Weddingbee boards

I believe almost all wedding gowns in Taiwan are for rentals. At least the ones I have seen in large bridal stores are of top quality and complete with intricate details. As for designers, the market isn't big on naming Western desginers so I wouldn't know. When I was shopping around, the wedding gowns were marketed more on "how many of this particular gowns are available in the country/world?" rather than the name of the designer. If there are only less than 10, for example, it would almost be impossible for you to run into another bride to have exactly the same dress as yours. That was how the wedding gowns were marketed to me...

I asked about purchasing a gown, and the lady at the store said it's not worth it and nobody does it. So the prevalent practice is definitely to rent.

I felt the prevalent styles were definitely elaborate, intricate (e.g. ballgown-esque). If you're looking for a simple beach dress, you may not find it. I rented my dress from Taiwan. I didn't go crazy looking for the perfect dress because I wasn't  big on that aspect and picked something the worked for me. It did its job well and I didn't have to clean it or have a huge closet-space hogger after the wedding either. If you're interested, you can PM me for a pic.

There are also tailors and clothing stores that will custom make gowns but I don't know anything about them and assume the price will vary depending on the quality.

I'm so sad I didn't see this post 2 days ago..because I was in Taipei and could have looked for you!!! :(  My Lonely Planet however says, "Aiguo E Rd. across from Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, and also at Zhongshang N Rd. near Minquan Rd."