8 Easy Steps to Finding Your Bridal Outfit in India or PakistanMake a list of all your top designers and research their work in advance.
Look at the designers work from the beginning of their career to where their collection has come to now. Are you looking for classic or innovative? What has the designer done in their time and can they create what you need? Will they have what you're looking for? How lenient are they on changing their designs if you want them to? Does the designer support child labor or child produced garments?
- Get a phone as soon as you arrive. Seriously.
It's the only way to properly stay in touch with designers, their assistants, tailors and etc. Most people will give you an email address that they barely ever check. The best way to get what you need is by phone. It's also great to have for safety reasons.
- Be prepared to meet with real designers on short notice
Contact designers in advance to make tentative appointments and introduce yourself. Everyone will tell you not to speak English with anyone, but in my experience, it was the only way to get my foot in the door!
- Know where you're going and where you need to be
Print maps of the locations you need to go to before you get to the country of shopping. If you have a driver they might know where you need to go, but it helps if you know what's nearby to the major places you want to hit, to minimize travel time and be on time for appointments.
Having friends or family near the hot shopping areas helps a TON. They know what times are the best to visit and they can also help you book your appointments with very exclusive places, by their own experience or what they've heard from other locals.
Dress in the local fashion and be comfortable at the high-end studios. They can smell your fear and will behave rudely if you don't have confidence! Be loud and clear about what you need and make sure everything is in writing. Every payment, every detail of the garment you're getting, when it is going to be ready and/ or shipped to you, and what the policies are in case you hate it.
When you find things you love, just go for it. If you feel like you found the one, then stop looking! Shopping at every bridal boutique and designer studio is not easily done in another country, so allow yourself to find "the one," even in a short amount of time.