Melbourne, Victoria
Always and Forever Bridal International
Always and Forever Bridal International sits on Level 1 of 340 Collins Street, in the middle of Melbourne’s fashion precinct.
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Bridal Dress Stores · Melbourne, Victoria · Visit in person
Leah S Designs
About
Overview & Vibe
Leah S Designs has been dressing Victorian brides since 2001, and it designs and manufactures its own ready-made collection rather than reselling other labels — which is why its gowns sit well below what a comparable boutique charges. The showroom is on the Princes Highway at Hallam in Melbourne’s south-east, with free parking right out the front.
Dress Styles & Designers
All its own label. Fitted mermaids, A-lines, ballgowns and boho styles, in ivory and in colour, with a separate debutante range and veils. Sizes 6 to 28 are on the racks to try on, and the showroom carries the whole Plus Size Perfection range, sizes 16 to 34 — it is the only Melbourne shop stocking the full Leah S Designs collection.
Ideal For
A bride who wants to try the dress on in her own size rather than a sample two sizes out, and a bride on a budget — there is a sale room where nothing is over $999, and every gown can be bought off the rack and taken home the same day if it is in your size.
The Need-to-Knows
Gowns run $1,300 for a soft, simple style to $3,500 for an elaborate ballgown; debutante gowns are $770 to $1,300. Your first two consultations are free, an hour each; a third is $150 and comes off the price of the dress. Ordering takes a 30% deposit with a four-month lay-by. Order 6 to 9 months before the day. Alterations are done in the same building by Ginger Pins — allow two or three fittings, finishing eight weeks out. Browsing is walk-in; trying on needs an appointment, and Saturday is the busiest day.
Standout Feature
Sizes 16 to 34 on the rack, not on a chart. Very few boutiques stock a plus-size range in full, and this one built a collection around it.
Appointment Policy
- Browsing is walk-in; trying dresses on needs an appointment
- The first two consultations are free, about an hour each
- A third styling appointment is $150, fully redeemable against the dress
- Book a weekday where possible — Saturday is the busiest day
- On Saturdays bring no more than two or three guests; larger groups are booked midweek
- Open Mon–Wed 10am–5pm, Thu 10am–7pm, Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 9am–3pm
Dress Designers
- Leah S Designs — the boutique designs and manufactures its own collection
Dress Experience
- Order 6 to 9 months before the day, which leaves time for alterations.
- A stylist is assigned to you and starts from a questionnaire on arrival.
- Appointments run about an hour.
- Bring inspiration photos or a Pinterest board — they need not be the boutique's own gowns.
- Allow two or three alteration fittings, finishing about eight weeks before the day.
- Dresses can be taken in up to two sizes or let out one, so weight change is manageable.
- Free parking directly out the front.
Dress Styles
- a-line
- ball gown
- mermaid
- boho
- fit and flare
- lace
- tulle
- satin
- beaded
- long sleeve
- simple
- coloured
- plus size
- v-neck
- off shoulder
- strapless
- high split
- sweetheart neckline
Dresses
- Wedding dresses, the boutique's own designed and manufactured collection.
- Off-the-rack gowns — Any dress can be bought off the rack and taken home the same day if it is in stock in your size.
- Plus Size Perfection — A plus-size bridal range carried in full, sizes 16 to 34.
- Coloured wedding dresses — Gowns in shades as well as ivory.
- Long-sleeve and simple styles, listed as their own categories.
- Debutante gowns, $770 to $1,300.
- Veils and bridal accessories.
- Sale gowns — A sale room where nothing is over $999, non-order stock only.
Nearby Landmarks
- On the Princes Highway at Hallam, in Melbourne's south-east
- Free parking directly out the front
- About 10 minutes from Cranbourne, 15 from Berwick and 25 from Pakenham
Price Notes
- Wedding gowns are $1,300 to $3,500.
- Debutante gowns are $770 to $1,300.
- The sale room has nothing over $999 — non-order stock, first in best dressed.
- Discounted gowns are available all year, not only in a sale.
- Ordering takes a 30% deposit, with a four-month lay-by.
- Bridesmaid dresses must be paid in full when ordered.
- Alterations by Ginger Pins are an additional fee, quoted at your appointment.
- A third styling appointment is $150 and comes off the price of the dress.
Price Range
- $1,300–$3,500
Purchase Options
- Buy off the rack and take the dress home the same day, if it is in stock in your size
- Order your size, with a 30% deposit and a four-month lay-by
- Slight customisation of the boutique's own designs — colour, or adding and removing a split or pockets
- Sale-room gowns are non-order, first in best dressed
Services Offered
- Wedding gowns, designed and made in house
- Plus-size bridal, sizes 16 to 34
- Debutante gowns
- Veils and accessories
- Off-the-rack purchase
- In-house alterations by Ginger Pins
- Styling consultations
- Four-month lay-by
Size Range
- Gowns in store to try on range from size 6 to 28, with a plus-size collection running from size 16 to 34.
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Contact
- Website
- leahsdesigns.com.au
- Phone
- (03) 9703 2198
- Address
- Shop 3/167 Princes Highway, Hallam VIC 3803
Shop 3/167 Princes Highway, Hallam VIC 3803
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