’t want them to!  

Wear an outfit that is easy to slip on and off, particularly if you have more than one appointment at various boutiques.
We recommend no more than three appointments in a day. It can become exhausting and overwhelming, and be sure to make time for lunch break! Try not to eat inflammatory foods or drink alcohol, these create bloating and sometimes can make brides feel uncomfortable when the gowns don’t fit right yet. 

Take lots of photos and compare and look over them over the next few days to see how you feel with some distance.

Try a bit of everything and to keep an open mind. Often something inconspicuous on the rack can be transformed when on the bride.

Lastly, remember that this is YOUR wedding! We are here to listen to you, and as the bride, don’t be afraid to invite your own unique spark, your creativity and personality into the design. 

Sending your finished gown to you via post with tracking and signature is possible, but not ideal. We would prefer our bride or a family member to come to pick it up. We also often like to have you try the gown on for one final check and do some content together.

Yes, absolutely! In fact, we encourage it, and if you come to your appointment solo, we will take them with and for you. 

We think it imperative to your experience to have the time, space and joy of reflecting on your appointment with us. To be able to go home and ponder on the things you loved about the gowns, take note of the details you may want to change and how you can envision the gown to be truly your own.

Yes, absolutely! Should you wish to collaborate with us on content, please contact us.

 

We love to share photos of our brides! We will only ever post photos and videos with your permission and only ever after your wedding day is over.

We at BOA have consciously decided not to step into the bridesmaids space, there are so many wonderful companies out there that do bridesmaids gowns already! We can, however, do custom gowns for the Mother of the Bride and Mother in Law. Depending on their style as our construction, price and process would be consistent with that of a wedding gown (sans the train) but refined based on the individual design. Contact us for more information

We want you to be the best and most conscious version of yourself while trying on gowns, for this reason, we do not serve champagne. It is important to us that our brides to be clear, present, and focused during all of her fittings. We create a calm and welcoming space for all brides and their teams to enjoy their experience, without the presence of alcohol lowering inhibitions, hiking up the appointment price and making them feel bloated.

Yes, at Brides of Armadale we now charge for consultations. Every appointment is a dedicated, one-on-one experience with one of our in-house BOA designers. We never divide our attention between brides — our time, education, experience and creative expertise are intentionally reserved just for you.

Your consultation is far more than a fitting. Even if you don’t go on to design or purchase your gown with us, you’ll receive expert styling, colour and design guidance that is truly invaluable for your gown shopping journey. Brides often leave feeling lighter, clearer and more confident than when they arrived.

You’ll have a full hour to explore your custom design ideas with our designers — from silhouette and structure to fabrics, tones and personal details.

There is no one answer to this because every bride’s journey, body shape, style and budget is different. For brides who have less “typical” body shapes such as large breasts but a very petite frame, or a smaller top half and curvier bottom half, it is much better to go custom, as being made to your body shape and dimensions guarantees that you will have the gown fit you like a glove! However, if your body shape fits into the majority of standard clothing and you find an off the rack gown that fits almost perfectly and doesn’t require extreme alterations, perhaps that is the one for you!
For the dreamers and curious minds, the creatives and unique individuals who simply want to add their own special flair to the most special dress they will wear, then why not lead yourself down the custom path? 

We understand that life happens, so we offer refunds on the consultation fee as long as the fitting is cancelled outside of 48 hours of the fitting time. Within 48 hours we are unfortunately unable to offer a refund. 

Please see The BOA Experience for more information.

Contact us so we can see how we can help!

Outside of seven months to your wedding date, however, we can manage certain designs and styles within shorter time frames, surcharges do apply and the possibility of creation is assessed on a case to case basis. Please see our T’s and C’s for more information.

Please see our T’s and C’s for more information.

Please see our T’s and C’s for more information.

Please see our T’s and C’s for more information.

We are working for and with many brides, bringing dreamy designs to life but when you have your appointments, you and only you are our focus. You have our undivided attention. 

That is okay! There are always other options to explore, we never put pressure on our brides to make a decision. You’re always welcome to come back free of charge and get creative with us again.

Yes absolutely, should you be one of our brides you are more than welcome to ask our advice on jewellery, hair, shoes etc. We will always reply to your emails and text messages and help you to choose the perfect additions to compliment your bridal look!

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