Finding the perfect wedding dress is no easy task, especially if you’ve been down the aisle before. At 26, I wore a Jenny Packham dress for my first wedding. It was beautiful, but the marriage didn’t last. Now, at 40, with a proposal from my long-term boyfriend and father of my two sons, I faced the daunting task of finding another wedding dress.
Despite my extensive experience in the fashion industry and a strong following on Instagram, the thought of picking out a wedding dress was overwhelming. The pressure to find a dress that reflects my style and makes me look my best felt immense.
As a 40-year-old with a multifaceted personality, I was unsure if one dress could capture my essence. I wanted something that said “Amish by day, vixen by night.” So, I decided to try on 100 different wedding dresses and document the journey. My quest took me across borders, from high street to high-end, and enlisted the help of top bridal designers.
One piece of advice that stuck with me was from Rosie Boydell-Wiles, a bridal expert at Vivienne Westwood: “Your wedding day isn’t the moment to experiment with your personal style.” While this made sense, defining my personal style in a wedding context was challenging. Daily, I wear feminine dresses by brands like Doên and Sea NY, paired with my tattooed forearms, sharp fringe, and bold red nails. By night, my look includes daring outfits and a Le Smoking jacket without a bra. I’m far from a minimalist, but I don’t fit neatly into any style box.
My journey began at Honor NYC, a brand I had been following on Instagram. During New York Fashion Week, I realized the beauty of a made-to-measure wedding gown. I quickly learned I was seeking drama. My upcoming ceremony will be held in an architectural home in the Californian desert, so understated was not an option. My favorite dress from Honor NYC was a sheer nude tiered strapless style, reminiscent of my first wedding dress. Despite 15 years passing, I seemed to revert to my original style.
This experience taught me that finding the perfect dress isn’t about trends or fitting into a style box. It’s about discovering a dress that truly resonates with you, even if it takes trying on 100 dresses to find it.
