Hellooooo people of Riyadh! So good to be back to blogging. Haha! I admit I have been busy with The Riyadhizen 2015 Planner for the past few weeks… you know, with the wonderful launching we had and the rigorous deliveries that ensued after. Yes, I deliver the planners to our readers and we also have pick-up points that take most of our time after work. My weekends, er make that Fridays, are spent on recovering all the energy I used during the weekdays and Saturdays are used for deliveries again. Ahhhh The Pink Tarha life. Hahaha! I kindda missed just sitting in front of my computer and typing away… that’s why I’m doing that today.

Remember when I was frantically looking for a gown for an event I was going to? We went to Al Mousa Mall on Olaya Street but the first place that someone suggested was a souk near Salam Park. The thing is, she wasn’t sure where it was exactly so she just kept on saying “near Salam Park” and “opposite Salam Park.” Uhmn okay… that was such a complex “direction” you know. How are we going to look for it?! The sane person would have ditched the idea to go and research for more information before going. But The Pink Tarha mind urged us to get on a cab (from our roster of trusted drivers, of course) and just go around Salam Park and look for it on a busy night. Crazy right? We’re putting it in our “adventure book.”

Anyway, we directed our driver to Salam Park and true enough, we saw a building beside it. It was filled with stalls that have “gowns” on their window display. So we thought we found the right building. We got out of the cab and went around the stalls and discovered that it was a souk for fabric and textile! They just arranged the fabrics to look like gowns in the mannequins but they don’t sell and sew gowns! Haha! And most of the sellers were speaking in Arabic only. I knew I should have taken Arabic language lessons five years ago! Haha!

We thought it was a gown souk. Turned out, it was a fabric market. Haha!

We were disappointed that we did not find the souk for the gowns but we still roamed the place (so much for being adventurous!) and looked at the jewelry and phone kiosks while waiting for our cab to come back. Fortunately, we entered one of the fabric stores and the seller who speaks halting English suggested we visit Makkah Souk that is just along King Fahd Road and across Salam Park. And we did because we’re already in the area! And so much for being adventurous right?!

And so we found the right place. It’s called Al Makkah Souk or Makkah Mall. (Next time, ask the locals what they call the market, it’s easier to locate on a map, haha!) Al Makkah Souk is filled with stores selling gowns! We probably entered all the stores looking for a gown that suited our style. Most of the gowns are SR 500 and above. If your size is not available, they can make one for you! Also, don’t be afraid to haggle.

So many choices, not one that suits you? Yep, the shopping conundrum.

Sooo… what color are you fancying?

All the styles and colors of gowns you’ll wish you’ll have!

Which one, which one?!

Your next evening gown!

More daring ensembles if you wish.

Hey, that looks like a great set for an entourage!

We were already awed with the evening gowns in the first floor but we went to the second floor and found… wedding gowns! Oh my goodness, we stopped in our tracks with the abundance of tulle and silk and embellishments! This is a bride’s heaven! And the prices are just SR 1,500 and above! I mean, pretty affordable compared to designer wedding gowns back in the Philippines and these ones here are so well made and beautifully crafted!

My friend was smitten with the second gown. It already has her name on it. LOL.

Ahhhhh this tableau will make you want to plan your own wedding pronto!

All that tulle! Whew!

My friends who have no boyfriends were kidding around saying “Oooh I will have to get myself a guy already because I want to wear these dresses!” Another said, “I’ll already buy my wedding gown so that I will attract a guy.” Whoah! Haha! She believes that the universe will conspire to help her snag a groom just by having the wedding gown in her closet. Haha! She’s joking, of course. But it’s really fun too look at the wedding gowns and the amount of fabric and effort that goes into each one. Beside the lane of wedding gown boutiques are the shops of wedding coordinators that will help you with your wedding preparations like the venues. Makkah Mall is also a one-stop wedding shop!

So there you go, another place where you can go to when looking for your evening gown on your next formal event. Or your wedding gown on your special day. See, being adventurous and winging it pay off sometimes. 😉

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