Weddingbee Blog

Kowloon, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

We like Hong Kong!

That’s the place for you!

Why is Kowloon, Hong Kong the place for YOU? Because…get ready for this…it’s the home of the…*insert drumroll*…wedding mall!

Hong Kong wasn’t joking when they built a mall dedicated to weddings. The mall is called Kam Do, and it’s located on Nathan Road in the Prince Edward district of Kowloon, Hong Kong. We’re talking four floors of everything related to weddings, from undies to decorations, as well as photography, dresses for everyone in the wedding party, including parents, and services for carrying out the traditional Chinese ceremonies that take place.

And just a few steps down the block is another mall also dedicated to weddings. Not getting your wedding-shopping fix? Fear not. A third wedding-related mall is just a short subway ride away in Tsim Tsa Tsui.

On this particular visit to Hong Kong, I also made a side trip to Shenzhen, China.

Armed with a bottle of water and these hips that my momma gave me, I made a day trip to Shenzhen China’s “Lowu Shopping Plaza” with one mission—to custom make a qipao. Because I sure wasn’t going to be able to purchase a qipao off the rack in Hong Kong if I didn’t weigh in at 97 pounds.

Lowu is a fairly quick and extremely convenient subway ride away. Once you pass through immigration and customs, you are greeted with a four-story mall and a flock of salespeople asking, “Pretty lady, manicure? Copy watch? Copy handbag? Gucci Prada Chanel?” They literally follow you unless you shoo them away.

A red qipao embroidered with a phoenix caught my eye at one shop, and after a game of “pretend you’re not that interested and walk away” negotiation, the shop owner asked me to come back in four hours for my dress.

After a three-hour massage and some browsing around, I went back to pick up the dress. I was able to do a fitting where they made some adjustments to make sure the dress fit like a glove, and I was off.

The entire experience was fairly pleasant. I’ve heard horror stories where the shop doesn’t deliver what they promised, so my advice to anyone who is looking to get their dress made in Shenzhen is:

1) Go with someone. Never, ever go alone. Shenzhen isn’t the safest area anyway. (Always guard your belongings!) And make sure the friend that you go with can be your partner in crime when it comes to negotiating.

2) Make sure everything is laid out in black and white. When I was negotiating, I was referring to Hong Kong dollars, but the shop wanted RMB (exchange rate is higher). I ended up paying $80 HKD (around $10 USD) more than I originally intended.

3) Go for a fitting! For something as form fitting as a qipao, it’s essential to go for a fitting so they can make sure the dress fits in all the right places. When I picked up my dress, the collarbone and shoulder area didn’t fit quite right, and the lady was able to make alternations on the spot.

4) Have an idea of what you envision in mind—otherwise you will be so overwhelemd walking from one shop to another, which literally all look the same. I always knew that I wanted a qipao that was see-through at the collarbone with a sweetheart neckline, so I was on the lookout for those styles. Though in my case, I forgot to tell them I wanted the sweetheart neckline and ended up getting a straight neckline, which they weren’t able to fix because it was already sewn in. My error!

4) Be at peace with yourself. For a body-hugging dress like a qipao, I had to listen to the alterations lady say, “No more taking in here [pointing at my hips]. You too big, can’t sit!” Talk about brutal honesty. Sheesh!

So without further ado, here is a glimpse of what’s to come. The iPhone photo does not do any justice to the intricate embroidery.

Are you planning to wear a cultural wedding dress on your big day?