Digio review - Day to day

Overview

This is actually a documentary of how i felt during the MTM session.

As this reflects the chronology of the bridal process from the very beginning of trying on the perfect gown to the actual. Thus, this is an extremely long post. Everything documented here is what truly transpired between me and the bridal shop.

25th January 2010 - Design wedding gown

Wedding Gown making and measurement:

Tried on a couple of gowns. Selected the one that suits me most. The designer casey say he will design something along that line and embroidered.

But i'm pretty unhappy as he told me he require me to top up if its an embroidered gown ~ price range he quoted was S$1,800 - S$ 2,000. Obviously, i'm not going to top up especially when i specifically pointed out an dress before i sign up and say i wanted something similar and was told "No problem". So eventually, he relented and say he will design one "especially for me"

So walk off happy and dreamy about my gown. I think its going to be a fantastic one given the quality of gowns from Digio.

29 March 2010 - First fitting of wedding gown

First gown fitting - The ENTIRE gown is completed to my very surprise. I'm seriously not expecting this. Thought that this is just a fitting? So this should be just the inner lining.

This was what i read in the previous forum discussions as well.

First impression:

Gown is classic, elegant and embroidered. Just what i wanted. But its "A" line cut, and it shows off one of my worst flaws. My bulging tummy (its still a tummy though i've already started working out).  OMG.

The neckline and bodice. One of the cuttings i dislike most. Straight cut neckline. I haven't voice out anything yet. As i feel the gown is ok, but not me and doesn't accentuates my hourglass curves (note i never mention figure)

Though it is a fully embroidered gown, the quality of embroidery is dissappointing and a far cry from the usual gowns i see on the rack. It looks like those cheap china beads and its not shiny at all. Here's the gown


However, the cut is seriously not what i envisioned nor the gown i tried on which is something similar to this.


I'm quite unhappy with the fact that the gown that i tried is so different from the one that was made.

It was on the way home when my sis told me that the dress looks unsuitable for me and its totally not me as i always say i wanted a princessy gown. That make me think harder if i really wanted the gown. My sis also informed me that the gown looked like a tablecoth and the gown is plain! Gosh. And she kept quiet when i tried on the gown. Double whammy when i feel so uncertain.


And so i have to fret over how to bring it up, as i should have highlighted it earlier and now i wonder if i should hold my peace forever. Finally, i decided to call Casey and it was arranged to review it on my next appointment on Apr 25.

2nd April 2010 - Trying evenings gowns

We are suppose to design the gown today. The official excuse he give us is that he's waiting for new materials to come in April. He tried to make it up by letting me go to the third floor to try some gowns to give me an idea of the colour i wish to choose. I had fun trying on all types of gowns. Offshoulder and halter and strapless. Finally, the next appointment we make is on a weekend.

24th April 2010 - Design evening gown

During the appointment, he asked why i don't like the gown. And i told him about the cut and reason behind why i'm so particular. So he proposed that i take an over the rack gown which i accepted in the end. I'm quite tired of trying to make a gown anyway. What if it didn't turn out well again. I don't wish to suffer another disappointment. So i decided go along with the proposal.

There goes my package that i bargained so hard for. I didn't insist that he make something up for me. Stupid me! But i'm passed that point. I just want a pretty gown for my once in a lifetime event.

So we went on to make the evening gown. All the gowns that was taken down ain't exactly to my liking. I requested to try the tulle gown that i saw in the magazine and compare against the first gown i tried on when i first visited the shop. On hindsight, i think the gown taken down is not the gown i first tried though similar.

Finally, after some hard thinking. I asked my gown to be made exactly the same in my desired colour.

Gripe: He wanted me to select my photoshoot gowns only on 5th June (weekday again). It was when i highlight that i'm worried that i can't find the right gowns, he accomodated to make an appointment in May 16.

16th May 2010 - Evening gowns
Casey apparently knew about my comment on my MTM gown on the forum. He asked why i tell fellow brides i don't like my gown and that i changed it to OTR. He say he out of goodwill let me choose over the rack. Actually, he should charge me for it. Allo. The gown u made and the gown i tried is so different. Its not my fault leh.

Accordingly my comments has given him alot of problems. Many clients asked to enquire and asked to change their OTR. He stated that if anything just discuss with him direct. I hope that the fact that i'm truthful about my package it will make things better for other couples. After all, we are all being carroted one way or another by the wedding vendors.

Anyway, the comments on the popular bride forum are monitored and to a certain extent skewed towards the providers. So always read the good comments with a pinch of salt.

Today i asked about my evening gown and made some suggestions. I asked to line the gown with black tulle so that the gown will be more distinct. But was kinda of rejected and say we'll observed again when i go down to try it on 4th June.

So i got the opportunity to go to the fourth level to try my photoshoot gowns. I am to choose 3 gowns today. 1 outdoor wedding gown, 2 indoor wedding gown. One of it is to be my actual day gown.

I think i tried nearly 20 over gowns. And in the end i only managed to KIV 3 gowns. I started from 12 pm till 3 pm. Its damn tiring. Thank god i don't need to go through it again. I asked about when steven will get to choose his clothes. He say he will match his clothes to mine. Is that how it works?

And towards the end the designer came up to assist. Think its so much faster with him because he showed me the grander gowns or maybe his own personal collection. in the end the gown i selected will be my MTM and no one else is to wear it till my wedding day. hmmm....

4th June 2010 - Evening gowns

Got to try my MTM evening gown. All is to my satisfaction. No surprises. I requested for him to add tulle below the EG. He say he'll work on that. Happy. I hope after adding the blings and ribbons the gown will look oh so perfect. I proceed to select my rest of my photoshoot gowns. He got his assistant to help and subsequently, he helped to picked out some gowns. I wanted flowy gowns since i already got 4 ballgowns with train. Today seem to be the most smooth of the wedding process. I asked when steven is getting to try his clothes again. Apparently, he'll only take his measurements then. Going to the bridal again on 12th june. Hope can get the suits else we have to rush for some last minute shopping.

12th June 2010
Got to try my altered gowns with steven's suits. His suits are pretty all right. But some of the shirts look abit worn. So in the end i suggested for steven to wear our own newly purchased shirt for most of the suits.

Some of the suits look pretty worn too. But it didn't look too bad on camera when we snapped some pictures. Apparently the suits that he chose for the actual day will be those we tried. I may try to request for a different black suit. And also picked the grey one.

Initially, we are told that the bride (me) need to try all before the groom. But we insisted to try each by pairing to see how everything turns out. Glad that we did as it helps in visualising how we both look like.

We also got the opportunity to discuss with the photographer on the pictures we like. He went through them and commented its alot of pictures. At least, we got to share on the photos that we love.

14th June 2010 - Photoshoot day
Reach there early and was informed to move to another studio. Yay! its the new studio at Rico-a-mona. bye bye to my red chandelier at the old studio. But the new studio was better in terms of decoration, props and space. I know because i went up to recce before.

However, i got a shock on the day of photoshoot. My make up artist was Keith instead of Miki as originally agreed. I was quite taken aback and didn't know what to do. How to put up a fuss that day. OMG! well as hubby saw Keith make up skills and like it so I decided to go along with Keith. Aiz. showed him my homework and he tried to recreate the look. My makeup looks quite heavy duty. Keith sure did bring alot of his own accessories for his bride.

During the photoshoot, I have alot of difficulty in try to smile and open my eyes. I always cringe my eyes when i laugh and now its damn difficult to correct. So my smile probably end up either looking fake or something. oh no.

In all as we end the studio shoot earlier at 3 pm. We headed out to Chinese Gardens, Bontanical Garden and Marina Barrage. The photoshoot was more fun towards the end when we were at the barrage.

When i returned from the photoshoot and i met Casey. I told him about the mixed up of make-up artist. He got the gall to tell me that it was Keith all along. I was quite pissed. But since whatever is done cannot be undone. As long as the pictures are fine and they don't cork up my wedding that's fine.

16 July 2010 - 24 July 2010 - 25 July 2010 - Selection of photos

The coordinator left me to my own devices to choose the photos i want. I tried to choose as efficiently as possible. But because of the nature of my work and distance from Di gio, in the end, the whole process has to be spread out over 3 days.

Felt that the coordinator didn't really bother about us until he came over to see our shortlisted photos and to get us to buy the photos.

Though I knew then that the pictures will eventually end up in the storeroom. But these are the photos that i looked really good in (probably due to extreme make over aka photoshop). So i did buy more. In this instance we topped up quite a bit of photos which includes snapshots of our legs and clapboard. That's freaking expensive picture for a still picture. I didn't want our album to be solely our couple and solo pictures. So i included the stills. I'm really glad i did. It makes my album different.

26 August 2010-28 August 2010 - Layout for album
Well the coordinator asked us to go direct to the person editing the photos. We talked to the layout person. She very nice to talk to and very a accommodating girl. We went through and gave our suggestions which she readily agreed to made the changes and these will be ready to view again on 28 August.

The photos are edited to our satisfaction. We made a few minor editing and then wait for 2 more layouts to be touched up and our album will be ready for printing! Yay! We chose our frame and album cover today too!

All through the liaising i didn't hear from my coordinator. Our contact point is the girl who does our layout. She did it to perfection by the way.

11 Sept 2010 - Trial make up
Initially, my actual day make up artist is Miki. But she's an extremely popular and hot artist. I wanted my own specific time for my actual day so i opted for a less popular artist in the hope that i can get the timing i wanted. Casey agreed and so i used Milly and decided to do a trial make up for actual day.

She a very sweet girl and she agreed with my timing. She promised to arrange the timing as she got another bride that day. The make up for actual day is set at 630 am so i'll be ready by 8.15 am.

Tried my make up that day. It was all right. My hubby said that its nice. Like the one i did for photoshoot. But somehow i felt that Keith seemed to be able to grasp my skin tone. So i suggested to her to use pink and then purple for day/night for actual day. And she took down notes for the make up.

To my surprise, trial make up does not include hair do. But that's like so strange. I will actually think it makes more sense to do the hair as well. If doing the face without the hair, its like an incomplete job. It does seem to be an industry practice though.

10 October 2010 - Actual day
To my horror my make up timing is changed to 7 am to accommodate another bride. I requested the MUA to try to come earlier as i have a very tight timing to follow. She say she try to reach by 6.50 am. But she cannot just try! It will ruin my wedding as my mum is very traditional and very strict on such matters. And guess what, everyone arrived on actual day. My videographer, my photographer and still no sight of my make up artist. She finally arrive at 7.05 am. :(

I was very stressed and couldn't even smile until prompted by the videographer.
8 am and i'm still doing my hair. I was dismayed with the make up artist as she wanted my bridesmaid to do my hair for the change into Kwa! I think my bridesmaid is quite horrified as the girls' are not savvy with this. So the artist suggested me to curl a few tendrils of my hair. I was quite hesitant but due to time contraints i agreed but sounded unhappy. In the end, she bunned my hair so its easier for everyone later. I think the morning make up is very rushed but still bearable. Though i must admit, the dinner make up was much better as well as the hairdo and i looked extremely princessy.

In summary

This post took longer than expected as i hope to be as rational as i am impartial. Some of the things i wrote were when my feelings are all in a turmoil and frustrated so i hope to tone down my harsh words to be fair to the boutique. I'll be writing a final conclusion on my experience with Di gio and perhaps sharing some of the wonderful photos that were taken.

Post wedding comment on July 2014 - update - Casey has since left Digio to set up his own shop. Please google for Calla Couture.