Maiden Bridal Boutique, at 157A Kitchener Road in Milford, Auckland, makes handmade wedding gowns fitted to each client's size and style. Its gowns are made to order, one-of-a-kind, or in limited runs. The boutique also makes minis and separates, customised veils, and hand-crafted finishing pieces. Clients can work with a dressmaker from the first drawing through to the final fitting, and the shop will rework a special gown into a new design.
The boutique also offers bridal alterations, from taking up a hem to nipping in a waist, and it says its makers can work on a dress that was not made there.
Clients who have written about the boutique say a custom gown cost less than they had expected, and that the process felt personal. One client took a secondhand dress from an op shop and had it rebuilt to their own design. Another worked with the dressmaker for 12 months, with drawings, a mock-up and fabric choices. A third had a bespoke set made after the birth of a baby, with a breastfeeding-friendly top.
The website announces a new studio opening on 2 September.
Our pick in Milford for a bride who wants a gown made to her own design.