Here's where you can get a custom wedding dress, starting from $138

When it comes to making showstopping dresses, few do it better than local designer Time Taken To Make A Dress. "We specialise in bespoke dresses that are unique and specific to the personalities of its wearer," they explain. "Our clients become our muses, and we always try to reflect their uniqueness with a design feature."

Time Taken To Make A Dress works hand in hand with their clients to ensure that every specification is meticulously perfected, and their designs run the gamut from minimalist lines to maximalist embellishments and silhouettes.

Based in: Singapore

Price range: Short dresses start from $2,800, while simpler long gowns start from $4,500

A long-standing brand in local bridalwear, Amanda Lee is ready to help you create the dress of your dreams. "With every client, our aim is to elevate bridal in a modern way to enhance the personality of individual," they share. Aside from the regular rental, the team behind Amanda Lee Weddings are ever present to consult on custom commissions. While they do Western-style dresses as evidenced on their social media, the team is also launching a modern oriental collection to better cater to a wider variety of tastes.

Based in: Singapore

Price range: Custom gowns start from $3,800

Looking for a more traditional cheongsam dress? Golden Scissor is your answer.

A session with them starts with a consultation with their in-house master tailor, where you'd be able to discuss what you have in mind. You can bring your reference images or even your own fabrics for them to cut into a cheongsam. For the budget-conscious, they also have a selection of ready-to-wear cheongsams that can be altered to your fit and preference.

Based in: Singapore

Price range: Cheongsams start from $138

Here's one for the fashion brides. Based in Malaysia, Brian Khoo – who has cut his teeth in various global fashion design ateliers including that of Christian Dior's couture salons – offers up plenty of edgy, modern and eye-catching designs. From pearl-encrusted cage skirts and exposed bustier dresses to sleek bias-cut slips, you know you're in safe hands when it comes to working with Khoo.

Based in: Malaysia

Price range: Unavailable

If bold, feminine and flirty are the keywords to your bridal vision board, then Narong Ketkaew would be a perfect fit. Known for their unapologetically loud and femme aesthetic – think bejewelled bows, heart-shaped scalloping and so much sequins that you'd be visible from space – the Thai brand is a go-to for brides who are looking for a dress that's well-made and fun.

Based in: Thailand

Price range: Prices start from $800

Another stalwart in the Bangkok bridal scene is CHER'Z, who has made a stake in the market for their classic silhouettes and designs. Dresses here tend to reference a vintage look – such as a floor-grazing hobble dress that's very '60s feeling, or a tea-length dress with nipped-in waists that call to mind the '50s – with a modern flair. For example, a dress that resembles the New Look popularised in the late '40s comes with a sleek organza shell top that can be removed and worn with other pieces in your wardrobe after the ceremony is done.

Based in: Thailand

Price range: Prices start from $900

Classic and elegant are two words that come to mind when looking at the bridal designs of Truong Thanh Hai. Timeless bridal design elements including silk organza, fragile laces and flat embroidery are all commonly-seen in the Vietnamese designer's repertoire. However, Truong doesn't play it safe all the time, and she regularly experiments with more fashion-forward silhouettes and ideas as well. Cue a dress cut with 3D floral petals or another that features a simple front design that turns around to reveal a back worked with latticed straps.

Based in: Vietnam

Price range: Prices start from $575

With over a decade in bridalwear, Nicole Ngo's eponymous brand is known for its classically beautiful designs. Princess-style ballgowns and feathered frocks sit next to deceptively simple column dresses and draped mermaid-cut designs. In fact, many of her dresses find their way into wedding studios here in Singapore for brides-to-be to rent from, so you know you're getting a dress that's made to last.

Based in: Vietnam

Price range: Prices start from $580

Hanoi-based Gia Nguyen has a clientele of brides that come from across the world including the United States, Europe and Singapore. "My role as [the bride's] designer is to make her feel exquisitely beautiful and self-assured, because her wedding dress reflects who she is in that moment," Nguyen says. Her designs often favour couture-like detailing, from ornamental laces and frothy lashes of cloudlike tulle ruffles. Wide skirts are a hallmark of the brand as well, as are intricately embroidered beadwork.

Based in: Vietnam

Price range: Prices start from US$800 (about S$1,100)