Ling's

This past weekend, my mom and I went to Oakland's Chinatown to see about getting a custom cheongsam made for the wedding. I wasn't expecting much after having visited Dragon Seed Bridal in SF a couple of months ago - although Dragon Seed is where all the Chinese beauty pageant queens go to get their cheongsams made, I thought the salespeople were pushy (surprise surprise) and the selection slim. The shop was cramped, and I only got to try on a single gown after persistently asking. I think I may have also been suffering from shell shock, after finding out that custom cheongsams in the U.S. cost far more than they would in Hong Kong. Ling's Photography and Bridal Services was a pleasant surprise, and we actually had a lot of fun while we were there! The salon was clean and spacious, and there were tons of styles of gowns to choose from - from more traditional and elaborate to more Western and modern. Gwen encouraged me to look through the racks to see which styles appealed to me, and then helped me put on each one so that I could see how they looked and fit. After we had decided on a silhouette, Gwen and Connie helped me look through the different fabrics and choose which I wanted as the base of the cheongsam. The fact that she handled all the material so carefully so as not to get it dirty really revealed the salon's commitment to quality and cleanliness - something that I've noticed a couple of Western bridal salons lack. She also showed me a variety of optional details, including the different types and numbers of piping ($70.00 for single piping, and $70.00 for each additional level of piping) and button placement ($15.00 per pair of fancy clasps), but told me that I wouldn't even need to decide on any of these details until after my first fitting, where I could better envision the entire product. The whole time I never felt any pressure to make a commitment (unlike at Dragon Seed), and Connie even volunteered that I would be entitled to a $50 per cheongsam discount because I was planning on ordering six months in advance of my wedding date - SCORE! (Base price of a custom cheongsam is normally $350.00 before the discount.) When I called Connie the next day to place my order, she remembered who I was and helped me set a day for my first fitting - June 14! I never thought I'd be excited about getting a cheongsam made, but the whole experience at Ling's made me truly believe that the Ling's team is going to do its best to make me look amazing on my wedding day! Woohoo!

I'll be sure to write an update after I get the final product.

I had an awesome experience at Ling's bridal. My review is for my cheong-sam and for my MIL's cheong-sam, both of which were gorgeous.

Our entire experience with Ling's was great. Connie helped us, and she is totally fabulous. She spent a lot of time with us, picking out the perfect fabrics and making sure the dresses fit perfectly. I can't say enough good things! Love!

I had two weddings in order to acknowledge two cultures, and both times I used Ling's for my hair and makeup. When my maid of honor got married, she also used Ling's. Carole does a fabulous job for a fabulous price! She personally trains her team, so they learn her techniques. Carole always personally does the hair and makeup for the bride herself. She also provides the bride with a hair and makeup trial. On the big day, she and her team came to ME at my hotel, for just a small travel fee. After comparing prices and talking to plenty of former brides, Ling's came out to the BEST deal for top quality results. The hair style looked beautiful and in-tact from the wee hours of the morning until late into the night, even after all the dancing! The makeup also remained flawless! All of us --- five bridesmaids and I --- couldn't be happier!

Overall, I thought they did an immaculate job. I went to almost every store in the Bay Area, including some shops in Century Mall in San Jose, shops in Chinatown SF, shops in Chinatown Oakland, and NO ONE had cheong sams that were spectacular or special. Nor did any of those cheong sams fit me!!! I have a very small waist but hips that are disproportionate for my body, so for those Asian sistas that have either big busts or big hips, forget about it! You will need to buy a much larger dress and get alterations (at which point the dress doesn’t look so good anymore), or you’ll just need to have one made. Ling’s did everything in about a month and a half (3 fittings), and were good to work with. They are, admittedly, very pricey. Along with your western dress, you may feel like you are up the creek with your budget, but you have to decide what is important to you. I wanted a red dress and one that was special and original, so I went to Ling’s. Mine has special trim and piping, which is why it is so expensive. I also opted to have nice buttons sewn on and chose a more expensive material, so with tax and everything else, I paid about $650. The hefty price is why I gave them an A-. However, I have had other dresses made there, including my engagement party dress, which I also post below. That dress also cost in the $600 range, but both made quite a statement and I felt beautiful in them! However, I know that the dresses begin in the $300 range if you do not have piping and choose a cheaper material and something more modest in terms of the lining. Definitely worth checking out. See pictures above. Below are a couple more pics.