Nontraditional Wedding Dresses

Australian wedding dress designer KAREN WILLIS HOLMES has been at the forefront of bridal fashion since being established in 2000, providing beautifully designed and handcrafted wedding gowns for the elegant, modern and timeless bride. Our team is based in Australia and every one of our staff is dedicated to our company’s mission and the brides we have the pleasure of working with. Our goal is to always create a one-of-a-kind, personal and genuine experience for brides when finding their perfect wedding dress.

Read more about KWH here.

You can visit one of our KAREN WILLIS HOLMES boutiques or a stockist who carries KWH gowns.

We have four boutiques across Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The details of each boutique are located below:

Sydney BOOK HERE
Sydney Flagship Emporium
9 Doody St Alexandria, NSW
Ph (02) 8338 1078
sydney@karenwillisholmes.com
Hours:

Monday: Closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10 am to 5:30 pm
Thursday: 10 am to 5:30 pm (with 7 pm late-night by appointment)
Saturday: 9 am to 5:30 pm
Sunday: Closed

Melbourne BOOK HERE
1010 High Street, Armadale, VIC
Ph (03) 9509 0454
melbourne@karenwillisholmes.com
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10 am to 5:30 pm
Thursday: 10 am to 5:30 pm (with 7 pm late-night by appointment)
Saturday: 9 am to 5:30 pm
Sunday: Closed

Brisbane BOOK HERE
32 Latrobe Tce, Paddington, QLD
Ph (07) 3368 2216
brisbane@karenwillisholmes.com
Hours:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10 am to 5:30 pm
Thursday: 10 am to 5:30 pm (with 7 pm late-night by appointment)
Saturday: 9 am to 5:30 pm
Sunday: Closed

Perth BOOK HERE
309 Newcastle St, Northbridge, WA
Ph (08) 9381 5551
perth@karenwillisholmes.com
Hours:

Monday: Closed
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 10 am to 5 pm
Thursday: 10 am to 5 pm (with 7 pm late-night by appointment)
Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm
Sunday: Closed

We are also stocked across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore.  For a detailed list of stockists, visit Stockist Locations.

The cost of a KAREN WILLIS HOLMES wedding dress ranges from AUD $2,190 to AUD $13,000. For the average cost of each collection, see below. 

The ELOPE collection ranges in price from $590 to $5,290.

The LUXE collection ranges in price from $2,500 to $3,790.

The WILD HEARTS collection ranges in price from $2,190 to $2,990.

The BESPOKE collection ranges in price from $2,500 to $13,000.

For the ELOPE collection the size range is AUS/ UK 4 – 20 | US 0 – 16 and we have size AUS/UK 10 | US 6 samples in store for you to try on.

For the LUXE collection the size range is AUS/ UK 4 – 16 | US 0 – 12 and these gowns are sold on a first come first serve basis.

For the WILD HEARTS collection the size range is AUS/ UK 4 – 20 | US 0 – 16 and we have size AUS/UK 10 | US 6 samples in store for you to try on.

For the BESPOKE collection the size range is AUS/ UK 4 – 20 | US 0 – 16 and we have size AUS/UK 10 | US 6 samples in store for you to try on.

If you don’t live near a KWH boutique, contact our customer service team directly and we will have a solution for you to secure your dream gown. Our team can also offer you styling advice via phone or email. Feel free to contact them on +61 2 9519 3901 or info@karenwillisholmes.com.

We do carry stock of some gowns in-house, or we can sometimes make an ELOPE or BESPOKE gown in much shorter timeframes if we have all the fabric and time in our production calendar to fit your order in. As well, our LUXE line is a ready-to-wear line which means we can work with a shorter time frame as long as your desired gown is in stock. While we can work with shorter time frames, we always recommend a longer timeline, as having a shorter one will limit what is available to you.

If you have a short time frame, please contact us on info@karenwillisholmes.com or + 61 2 9519 3901 to discuss your options.

Alterations are expected and essential for the finishing touches to any gown and will make the gown truly yours. When purchasing a gown, we take your body measurements to help determine the closest standard size to your body based on our size chart. However, alterations are needed to fine-tune for fit and to your personal preference. Whether that means taking in a gown to make it smaller for your hips, bust, or waist (or maybe everywhere), adding cups, shortening straps, hemming the length, and adding in the bustle for your train, alterations are a standard part of the whole process.

Our nontraditional gowns look stunning when paired with a veil or detachable trains. Adding a veil to your gown will help amp up your style to feel truly bridal for your ceremony. Styling your gown with a train gives you countless options to add volume for part of your day or just make your look uniquely your own.

Our nontraditional gowns each have a distinct flare of modern whimsicality. Coming in all different shapes, fabrics and silhouettes, our nontraditional dresses are perfect for brides looking to showcase their unique personality and be fashion forward and contemporary on their big day. 

Have you fallen in love with one of our handmade wedding dresses? We have boutiques across Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth where you can work with our dedicated bridal stylists and try on your KWH favourites. You can also visit one of our many stockists across the globe if our boutiques are not in your area.

Gowns from the ELOPE & BESPOKE collections are made in Australia and are made to order to a standard size- whatever size you measure closest to at the time of your appointment. We recommend a booking lead time of 4 – 6 months, however, because we make these gowns in our own workroom we can sometimes work with shorter time frames.

Gowns from the LUXE collection are sold from stock or available for pre-order. Due to the nature of this collection the gowns are sold on a first come first serve basis.

Gowns from the WILD HEARTS collection are made in Australia and our recommended lead time is 4 months from your wedding date, plus time for alterations.

On the hunt for the perfect shape wear for your gown? Have a look at our stylist’s expert advice here.