I’m obsessed with wedding dresses! If I wasn’t a wedding photographer, I’d probably work in one of the many incredible Adelaide wedding dress shops.
What you wear on your wedding day is so important, and goes hand in hand with wedding photography – how you feel in your wedding outfit shines through in your photos. Wearing the right wedding dress (or suit) can make you feel confident, comfortable and beautiful. Finding the perfect thing to wear starts with choosing a bridal shop or dressmaker who you can trust.
When buying a wedding dress, the first thing you should ask yourself is, are you looking for a wedding dressmaker and designer who will create a unique wedding dress based on your vision? Or do you want to find a brand whose style you love and a wedding dress shop that stocks it?
I’ve curated a list (in no particular order) of my 6 best Adelaide wedding dress shops to find THE dress for you! These are my favourites for good reason – I trust them, my clients sing their praises, and they will ensure you feel beautiful, comfortable and confident in the lead-up to your wedding day.
1. Calèche Bridal House
Have you ever dreamed of having a wedding dress designed and handmade in Paris? Something delicate and elegant with the intricacies of European design?
Calèche is the birthchild of Colette Foubert who sailed from France to Australia with her husband and four children back in the early 1970s. Colette started the business with one machinist, some patterns and rolls of fabric spread across the floor. She was the designer, and her husband Olivier was the cutter.
“Caleche Bridal House Design Wedding Dresses For The Modern Bride”
Olivier and Colette passed Calèche down to their sons, and one son in particular married an incredible designer, Liz, who for the past 20 years has been the sole designer of Calèche dresses and has made the label what it is today. Calèche is now in its second generation and they have sold handcrafted dresses across Australia, New Zealand and in boutiques across France and Italy. They now have an intimate team of seamstresses, patternmakers and fitters who work passionately to create perfectly fitting European-style dresses. For the past few years they have been focusing solely on a made to measure experience from their Adelaide boutique.
The Details
Address: 43-45 Chapel Street, Norwood
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, Monday to Saturday
Appointments: Appointments are recommended to guarantee an available fitting room and consultant.
Prices: Made-to-measure gowns range from $4,000 to $9,000 (average prices range from $5,000 and $7,000). They offer a luxury personalised fitting service and a range of different sizes from 6 to 22.
Timings: They get booked out pretty quickly and encourage a minimum of 8 months for the made-to-measure process.
2. ARA Experience
If you’re looking for a talented and relatable wedding dressmaker in Adelaide, this is the place! The small boutique on Gilles Street, run by co-founder Penny, is the perfect place if you’re looking for something unique. Her heart and soul go into each and every stitch.
ARA – “A Refreshing Alternative” – was born from Penny’s own frustrating experience shopping for her wedding dress:
“Being a particularly picky but laid-back bride, I did not enjoy the wedding dress shopping experience at all. Every dress I tried on was too traditional and not fashionable enough – and the ones that were fashionable were completely out of my budget. So I went down the custom-made route but unfortunately fell out of love with my dress as soon as I put it on. How I wish I could mix and match the different dresses I fell in love with from bridal stores. How I wish I could try my dress on before putting a deposit down to have it made. And how I wished my designer was honest and recommended the right silhouette for my body shape.”
The Details
Address: 172 Gilles Street, Adelaide
Opening hours: 9am-6pm, Tuesday to Friday / 9am-5pm, Saturday to Sunday. They have late-night shopping on Thursday from 9am-9pm.
Appointments: Appointments are recommended
Prices: Dresses ranges between $2,500 to $4,500, depending on your design. All their dresses are custom-made and crafted to your specific body measurements.
Timings: They recommend that you book 6 to 9 months prior to your wedding.
3. The Bride Lab
The Bride Lab first caught my eye when I discovered that they stock Rue De Seine, whose designs I’m obsessed with! “For the unique, the free-spirited, and the forward-thinking bride, The Bride Lab stocks a thoughtfully curated range of exclusive designer wedding dresses.”
I soon realised that their stock boasts a perfect mix of modern, indie, boho and vintage styles. Their permanent wedding dress collection includes Anna Campbell, Rue De Seine, Daalarna Couture, Alexandra Grecco, Lovers Society, Alyssa Kristin, Anna Kara, Emmy Mae, Theia Couture, Amaline Vitale and Hera Couture – and other exclusive designers that you won’t find anywhere else in Adelaide.
Seriously – at The Bride Lab you will find the most incredible wedding dress designers, all in one place.
The Details
Address: 109 King William Road, Unley
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday by appointment only
Appointments: Open by appointment only, to provide you with a one-on-one styling consultation
Prices: Gowns range from approximately $1500 – $6000, with the majority priced between $3000 – $5000. They stock sample gowns in a range of sizes from 10 to 26.
Timings: They recommend ordering your dress 8 to 12 months before your wedding.
4. Greta Kate
It’s safe to say that I’m completely obsessed with Greta’s wedding dresses. “It was a passion fostered from a young age, as Greta watched her creative grandmother at work. These early lessons on how to sew proved the greatest influence on Greta’s design career.”
Greta launched her label in 2010 after studying fashion design for 4 years. Starting out in her small home studio, Greta gradually built her business to what it is today, offering beautifully unique handmade bridal couture in Adelaide and Australia-wide. Simple, elegant and modern wedding dresses – right up my street.
“It’s More Than The Garment You Create, It’s The Relationships You Develop Along The Way”
“I think I am incredibly lucky to be part of the day most girls dream about … her wedding. You often spend over a year getting to know a bride and her life. It’s wonderful sharing all her excitement leading up to the big day. Your wedding day will pass you by very quickly, so I truly believe in enjoying the journey along the way. I love that GretaKate can be part of that.”
The Details
Address: 3 Charles Street, Norwood
Opening hours: 9am-5pm, Friday to Saturday
Appointments: By appointment only
5. Alexis George
Alexis George is an Australian fashion house specialising in custom bridal couture. Creative Directors Pat and George Georgiou have been designing custom gowns in their Adelaide showroom for over 40 years.
“Alexis George designs are elegant, form-flattering and meticulously created by hand in Adelaide. We pride ourselves on exceptional craftsmanship and personalised customer service.”
If you’re looking for a high-fashion editorial wedding dress, this is your go-to dressmaker. Alternatively, they stock Lexi wedding gowns which still have that high-fashion feel at a fraction of the price.
The Details
Address: 219 Unley Road, Malvern
Opening hours: 10am-5pm, Monday-Saturday
Appointments: Appointments are recommended
Prices: Ready-to-wear gowns that start at $3,000. Custom-designed and handmade gowns start at $5,000. Official stockist of Lexi Bridal – gowns starting from under $1,000.
6. Couture Love Madness
Cristina from couture+love+madness has literally dressed celebrities. If you want to feel like high-fashion royalty on your wedding day, this is 100% the wedding dress shop in Adelaide for you!
The aesthetic behind couture+love+madness is elegance and beauty. Cristina’s wedding dress designs are contemporary and renowned for their impeccable classic cuts, embellished fabrics and attention to every detail.
Recognised as one of the leading South Australian wedding dress designers, couture+love+madness specialises in bridal gowns, red carpet, formals and mother-of-the-bride and groom.
The Details
Address: 1/260 The Parade, Norwood
Opening hours: By appointment only. Walk-ins from 10am-4pm on Fridays and Saturdays
Appointments: By appointment only
So there you have it – the 6 best Adelaide wedding dress shops! Finding your perfect wedding dress is no small feat, but I can guarantee if you go with one of my recommendations, you’re in very safe hands. Finding your wedding dress should be a fun process – don’t settle until you feel amazing in what you’re wearing. This is going to be the most expensive outfit you probably ever buy, so make sure it’s right for you.
Looking for more tips to help with your wedding planning? Check out my blog for inspiration and advice, and get in touch to chat more about your wedding day. I’m here to help every step of the way.
