Frequently Asked Questions

Consultation Appointment

In order to give you our full attention, appointments are necessary.

Bridal consultations are between one to one and a half hours.

Our styling fee is $50. You will receive a trained personal bridal stylist who will work with you one on one, to find you the perfect wedding dress. We will pull a selection of gowns for you to try on, based on the personal information provided. If it’s ok with you, we will help you in the changing room to get in and out of the gowns and pin where necessary. Any subsequent appointments within one month of your first visit, are free of charge.

Our wedding dresses range in prices from $1700 – $5600. We also have a selection of sample sale dresses that range from $300 – $1500. Our collection are more frequently in the $2200-$3000 range. We have sample sales twice a year, usually around March and July where dresses are reduced by 75%. This is a great time to grab yourself a stunning designer gown at half price.

Bring pictures of dresses you’ve seen on our website, in magazines, or that you’ve tried on elsewhere. Bring an open mind to try on the unexpected as well: don’t be surprised if you find “the dress” on your first visit to Brides by Donna Rae. There’s no need to bring heels as you will be standing on platform. Light coloured underwear is recommended. A strapless bra is not necessary as most wedding dresses can’t be worn with a bra.

Bring the closest friend and/or family member whose opinion you trust and value, who knows you well and with whom you want to share the experience of buying your gown. Bringing more than 3 people can sometimes take the focus away from the bride.

We have samples ranging in sizes 6 to 30. Browse our Curvy selection here.

We understand how important it is to see yourself photographed in your dream dress, however our designers do not permit photos due to possible duplication. Once you have purchased your gown, you may take as many pictures as you like. During the consultation, our consultants can take photos of your preferred dresses to help with the elimination process.

Making a decision at the time of ordering your gown is helpful to complete the look. However we do carry a selection of veils that can be purchased at a later stage.

Absolutely! Not only do many brides find their dress on the first visit to Brides by Donna Rae, but they also shop the look by selecting their veil, headpiece and jewellery.

In most cases a wedding dress will require some type of alteration. It may only need a hem or lifting the shoulders, or a larger job like reducing the size of the dress. Alterations are important to ensure your wedding dress fits perfectly. Our recommended dressmakers work off site. We will give you their details to contact directly. Once you have purchased your wedding dress, we highly recommended contacting a dressmaker to book in your wedding date to avoid missing out.

  • Stella York
  • Essense of Australia
  • Martina Liana
  • Morilee
  • Cizzy
  • Zavana
  • Sophia Tolli
  • Martin Thornburg
  • Jessica Couture
  • White April
  • Rachel Rose

Purchasing

It can take between 6 to 8 months for your wedding dress to arrive, however there are rush options available on some dresses. You will also need to allow a few months for alterations. To give yourself plenty of time, it’s best to start looking for your wedding dress at least 1 year prior to your wedding date.  If you have a short time frame to choose your wedding dress, all of our 300 sample wedding dresses are available to purchase off the rack.

We accept MasterCard, Visa, as well as Eftpos and online banking.

If you are ordering your gown, we require a 50% deposit at the time you order your gown. When the gown arrives at Brides by Donna Rae and passes our quality control check, we’ll contact you to book a final fitting. At that point, we require payment of the remaining 50% balance. If you are buying a sample gown off the rack, we require 100% payment on the day of purchase. You are welcome to use a dressmaker of your choice.

Once you’ve ‘SAID YES TO THE DRESS’, we simply require a 20% deposit to secure the dress and monthly regular payments thereafter.

When you dress arrives, we will email you a link to book a “Collect My Dress” appointment. This 30 minute appointment is where you can accessorise your dress with veils and accessories to complete the look.

By now you should have a bridal dressmaker booked in. You can now organise your first fitting with them.

The balance of your gown is payable at this time, then you are ready to take home your stunning gown in a customised covered garment bag.

Shipping

Yes absolutely. We can ship a dress within New Zealand and participating countries outside New Zealand. Shipping fees apply.

No, it’s not too late, but every second counts! Your options include buying one of our samples off the rack or working with a consultant to determine which designers can meet your time frame for a “special urgent order” gown, which could include an additional rush charge.

If your wedding date is sooner than the time we typically need to have a standard- or special-order gown made, we’ll need to consult with the designer and place a “rush” order, for an additional fee. In this instance, your gown may arrive 1-3 weeks before your wedding.

Got more Questions?
Let us know!

Contact Us