Designer Banggo Niu Talks About Valeen Montenegro's Stunning Wedding Gown

No doubt, Valeen Montenegro's custom wedding gown by Banggo Niu is one of the most beautiful bridal ensembles we've seen recently. 

Its design is classy, timeless, and sophisticatedly sexy. What's even better is that Valeen's wedding gown with detachable elements served a dual purpose, allowing this "bridechilla" to easily and seamlessly transition from the ceremony to the reception.   

Banggo's creation featured a serpentine-cut, fully-beaded dress, styled with a detachable off-shoulder band and a voluminous train. "For the base of the dress/main gown, it was a mix of different tones or shades of a translucent, off-white fabric covered with a fully embroidered lace that was hand beaded by a skilled beader for more than 150 hours," Banggo told Metro.Style. "I added a train and a detachable off-shoulder detail in a heavy and luxurious fabric to contrast the lightness of her fully beaded gown! The clash of the two different elements definitely gave the perfect amount of drama I wanted for the look!"

For the detachable off-shoulder detail and train, Banggo and his team used Peau de Soie/Italian Gazaar "to get that luxuriously heavy look that perfectly contrasted the lightness of her main gown!" Valeen accessorized with jewelry pieces from ARCA Bespoke Jewelry.

Come reception, the fun-loving bride partied the night away in her sparkly base dress; it allowed her to move around more freely and gave her a welcome high-shine finish that befitted the mood of the after-party.

As a designer known for his bridal wear creations, Banggo shared some tips for brides-to-be: "Pick the right silhouette for your body type, the right color/shade for your skin tone, the right size of embroidery details/beadwork for your proportion, and the right designer that you would jive with effortlessly!"

Valeen and Banggo’s collaboration further showed how ideal it is to work with a wedding gown designer one connects with on a deeper level. The two are college best friends, so Banggo’s creation was made not just with painstaking attention to detail but also with love for a dear friend.

"We have been both on the same page since we started working on her wedding dress," Banggo said. "The serpentine cut, the 'light' and 'effortless' feel of the dress, and the fresh yet timeless look of it!" 

On Instagram, Banggo also dedicated a post to Valeen, captioning it with: “I will never forget the time I told you back in university that I would make your wedding gown! And now, the time has come! It’s an honor to be a part of this new chapter in your life, Vee! Love you!”

Valeen Montenegro and Riel Manuel tied the knot on January 12, 2024, with the ceremony held at Santuario de San Antonio Parish in Forbes Park, Makati and the reception at The Conservatory at The Peninsula Manila.

More details to love about their wedding are here.

Lead photo by Amady