Wai-Ching Studio

Chrissy made the dress for my wedding on June 6, 2015. The whole experience was fantastic. I flew up from the Bay Area for the day with my sister and picked out a style. I’m glad I went in person as the one I favored online was not the one that looked best on me. Chrissy worked with me to customize it (I wanted the halter/​I did not want a train) and shipped it on time. It was a bit big so we pinned it and sent it back and she made the alterations. All very easy. The dress is absolutely gorgeous. It was part of what made the wedding so special.

Chrissy is the most amazing person to work with. I live in the Chicago area and spotted her dresses online. I was scared to order without trying on. As if by magic, the week I got engaged she had a trunk show at a local bridal shop. I was able to try on all of her AMAZING dresses. I was in love with two dresses (the Zolotova and the Tamarind dresses). Through email I spoke directly with Chrissy. Told her about my wedding and what I liked about each dress. Together we came up with my dream dress. And because the top/​back were a little more simple than the Zolotova she charged me LESS than the Zolotova price. Her pricing is transparent which is amazing as a bride. I gave her my measurements and a deposit and my dress was in the works. I received it a few months later and it was perfection. My dream dress.
Even if you can’t make it out to Seattle, order with her if you love one of her dresses. She is so great to work with and my dress needed ZERO alterations. None. I wanted a dress that had color, but still felt bridal. She is the only designer I could find that accomplished this so amazingly. I have the best wedding photos you could imagine, and I know much of it is because of this incredible dress. Thank you, Chrissy! You made my dream dress a reality!

Chrissy is THE BEST! I wanted a unique, custom made wedding dress and with several simple emails, she created the exact dress I wanted. It’s fantastic! Even though I needed the dress in less time than is recommended, she came through with flying colors. Chrissy is very communicative, courteous, respectful, encouraging, and most importantly she listens. I had expected maybe 75% of my modified requests would be included, but the dress she sent me has all of my custom modifications included! Considering that I received a one of a kind dress, her prices are beyond reasonable. Additionally, I was skeptical about sending someone who had never seen me my measurements in hopes that I would receive a perfectly fitted dress, but that’s exactly what I received. A dress that fit me like a glove. Perfect! There is absolutely nothing to complain about here. This was the best experience in buying my wedding dress that I could hope for. Thank you Chrissy!

I could not say enough glowing things about Chrissy, the designer at Wai-​Ching. I never thought I’d be one of those brides that goes around to EVERY dress shop in town. But, alas, I pretty much did. I live in Portland and had three basic criteria — not white, not made by machine in another country, and less than $ 1,000. Well, it turns out you can probably try on 100 dresses at a dozen shops in Portland, Oregon, and not find a dress that meets those seemingly simple standards.
So, I turned to Seattle and Unilocal.Due to her many fabulous reviews, I drove up to Wai-​Ching one weekend (that’s 3 hours people!), spent a little less than an hour with Chrissy, and finally found THE DRESS. It’s got color, style, comfort, and is handmade and dyed. I got lots of ooohs and ahhhs on the big wedding day.
I’ll also add that I only needed one fitting because she takes your custom measurements at the first appointment, she dyed a piece of fabric for me so I could have a matching collar made for my dog/​bridesmaid, and her studio is absolutely stunning and welcoming to all (as is Chrissy).
Not sure if I’m smart enough to attach a picture to this review. So, picture a long flowing silk dress with hues of crème, rose, and green and a very happy bride… good times.

I worked with Chrissy to create my wedding dress, and I could not be happier with how it turned out! I tried on a TON of her dresses, decided on one, left, freaked out, came back, and ultimately chose another dress of hers. She was really helpful and understanding throughout that whole process.
After ordering my dress I got back into working out and was a bit panicked that my dress wouldn’t fit. Chrissy listened to me describe what it was I was doing in my workouts and (correctly) estimated how that would alter my body in the months before my wedding. Most of the alterations my dress needed between my first fitting and my last were minor and entirely related to the fact that I was losing weight and gaining muscle (making some areas smaller and some bigger). Chrissy was really accommodating and did a great job altering my dress to fit perfectly.
We managed to be able to schedule my final fitting for the day of my hair and make-​up trial (Chrissy’s suggestion) so I could see the whole look together. That was my «Oh…I’m a bride» moment, and I’m so glad I had it.
The dress is beautiful, was comfortable and was totally within my price range. I’m planning to take it back to Chrissy to shorten it into a cocktail dress so I can wear it again later, and cannot wait to see how she works her magic to accomplish that!

Like many of the reviewers here, I tried on a billion (literally, 50+) traditional dresses before seeing Chrissy’s beautiful dresses.
Things I LOVED about Chrissy:
— Professional: Fast, thorough, helpful email and phone responses.
— Flexible: She combined designs (including extra boning, adding cups – so structure stuff too!), used custom colors, and met with me on her day off.
— Fun: I’m always leery of five-​star reviews that say things like «X is a terrible dry cleaner but I love going to his dry-​cleaning store because he’s the nicest guy! So I have to give him five stars!» So just to be clear, Chrissy’s dresses so spectacular that I probably would’ve bought one even if Chrissy had been the grouchiest grouch – her creativity and quality are worth it. But thankfully, Chrissy is the absolute opposite of a grouch. She’s not pushy at all, and gives you as much or as little attention as you want as you try on the dresses. I left the appointment feeling like I’d just had lunch with a good friend. She also spent about two hours with me (on her day off!) doing an alteration that I think literally only I could see.
— Reasonable pricing: I was pleasantly surprised that when I combined dress designs (the Zolotova skirt + a simple ruched bodice) that Chrissy actually charged me LESS than the Zolotova (because the simply bodice was easier than the regular Zolotova bodice). Totally unexpected, and so fair.

I wanted to write this for those who can’t come to her studio in Seattle and are hesitant about ordering a wedding dress online.
After seeing Chrissy’s dresses online, I could not get them out of my mind and everything else I looked at paled in comparison. I decided to go ahead and take the risk of spending $ 1k on a dress I couldn’t touch, try on, or return. And I’m so glad I did!!!
Don’t feel limited to the designs and colors on the website; I had Chrissy make some changes for me and ended up with basically the perfect dress. I had to send her a lot of different measurements, and the fit came out very well. It was a bit tight across the bust, but it kind of had to be to hold everything up. When I saw how delicate the work was I wasn’t about to let an alteration shop touch it. It was even more beautiful than I expected — the fabric, the fit, everything. I got about a million compliments.
By the way, if you decide to go with a non-​traditional dress, be prepared for a lot of people to be surprised, then amazed. I still love showing off pictures of my wedding, mainly so people can see the dress. And that’s what they always notice.
I highly recommend anyone considering ordering a dress who can’t make the trip to Seattle (which I’m sure would be worth it, I just couldn’t do it) go ahead and order. You won’t be disappointed.

If a white, poofy wedding dress isn’t for you… then please look up Chrissy Wai-​Ching. She is a true artist of fabric who works out of Pioneer Square in Seattle (she also accepts online orders). Her creations are made of silk so they are light and flowy. I live in Seattle, so I was able to visit her Seattle location to try on some dresses. I’m not super skinny, but she did have a few different styles that I could try on. I decided on the Panderetta. Her dresses are basically custom made. I got to choose the color of the ties on the back of the dress, the color I wanted it dip dyed, the color of the embroidery and even adding sheer cap sleeves. She makes the dress to fit your measurements and any alterations are free. The price is amazing for the works of art she creates. Considering what I probably would have been willing to spend on a wedding dress, she saved me a good $ 250-​$ 350. In addition to all that, Chrissy was a friendly and accommodating person to work with. Everybody including my groom and myself LOVED my dress.

I’m a musician, without a lot of disposable income. Most parts of our wedding were homegrown: potluck, at a friends’ house, DIY decorations, no hired photographer or band (my husband’s band played instead), made my own wedding cakes, etc. I’d been planning to borrow a dress… but then I found Chrissy Wai-​Ching online (through
), and there was no going back. It was my one big splurge for the wedding (and, compared to many other dresses, it wasn’t even that expensive!). And it was worth every single penny.
Since I live on the East Coast and couldn’t travel to Seattle for a fitting, I was slightly anxious that the style wouldn’t look good on me, or wouldn’t fit properly, or just wouldn’t be right in some way. No worries. I sent her my measurements and a few months later the dress arrived, even more beautiful than the photographs (you don’t get a full sense of the real texture of the fabric from the pictures). It fit so perfectly that I didn’t have to make a single alteration.
Best of all, I felt (and looked!) like a queen – glorious, stylish, elegant, original. The guests raved. The photo of my husband’s face when he first saw me in the dress shows his face practically split open in joy. My mother-​in-​law screamed (in a good way) when she saw it. I felt simply gorgeous all day.
The fabric feels and looks delicious, buttery, rich. The colors were even better and more «right» than they looked on the website. The cut was flattering. The details were exquisite.
You know how brides often buy a going-​away outfit to change into, when they’re ready to leave the reception? There was no way I was going to change out of this dress – possibly ever. The money you’ll save on not having to ever buy any other clothes is a big plus right there.
Thank you, Chrissy. What an artist you are. It honestly would have been a different wedding without this dress. It sounds strange to say, but somehow it brought the day together – a beautiful, personal, authentic center from which everything else radiated.

I found out about Chrissy years ago on
, and always thought «when we get married, maybe we’ll get dresses from her.» After a few disastrous (OK, not quite that bad, but pretty nerve-​wracking) visits to local bridal salons and realizing that our options were basically white
and off-​white («with a train! You must have a train! You’ll want one for the pictures!») — we decided to fly out to Seattle to meet with her. We had the idea of the base dresses that we wanted, and she helped us figure out all the little details.
We got the dresses in July. They needed minor alterations, which I expected from a custom piece. The dresses are absolutely gorgeous — completely handmade and one of a kind — mine was a variation on the Zolotova, with bright yellow and red and saffron autumnal flares. My wife’s was a variation on the Cubana. They were super light and perfect for our hot weather wedding, and the shades coordinated perfectly. I would highly recommend Chrissy’s work — it’s beautiful and such an incredible value — a work of art really. And the cost can be waaaaay less than a standard bridal gown, even with all the handmade amazingness.
I would have liked a little more communication in the way of updates between March and July, but I tend to prefer updates in general. Nonetheless, we were super thrilled. I plan to wear mine again, many times.

I don’t wear dresses.
I’d wear Chrissy’s dress every day if I could.
I was nervous ordering something SIGHT unseen from Boston to her Seattle office, and was definitely nervous, but all those nerves were all for naught. The dress showed up, the color was better than I imagined, and I was COMFORTABLE on my wedding day.
Suck it, Wedding Industrial Complex — you don’t need to wear white, spend $ 5,000 on a dress, and look like a cake topper. You can be YOU on your wedding day, comfortable, eco-​conscious and look DAMNED good doing it. Call Chrissy. Just do it.

I was referred to Wai-​Ching Studio by Adrienne who works at Green Lake Jewelry (she crafted our wedding bands). I was so impressed with the website, that I decided to go with Chrissy, before even meeting or emailing her. I wanted a dress which wasn’t the typical wedding dress — something special I wasn’t throwing money away just to wear once. The website has so many choices and it was difficult to narrow it down to just a few. After contacting Chrissy via email and speaking once over the phone, I decided to go in and try some dresses on.
I took my college-​aged daughter with me — because I knew she would give me an honest opinion. I tried on the ones I really liked on the Internet, they were pretty yet didn’t suit my simple style. I tried on ones which I thought were nice — the blue yowying — my daughter thought was pretty on me and when I tried on another color, she felt it was the dress to get.
Trusting her judgment, Chrissy took my measurements and told me to think about the colors and style I liked. A few months later, I contacted Chrissy and told her what I wanted. Within a few months, it was ready for my first fitting, I took my bridal party and a friend with me (my daughter was in class and couldn’t go).
After trying the dress on and coming out of the dressing room, the ladies smiled and oohh/​ahh. They thought the dress looked stunning on me. I was very happy.
Today I had my final fitting and picked up my dress. I am so thankful for the suggestion by Adrienne to go with Chrissy’s studio. It has been such a beautiful and rewarding experience. I can’t wait to till the wedding to wear my dress — three weeks away.
I am definitely telling people about the Wai-​Ching — not just for wedding dresses — anything amazing for the occasion.

i looked at nearly every popular bridal shop in seattle for dresses, including a couple other custom designers, and chrissy was by far my favorite.
her stuff is awesome. great designs, colors, and even sustainable fabrics. she’s super laid back, accommodating, easy to work with, and full of patience with those of us who want to come in multiple times just to try on floor samples before even ordering a dress. she’ll make what you want work, and her use of color is so refreshing in this «brides wear white» world. my dress is beautifully marbles with pink and a splash of purple. she was even able to deal with my surprise pregnancy, no problem, even though the measurements we had taken were going to be really different by the time the wedding comes around! my dress looks amazing! i don’t look like someone had to add many inches to my dress last minute to accommodate a 5 month baby belly (and it is not a small one). chrissy is great at designing for any shape! her dresses are not just for skinny people.
i would definitely buy from her in the future. it was a lovely experience. we even got a kickass matching tie for my man.

Chrissy was fantastic to work with. From the moment I saw her dresses online I knew I wanted to wear one of her gowns for my wedding. I was overjoyed to find out that she was located in Seattle and that I could visit the studio while I was up visiting my folks for the holidays.
I appreciated her flexibility; she came in near Christmas because it was convenient for me. She didn’t mind that I brought assorted parents in to see me try things on and was always super friendly. My dad and stepmom ended up talking Seattle cycling with her– I loved how down to earth she is. She also didn’t mind when I had a last minute freak out and came back in on my way to the airport to double check I was making the right decision.
We worked together to create a gown made out of different parts of different designs. When the tail of the dress wasn’t the color I anticipated it would be, she was happy to change it just like I wanted. It turned out super beautifully and my guests raved about how unique the gown was and how gorgeous it was. I loved how it looked and my groom did too.
I highly recommend Wai Ching for your formalwear needs. I can’t believe how well my dress turned out and that I got a one-​of-​a-​kind dress that didn’t cost more (and in many cases less) than the run-​of-​the-​mill off-​the-​rack wedding gowns. (Pinch me!)

I don’t think I can adequately describe how amazing this artist is. Chrissy made the dream wedding dress I hadn’t dreamt of until I saw her dresses.
Her work is more ‘out there’ than my style, but I loved her lines, her commitment to natural fabrics, her workmanship. So we made some modifications to a more adventurous dress and voila — my dream dress. Traditional enough, and still totally elegant and original; a true piece of art. I got so many compliments at my wedding. I even had people stop me at the pre-​wedding photo shoot at Gasworks and ask for the designer’s info.
Chrissy is normal (in the wedding industry, this is quite rare, I think), honest, skilled, and a pleasure to work with. I brought a few friends for my various fittings, and the unanimous verdict was that the only thing anyone would change about the dresses or the artist is that she is undercharging. Her dresses take so much work, and her approach is such an oasis in the desert of weird bridal shops — we all thought she could get away with charging double or triple. I would have paid it!
I hope that every bride finds a dress and shopping experience that they love as much as I did.

I love, love, love these dresses. I knew I didn’t want to wear a white dress for my wedding. I was on the look out for what I like to call «Post-​apocalyptic Chic».
She is great to work with. Every dress is custom made and she doesn’t have any problem with tweaking her designs a bit. So you can add a halter top to a strapless, change the color, etc for a small charge.
The prices are great for wedding dresses, the fact that they are custom made is amazing.
A lot of people just correspond with her via email if they don’t live in the area. I was lucky enough to be able to fly up to Seattle to go to her studio. She will have my dress ready in 3 months! I will update this review as soon as I get it.
I never thought I would be one of those girls who finds ‘the’ dress. I was just never interested in the typical wedding gown. But now I have that feeling. And I will be able to wear the dress again, since it is not your common wedding dress!

For my wedding, I wanted a dress that was elegant, simple, but unique and I was so fortunate to find out about Chrissy online. I ordered my wedding dress from her and out of all the decisions I made about my wedding, that was my best decision.
She is really friendly, professional, and helpful. Chrissy is also honest (which is really appreciated when you’re wedding shopping) and will tell you if a particular design you are trying on may not be the most flattering and suggest ways to customize it so it is.
My bridesmaids also love the dresses they ordered from her and have worn it again to other events after the wedding (so they tell me anyway). Also because all of her dresses are hand made to the clients’ specifications, you know your dress will fit like a glove, be flattering, and be a high quality dress.

Dismayed and overwhelmed by the vast majority of wedding dresses out there, 95% of which are either outrageously overpriced or outrageously hideous, I have been fervently searching for an alternative way to outfit myself on my super special perfect day. J. Crew, BCBG, seamstresses, eBay — you name it, I’ve scoured it. I stumbled upon Wai-​Ching a few months ago, and I must admit that I wasn’t sold on her style right away. Chrissy’s dresses are a BIG departure from the wedding norm (you are guaranteed not to look like a cookie-​cutter bride), and while I was at first a little wary they really grew on me over time. So when my plans to go home for the holidays fell through due to unfortunate family circumstances, I decided to head up to Seattle with the ol’ future-​ball-​and-​chain and use the opportunity to try on some of her stuff. Let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed.
Chrissy’s dresses are BEAUTIFUL in person. We’re talking drop-​dead-​gorgeous. High-​quality fabrics, hand-​dyed and stitched, and masterfully designed. Her color choices are both unconventional and totally stunning. I tried on a number of different styles, some which stood out to me more than others, but they were pretty much all fabulous. I looked better and felt more comfortable in them than any other wedding dresses I’ve tried on so far (although the comfort thing isn’t saying much — have you ever TRIED ON a wedding dress? Those things are fucking tents with their tulle and crinoline!).
Probably the best thing about Wai-​Ching is that Chrissy makes each piece completely by hand, so every aspect of your purchase is customizable. Cut, color, fabric, train, straps, stitching, whatever — if you want to alter it, she can do it. Plus, she’s radical. Like many of the best wedding vendors I’ve encountered so far, I walked away from our meeting wanting to be her friend. I still haven’t decided if I want to take the Wai-​Ching plunge (choosing a wedding dress IS a big decision, after all), but if I do I will be fully confident in my purchase. Go indie brides go!