The 5 Best Shops to Buy a Wedding Dress in Dubai
It’s not every day that a woman gets married, so it’s critical that she looks and feels her best when she walks down that aisle.
In a diverse city such as Dubai, we knew we had to pick favorites that have a wedding dress for every culture. So we scoured the city to give you the best shops to buy a wedding dress in Dubai.
We’re also sharing with you the factors we considered in choosing, and answering some FAQs about a wedding dress in Dubai.
How much does it cost to buy a wedding dress in Dubai?
The cost of buying a wedding dress depends on the material being used, the amount of fabric needed to make it, and the designer’s fee.
To give you a starting point, the price of one wedding dress can be around AED3,000 to AED20,000.
The Best Shops To Buy a Wedding Dress in Dubai
Before we get right into our top picks for the best shops to buy a wedding dress in Dubai, here are the factors we considered for our entries on this list:
1. Ginger & Poppy Bridal Boutique
| Criteria | Rating |
| Inventory | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Flexibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Range | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Inspired by small independent bridal boutiques in the UK, Ginger & Poppy is this quaint and laidback bridal destination that has some fresh finds from independent designers.
This store’s specialty is offering non-traditional wedding dresses from lesser-known designers like Bo & Luca, Alexandra Grecco, and Anais Anette.
We especially love this store because of the unique takes on what a wedding dress can look like. Unconventional yet still elegant finds grace the racks of Ginger & Poppy.
However, if you’re a brand bride and you’re on the look for big designer names, then this shop is not for you.
As for the store’s flexibility, the dresses are all in UK sizes from 10s to 14s, depending on the designers. We also love that it has many methods of pinning and fitting the dresses during an appointment.
However, we definitely recommend that you buy a dress from this store early as it is a small business. Dresses can take up to 4 to 6 months to produce, and that’s not including the alterations needed before the wedding day.
But it does accept rush orders for an extra fee. Regardless, it’s always better to leave some time just to be sure.
As for the service, we asked Jennifer, a customer it had a year ago, about her shopping experience here.
She shared with us how she thought the 90-minute appointment would be too short, as she does like to take her time when shopping. But the staff was so experienced and attentive that they immediately knew what kind of dresses they would recommend.
She also loved how laidback and airy the whole shop was that her anxieties about ever finding a dress temporarily went away during the appointment.
As for the range of the cultures included in this shop, it’s disappointing to see that all of its stock are just different forms of a white gown.
We would have loved it if it had independent designers of different cultures since Dubai is such a diverse city with many different weddings happening at the same time.
Pros
- Unique and modern wedding dresses
- Has a wide collection of independent designers
- Accepts rush orders
- Experienced and attentive staff
Cons
- Dress production takes around 4 to 6 months
- Only has white gowns
Customer Reviews
A bridal shop unlike any other in the world
“May’s thoughtful and friendly approach to wedding dress shopping is truly the best in the business. I would guess that the first step inside her store – a calm, dreamy and beautifully curated space – instantly brings any nervous bride to be a sense of peace. It’s like a karmic nod of approval that you’ve chosen the right place – you just know you’re in good hands with May.
Having been backward and forwards to May’s store a few times, coupled with more than a few emails back and forth, I can assure you that May stays calm at all times (even when I was panicking) and makes sure that everything about your wedding dress experience is smooth sailing. For something unique and blissful, I couldn’t rate Ginger + Poppy highly enough.” —Katie Tillson, Google Reviews
Impressive wedding shop
“From the moment I entered the shop to the day I collected my dream dress the service was 5-star. May was so helpful and accommodating, she was never pushy or made me feel rushed whilst trying on different styles and was more than happy for me to zoom my family back home to get involved. She was so chilled and never pushed her opinion about the dresses I tried on, which I loved as other wedding dress shops can make you feel very pressured to make a decision.
The dress styles available in Ginger and Poppy are gorgeous with so many options to choose from.
I would highly recommend Ginger and Poppy to anyone in the UAE looking to find their dream wedding dress. Cannot wait to wear my dress on my big day.” —Claire Kelly, Google Reviews
2. Contessa Bridal
| Criteria | Rating |
| Inventory | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Flexibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Range | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
With hand-picked collections from emerging designers all over the world, Contessa Bridal has some of the most elegant and exquisite wedding dresses on their racks.
We love how its inventory consists of contemporary designers with a knack for incorporating elegance and luxury with modern sensibilities.
The dresses have modern takes while respecting traditional designs that make them elegant. However, for a high-end bridal boutique, we were expecting to have a few big brand designer options in the store.
Another great thing about Contessa Bridal is its flexibility in accommodating a bride’s needs. From the free alterations to pressing and steaming the dress on the wedding day, we appreciate a bridal store that knows how to make its wedding gowns look amazing.
On top of that, it also offers wedding dress storage for those who don’t have the space to keep them in their homes.
Chesca, who brought her dream wedding dress here, enjoyed how friendly and hospitable the staff was during her appointment.
She also shared that the way she was treated made her feel so special, and it was so easy for her to discuss her opinion and what she wanted with them.
However, when it comes to the range of the dresses, besides its evening gown collections, there’s not much else.
The bridal collection is all sadly just white wedding gowns and dresses that would fit right into a classic traditional Western wedding, but not for any other kind.
Pros
- Unique and modern wedding dresses
- Free alterations
- Offers care services for the wedding dress
- Hospitable staff
Cons
- Doesn’t have big designer brands
- Only has white gowns
Customer Reviews
They made me feel so special
“It was the second salon that I visited in Dubai and I wish it was my first choice! I felt very special in the salon and I could see that the ladies are really passionate and caring. Amazing atmosphere, good attention to details and professionalism. I will always recommend them to everyone. Thank you for making my dress so perfect!” —Daria Magdalena, Google Reviews
They know what’s best for me
“I had THE BEST experience at Contessa. I met Neli who took such great care of me. She introduced me to a dress I had no desire in trying, but convinced me to just try it on and I fell in love with it. I would definitely recommend Contessa to everyone I know.” —Nusaibah Shirazy, Google Reviews
3. Vanila Bridal Boutique
| Criteria | Rating |
| Inventory | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Flexibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Range | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
A powerhouse in the bridal shop scene, Vanila Bridal Boutique is known for its trendy yet classic wedding gowns sourced from big designers all over the world.
From names such as Casablanca Bridal, Helen Miller, and Giovana Alessandro, among many others, Vanila Bridal Boutique has the latest dresses from designers’ collections.
We love how the shop goes big with the range of designers it has, as well as the different types of wedding gowns to accommodate different settings.
On top of that, it also has accessories that perfectly match dresses and really hone in on specific looks that brides dream of. We also love that alterations can be rushed and squeezed into a couple of weeks — perfect for those elopement-style weddings.
As for the service, we love how accommodating the staff is. They are willing to go beyond the store’s inventory to help get the bride’s dream look.
This was the case for Nadine, who wanted a custom accessory to go with a specific style of gown she was looking for.
She called ahead of her appointment and brought it up, and the store told her that it can get one for her on the day of her fitting to see how it looks in person.
However, our problem with the store is that since it is big, appointments can happen simultaneously, so brides could be sharing the space with each other.
While that’s not ideal as it can distract the bride and influence her sense of style and mindset, the store is big enough to accommodate multiple clients at once.
As for its range, we love how it has wedding gowns for different wedding settings. But like the others, it also lacks the gowns that can be appropriate for cultural unions.
Pros
- Has big designer brands
- Different styles can fit in different wedding settings
- Alterations can be squeezed into a couple of weeks
- Staff is accommodating and willing to meet bride’s needs
Cons
- The store can get busy with multiple appointments
- Only has white gowns
Customer Reviews
I highly recommend shopping here
“It was such a nice relaxing experience at Vanila Wedding Boutique. They helped me from the beginning to choose lots of dresses to try on as I was clueless. Then the first dress I tried on was the one!!!! Of course they helped me try on all the others I had picked just to make sure. I can’t wait to wear this dress on my wedding day. I highly recommend them to anyone in search of their dream dress.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!” —Allana Arkell, Google Reviews
The staff was so lovely
“I enjoyed my visit at the boutique so much, it was my first time trying on dresses so I didn’t know what to expect but Vivianne was so lovely and helpful, did an awesome job with the dresses she picked and the order she made me try them as I had my pick from the website in my head, loved the experience 💜” —Kristyna Henderson, Google Reviews
4. The Bridal Showroom
| Criteria | Rating |
| Inventory | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Flexibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Range | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
One of the first size-inclusive bridal shops in Dubai, The Bridal Showroom has timeless lineups that are handpicked and with accessories to match.
We love that its inventory is being continuously updated every season. The dresses are exclusively flown in from New York and Barcelona.
It’s also amazing that it has dresses from big wedding gown designers such as Justin Alexander, Allure, Madison James, Justine M Couture, and many more.
As for the shop’s flexibility, we love that it has sizes that go up to UK26/US24 to really ensure that women of all measurements see themselves in wedding gowns that actually fit them.
Another great thing about this shop is that it accepts alterations for dresses that were bought elsewhere. However, this is subject to its staff’s availability.
Lastly, we just love how its normal turnaround time for alterations is just one month, compared to others that would usually take 4 to 6 months.
And when it comes to the staff’s service, it’s all about presentation, according to Katrina, who found her dream wedding gown here. She shared with us that the staff really took the time to present each recommendation and discussed the details of each choice.
The owner was also present during her appointment, as is what she usually does for all customers. She also takes the opportunity to tell each client how each dress would look amazing in photographs during the wedding.
But when it comes to the range of wedding gowns, not only is it lacking in wedding attire from other cultures, but we also noticed how it doesn’t have more modern choices.
We checked for pantsuits and wedding gowns that are not in white, but we were disappointed that there aren’t any in its inventory.
Pros
- Plus-size inclusive
- Collection is updated every season
- Has big brand designer names
- Quick turnaround time for alterations
- Detail-oriented staff
Cons
- Only has traditional white wedding gowns
Customer Reviews
The experience was always welcoming and comfortable
“I said YES TO THE DRESS ! At The Bridal Showroom Dubai. And ever since I stopped in I felt welcomed and comfortable. I love the place! Christina thank you so much for all your help <333 she has been helping me and showing me love through out my whole journey of finding my dress and the fittings, Dina from alterations has been very kind and advising with the fittings session, understanding my needs and points of view, thank you so much. As well as the whole team of TBS you rockkk!!! The tailor and the finishing of their workshop is amazing!! You can just trust this place easy. Love it!!!” —Dame Knighter, Google Reviews
The experience was very personal
“The Bridal Showroom is where I said Yes to the dress and all of this because of the priceless experience Christina and her team gave to me and my bridesmaids!!! I felt taken care of, not rushed, and more importantly I felt she was really listening to what I desired and helped my experience to be an amazing memory as this is such an important moment for a bride-to-be. The bridal shop has a great selection of dresses for all price ranges. The experience was personal and I will never forget it!
Thank you so much for making me feel special the entire step of the way!” — Hulya Emre, Google Reviews
5. Al Daker Couture
| Criteria | Rating |
| Inventory | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Flexibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Range | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
One of the oldest and most well-known luxury bridal boutiques in Dubai, Al Daker Couture covers the gamut of wedding gowns, from traditional ones to more contemporary and international styles.
We love how the boutique is just filled with exclusive Al Daker designs, a hallmark brand when it comes to wedding gowns in Dubai.
On top of that, the shop goes above and beyond to attain your dream wedding gown by having it made to all of your specifications and having your very own Al Daker creation.
It also accepts alterations, albeit it takes around 4 months for a normal order, so be sure to pick out a dress early or you might be facing some extra rush order fees.
On top of that, it also has custom accessories from the Al Daker design studio itself.
And when it comes to its service, the 30 years of experience is immediately noticeable. This is according to Jenna, who got her wedding gown at Al Daker.
She shared with us how the staff immediately honed in on specific styles that she wanted and what would look good on her body type.
They were all so friendly and accommodating, as well. They recommended different accessories to style the gowns excellently.
However, the big store gets a little bit crowded and noisy when multiple appointments happen at the same time.
And when it comes to its range, we love how it also has Hijab wedding dresses, especially since it’s important to consider the traditional culture in Dubai.
Pros
- Has couture wedding gowns
- Has Hijab wedding gowns and accepts custom designs
- Has custom accessories
- Staff has 30 years’ worth of experience
Cons
- The store gets a bit busy and noisy
- Alterations can take months
Customer Reviews
Fairly priced and elegant gowns
“The best wedding shop in dubai! My sister in law found her dream wedding dress there and after I year I went back because of how amazing the staff were and the high quality and fairly priced dresses they have. They have a huge range of dresses and they will tailor to how you want. Everyone that works there is super friendly and will give you honest advice! 5 stars 😊” —Anda Al Rayyes, Google Reviews
I got so many praises for my dress
“My experience with AlDaker was a very delightful one as they helped me get my dream wedding dress that I adore. The team was very helpful especially “ Nisreen” as she was very friendly and welcomed me professionally with open arms and helped me with my wedding dress choice. She was so patient, she was so helpful and kept on updating me and contacting me. And she was just so nice and very accommodating.
I got so many good comments on my dress. Best destination for brides. Highly recommended.” —Balqees ALmazrouei, Google Reviews
FAQs about Wedding Dresses in Dubai
We hope this helped you in finding your dream wedding dress. Also, if you’re looking for other services to complete your wedding, then check out these articles: