Pia Wurtzbach's gown designer shares story behind wedding look
"A design brought about by love," that's how Filipino designer Bessie Besana described Pia Wurtzbach's wedding gown.
In a lengthy two-part tribute to the bride, Bessie shared how Pia's gown brought out to be, starting with how it all began.
Bessie, who is based in New York, met up in November 2022 with the former beauty queen for breakfast in a restaurant in SoHo. He continued to talk about their meet-up, where they chatted about the wedding of a friend, and later on Pia's.
"Pia casually slid the idea by saying 'Since we are on the wedding topic, I really wanted a friend to make my wedding dress and I was hoping it would be you.'"
Bessie said he was stunned because he "didn’t think that I was even going to be an option."
"She then proceeded to say, 'I want it to be done by a friend and you know me so much and I want you to be a part of my wedding,'" Bessie recalled.
The bridal designer said he "cried a little inside" because he was touched by what Pia said. Switching to "designer mode," Bessie asked Pia to create a Pinterest board for pegs.
Knowing that the gown hold such significance in one's wedding, Bessie is grateful for Pia's trust.
"I have worked with so many brides to know that choosing your wedding dress designer is a big decision to make, and all the more to dress Pia on such a big milestone in her personal life," he wrote, adding that the process went "very smoothly."
"Pia, you are truly a great person and I am eternally grateful for how much you have impacted my life. Thank you for always believing in me and my craft of fashion," he said.
In the second post, Bessie shared more about the gown and how it was conceptualized.
"What is interesting about the conceptualization on Pia’s dress is that she asked Jeremy (Jauncey) about how he envisions his bride as she 'walks down the aisle.'"
Bessie said that Jeremy sees Pia walking towards him "in a classic corseted bodice with a soft texture and a slit."
"At first, Pia and I were a bit surprised about the idea of a slit. Pia even asked me, 'Pwede ba sa wedding gown ang may slit?'" to which the designer agreed saying times have changed and their ceremony will be held in a beach.
The New York-based designer shared that asking a groom for his ideas for his bride's gown is very "unconventional" for him, but "very interesting" nonetheless.
Bessie then used soft Chantilly lace that he managed to make the color match Pia's skin tone. He also added a three dimensional petal detail that were attached to the dress.
"The asymmetrical pattern moving upward is my personal interpretation of how life has brought Pia through many challenges and eventually found his forever with Jeremy," he explained.
Bessie said the former Miss Universe requested for a sleek skirt silhouette with "drama" at the back, which included panels godet, and appliqués.
"I was very happy when Pia told me a day before her flight to Seychelles that she really loves her dress. But the cherry on top of the ice cream was when I received a voice note from Jeremy sharing how beautiful his bride was, and that’s all he could ask for. My heart is full seeing the bride and the groom happy," he said.
Pia and Jeremy tied the knot in a private island of Seychelles last March 24, 2023, with only Brutus the turtle and "endless sunsets as our witnesses." They announced their marriage to the public on May 5.
The couple got engaged in Amanpulo, Palawan and announced it on May 6, 2022. They have first started dating in January 2022.