Getting married will never be cheap for as long as there are ceremonies and other itineraries that need to be done and to add on top of that, the looks need to be memorable and when it comes to looks, quality takes precedence some designers charge as much as N$25 000 while others charge about N$5 000.
The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc of people’s livelihoods, the entertainment and event management and hosting industry is still limping on its knees due to its either lack of activities or ceased activities and reduced numbers when it comes to gatherings that has affected a lot of people, including some designers.
Fashion Designer McBright Kavari said, in terms of business, nothing has changed before and during Covid-19, people are still getting married. “Honestly speaking, nothing has changed for me, I had a lot of clients’ work that needed to be done and that kept me busy. I never changed my prices,” Kavari told Entertainment Now!
For the Otjiherero wedding dresses, Kavari charges about N$4 500. “This is for labour, they give the design and I only assist with the fabric selection, only if needed. The same applies to the western wedding gowns, prices can go up to N$6 000 per frock and that can depend on the fabrics again,” shared Kavari.
He said honour marriages (where women or a woman are married off to her partner at an elder’s funeral) were many as plenty of women were given off at funerals and that meant more work for him since as many as 10 girls can be married off and they would all need their bridal gowns the day of the funeral.
Designer Olivia Sishando, the founder of Olivia Fashions said business before Covid-19 was booming but became challenging during the pandemic.
She ideally makes attires with African print materials but they are now tapping into western style, making bridesmaid dresses and recently wedding gowns.
“Bridesmaids are usually in groups, so I give discounts and that depends, but it ranges between N$580-N$680. Wedding gowns start from N$2 500 to N$5 000 also depending on design and fabric,” she mentioned.
Determining the price of a garment depends on certain things. “My prices are the same for everybody, I cater to those women who want to look good and feel good but do not want to go broke doing it. I look at the material cost, I include that and the rest goes to labour but I am not selfish, I am reasonable,” mentioned Sishando.
She said a typical African print dress would cost a potential customer about N$380- N$800, depending on fabric and design.
TV host Luciana Kangombe-Rocco who got married late last year said due to the Catholic Church bans of wedding announcements, she had to wear three different dresses at first.
“The first dress I wore was straight from my cupboard, the second one cost me N$1 800, and another formal bridal gown for N$ 3 500 and one for N$16 500,” recalled Kangombe-Rocco.
She spent an additional N$5 000 on the lace material for one of her dresses, but in total, she spent more than N$25 000 on her dress alone.
Martha Stewart was once quoted saying ‘’There’s one very good reason why wedding dresses are so expensive, and it’s the same reason that they’re also so jaw-droppingly beautiful: They’re made of expensive and intricate materials that are pricy for designers and bridal salons to purchase too.’’
-psiririka@nepc.com.na