Mariana Hardwick

This place is magical! You walk into the warehouse type Mariana Hardwick building and there are beautiful gowns hanging as far as the eye can see with a huge staircase at the end that leads up to where the custom dresses are made. I came here twice to try on dresses as I was told this was as good as it gets. I’m from Canada, marrying my Aussie boy in Hawaii this year, so they let me Skype my bridesmaids back home to help me choose my dress. (No photos are allowed, but Skype was).
The lady that helped me was Joy, and she pulled dresses as I requested them and even suggested ones that would suit my body type. Believe it or not, I chose a dress that Joy suggested (it didn’t look like much on the hanger, but when I put it on, I knew it was the one).
In the end I came back and signed a contract to pay 6 equal payments. You have 4 fittings, one where they measure you, one where you see the outline all pinned, one where you see your dress in the material you’ve chosen and the final fitting where you take home your dress.
The dress is absolutely stunning and designed exactly for me! :)

Being of the as-​yet unmarried and non-​engaged section of society, my only experience with Mariana Hardwick’s bridal couture was as an onlooker, having tagged along with a friend looking for a wedding gown.
But OMG how I loved this place. The gowns are seriously to die for; before stepping in here I had never had much interest in a white dress, but now I think I get the whole Princess Wedding thing.
The dresses are all handmade and the staff are extremely helpful, as you would expect in a store at this price point. As well as dresses there are accessories and an «off the rack» section of last season’s and discounted dresses.
This place is super pricey but I know I’ll be back when I’m actually in the market for a wedding dress, if only for inspiration.