Wilhelmina Bracken
Testimonials
Michelle Theron
"I can’t even find the right words to describe how amazingly talented Wilhelmina fromWilhelmina Bracken Bridal Couture really is… with a heart of gold might I add. From the get go her energetic, bubbly & fun personality resonated with me and we had loads of fun, giggles and laughs throughout the whole process. Her absolute dedication to her craft is so inspiring & she was always more than willing to go above & beyond of what was expected from her…even when I told her that I needed her to design & make me my dream wedding dress in only 5weeks!
Her preciseness, her attention to detail & willingness to explore and be innovative with her designs resulted that my wedding dress exceeded my pretty high expectations and the final product was breathtakingly beautiful. And I might add…again…all of this being done in merely 5 weeks.
On a personal level I need to add that Wilhelmina fulfilled more than the role of just being my “wedding dress designer” during our journey together - she was a support structure of note and always willing to listen when I needed to blow of some steam or lend me her shoulder when I needed to shed a tear. I have so much respect & admiration for this women and I will always be truly thankful that we shared this journey together."
Analja Van Zyl
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"My neighbour told me about Wilhelmina Bracken Couture, I immediately emailed her, and within no time I was on my way to Mugg and Bean in Cavendish to meet this renowned designer, my heart was pounding not knowing what to expect. Wilhelmina is such a down to earth, girl next door lady that made my anxious heart, warm into excitement! As we were chatting randomly of what I had in mind, she pulled out her sketch paper and allowed her natural creative instinct to draw what she had in mind. After a few minutes she asked me, if I had something like this in mind, and showed me the rough sketch… that’s right the sparkle was in my eyes, my heart overflowed with emotion that was too big for words and my eyes filled with tears- ever since that day I regarded her as my fairy god mother.
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The process of designing MY perfect wedding dress, taking measurements, shopping for the fabric and of course the dress fittings- was by FAR the most rewarding experience I have had. Wilhelmina was there every step of the way, to listen, to help, to guide, to inspire and to love. She made me feel like I was her only client and that my dress was her priority. Wilhelmina went above and beyond what was expected of her, and her perfection to detail was what made my dress so WOW.
By the last few fittings I did not want to step out of my dress it was by far the most beautiful dress I had ever seen and super comfortable as well! I remember her sitting on the floor for hours cutting out every individual flower of the lace, and carefully pinning each flower where they best belonged.
On the day of my Wedding, I made sure that everyone who saw me was in tears, and this was purely because my dress, it portrayed who I was, and fitted perfectly, what I saw on the sketch paper was now a reality, even more beautiful.
Words will never be enough to describe how grateful I am that Wilhelmina came across my life, in every aspect she was what I needed. She really is a fairy god mother! Thank-you will never be enough."
Miranda Forrester
"I met Wilhelmina from Wilhelmina Bracken Couture and we instantly clicked and became friends during the whole process. When I initially contacted her and described what I am looking for, she drew up a rough idea to sample to me once we have met. What a pleasant surprise when we compared notes and we had the same vision. She hand appliquéd lace pieces in order to make my dress uniquely suit my shape and appear to grow over my shoulders, she sourced silk for me, and even made me a custom garter and veil to suit my dress.
She is the most bubbly and sweet person I have met in a long time, and I looked forward to my fittings like a weekly gossip session. Our favorite giggle moment was the amount of buttons she sewed on the back of the dress with tiny details, we knew my husband with his big hands would have such a hard time trying to undo the buttons once we got to our honeymoon night! She was right, what a laugh that was.
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I felt like a queen in my dress, my wedding party and guests gasped at my dress and my mom even cried! I felt so amazing! All in the dress."
Amy Cilliers
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"We met for coffee at Noordhoek Farm Village, where I showed her the pictures of what I had in mind for my wedding dress. Wilhelmina is such a spontaneous friendly person- we clicked immediately. I was really nervous about the fact that I was going to create my dress from scratch but from day one Wilhelmina made me feel at ease.
Wilhelmina was so accommodating with the fittings. She always asked me what time will suite me and she went the extra mile with every fitting. We had such great laughs at every fitting. For some reason I was always wearing the tightest pants at my fittings and Wilhelmina had to lend a hand to get me out of my pants and into my dress.
It was so nice to see how the dress progressed with every visit. Wilhelmina would make any requested changes with a smile. She has great attention to detail and takes pride in her work. You can see that she enjoys creating your dream dress and that definitely makes a difference in the outcome. Wilhelmina gives individual attention and I can refer her to ANY bride. She created a dress that was beyond my expectations and I can only be grateful for such an amazing designer. I got so many compliments at our wedding day and it’s all thanks to THE DRESS!"
Marlé le Roux
"Wilhelmina Bracken..or as I know her, Wilien, ‘vriendin’ (friend) and my non-biological older sis! So from this you can already tell how special it was for me to have her make my fairytale wedding dress. So let me start at the beginning of this wonderful process..
I knew even before I got engaged that Wilhelmina would be making my dress. No doubt about it, not just because we are close as friends but also because I know she would do ANYTHING to make me happy as a client and would go the extra mile - and I wasn’t wrong! Also her attention for detail and her perfectionism (sometimes bordering on OCD) makes her the perfect designer and dressmaker.
It all started with a ‘simple’ idea of a two in one dress. And from the get go she was on board. I wanted a dramatic moment at my ceremony and then a more toned down and more practical evening dress for our reception. Together Wilhelmina and I decided on a basic principle for the reception dress, it developed over time (with genius ideas from her) and Wilhelmina made the final sketches and I was very happy.
Together we went to look for fabric, giving me her expert opinion but never forcing it on me. It was amazing to be part of the entire process. I loved my fabric!!!
And then the dress making started! With multiple fittings and checks and I know hours and hours of working on the very delicate lace. One fitting session took three hours because she just had to make sure the lace placement is symmetrical - to have seen this was amazing, her brilliant artistic mind at work!
And then the final product. A fairytale dress just for me. I am in love with my dress. I felt absolutely beautiful in it and it was everything I hoped for. I can recommend her to every bride but honestly her work speaks for itself.
I can just say one thing - thank you Wilhelmina, you really made my dream come true.."