Frequently Asked Questions

You can view our collection and prepare for your appointment by noting down the style names of the gowns that capture your interest. You can also collect inspiration or references from other sources such as wedding and fashion magazines, think about your assets you’d like to highlight and styles you feel will suit you. A theme colour and location of your wedding will be an excellent starting point for your design!

Not really, but you may want to think about your underwear and heels. You should establish a maximum heel height that is comfortable for you to wear on the day, so the gown can be tailored to the correct length. For underwear, usually a flesh-coloured smooth bra is the best. White shadows, fine fabrics and lace create bumps. All of our gowns have excellent support and bust coverage, so you do not necessarily have to to wear a bra if desired. Please let us know if you wish to though, as this will affect the size of your bust line measurements when a gown is custom made for you. We try to keep our gowns as pristine as possible, so please keep your make up to a minimum. Please avoid getting a spay tan less than a week before your appointment.

Yes, of course! We encourage you to bring people you care about and trust. Our fitting areas can comfortably fit in up to five people (and several more if you don’t mind being a bit cosy).

Generally, in the first appointment we will introduce you to styles and fabrics and the look of our collection. We found that a 50-60 minutes appointment is often enough to give you an opportunity to identify which styles of gowns and silhouettes suit you and even for you to have found that perfect dress for your special day. If required, we may make a a further appointment to refine your ideas and measurements.

Arriving on time ensures you receive adequate time to work with the design ideas and style fittings. In the case you are late we may not be able to see you that day, especially during the weekend. Please let us know if you are unable to attend an appointment or fitting, by calling us on +64 9 369 1988 or email at hello@heracouture.co.nz

We do not have customer parking, but there are plenty of council-paid car parking in the area. If you don't mind walking, you can also find free car parks around Ponsonby.

We stock a selection of our designs in select stockists around NZ and the world. They are listed (see here).

We can secure your dress by processing a deposit. Your deposit ensures we can accommodate the creation of your dress in our schedule. It will also guarantee the estimated time of completion in our sales and purchase or couture agreement between yourself and Hera Couture.

We take EFTPOS, Visa, Mastercard, direct deposits or cash. We can also take credit card payments over the phone if required.

We will be in touch with you when your dress has been created. We would typically ask for you to come in about eight to ten weeks before your big day to "meet" your dress. During this appointment (usually 30 minutes), we will fit you into your dress, re-measure you and determine all the alterations required for a perfect fit. You will need to bring your wedding heels for this appointment so we can also determine how much to alter the length of your dress by. Please note that all of our dresses are created to standard sizes and to cater for a 170cm tall bride wearing heels. Some alterations are typically required, at the very least for length (as this is determined by your height and choice of footwear). We have a table of standard charges for our alteration fees and our seamstress will provide you a final quote for all the alterations required on your first fitting. You can choose to alter your dress with us or take it away to be altered by your seamstress of choice. (You may choose this latter option if you are not based in Auckland.)

Once all the alterations are completed, you are ready for your final fitting/pick-up appointment. This is typically a 30 minute appointment two to four weeks before your big day (unless otherwise agreed). We will ensure that all the agreed alterations have been completed and that the dress is perfectly fitted on you. Once we have received payment for the remaining balance on the dress and alteration charges, you can pick up your dress and be on your way to your big day!

Our dresses are made from very delicate fabrics and require special care. The label inside the dress provide more detailed instructions, but in general, we recommend dry cleaning the dress with a Master Dry Cleaner. We have a relationship with one and we would love to help you organise dry cleaning for your dress. This is typically $350 and will take around two-three weeks. Feel free to drop off your dress when it's convenient for you.

We recommend hanging your dress inside its gown bag, using the hanging loops that are sewn inside the bodice of the dress. (please do not hang it using only the shoulder straps, as it may lengthen the straps over time). You can also lay the dress flat, or store it inside one of our collapsible dress archiving boxes (see here).

We would be honoured to feature your beautiful self and your big day on our website and social media channels. If you don't mind, please send through some wedding photos along with a list of vendors you'd like us to credit, and You can share the link around with your friends and family after!

Most of our accessories are available to view and try on in our Ponsonby showroom. Feel free to drop in at your convenience and the team would to assist you. If you are trying to match the accessories to your dress, we recommend booking an appointment before coming in (see here).

If available and applicable, we have attached a size chart with our shoe description.

You can find our return policy here.