THE WEDDING POSTS: Picking an Online Designer to fit your budget

A lot of people email and ask me about where I get my clothes from, and more specifically, which online designers and vendors I would recommend. I've been doing a lot of research and looking at a lot of pictures over the last few months as I have been trying to order my bridal outfit. As much as I would LOVE to order a designer bridal outfit (specifically, a Bunto Kazmi outfit, my favourite designer), I don't have the money for it and I'm also trying to be sensible. There are a lot of 'Facebook sellers' and 'designers' out there, some good and some bad, and it can be difficult to sift through them and see who will do good work.

Here's some of the research I found while deciding on my own bridal outfit (although it is definitely not all encompassing and I would definitely recommend that you do your own research as well to make sure you are satisfied.) These are some on-line vendors who I have used, and who I would recommend, they're pretty affordable and most do bridals as well as formal/party outfits. I didn't want to post too many because it can be overwhelming to look through too many, and these were some of the more reliable sellers I found.

ONLINE VENDORS TO ACCOMMODATE A SMALLER BUDGET:

Kapray Shapray
https://www.facebook.com/Kapray.Shapray?ref=ts&fref=ts
Email: kaprayshapray@gmail.com 
Note: I have ordered from her before, she does very nice bridal and heavy kameez outfits, her designs are good and prices are reasonable. She's pretty quick to reply and does a good job with outfits, although be mindful that she gets busy some season (eg. Eid and wedding seasons) so sometimes stops taking orders for a little while. A positive is that she has pictures of her real work so you know what to expect.

Catwalk/Misbah
https://www.facebook.com/groups/117115711665284/?fref=ts
Like the above seller, she does bridals and heavy kameezes, I haven't used her for a custom made outfit (I've only ordered a ready-made outfit from her before) before but she seems to be good and her prices are quite similar to the above. Like the above seller, she posts pictures of her real work so you know what to expect.

Saima Mohd
https://www.facebook.com/groups/48125771297/
Email: saima_fashion@hotmail.com
Does replica outfits and heavy outfits, I have read excellent reviews about this one. I am also aware that my fellow fashion blogger SuperSummer has ordered from this vendor and has nothing but good things to say!

Enchanted clothing
https://www.facebook.com/EnchantedClothings?fref=ts
Email: enchantedclothings@gmail.com
I have ordered from her before and have blogged about my positive experience here; she is not as cheap as above, but is very quick and I love her work. I think she is definitely worth a look too, particularly as she is able to get the details of her designs done pretty well, and is also able to copy designer outfits quite well.

M K Designs
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MK-Designs-Pakistani-Bridal-Formal-Wear/204766710234?fref=ts
Email: m.k_designs@hotmail.com
I have used this vendor before, and the kaam (or work) used is excellent quality. The person who runs this website lives in the UK, which makes her easy to talk to, and she is very thorough so she is able to go through every detail with you. One outfit I've ordered before is this one, which I ordered a couple of years ago, and which I was very happy with.

My other advice would be to always email the vendor and tell them your budget and what you like, then they can tell you what they can make for you, even if they reduce the kaam or alter it slightly to accommodate your budget. Make sure you also look at their pictures of finished outfits so you know what to expect, as it's no good looking at pictures from the catwalk and expecting it to look exactly the same.

It's also up to you whether you want to order online or not, or whether you choose to look in the shops in your local area. If you don't order from the shops around you and decide to purchase online, I still recommend a visit to your local shops to see in real life and up close which colours suit you, the style of work you prefer and what shapes suit you. I'll be sure to post more online designers that I come across and the ones I find reliable as well, and please do leave comments for other online designers/tailors you would recommend.

I'll also be posting another post for those of you who want to use a recognised brand designers (although I'm no expert on these!), and will post my experiences with them very soon.