Price is the question brides most want answered and the one most designers avoid. Here is how it works at Saarahjasmin Couture.

Our three Nikkah tiers

A classic Nikkah dress made to your measurements starts at R8,500 excluding beadwork. An embellished Signature dress with hand sewn beading and lace panels starts at R12,500 with the beadwork quoted separately, because no two beading briefs take the same number of hours. Our fully embellished lace commissions sit above that and are always quoted individually.

What actually moves the price

Fabric is the first factor. Imported silk, heavy mikado and good corded lace cost several times what a basic satin costs per metre, and a full skirt uses a great deal of it. The second factor is hand work. Beading is measured in hours at a table, not in metres, so a densely beaded bodice can cost more than the rest of the dress combined. The third is construction, meaning linings, boning, covered buttons and hand finished hems.

Where the money does not go

You are not paying for a showroom on a high street or a shipping container from overseas. You are paying for a pattern drafted to your measurements, fabric chosen with you and hours at a machine and a beading table in Goodwood.

Timing affects cost too

A standard Nikkah commission runs four weeks in production after measurements. Shorter timelines are possible with a rush fee because the work moves ahead of other commissions in the studio. Coming to us early is the simplest way to keep your investment where you want it.

Getting a real number

Bring your date, your venue and any images you have saved. We will give you a written quotation in the consultation rather than a range you have to guess at.