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Tag: Wedding Inspiration

  • Inside This Jewelry Designer's Stunning Destination Wedding In Bermuda

    Inside This Jewelry Designer's Stunning Destination Wedding In Bermuda

    Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements, and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favorite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.

    Octavia Zamagias and Mathew Joanou met the old-fashioned way—at a bar on the dancefloor. During a night out in Venice, California, the two locked eyes, exchanged numbers, and have been together ever since. “From [that point on], it always felt like he was my person and I was his,” shares Zamagias. Joanou is the CEO and Co-Founder of Stakeholder Labs and Zamagias is the jewelry designer and founder of Octavia Elizabeth which makes the story of their proposal quite untraditional. Jonaou proposed in Malibu, California with a ring designed by Zamagias herself, “but I stayed true to something I tell all couples or grooms,” she explains—”the moment you get engaged should be a surprise, the ring should not!”

    After contemplating whether or not to plan their wedding in California where they both live, the two ultimately landed on Bermuda, a place that has sentimental value to the couple. “My family has been going to the island for over four decades and we’ve spent our summers there since I was a little girl. Over the last seven years, Matt has also fallen in love with the island and it became clear that it would be the perfect place for us to have our wedding as summer is particularly beautiful,” shares Zamagias. And so the planning commenced.

    The wedding weekend was filled with an array of events including a boat day, a welcome party, and of course, the wedding itself. “I am that person that never wants a party to end. I stay to the end. So a destination wedding was really special in that it encouraged us to have multiple events and evenings to celebrate and be with our friends,” explains Zamagias. “It was all about us, but at the same time, it wasn’t. I mean that in a beautiful way. It relaxed us to know we had multiple days and evenings to spend time with each one of our guests and friends.” Scroll through to read more about the wedding weekend with words from the bride herself and to explore the details of this stunning Bermuda celebration.

    “We kicked off the wedding celebrations with our bridesmaids and groomsmen on board a 77-foot catamaran.” 

    “The boat sailed around the beautiful island of Bermuda and stopped for lunch, cliff jumping, and snorkeling.” 

    “Lunch was catered by our favorite casual spot on Bermuda, Devil’s Isle. I surprised Matt with his favorite chocolate chip cookies for dessert.” 

    “Before we planned any of the evenings and actually before we even had booked our planner, I knew I wanted to start the wedding weekend off with a sail around the island. The Zara was such a beautiful part of the whole weekend and I booked it as soon as I could!”  

    “By the afternoon, the rest of the guests arrived on the island and began to take over the Coral Beach Club, a private members-only club and hotel dating back to 1948. Once we decided on Bermuda, we immediately confirmed the Coral Beach Club for our wedding festivities. My family has been going there for years and we felt there was no better representation of the island than the CBC with its quant Bermudian traditions coupled with its relaxed island feel. 

    The entire club was occupied with our family and friends throughout the wedding weekend. Guests were welcomed to the club with afternoon tea, a long-standing and daily tradition on the island of tea, crumpets, and sandwiches.”    

    “Thursday’s dinner was a classic Bermudian seafood feast on the Coral Beach Club’s Longtail Terrace. Guests were encouraged to wear Bermuda formal attire and the men donned their traditional Bermuda shorts and long socks, which were given to guests in their welcome baskets.”  

    “It was surreal to see the lobby and beach chairs filled with our friends and family. We felt so loved. Walking down the beach on the first day was hilarious. It truly took me an hour to cover what is usually a five-minute walk because I got to stop and hug and see everyone.” 

    “After an open day spent by the beach or in Bermuda’s charming town of Hamilton, guests gathered on the CBC’s South Shore beach where Matthew’s family hosted a traditional Bermudian pig roast and fresh catch dinner on the beach. The evening included live music with guests dressed in ‘beachy chic’ attire. Bare feet were mandatory!”   

    “Walking down the stairs of the CBC to the beach was such a memorable moment. The combination of the band playing, our closest friends and family waiting for us, and the noise from the crashing waves made this moment one of our favorites of the weekend.”  

    “I wore a one-of-a-kind bracelet, The Front Street Bracelet, which was inspired by Hamilton’s Front Street which features iconic pastel-colored buildings. Casa Mestansa used the bracelet in the design to clip up the train of the dress.  It fastened into my train.” 

    “We wanted Friday evening to feel relaxed and unrushed. Growing up, we would go to dinner once a week in Bermuda at an old inn called Horizons and Cottages. They would have live music, a pig roast, and dancing. It was very casual and felt very Bermudian. Horizons and Cottages has long since closed, but I had told Matt about how memorable those evenings were. I wanted to recreate this for our guests. We had live music playing throughout the night with one long table that seated our 150 guests on the beach. My other favorite design detail from this evening was the copper tiki torches that lined the beach.”   

    The bride and dress designer, Carlota Salvadores Calero of Casa Mestansa. 

    “I worked with Indigo by Boutin owner, Antonia, on the custom 250-foot tablecloth. She is a fabulous textile designer. My planner in Bermuda recommended her and then by chance after I reached out I found out she was based in Venice, CA! Antonia got to come to my office in Brentwood and I just felt the proximity was kismet. I think we will have the tablecloth made into curtains for our baby’s room one day because I don’t know when I will ever use that length again!”   

    WWW Weddings tip: “If you do a destination wedding, I highly recommend doing a pre-wedding trip there to iron out the details. I loved meeting all of the vendors on the island and met such talented people.”  

    “I got ready with my mother, sisters, and the designer of my wedding dress and dear friend, Carlota. Matt got ready on his own. He felt like that was the best way for him to stay calm and present.”  

    “I opted to keep my beauty look really simple, clean, and natural. The dress was so classic and romantic, I wanted there to be minimal fuss with my hair. I created moodboards for each day and I reviewed them with Helen Hening before we got to the island. I’ve worked with Helen for years and she is also a friend so I didn’t feel the need to do multiple tests or trials, but we did do one before we left for Bermuda. Helen brought along Ardree Merriweather (hairstylist) and Keri Kemper (assistant makeup) to help me, my sisters, mother, and mother-in-law all get ready.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “For hair and makeup, if you have a great team, let them know ahead of time how important efficiency is to you. Ardree, Helen, and Keri were amazing because they truly got that I wanted to be on the beach and swimming with friends until the very last moment. Come with a mood board and clear reference photos. If you provide that and have the right creatives working with you, they will be able to execute it efficiently. Don’t overcomplicate it.”  

    “I am an extrovert so I loved having my sisters and family all around me for the entire wedding day. One of my favorite moments amongst the business of getting ready was when my younger sister, Gabrielle, gave me a handwritten letter from Matthew. It was so thoughtful of him and allowed me to take a moment of calm before the ceremony.”  

    “Six years ago, I made the engagement ring for the designer behind Casa Mestansa, Carlota Salvadores Calero. It was in the early years of Octavia Elizabeth, and the couple, Christopher Nolte and Carlota entrusted me to make their significant piece. Fast forward several years, Carlota and I worked together to create my dream wedding dress. 

    I wanted something one-of-a-kind and bespoke, something old-world and feminine yet functional. I knew I wanted to dance. After a few conversations with Casa Mestansa, Carlota came up with three amazing concepts (of which I chose one). It was not easy, all of them were genuinely iconic. Like my jewelry, the materials, fabrication, and finishes were so important. I love texture and originally I was envisioning a linen texture, but with wrinkles that just was not going to work. We ended up sourcing a few different dupioni silks which have a lovely texture and choosing one of them. To bring texture into the gown, Carlota had the dressmaker hand tear the silk for a raw edge. All of the buttons on the dress (over 100 of them) were fully functioning—to me, details like that are so important.” 

    “Matt was less specific about his outfit. After trying on a few different suits on his own, we decided to spend a day in Beverly Hills trying on different options. After lunch at South Beverly Grill, we made a few stops nearby and ended up at Ralph Lauren. The team there was great and super accommodating. While we weren’t planning on doing green or a tux, we saw a beautiful green tuxedo and I knew it would perfectly compliment the Unfinished Cathedral.” 

    WWW Weddings tip: “Have your partner try on their suit or tuxedo before they take it home with them after their final fitting. Matt and I shopped and went to his fittings together—it became a fun ritual. It was on a final fitting day that we had planned to just swing by and pick up his tux—it was 4 days before we left for Bermuda. We ran into the shop and I insisted he try it on one final time. I am so happy he did because the alterations had not been made and the pins were still in the tuxedo. Ralph Lauren ended up doing the tailoring while we went to lunch and all was well, but I truly cannot imagine what we would have done if we had not noticed this until we got to Bermuda.” 

    “We personalized the veil with a small heart with our initials. It was so small that unless you really looked, you wouldn’t see it. I hope my daughters will wear it one day and add in their own initials.”  

    “The dress transformed from highly formal (worn down the aisle and shown here) to a mid-length (worn while dancing with my dad).” 

    “The house I got ready in is historic. The property served as the official Bermuda residence of the United States Consul General for 30 years.” 

    “With most wedding festivities at the Coral Beach Club and all of our guests staying there, we knew we’d want our ceremony to be slightly removed and we fell in love with the Unfinished Church the moment we visited the open-air space. We visited the ruins in the UNESCO World Heritage town of St. George on the island. Funny enough, it was not really on our radar. I was in Bermuda a year before with just my parents and my dad and I went to check it out. He started tearing up and I knew it was it.” 

    “The church itself is iconic and the ruins are stunning on their own. I didn’t want to work against that with something hyper-modern or sleek so instead, with the help of Helen Sawden, we worked to create a lush and overgrown landscape. Something that felt natural. Give me a beautiful space to work with, with amazing bones and historical significance and I’m a happy bride.

    From day one, I was deadset on not bringing stuff onto the island. I wanted to use what was there. That goes for everything from tableware to florals. I had to get a little more flexible as time went on, but I am so proud that 80% of the plants and flowers from the church were ‘living’ meaning the florals and trees were re-plantable and thus re-usable. I wanted to limit waste and use on-island plants and florals whenever possible. Helen Sawden was amazing and coached me on what was possible and what wasn’t.”  

    “We didn’t have a bridal party or groomsmen so the walk down the aisle was brief.” 

    “I walked down the aisle to ‘Unchained Melody’ played by Stephen Crawford, a local Bermudian musician.  I will never forget when I saw Matty. We locked eyes and throughout the entire ceremony it truly felt like it was just us.”  

    “Upon arrival at the church, guests were welcomed and offered water and icey, cool towels. Straw fans were laid on each seat  to combat the August sun.” 

    “Matt keeps a book of poetry, The Prophet by Kahill Gabran, on his bedside table, and for years every once in a while we read from it together. We knew we wanted traditional vows with readings from that same poetry book. Matty and I had a family friend as our celebrant, followed by two readings of our favorite poems by our childhood friends, Meredith and Taylor—’Love without Possession’ by Charlie Child and ‘On Marriage’ by Kahill Gabran.”  

    “I felt like my dress told a story. The foundation of the dress was a luxurious Dupioni silk that had a beautiful texture to it. Casa Mestansa shirred the edges of the dress which I thought mirrored our invitation which were torn edge and I felt that played so well with the Unfinished Church.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Make a conscious effort to be present. Prior to our wedding weekend, Matt and I had a thoughtful discussion about this. Both he and I knew that throughout the weekend, we were going to be pulling each other aside and saying out loud how special the feeling or moment was. You can actually see this in a lot of our photos, where it is just the two of us. Some of the key moments I will never forget are from when we both just whispered to each other to take this in or feel the moment.” 

    “We tried to keep the ceremony short, but meaningful. I’d say it was about 25 minutes in total and guests were then whisked back to the club for the cocktail reception!”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Matt and I both have our own companies so hiring a great planner was a must, but you still have to do a lot of the work and have a clear vision. For Matt and I working on our wedding after a long day of work was not realistic, we started to block off whole Saturdays once a month and it worked so well for us.”  

    “Our cocktail reception was hosted on a beautiful lawn overlooking the entire club and ocean.”  

    “My actual wedding dress transformed throughout the night. So much so that guests thought I was changing each time! In reality, I was simply shedding a layer to reveal a new silhouette.”  

    “Our wedding to me was all about beautiful ‘moments.’ Bringing two people and two worlds together. Matt and I have many friends that have never met from various chapters of our lives. He has always worked in the tech industry and many of his friends come from when he lived in San Francisco, most of my friends are in the creative world, and I met a lot of them through my college community of friends in L.A. It was so fun for us to see everyone meeting and bonding throughout the different events. Not so surprisingly as they’re all wonderful humans, many new friendships were formed. It’s been beautiful to see how even after the wedding the two groups have become one.” 

    “The dinner was hosted on the iconic Longtail Terrace. Once our guests were seated for dinner, Matt and I were announced and we danced through swinging doors onto the veranda and down the stairs to the reception. We wound through all of the tables and ended up on the dance floor.”  

    “For dinner, it was the Club’s signature tuna tartar to start followed by Bermuda’s fresh catch and fillet. I didn’t want anything too heavy that would impair our guest’s ability to dance all night. Dancing and music were a priority to me.” 

    “Matt and I worked with an amazing dance teacher before our wedding day. We didn’t want to have a choreographed first dance, but we wanted to give our guests some sort of show! The dance lessons we took were some of our favorite moments leading up to the wedding. It was scheduled time for Matt and I to be together.” 

    “For the after-party, I did a proper outfit change and a last-minute impulse buy, to be honest. I switched into a Zimmerman dress. I was shopping for my honeymoon when I saw this dress that felt very inspired by the coral reef and the intricacies of marine life. I paired it with sky-high Valentino sandals which I swear were more comfortable than my Dior kitten heels I wore down the aisle. My hair was taken down and let loose. Helen and Ardree know me well so I had them stick to a 15-minute turnaround time because I didn’t want to miss anything more. And of course, the jewelry changed too! 

    The after-party to me was a top priority. When Matt and I decided on Bermuda we met with five of the top planners on the island. We ended up going with Nikki Beg because she just got it and was able to verbalize what I was envisioning for the afterparty in particular. The Club has these iconic winding stairs that lead to the beach. I wanted the band to play their final song and then for there to be party music playing in the distance. I wanted guests to kind of meander to the DJ and get so excited for more dancing. That’s what happened and guests were greeted by espresso martinis and sliders of all sorts once they made it down the stairs.” 

    “We danced and partied until about 1 AM and then without any announcement everyone just kind of was like it’s time to get in the ocean! We all ended up skinny dipping and swimming. I can’t stress how amazing the Club was. As about 70 of us emerged from the ocean, the Club had warmed towels for each of us. We were all laughing and just so grateful for that.”  

    WWW Weddings tip: “Give your photographers and videographers a dossier of the ‘most beloved’ guests. Not in a cringey ‘whose-who’ way, but in the way that you would really hate it if you didn’t see these people in your albums after the wedding. Since Matt and I didn’t have bridal/groom parties, the dossier saved our photography. It meant for us that we got so many photos of our best friends and family and fewer of our parent’s guests etc.”  

    “Even before we designed the dress, I had the design for my earrings. I knew I wanted seafoam emeralds and South Sea pearls. The King Palm Emerald and Pearl Earrings were hand-carved in wax before being cast in 18K Yellow Gold. Each stone is unique. We continued the design into the wedding dress using 10 of the emeralds as buttons on the back of it.” 

    “The back of my dress had emerald buttons we made especially for this detail. All of the buttons on the entire dress were fully functioning meaning they all had to be closed by hand. Today, most dresses are zip-up or superficial buttons. To me, the beauty in the dress is in the details.” 

    “So here is how a jewelry designer gets engaged! I was having a coffee with one of my favorite diamond suppliers, Gil Katz. He always has some amazing unique diamonds. We were looking at stones for my clients and as he often does, he asked me if I wanted to see a really special stone. As I always answer yes to these questions, he pulled out a stunning 5-carat fancy yellow diamond. It was nothing that I thought I wanted. It was an elongated cushion cut. I always wanted an emerald cut. It was a fancy yellow. I always wanted a white diamond. But right when I saw that diamond I knew it was the one. I had never done this before, but I called Matty and asked him if he could jet down to my office to see a stone. He didn’t even question who it was for. He came right away and he adored it, but whispered, ‘You know it’s yellow right?’ It was such a happy day.

    I designed the ring and used my mother’s white diamond side stones to create what is now a classic we call ‘The Octavia.’ It’s an untraditional three-stone engagement ring that could not be more perfect for me. I entrusted Matt and Hayley (VP of Marketing and Sales of Octavia Elizabeth, as well as a friend) to make the ring. It took over 6 months, but it was well worth the wait.” 

    “My latest collection for Octavia Elizabeth was called ‘Coral Beach.’ It was inspired by the island that I love so much with many of the pieces influenced by native plants, places, and beaches on the island. All of my family and my non-traditional bridal party all wore pieces from the collection. Hayley who is VP of Marketing and Sales at Octavia Elizabeth was both a guest and stylist that weekend—helping my crew of women find the perfect jewels for their outfits.” 

    The bride’s friends donning Octavia Elizabeth jewelry. 

    Makeup: Helen Hening

    Makeup Assistant: Keri Kemper

    Hair: Ardree Merriweather

    Florist: Helen Sawden 

    Venue: The Coral Beach Club 

    Catering for Friday & Saturday: The Coral Beach Club, Chef Michael Scott

    Rehearsal Dinner Linens: Indigo Boutin

    Planner: Nikki Beg

    Rentals: Big Fish Events

    Lead Photographer: Alexander Masters

    Photographer: Amanda Temple

    Jewellery Photographer: Nhuri Bashir

    Videographer: Burnt House Productions, Andrew Kirkpatrick, and Nhuri Bashir

    Stationary: Twin Rocker

    Letterpress: Aardvark Letterpress 

    Calligrapher: Juliana Leslie

    Dance Instructor: Willem De Vries

    If you’re interested in having your wedding featured on our site, please fill out our Who What Wear Weddings submission form here.

    Lauren Eggertsen

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  • A Backyard Wedding Complete With ShuShu/Tong, Antique Plates, and DIY Details

    A Backyard Wedding Complete With ShuShu/Tong, Antique Plates, and DIY Details

    Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements, and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favorite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.

    “As soon as I saw Brad, I was in love,” shares Hannah Anderson as she reminisces on the beginning of her relationship with her now husband, Bradley Mackeson. A group road trip to Joshua Tree prompted the couple’s initial meeting in addition to a little scheming from mutual friends and a shared career in music. “I lived in Texas at the time,” recalls Anderson. “Our mutual friend Tyler kept telling me about Brad and all the cool work that Brad was doing. We’re all musicians, so that was our common thread. Tyler, Brad, a few friends, and I took a road trip to Joshua Tree. Brad only had one seat in his truck, so of course, I jumped into the seat as fast as I could. On the three-hour road trip, there was never a moment of awkward silence. We flowed.” After a couple of months of visits between Texas and L.A., moving in together, and a proposal, the rest is history. 

    Mackeson proposed six years later near a natural spring on Makalawena Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii. “It was an impromptu proposal with some cute little rings I had found at a vintage shop in Hilo a few days earlier,” shares Mackeson. “I kept the rings on my person knowing a time would present itself, which it did!” Although the couple had been together for quite some time, Mackeson recalls that the two of them hadn’t extensively discussed the idea of getting engaged, “so there was some real suspense there.” Anderson adds, “I think we both went into shock, and after I said yes, we just stood there holding hands and shaking.”

    The two decided to get married in Mackeson’s parents’ backyard in Troutdale, Oregon—a property that backs up to the gorgeous river where the ceremony was held. The day was filled with the true personality of the couple, hands-on support from their community, and tons of creative details that really set this wedding apart. Scroll down to read more about the day from the perspective of both the bride and groom, including the antique plates, outfit details, and more.

    “The night before, we had an intimate rehearsal dinner with just immediate family and whoever was in the ceremony.”  

    “We did a walk-through of the ceremony, and then Brad’s parents provided dinner for us.” 

    “I wore a Hill House dress, and my shoes were from Hereu. I wanted to keep it really simple and easy! [My friend] Anica gifted me the bow at my bridal shower, so I thought that would be fun to wear for the rehearsal. [She] also helped me coordinate the day of the wedding [and] threw a beautiful bridal shower for me the week prior to the wedding for the L.A. girls. It was perfect! One of her best friends, Alana Jones-Mann, made a vintage-style wedding cake that said ‘Mrs. Mackeson’ on it. I wept when I saw it.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Go with the flow!”



    “I got ready with a few of my girlfriends. We didn’t have a bridal party or groomsmen, but I at least wanted the experience of getting ready with my girls! My friends Caileigh, Carly, Emma, and Anica all helped me prep tablescapes and décor and then stayed to get ready with me. It was so much fun!” 

    “I wore a vintage yellow slip dress that I thrifted. It was so chic and delicate! Unplanned, a few of the other girls wore vintage slips too! It was meant to be.”

    “I wanted the beauty to feel kind of ’60s mod but didn’t want to feel like I was in a costume. I did my own makeup and hair and felt really good. I felt the most me I have ever felt.” 

    WWW Weddings tip: “There is a lot of pressure when it comes to planning your wedding. Choose your battles! Find things that you’re willing to be more relaxed with, and find the things that are the most important to you and stick with them. For me, that was my dress and my guest list!”

    “Being that the wedding was going to be outside, I wanted something shorter. I have been obsessed with ShuShu/Tong for a while and started scouring the internet for a white piece from them and ended up finding this piece on Ssense. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one.”

    “Since the dress was cropped, I almost went with an extra-long veil until I saw this cropped veil on Etsy and loved it.” 

    “My outfit came together so perfectly—it was meant to be. I had tried on more traditional gowns, but they didn’t feel like me.”

    “The shoes I got online at Pêche. The floral, the jacquard—what more could you need? I paired the shoe with a sheer white knee-high sock. I made my earrings! My pearl mini purse is vintage. I thrifted it in Palm Beach the week after my Miami bachelorette trip this summer.”

    “How we dress and our fashion choices are a form of nonverbal communication to the exterior world,” says Mackeson as he shares the details of his look. “It’s a way we can subtly communicate our values to others. As an artist and person, I’m especially inspired by the people and art of the mid-’60s the early ’70s. Peace, love, freedom, and open-mindedness. I also love the sophistication and clean lines of late ’50s and ’60s mod.”

    “Another defining aspect of my person is a resilient ‘never say die’ independent attitude and gusto, so I knew I wanted to get a little Western grit in the mix. I’m all about peace and love, but I still want people to take me seriously. You know what I mean? A distinguished gentleman who likes his LSD and isn’t afraid to rough it when he has to.

    “With that in mind, I went to work browsing used vintage suits on Etsy and eBay. I knew I wanted something a little big for me so I could tailor it to my needs. After much searching, I ran across an ivory ’90s zoot suit that had a mod vibe to it! After taking a considerable amount of length off the jacket (if you’ve seen a zoot suit, you know what I’m talking about), I had the tailor add a subtle flare to the pants. Not enough to be the focal, but enough to let you know. I also knew this would pair well with my boots and link the Western aspects of the look.”

    “My favorite part of the look, other than the snakeskin boots, is the vintage Western ribbon tie. I found both the ribbon tie and boots on Etsy. In 2020, my wife and I founded our record label SlickPony Records as a place to release our music. The tie has a hand-stitched mirrored image of two horses. For me, this represents the duality of our feminine and masculine energy coming together and joining in union.” 



    “Our venue was Brad’s parents’ backyard. They live on a river, and it felt like the perfect setting.” 

    “Brad’s parents, Dean and Shireen, did a lot of work to prepare the property. Shireen planted this wonderland garden that bloomed perfectly for the wedding.”

    “We had gone between doing a Joshua Tree wedding (where we first connected) to a Hawaii wedding (where we got engaged) and ended up landing on the river.”

    Hannah and Brad at the venue.

    “Because we didn’t use a venue, we had to source everything from tables to kitchen gear for our chef to tables and chairs. Brad’s mom sourced all of our vintage dishware from estate sales, Facebook Marketplace, and thrift shops.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “I didn’t hire a planner for my wedding and think it would’ve actually been amazing to have a third-party mediator for details, seating, etc. Tensions may get high during planning, so whatever you can do to alleviate those tensions I highly recommend.”

    WWW Weddings tip (from the groom): “Weddings can be very overwhelming—not only for you but also your parents and family. At some points, it may not even feel worth it. My advice to you is that it is worth it. Once the ceremony starts, it’s all love. Stay present and enjoy the beautiful moment with your loved ones.”

    “Although we both grew up in religious families, we aren’t religious in any way now. We have done things quite differently from our families, and in planning the wedding, my friend Emma sent me this quote from Bert Hellinger called ‘The Black Sheep.’ When I read it, I wept. Brad and I both agreed this would be the theme of our wedding, which is why we put the black sheep illustration on the invitation.

    “‘The black sheep, those who do not adapt, those who cry rebelliously, play a basic role within each family system. They repair, pick up, and create new and unfold branches in the family tree. Thanks to these members, our trees renew their roots. Its rebellion is fertile soil. Its madness is water that nourishes. Its stubbornness is new air. Its passion is fire that reignites the light of the heart of the ancestors.’”

    “Jonpaul, who officiated, also wanted to photograph throughout the night. He asked if he could shoot photos during the ceremony. It was so sweet and playful.”

    The couple celebrating post-ceremony. 

    “My nephews were the ring bearers, and I had three flower girls. The boys wore matching baby-blue plaid vests and trousers with little patent black-and-white schoolboy oxford shoes. The girls wore white puffy dresses with knee-high navy socks that I embroidered baby-blue flowers on.”

    The bride’s and groom’s families. 

    “The overall vision was an end-of-summer garden party. I knew the garden and outdoor scenery would really make the night, so apart from that, I didn’t want to have too much additional décor.” 

    “Everyone got an embroidered napkin for dinner. This was the take-home keepsake from the evening. I spent weeks and weeks embroidering these! Thankfully, a friend let me borrow her embroidery machine so I didn’t have to do each one by hand.”

    “I made paper flowers and paper-mache vases to put throughout the dinner tables. I realized at the last minute that I didn’t buy sign holders for the table numbers, so we propped up the numbers with river rocks. It ended up being a nice natural touch.”

    “I hand-painted the entry sign and the seating chart with watercolor.”

    “I also made this paper-mache angel that I hung at the entrance. He was the guardian angel of the night.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Remember why you’re doing this when it gets stressful! There’s a lot to plan, so many details, so many things to juggle. Just remember that this is about you and your partner and about sharing the love you have for each other with the most important people in your life. So special!” 

    “For us, this whole wedding felt like a time and opportunity to showcase everything we are about—love, creativity, and community.”

    “For our first dance, we danced to ‘Out the Blue’ by John Lennon. Our dog, Rufio, danced with us the entire time!”

    “[Something] that was really important for us was a family-style meal. Our friend Natalia Pereira of Woodspoon came to cook for us. We created a makeshift kitchen in Brad’s dad’s barn for her. My friends, Julie and Lori, and a couple of Natalia’s friends all rallied to make it possible for us. We had salmon, lamb, seasonal vegetables, Natalia’s signature potato salad, rice and beans with crispy pork, Asian pear salad, yucca fries, and more. It was phenomenal.”

    “For our cake, we had a GF chocolate cake with a whipped coconut cream icing and loaded with seasonal, local fruits. I made the cake! We got all of the produce from Burns Farm in Troutdale. They grow some produce and work with local farmers to supply other meat and produce. It’s the cutest place ever.”

    “The main vision I had for the reception was the dance party of the century, and I think we pulled that off.”

    Guests dancing at the reception. 

    “I kept the same look on through the night—I just removed my veil and added my little grill. I had it custom-made for a video earlier this year and always love wearing it for parties! Brad’s mom had given me this antique floral crown that I had revamped and added gingham bows to, but I forgot to put it on!”

    “Me and a few of the ladies ended the night with an icy river dip.”

    Lauren Eggertsen

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  • Bridalwear Is Booming, and These 3 Fashion Brands Want a Piece

    Bridalwear Is Booming, and These 3 Fashion Brands Want a Piece

    About the brand: If you consider yourself a part of the in-the-know fashion crowd, then you’re no stranger to Anifa Mvuemba. Since she launched her namesake label, Hanifa, she’s distinguished the brand from the luxury industry from the jump by championing a size-inclusive offering that reimagines staples through deconstruction, color, and texture. Her unique, distinctive take on ready-to-wear has translated into a desire to design bridalwear, which debuted just last month. 

    For those who are unfamiliar with your work, how did you come to work in fashion? What drew you to the design aspect of the industry?

    I was drawn to fashion at a young age. As a child, I remember watching my mom get dressed for work in the mornings and waiting to raid her closet. She was my introduction to style, and I took inspiration from her well-tailored suits that later inspired some Hanifa pieces. Although I never went to design school, I embraced the fashion all around me and started working through my passion to build a brand that reflects that.

    You founded Hanifa in 2012—what compelled you to start a brand? How do you feel the brand has evolved over the years?

    While working in retail and learning the business of fashion, I was compelled to start my brand for what I felt was missing at the time—bold, sophisticated silhouettes for women of all sizes. Naturally, we’ve evolved as I evolve. When I started Hanifa, I was in my 20s and in need of a birthday dress. Today, I’m a mom, a fiancé, a creative director, and a CEO. It’s fitting that Hanifa Bridal launched while I am a bride-to-be myself. Over the years, I’ve challenged myself to reach for more while embracing the ongoing life changes. I’m always thinking about new ways to connect with the Hanifa woman by first connecting with myself. 

    Speaking of evolution, you decided to make a foray into the bridal space earlier this year—what compelled you to launch a bridal collection? What do you feel the brand brings to the space that might have been missing before?

    Launching Hanifa Bridal has truly been a full-circle moment. My brand began by taking custom orders and making some bridal looks for clients, and I have been looking forward to the moment when I could produce an entire collection. This collection represents the culmination of my years of experience in curation, attention to detail, and exploration of the theme of love. I feel that Hanifa Bridal brings self-love to the space, emphasizing the importance of self-worth before marriage and drawing inspiration from the bride of Christ as a symbol of devotion and grace. 

    We’ve seen the largest cultural shift around how weddings are perceived and planned in the past few years—what do you feel has contributed to that change? How, if at all, do you feel the brand is helping contribute to that change? 

    I feel that this generation of brides doesn’t want to be boxed in within any facet of their lives. They want their day to truly be “their” day in the purest form of what makes them feel beautiful and serene. As a brand that encourages our customers to envision their highest, most authentic selves, I like to think that we’re leaders in the space of helping women to feel seen. I also think that’s the reason for the shift—women valuing themselves above all.

    Jasmine Fox-Suliaman

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  • I Just Got Engaged—33 Gorgeous Finds On My Bridal Wish List

    I Just Got Engaged—33 Gorgeous Finds On My Bridal Wish List

    I just got engaged (!!!). While I am thrilled to be in love and entering such a special time in my life, I have no shame in admitting I’m also just as excited for an excuse to finally participate in the world of bridal fashion. Like any true fashion editor, I’ve saved hundreds of photos to inspire my ultimate wedding vision from the venue to the ceremony dress, but today’s shopping goal was to find everything but.

    I went on a deep dive to locate the most gorgeous bridal finds from shoes to bags to feather boas. These are the pieces that a bride might not necessarily need, but that would be the dream to have. Including second look options, rehearsal dresses, and investment bridal accessories you can wear for a lifetime (i.e. the Prada bag I’ve been dreaming about), please enjoy my current list of bridal pieces I am hyper-fixating on. 

    Lauren Eggertsen

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  • This Cotswolds Wedding Was All About ’90s Style and Countryside Charm

    This Cotswolds Wedding Was All About ’90s Style and Countryside Charm

    Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements, and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favorite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.

    “Me and Ben met the old-fashioned way, at a bar,” explains model and actress Sadie Newman as she thinks back to the birthday party when she met her now husband Ben Berger, an L.A.-based songwriter and producer. Newman mentions that they were both fresh out of relationships and dating wasn’t on their minds, but something instantly clicked when they they met. “The moment we started talking we couldn’t stop,” Newman says. “Hours passed and I didn’t want it to end and I still don’t want it to.”

    It was at the same bar where Berger later proposed. Seated in the exact booth where they first met, he asked Newman to marry him in a room illuminated by glowing candlelight and the sound of the couple’s songs filling the air. “I was then whisked away to our favorite spot, Jones Hollywood, where we first said I love you. I walked into the back room and was surprised by all my friends and family for an engagement dinner followed by a night at Sunset Tower. Truly perfect,” Newman shares. “It’s always been difficult for me to articulate how much I love Ben, but I really was just so certain he was supposed to be my husband from the moment I met him.”

    The couple’s wedding took place at Cornwell Manor in the Cotwolds, a destination just three hours from Devon where Newman grew up. The wedding incorporated their love of fashion, the charm and whimsy of the English countryside, and their own spin on family traditions. Scroll on to read more about how the wedding unfolded with words from the bride, including everything from the custom ’90s-inspired dress to all of the details behind the destination nuptials.

    “I’ve known Savannah Miller for basically my entire modeling career from when I started at 15. We always knew that the moment I got engaged she would be the one to make me my dress. So, I sat down with her and her lovely team and we came up with inspiration together, it was so special to actually create something that would make me feel the most beautiful and unique.”

    “Savannah and her team designed a bias-cut custom made wedding gown through their bespoke service which evolved from being a classic slip dress to something that embodied’ 90s styling. The gown was based on a mainline style, ‘Lordes’, within the collection as a starting point. [I researched] vintage Dior couture silhouettes, Geoffrey Beene, and the iconic style of Kate Moss during that time to create my final design.”

    “I wanted a ’90s-inspired shape with structure but also ease, and after flying to London from L.A. a few times for my fittings at the beautiful Four Seasons in the Hyde Park Suite we absolutely nailed it, and I shed a tear when I first saw it in person.”

    The bride at her the fitting for her custom Savannah Miller dress.

    “The dress was made from a gorgeous heavy crepe satin featuring a fitted bustier that was integral to the bodice which was cut away at the sides and the entire back held together by two straps so there was an element of reveal when I turned around. The straps were adorned with pearls that detailed at the edge alternately.”

    “The dress was finished with a hand-draped swathe of silk that crossed over the bust and shoulder and cascaded into a full-length streamer at the back.”

    “We invited everyone to the rehearsal dinner on Friday evening since people travelled so far. We set it up in a different part of the manor and had some of the best food ever thanks to Ross and Ross catering.”

    “I wore a SIR The Label cream and black silky dress with Jimmy Choo flats and Ben wore a cream and black pinstriped suit.”

    “My engagement ring Ben designed all on his own. He knew I loved a two stoned ring- and pear-shaped diamonds so he took it to a jewelry designer and worked with them. Our wedding bands were actually designed together with our good friend David Perry, it felt special to do it with a friend and we kept the designs simple—Ben a gold cigar band, mine a cigar band with a small pear-shaped diamond in it to match the engagement ring and both rings have an inscription on the inside just for us.”



    Guests at the rehearsal dinner.

    Table decor was inspired by the English countryside.

    “I got ready with my mum, mother-in-law, my sisters-in-law and my brother’s girlfriend. My whole goal was to just look like an elevated version of myself. I’ve truly never felt more beautiful than on that day, I think for the first time I really believed it and it radiated from within.”

    “The day was super chilled and relaxed. My wonderful makeup team, Kelly Dawn and Nick Rose, mentioned they’ve never had such a relaxed preparation morning. I was glowy with a slightly bronzy eye and some extra eye lashes. On hair I did a half-up, half-down look with pieces coming down in the front, [which] was perfect for my veil to sit in, too.”

    Details of the bride’s wedding dress.

    The groom and bride’s wedding shoes.

    “Ben’s suit was a beautiful custom tuxedo from High Society on 3rd Street in Los Angeles. It was so thoughtfully made and such a timeless piece.”

    “I’m from the English countryside, three hours south of the Cotswolds in a county called Devon, but the feeling is very much the same. Cornwell Manor popped up and instantly [became our wedding venue]. We knew we wanted to get married outside surrounded by greenery, but the charming decor of the manor was also a cherry on top. We had a group of our closest friends and family stay there with us and it was so much fun.”

    “Our close friends Ryan and Kyly officiated our wedding and it was the most special. To stand in such a beautiful place with all your closest friends and family is truly a feeling I will never forget. My brother walked me down the aisle which meant the world to me, and I started crying immediately. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it together. Beautiful flowers lined the seating, and we stood under the most stunning flower archway. We didn’t have bridesmaids or groomsmen, so our families walked before us and we kept it very simple.“

    “We both broke a glass in a slight modification of the Jewish tradition and we both read personal vows to really get the tears flowing.”

    “Our invitations were produced by Grey and Cake and they were a perfect representation of our wedding colors and theme. Simple, fresh but chic, and elegant. The colors felt English countryside like with some texture added for dimension.”

    The couple on their wedding day.

    The setting at Cornwell Manor in the Cotswolds.

    “The set up through the row of hedges was something from a movie.”

    “Millie Richardson went for seasonal British flowers starting from a neutral color palette and combining it with the abundance of greenery already on site and pops of color to tie it together.”

    The couple inside Cornwell Manor.

    “As cliche as it sounds, it really was the happiest weekend of our lives.”

    “Smith + James along with Millie Richardson, who designed the most stunning flowers I’ve ever seen, really created such a chic, beautiful, intimate, and inviting environment in the tent. The walk from the cocktail hour to the tent had the backdrop of a painting, the most quintessential English countryside sight to see.”

    “Our first dance was to Donny Hathaway’s Song For You.”

    Guests celebrating at the wedding reception.

    We did the Horah along with our mums and it was so much fun. That really kicked the party off because everyone was so into it. My friend Sara Sampaio gave me the perfect after party dress! It was a sassy little Cult Gaia number that is reflective white fringe. Such a cute halter mini dress. I didn’t put it on until the very last hour though! I wanted to stay in my wedding dress for as long as possible.”



    Wedding Photographers: Cooper Norland and Brenna Marriie

    Fitting Photographer: Benjamin Wheeler

    Fitting Videographer: Tynegate Films

    Fitting Venue: Four Seasons

    Bespoke Wedding Dress: Savannah Miller Bridal

    Makeup: Kelly Dawn Bridal

    Hair: Nick Rose

    Catering: Ross and Ross Events

    Flowers: Millie Richardson Flowers

    Invitations: Grey and Cake

    Wedding Planner: Smith James Events

    Venue: Cornwell Manor

    Wedding Cake: Dolce Lusso Cakes

    Tent and Furniture: Bohemia Canvas

    If you’re interested in having your wedding featured on our site, please fill out our Who What Wear Weddings submission form here.

    Kristen Nichols

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  • This Vintage Dealer Wore a Crochet Top and Trousers for Her Spanish Wedding

    This Vintage Dealer Wore a Crochet Top and Trousers for Her Spanish Wedding

    Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements, and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favorite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.

    “Within the first five minutes, I knew,” shares Isabelle Harvey as she recalls her first date with her now husband, Martyn Harvey. The couple met 11 years ago at a festival thanks to Isabelle’s cousin. “The following day, he made it his mission to take me out. After six months of asking, I eventually caved,” says Isabelle. “After a boozy date, we spent the entire weekend together and every other weekend since!” 

    Isabelle is a stylist and vintage dealer. She owns her own vintage business, Fauntleroy, and her expertise in both worlds was reflected in every aspect of the wedding. “I felt the only way to approach wedding plans was collaboratively and sustainably, as though it were an extension of my work. The vibe of my brand Fauntleroy, a curated vintage showroom in Barcelona, is present in every aspect of the wedding,” explains Isabelle. “It was important that my philosophy revolving around thrifting, sourcing unique details, and investing in local small businesses to reduce unnecessary waste and be mindful of cost was core to the entire wedding. I chose the expertise of set designers rather than conventional wedding planners [for] our Montseny wedding under the sun.”

    The wedding took place at a 13th-century monastery in Montseny, Spain, a location that hits close to home for the couple, as they both reside in Barcelona and later recall that having the event in Catalonia was a “nonnegotiable.” They incorporated their traditional Spanish roots into their ceremony, their love of vintage into their ensembles, and their attention to detail into every part of their special day. Scroll down to read more about the Harvey wedding from the bride’s point of view, including everything from getting ready to the after-party.  

    “I wanted everything to feel very chill, so me and my four bridesmaids picked an outside area with good light and cracked open our magnum specially made for us by [my] winemaker friend Lucy Chilvers. No robes or extra fluff. My friend Anna used to be a makeup artist, so when she agreed to do my makeup, I was so pleased, as she totally got the vibe. I wanted to look like me but just a little more fabulous.

    “It felt like we were getting ready for a night out or something. We even did our own hair. We laughed, cried, and nervously wafted fans. It ended up being so casual that we did the run-through as the guests were arriving. Thankfully, the delicious vermut on arrival kept the guests busy in the monastery. In true Izzy fashion, I’m always late, and as a result, so is Marty!”

    “My outfit was inspired by some of my favorite vintage I’ve sourced for Fauntleroy and a couture dress I’d seen online. I knew the look needed to be very different but still something I’d love 10 years from now. Trousers underneath was that unexpected twist and felt very me.

    “Every bride’s worst fashion nightmare came true when, six weeks before getting married, the outfit arrived, and it was terrible. I worked with a Spanish crocheter to produce the first design. Turns out, she was amazing at crochet but horrible at following briefs. Let’s just say she took some serious creative license, and it was too late before I realized. With difficult crochet patterns, you can’t really go back and change things very easily. The worst part was I couldn’t confide in Marty, who usually knows exactly what to say.

    “After a debrief with my best friend, several glasses of wine, and one internal breakdown, we decided I needed to find someone on Instagram in London. Six weeks to go, I’m a stylist, and I’m dressless—perfect!  For three days straight, I was deep-diving into Central Saint Martins fashion-school graduates. I asked fashiony friends and eventually found my guardian angel, Beatrice, who runs Korlekie. 

    “She’d never even done a wedding dress before, and this was no small ask, but as soon as I met her, I had total faith. We sat in her lounge, and we laughed at my crazy request, but she completely got my vision and elevated it to a place I never even imagined. She even makes crochet crowns. I didn’t consider myself a tiara girl, but if someone shows you a crochet tiara covered in gemstones, I guarantee you’re instantly a tiara girly.” 

    “Marty and I source vintage suits together under my brand Fauntleroy. One day, I found this white tuxedo jacket with silk lapels. It inspired an idea for him to wear off-white silk trousers. He ended up wearing a women’s pair from Danish brand Malene Birger and getting them altered. He thought it was a little wild at first but always trusts me when it comes to styling. He was keen to wear a shirt for that cool-casual vibe, so I said, ‘Let’s make one.’ We found a vintage beautiful tablecloth at a flea market and asked a local designer to work her magic.

    “The funny thing is I didn’t go to any wedding shops and get my ‘say yes to the dress’ moment, but thankfully, Marty did. We went to collect the shirt with two of our best mates after a few white wines at lunch. When he pulled back the curtain, we all gasped. The seamstress said, ‘Well, do you?’ He said, ‘Do I what?’ [She said,] ‘Say yes to dress?’ We all burst out laughing, and he said, ‘Yes!’”  

    The bridesmaids and groomsmen. 

    “We saw five venues in total, but we fell in love with the beautiful 13th-century monastery. It was high up the mountain, so it felt like our own little world up there—like floating in the clouds with our nearest friends and family. It also had that outdoor rustic Sicilian vibe we love, but being in Catalunya was a nonnegotiable.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “We created our own invites online. A destination wedding requires lots of details, so it didn’t feel like the best place to spend our money.”

    “For us, the ceremony was the most important part. We’re both obsessed with music and wanted to make this one of the key elements, creating atmosphere, tension, and release and playing with visuals, sounds, and smells to evoke feelings, memories, and new experiences.”

    “Walking in to a Fred again… instrumental from his NPR Tiny Desk, the song was ‘Faisal (envelops me).’ The tension was insane. Literally, everyone was crying. It was just such an emotional feeling. It’s incredible how music can create such an atmosphere like that.

    “Consistently untraditional, our best friend Robyn Salt officiated the ceremony, leading the guests through special moments, funny moments, and milestones.” 

    “We wanted to recognize the influence living in Spain has had on us, borrowing from the Spanish wedding tradition ‘las arras matrimoniales,’ where godparents gift 13 coins signifying commitment and care. Making this concept our own, we asked 12 friends to make a promise by throwing a coin into a bowl to support the relationship, each coin representing a month of the year, producing a unique moment, playfully weaving between sincere or silly—a great representation of us.” 

    “After working together on a recent shoot for my brand Fauntleroy, I knew I needed film photographer Marcie Dvorak, whose work’s been published in Vogue, Teeth Magazine, and AD Spain. We work really well together. I love her and her work. She knows exactly our vibe, so we felt very relaxed with her behind the camera. She captured the magic perfectly in her signature style.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Be really proud of sharing and presenting a small window into your love, relationship, and your life with everyone involved.”

    “I approached the day as though it were a photo shoot, collaborating with set designers Jess and Van Salgado. Being skilled in art direction and architecture, it felt like a natural fit [for them] to bring our concepts to life. Starting with mood boards, they broke down the elements of the wedding—table displays, floral arrangements, and lighting to create ‘sets’ that could capture different moments, creating a truly immersive and sensory experience.

    “Our florist, Sabato Studio, was a newly qualified florist who I predict will be the next big thing. She also designs jewelry, and I feel like you can really see that perspective for art and sculpture in her work. She loves to make bold and interesting statements with her work—just like me!”

    Guests enjoying the reception.

    “Food being a big part of our social life, we approached our favorite local restaurant Mambo. Head chef Martín Bado put together the menu for the day, focusing on seasonal and plant-based dishes. Having catered for events and fresh off a stint cooking in Madagascar, this was also Martín’s first wedding. He built the menu inspired by the aesthetics and floral displays, working in edible flowers and leaves to serve canapés, which really complemented the overall vision.”

    “Many elements, right down to the favors, were handmade and crafted by creative and talented people. My bridesmaid and artist Aggie Davies made beautiful shrines in oyster shells for our guests, all with individual mantras to bring luck and good energy to everyone on the day and beyond.”

    “Lucy Chilvers, a natural-wine producer and co-owner of Mambo, paired the wine list to the menu and helped us create our very own wine for the occasion called This Is Nice (one of our little sayings). It flows at sunset. Fresh off the back of Lucy’s collaboration with Italian fashion brand Sunnei x Highsnobiety for Sunnei’s Milan flagship store, we also wanted to utilize Lucy’s own vineyard, where she produces indigenous grapes representative of Catalunya’s thriving wine scene.” 

    “For tired partygoers, we created a fun ‘chill out’ area/smoking lounge decorated with thrifted vintage objects, props, and seating inspired by a glamorous, sexy after-party—with a touch of Gucci thrown in too.”

    Everyone enjoying the food.

    “Marty’s cousins made the cake as her gift to us. She’s such a talented chef and baker and completely understood the brief being chaotically chic! It was more edible and sculptural than a wedding cake. She collaborated with Sabato for the final floral touches, delivering an unforgettable experience for us and the guests.” 

    WWW Weddings tip: “Get thrifty. Work smart by leaning on friends and small businesses within your community.”

    “The dance-floor area didn’t need much, as we just wanted to elevate the monastery’s beautiful architecture. Placing two huge olive trees brought the outside indoors, and three humongous disco balls… We love a party. Our first dance was ‘Just the Two of Us’ by Grover Washington. It’s always been our song, and the lyrics are so true to us as a couple.

    While sourcing one day, I found a vintage hot-pink cape, and as soon as it arrived, I fell in love, but there was one snag—it wasn’t white! After staring at this beautiful piece for a week, I thought, ‘Everything else in the wedding was unconventional, so why the hell can’t I wear a hot-pink cape to my own wedding?’ So I did!” 

    WWW Weddings tip: “Don’t be afraid to go against the grain. Don’t feel the need to conform to the traditional wedding format.”

    Photographer: Marcie Dvorak 

    Videographer: Zoe Van Gorp 

    Makeup Artist: Anna Gerrans

    Set Designers: Jessica Salgado and Vanessa Salgado in collaboration with Fauntleroy

    Florist: Sabato Studio 

    Bouquet Florist: Viva Studio

    Wedding Cake Baker: Rachel Cullen 

    Caterer: Martín Bado—Cocinero en Movimiento

    Wine Maker: Lucy Chilvers Wine 

    Wedding Favor Designer: Aggie Davies

    DJ: Dadame

    If you’re interested in having your wedding featured on our site, please fill out our Who What Wear Weddings submission form here.

    Lauren Eggertsen

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  • This Bride Wore 3 Designer Dresses for Her Breathtaking Moroccan Wedding

    This Bride Wore 3 Designer Dresses for Her Breathtaking Moroccan Wedding

    Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, the destination for style-minded weddings. Expect insightful tips straight from the newlyweds, shoppable elements, and plenty of must-save imagery as we share the nuptials of our favorite fashion people getting married. For upcoming features, share your submissions here.

    “It was pretty magnetic immediately,” recalls Hanane El Moutii as she reflects on the moment when she met her husband Marc Ange at a business meeting in Los Angeles at Chateau Marmont. El Moutii—the founder and CEO of Éclat Public Relations, a firm specializing in PR for design and lifestyle brands—and Marc Ange, a designer and artist at the helm of Studio Ange, both have careers in the luxury design worlds, so it was only a matter of time before work brought them together. But it instantly became clear that their relationship was destined for more than business. “We didn’t see each other for about six months after that day. Work brought us together again, and that was it! We never really dated—we fell madly in love and moved in together almost instantly,” El Moutii says. They now refer to each other as soulmates.

    It was three years later when the couple was traveling that Marc Ange proposed. “We were on a work trip to India—if visiting Aman properties in India can be called work—when Marc Ange surprised me with a detour to the Maldives and proposed on a private island,” El Moutii says. “We both cried of joy, jumped into the sea, and spent the day sunbathing while fantasizing about the wedding. The day after saying yes, we were canceling the rest of our trip and running back to the U.S. due to the pandemic. During the months of isolation, we fell even more in love, decided to elope in the Utah desert, and exchanged our vows over fuming sage at the beautiful Amangiri.”

    After eloping in the canyons of the American Southwest and building their home together with their son, Leone, in Los Angeles, El Moutii and Marc Ange began planning their wedding festivities and landed on a destination weekend in Morocco—a place tied to El Moutii’s roots—at a hotel the couple had been visiting for years. “I was born in a small village in Northern Italy, and my roots are in Morocco. I lived my childhood between two worlds, spending the school year in Italy and summer soaking up the Moroccan sun,” El Moutii shares.

    The magnificent wedding set at the foot of the Atlas Mountains in Marrakech was breathtaking down to every detail. Scroll on to see how the wedding weekend unfolded, including words from the bride on planning a destination wedding, all of the details for her three wedding-day looks, and the moment she wants to relive again.  

    “We hosted a welcome party in one of our absolute favorite places in Marrakech: L’Hotel—a boutique hotel. It’s a small hidden gem in the heart of the medina that we discovered a couple of years ago. Marc Ange wore a custom silk tunic and Marrakshi Life pants in olive green with Ferragamo loafers. I changed twice—I couldn’t choose between the two—and started with a custom traditional tlija caftan in green and gold (I asked the tailor to make the same caftan that my mom wore on her wedding day) with Aquazzura heels and Maison Mèrenor jewels, then changed into a caftan of my own creation I made with the help of some incredibly talented artisans from Moroccan Touch. [It was] shorter than a traditional caftan, with orange and gold accents and large sleeves.”

    “Our son Leone was with us every step of the way.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Go on a vacation before your wedding, or find some time to completely unwind and disconnect before the big day. You’ll need all the rest you can get.”

    Guests arriving to the welcome party.

    “[I wore] three dresses, as three is my lucky number. The first dress was a Monique Lhuillier lace gown. I had given up on finding the perfect white dress until I bumped into Rebecca La Sposa in Milan, a bridal boutique with the most curated selection and my size in Monique Lhuillier! [Marc Ange] started the evening with a custom Rives Paris suit he designed featuring white silk pants and an ochre jacket. He wore this with a bespoke Rafinity shirt that celebrated Moroccan craftsmanship and handmade Salvatore Ferragamo loafers from the Tramezza collection.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Take a walk through your wedding venue right before you start getting ready. This will allow you to share any last-minute changes with your planner and make sure everything looks to your liking.”

    “I wore the [Monique Lhuillier] dress with Aquazzura satin platforms and Maison Mèrenor vintage jewelry.”

    “The talented Karima Maruan, who has a fashion editorial background, did my makeup. I didn’t want a ‘traditional’ makeup look, and I also didn’t want anyone that would fuss about my decision to do my own hair!

    “So thankful for my girlfriends and sisters who thought of everything! The silk robe, the champagne, and, of course, the latest hit songs to calm the nerves.”

    “[Marc Ange wore] a chocolate-brown custom Rives Paris suit, also his design, complemented with an embroidered silk tie designed in collaboration with Rafinity.”



    “Our wedding took place at the Selman Hotel in Marrakech. We’ve been going to this hotel for years, and it always feels like home. The hotel is family run, and no detail is spared. It’s a glamorous palace where effortless elegance is celebrated. The rooms and common areas are complemented by the owner’s private collection of vintage Moroccan art and furniture, which gives it a historical edge. We knew our guests would fall in love just as much as we did.”

    Moments after the couple exchanged vows.

    “Marc Ange and I wanted the ceremony to feel like a renewal of vows and stay consistent with our elopement, so we used the same text we had used three years prior.”

    “[The invitations were] a collaborative effort, and we absolutely loved creating these invites together. I created the logo by combining our names in Arabic calligraphy, and Marc Ange designed the illustration. We printed our invites in Milan because we happened to be there for work.”

    “My two nieces, Alissa and Sherine, were our beautiful flower girls, and they wore custom white dresses with a floral crown designed by The Bloom Room Marrakech.“

    The bride on her wedding day.

    “My team at Éclat planned the wedding alongside us, and I have to say it was a fun process. We went back and forth between L.A. and Morocco because I wanted to personally select all the vendors, flowers, accessories, and décor elements. We wanted something effortless and timeless. We wanted to celebrate Morocco’s poetic beauty while staying true to our taste.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Plan for slippers at the end of the night, but I’m sure you’ve heard this one before.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Consider an exotic destination wedding if you can. The setting alone can enrich your wedding and make it unforgettable.”

    “After the ceremony, we were all guided toward the cocktail reception by a beautiful horse dressed in traditional Moroccan gear.”

    “Once we both changed into our second looks, we were carried back into the scene on traditional Moroccan mida tables, and that was the moment I would want to relive again and again.”

    “I fell instantly in love with a couture red caftan with handmade embroideries by Rafinity. It felt more like a piece of art than a dress. I loved the contrast between wearing white and changing into something this bold and regal.”

    “Marc Ange and I have had the chance to travel quite a bit together since we first met seven years ago. For the wedding, we definitely drew inspiration from the places and flavors we encountered in Italy, India, and Morocco.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Change! Change into one or two dresses to fully express yourself. Have fun with it—it’s your time to shine.”

    The couple arriving for the reception.

    “I finished the night with a minidress by Vivienne Westwood.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Consider eloping prior to your ceremonial wedding. It takes so much pressure off and allows you to enjoy the party.”

    “The color palette and design essence of the wedding came naturally. We both wanted something timeless and to stay true to Morocco’s already powerful beauty.”

    The couple cutting their wedding cake.

    “The evening reached its climax with a dazzling fireman show filled with glitter and spinning fire, followed by the beats by Dana [Boulos].”

    Photographer: Andreas Holm

    Videographer: Jester Jungco

    Makeup Artist: Karima Maruan

    Wedding Planner and Designer: Éclat Public Relations

    Florist: The Bloom Room

    Wedding Cake Artist: Mounia Eloukkal

    Stationary Printer: Tipografia Pezzini

    Welcome Party Venue: L’Hotel Marrakech

    Wedding Venue: Selman Hotel

    Kristen Nichols

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  • If Your Goal Is to Be a Cool Bride, These 31 Chic After-Party Dresses Are *It*

    If Your Goal Is to Be a Cool Bride, These 31 Chic After-Party Dresses Are *It*

    The result? More and more brides opting for after-party dresses that feel more in tune with what they are loving at the moment, not something they’d look back on in 40 years and cringe at. Enter the chic after-party dress, which is usually cheaper, more comfortable, and 10 times cooler. I’ve noticed more and more brides opting for styles with pearl embellishments, feathers, tweed, and corsets to dance the night away in.

    It’s not just dresses that brides are switching out—it’s the whole look, Ring Concierge founder Nicole Wegman told Who What Wear. The jeweler has been consulting fashion-forward brides for years and has noticed an uptick in modern jewelry swaps ahead of receptions and after-party bridal outfits.

    If you’re looking to swap out your aisle accessories for a more dance-appropriate ensemble, add untraditional gems or bezel-set pieces into your repertoire. “For the big day, our latest pearl collections have been super popular with brides and the entire bridal party,” Wegman explained. A lot of brides have been looking to add a bit of drama to their look, so our Pearl Station Drop Earrings and Organic Pearl + Diamond Drop Earrings are the perfect addition to an updo or a romantic, beachy hair look.”

    All in all, the era of the second (or third or fourth) wedding dress is here to stay. Below, shop some of our favorite after-party bridal looks and accessories to add to them. 

    Ana Escalante

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  • From Wedding Dresses to Table Settings, Every Major Bridal Trend to Know in 2023

    From Wedding Dresses to Table Settings, Every Major Bridal Trend to Know in 2023

    All that’s to say that destination weddings in far-off locations have never been more desirable, with all the necessary proof coming from Sofia Richie Grainge’s Antibes wedding at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc to record executive Elliot Grainge, which many dubbed this year’s royal wedding. Of course, not every bride will be dressed in custom Chanel for an extravagant wedding in the South of France, but that doesn’t mean that a destination wedding is off the cards. “Internationally, we are seeing a growing interest in Portugal,” says Tombs. According to the planner, the country offers couples and their guests a charming, off-the-beaten-path option that hasn’t yet taken off on a major scale, therefore pricing out people who don’t have an extravagant budget. “There are incredible floral designers, rental companies, and venues in Portugal that are often offered at lower costs than other more regularly sought-after European destinations,” he explains. “We also see continued interest in Mexico, Morocco, France, and the UK.”

    Travel editor Monica Mendal, whose job it is to find the coolest, most beautiful locations around the world before they became major tourist attractions, adds that Florence and Tuscany in Italy and Mallorca in Spain are both great options for couples to consider given how easily accessible they are compared to smaller, more quaint destinations. “It really depends where most people are traveling from because I do think it’s important to make it easy on everyone traveling and not overcomplicate things,” she says. She’s also expecting the Dolomites in Northern Italy to take off, with the luxurious resort Forestis Dolomites quickly becoming a hot spot for both weddings and honeymoons during the offseason for hikers and the high season for skiers. “The spa is insane,” she notes. Lanzarote in the Canary Islands, Bahia in Brazil, José Ignacio in Uruguay, and Liguria in Northwestern Italy were among the other destinations that rolled off her tongue when we asked her for the most impressive destinations stamped in her passport. 

    If you do plan to hold your wedding away from home, Tombs says there are some important details to consider. For starters, you need to remember that not everyone does things the same way that you’re used to, so it’s essential that you’re flexible with what you want and respectful of local customs. “Understand the sense of urgency and workflow will vary based on the location of your event,” he says. Also, be sure to select a location that offers accommodations at a variety of price points. “Guests should not have to go into debt to attend your wedding,” he notes. “So be mindful of the flight costs, hotel room costs, and other transportation costs.” He also suggests that you consider choosing a location that your guests can easily turn into a family or personal vacation in order to make the cost of getting there more worthwhile. 

    Kristen Nichols

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  • A Chapel, Vintage Suits, and a Casino Visit—the Perfect Vegas Wedding Does Exist

    A Chapel, Vintage Suits, and a Casino Visit—the Perfect Vegas Wedding Does Exist

    Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, which is essentially fashion people getting married! We’ll be showcasing stylish weddings replete with must-save inspiration images and shoppable elements (this is Who What Wear, after all) and peppered with useful tips and learnings straight from the newlywed. 

    Hopeless romantics always say that the love of your life is typically sitting right under your nose—either that or your next swipe on Raya. For Amrit Sidhu and Jon Tietz, both ended up being true. Say what you want about love at first sight, but this couple’s story is quite a testament to the idea. “Recently, we found out that we both told our mums [the day after our first date] that we had met our person, which is really sweet. We got matching belly button piercings on our third date and tattooed each other’s names by the end of our first month of dating. You could say we jumped right in. Hey, when you know, you just know!” says Sidhu. “I am now a firm believer in trusting the timing of the universe. Jon and I had orbited the same circles, lived in the same neighborhoods, and worked in the same industry for over a decade, but we never connected until the moment was right—which was ironic because we didn’t meet until we lived in two different cities.” She lived in Los Angeles, and he lived in New York.

    Now acting as the poster children for dating-app success stories among their friends, the couple has been inseparable ever since and has kept up that all-or-nothing mentality throughout the entirety of their relationship. From moving in together in L.A. to most recently getting pregnant with their now firstborn child to eloping in Las Vegas, there is no doubt that these two have been keeping their loved ones on their toes since the day they met. Even their engagement came as a shock to the bride herself: “I was surprised because we had already agreed to elope, so I wasn’t expecting a formal proposal, but it was perfect,” says Sidhu. “I went on a girls’ trip to Europe, and Jon met me at the end afterward in Morocco. We also found out we were pregnant on that trip, and he proposed on the last day. It was perfect—just the two of us in this stunning villa lying in bed—and it felt surreal.”   

    After getting to know these two a little better, the content from their special day in Sin City will be that much more of a delight. Between their vintage suits, the cherub-filled Vegas chapel, and their very fitting trip to the casino at the end of the night, this elopement will have you rethinking traditional wedding events from this day forward. But what else can you expect when a DJ, podcast host, and music curator gets married to a stylist and creative consultant? Scroll down to see how their elopement played out and to hear some noteworthy tips and commentary from the bride herself.  

    Following the “untraditional” theme of this Las Vegas wedding, Sidhu admits to being extremely casual about everything, from the getting-ready process to the ceremony itself. “We actually got massages right before the ceremony because my girlfriends had set us up with this massage experience,” she admits. “The masseuse was making small talk asking what we were up to later that day, and we told her that we were getting married right after. She kicked us out and told me to go wash my hair! She thought we were nuts.”

    “We got ready together. We stayed at a nice suite at the Bellagio that had separate bathrooms, so we were just listening to music and basically chatting as we got ready and laughing that we were about to go and get married. Because it was so chill, there was nothing stressful about it.” 

    “My beauty look was pretty casual, barefaced glam. I wanted to feel like myself.”

    “This is our dog, Soy. She was keeping us company, but she wasn’t present at the actual ceremony. She’s the best but a little too chaotic to have had there without a minder. Look at her—she’s so damn cute. She would have stolen the show and upstaged us. We always take her on our Vegas road trips, so we had to have her along for the ride. It was fun to come home to her afterward too! It wouldn’t have been right without her.”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Get a lymphatic massage before your wedding. This helped so much with my swelling since I was pregnant and helped me to feel contoured and less bloated before the big day. I love Ricari Studios. Kate is my girl there, but they’re all pretty great. It honestly makes such a big difference, and it really is worth the splurge for a special event.”

    The bride and groom both wore vintage suits to their ceremony. “The suit I wore was a two-piece cream silk vintage oversize blazer and wide-leg palazzo pair of pants,” says Sidhu. Despite the fact that she wore something other than a dress to her wedding, Sidhu tells us she actually gets the most comments on her engagement ring. “Our wedding and my engagement rings were custom by bespoke designer Maggi Simpkins. My engagement ring was an emerald-cut champagne diamond that Jon had worked with Maggi to create,” she says. “She also made us matching gold bands. Mine was a wider-cut, more bubble style, and Jon’s was a little slimmer and flatter (similar to one his dad wears). The rest of my jewelry was some of my mum’s older gold pieces that I wear, daily simple rings, and gold hoop earrings from Mejuri.” 

    “We both wore sunglasses with our looks—not through the service but for a lot of the photos. It was Vegas, after all. Jon’s were Jacques Marie Mage, and mine were the classic Versace.”

    “My suit was from Happy Isles. Finding it was a spur-of-the-moment thing, which seems to be the theme of this wedding. My friend Alyssa and I were having a girly vintage shopping day when we popped in here. They have a great selection of vintage and bridal that isn’t traditional but more cocktail and special formalwear. I was going back and forth on a dress and a suit so had two options and didn’t pull the trigger on deciding right up till the day before. My headpiece was a ’70s-style ostrich-feather hat. It felt more fitting than a traditional veil. It was also from Happy Isles.” 

    “Jon wore a classic black Polo suit and bow tie. There’s an old photo we both loved from Bianca and Mick Jagger’s wedding that very much encapsulated the classic ’70s wedding glamor that we loved, and that was a main reference point for us—John and Yoko too. His shoe was a Dior glam rock–style pointed patent-leather lace-up oxford.” 

    “I wore these low zebra-embellished mules from Charles & Keith. I ended up going with these because they were the perfect heel height to be comfortable in. Plus, the embellishment had a very ’70s vintage feel, which worked with the look.” 

    WWW Weddings tip: “Make a collaborative playlist. This was big for us since we drove down, so we used this soundtrack for the entire experience, from the drive down to getting ready. It was a big bank of special songs that we now have for the memories.”

    “Our flowers were made by our dear friends Ezra and Michael of Pretend Plants & Flowers. I carried a long-stemmed scepter-style bouquet of buttery cymbidium orchids and pale-pink nerines wrapped in a long silk bow, and Jon wore a sky-blue carnation boutonnière.”

    Fun fact: “They also did Chloë Sevigny’s iconic wedding bouquet!”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Preserve your wedding flowers in resin. This is something, in hindsight, I wish I had done. It’s such a beautiful keepsake to have. Since we drove in the blistering heat, I don’t think our flowers would have lasted, but I’ve seen this technique recently, and it’s such a cute idea and a way to keep your special florals.”  

    “We got married at the La Chapelle Royale (one of the chapels at the Paris Las Vegas), stayed at a suite at the Bellagio, and had a late-night dinner at the Mayfair. The theme and décor were very much ‘Vegas glamor.’ We both love the ’70s glitz of vintage and opulence, and doing it in Sin City really sealed the deal.” 

    “Our chapel had these angelic cherubs and gold trimmings. It was truly opulent. Vegas has always been a special place for us. We do a lot of spontaneous road trips there to catch a show or go on a vintage trawl, so it felt like the perfect setting.” 

    “We both consider ourselves more spiritual versus religious, so we adjusted the ceremony to a nondenominational script with our officiant, who was truly this kooky old-school Vegas character. He wasn’t an Elvis impersonator exactly, but he was definitely a performer.” 

    “I was really close with my grandad who passed when I was a teenager and had always envisioned him walking me down the aisle, as he was always my father figure and example of love growing up. He was the first person who really made me love music and would always be playing the keys and old-school music like Elvis, so I walked down the aisle to ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love With You,’ and it felt like he was walking me.” 

    “I was around two months pregnant at the time of the ceremony with our daughter, so it was really cool to have her there secretly along for the ride. We also brought our beloved dog, Soy. It was the perfect intimate group—just the four of us, our brand-new family to be.” 

    WWW Weddings tip: “Make a mood board together! This helped us get on the same page from the start and also helped when we were working with designers (floral and jewelry) to understand the creative direction. Both Jon and I are visually stimulated people, so we really enjoyed doing this. It also was a fun activity we could do together to get us excited for the day.”

    “The funniest part of the day was realizing we had to pay the venue in cash, and of course, we didn’t have any on us in our wedding looks. So we had to run down to the casino to get cash out from the gambling box in our wedding gear. It just added to the story, really!”

    WWW Weddings tip: “Shoot both film and digital photos if possible. We were both set on an older black-and-white film style that our photographer, Sophia Schrank, nailed, but she also shot digital simultaneously, and I’m so glad we did because we had a backup of certain shots that we didn’t get on film. Also, it was nice to get the film edits a few days later and the digital ones instantly just to look back.” 

    Photographer: Sophia Schrank

    Florist: Pretend Plants & Flowers

    Wedding Location: La Chapelle Royale 

    If you’re interested in having your wedding featured on our site, please fill out our Who What Wear Weddings submission form here.

    Lauren Eggertsen

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  • Inside Our Editor in Chief’s Dreamy South of France Wedding

    Inside Our Editor in Chief’s Dreamy South of France Wedding

    Welcome to Who What Wear Weddings, which is essentially fashion people getting married! We’ll be showcasing stylish weddings replete with must-save inspiration images and shoppable elements (this is Who What Wear, after all) and peppered with useful tips and learnings straight from the newlywed. We’re kicking off the series with our own editor in chief’s wedding.

    In February of 2007, my freshman year at UCLA, I got a Facebook message inviting me to an acquaintance’s party. Fast forward to Saturday, and I put on my best dress (an Alice + Olivia LBD with batwing lace sleeves and a bodycon skirt) and dragged my roommate along to the notorious hotspot Les Deux. Zac happened to be there for the same party. We danced that night and went on to date for more than a decade after. That same quarter, Zac also happened to meet a lifelong friend, Vadim. They were sitting next to each other in a film class and happened to be wearing the same shoes from a niche French brand. Zac became like an extended member of Vadim’s family, and spent time with them every summer at their house in the south of France, and I was lucky enough to join several times, too. In the fall of 2019, Zac proposed in Big Sur. After being delayed a couple years thanks to the pandemic, we were finally able to wed this past August at Vadim’s family home in France. Here’s how the big day went down, from the homemade details to the dress I waited two and a half years to wear.

    We opted for digital invites, given the unpredictability of a wedding in a post-pandemic world. I took the photo of what would end up being our reception spot a handful years ago and watercolored the text and heart, which Zac photoshopped onto the image. Voilà! 

    The wedding week began with a welcome party at our favorite beach club in Nice, Amour à la Plage, which is by the same group as Hotel Amour in Paris. Fitting name for a wedding event! The moment I saw this crochet dress by The Garment, I knew it was perfect for the occasion. It has the same energy as the dress Jane Birkin wore to the Artists Union Gala in Paris in 1969, albeit hers was worn backwards and held together with a brooch. I always get questions about these sunglasses, which our Editorial Director Lauren Eggertsen turned me on to. They have been sold out of their yellow lens version for ages, so I had an optician swap in yellow lenses. 

    WWW Weddings Tip: If you plan to be outside a good bit in the days before your wedding, appoint someone to be your sunscreen steward (or bug spray backer if you live in a place with mosquitos!). I thought I reapplied enough, but alas, ended up with a raging sunburn on my back.

    The following day, most of our guests moved from Nice up the hill to a quaint village called St. Paul de Vence. There’s an incredible museum there we wanted to share with everyone called Fondation Maeght, which happened to be the setting for Louis Vuitton’s Cruise 2019 show. We spent the afternoon looking at art, and then a group of us gathered for rosé (which I swear is cheaper than water in the South of France) at a café with a views of the Mediterranean.

    That evening, we had a very small rehearsal dinner at Colombe d’Or, where Zac and I were staying. How special is its rainbow cursive menu? As for my outfit, I initially had eyes on a Magda Butrym open-back crochet number with feathers at the sleeves and hem but ultimately decided a low-key look would better align with the vibe. A sculptural corset from Toteme was something I could wear again and again, which I paired with Marques’Almeida oversize jeans with a tonal floral print. As for the accessories, I couldn’t help but add a little razzle-dazzle with a gorgeous crystal-embellished bag a friend from Jimmy Choo gifted me and a strand of pearls my mother gave me years ago.

    I got ready in my mom’s wedding dress, which I had converted into a dressing robe and embroidered with our initials and wedding dates. For the embroidery, I worked with UK-based Susie Cowie, who is the most tasteful and has the gentlest spirit. She absolutely nailed it. If I have a child who wants to continue the tradition, I hope it can become a family heirloom with generations of initials and wedding dates.

    Here’s me in the dressing robe with my sister. I got ready with my mom and sister, who was such a gem dancing around the hotel room to loosen up any stress. I didn’t do an official bridal party, and thought I’d keep this part of the day simple. 

    Neous is one of my favorite shoe brands, so I just gathered the white shoes I already had from them and figured one of them would work. I ended up wearing the pair in the middle. For my rings, I wore what we call my proposal ring, the vintage French diamond and emerald ring Zac proposed with, and my engagement ring, a recycled diamond in a signet setting we picked out together from the local brand Ceremony.

    WWW Weddings Tip: Since Zac knows I’m particular about fashion, he had the brilliant idea to choose the proposal ring on his own so that when he asked me to marry him, it could be a complete surprise, and then also said I could choose an engagement ring too if I wanted. Spoiler: I most definitely wanted. Though I have to say the ring he chose for me is nearer to my heart. I think his strategy let me have the best of both worlds, and I figured I’d share in case any people looking to get engaged want to do something similar. 

    My splashiest piece of jewelry was a gorgeous Or & Elle 6-carat diamond tennis bracelet from their collaboration with Jenni Kayne’s Chief Brand Officer. I wore the bracelet for a couple weeks leading up to the wedding, and honestly fell deeply in love with it. The elegant simplicity of the design plus the off-the-charts level of sparkle made it hard to part with post wedding! My pink beaded clutch is my grandmother’s, or Grandy, as we call her. She couldn’t be there in person, so I was so happy to carry something of hers on the wedding day.

     

    On to the dress! After I got engaged, I only went to one spot to try on wedding dresses, Loho Bride in Los Angeles. Christy Baird, the founder and creative director of Loho has been a Who What Wear bridal contributor and has the best taste and eye for cool bridal. I tried on a handful of designers, and the ones by Danielle Frankel were my favorite. “I was so excited that Kat had a strong interest in Danielle Frankel, because we picked the line up hoping it would draw fashion-lovers alike,” says Baird. One look from the brand I had bookmarked was the finale from the designer’s Fall 2020 runway show. The sample was at Frankel’s studio in NYC, and I was able to try it on when I was in town for fashion week in February 2020. I was caught off guard how much I loved the fairy tale-esque dress, but Frankel assured me it was fitting. I was especially drawn to the tough leather belt-like strap with a metal tip juxtaposed with the pretty dangling pearls and hand-twisted organza with a wave-pattern lace underlay.

    So it was decided, I would wear a runway version of the Danielle Frankel dress. Baird adds, “ Kat really respected the runway-version of the gown. Many times these gowns are changed once going down the runway into ‘production-ready’ versions, but Kat was determined to keep the original intention, down to making sure the belt on the shoulder was perfectly stranded with the chain and pearls, and had the correct details. She is the only bride to have worn this exact version due to us customizing the shoulder detailing.” The only change? The brown belt of the runway would be a soft white to match the dress. Reflecting on the process, it was beyond special to work with Baird and Frankel, two women I admire immensely in the bridal space. 

    After getting ready, we snapped a few pictures at our hotel, Colombe d’Or. Here we are under the giant Calder sculpture that holds court over the pool.

    Another poolside portrait.

    I honestly don’t think I’ve stayed at a more charming inn. The history of the place is fascinating—in the ’50s it was a renowned enclave for creatives like Hemingway, Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall. Many of the artists paid for their bill with their works, allowing the auberge to amass a stunning private art collection. 

    Everywhere you look there’s incredible art, but it all feels very personal and somehow low-key, like you’re in someone’s home.

    Since I gave significant real estate to my dress, it’s only fair to share the details of Zac’s ‘fit. He wears Japanese fashion almost exclusively, and wore an Issey Miyake jacket and origami tuxedo shirt, and Comme Des Garçons pants with a super high-waisted cumberbund-like panel.

    Leaving Colombe d’Or to take a quick car ride up to the house to get married.

    We didn’t plan on any “first looks,” but I love how this image captures my dad taking in my dress for the first time.

    At traditional Jewish weddings before the ceremony, there is an over-2000-year-old practice of signing the ketubah, which is a marriage contract. There are a ton of styles, and I love the story behind our ketubah.

    Here, our moms are breaking a plate, which is a custom that symbolizes the commitment of creating a new union. Just as the plate is changed permanently, so is the couple as they begin their marriage.

    It was a relatively thick plate, so it took a couple tries, and everyone burst out cheering when it finally broke!

    After signing the ketubah, the men gather for the tisch, which means table in Yiddish. They sing, pray, drink, and share stories around a table.

    I love this picture of Zac flanked by my dad on the left and his dad on the right.

    Did I mention there is dancing too? It is a high-energy vibe. P.S. That’s Vadim looking sharp in the dark teal blazer.

    Meanwhile, I gathered in another room with my ladies, and snuck in a quick bridal portrait.

    I’m reveling in the moment, surrounded by the best female energy. Prompted by Mushky on the right, everyone went around the room and shared a special sentiment about our relationship. As if the emotions weren’t already off the charts! My mom said it was one of her highlights.

    Here, I’m giving my bestie Cory a piece of the smashed plate, which will bestow upon her and her partner the blessings of love from this day. I also gave my jewelry to close friends to wear while I was under the chuppah, or marriage canopy. Similarly, this transfers an extra charge of love energy to them and fulfills the custom for the bride and groom to get married wearing no jewelry. The thought is that the couple is marrying each other for who they are and not what they may own. The other image shows me giving a blessing to my friend Debra. We are considered closer to G-d on our wedding day, and thus there’s a custom to give out blessings to the guests. I think I said something about her 2-year-old daughter growing into a strong woman.

    Posing with one of the flower girls, our niece Stella.

    Next, the men danced into the room, singing and clapping as Zac came over to me and placed the veil on my head. I love all kinds of veils (the drama!), but ultimately chose a birdcage veil, because it felt editorial and light, so the look wouldn’t feel heavy with such a full dress.

    My father and soon-to-be father-in-law gave me blessings, and it was just about time for the ceremony to begin.

    But not before one last blessing from Zac’s mom!

    Thank goodness the wedding planner came through with these parasols. It was beyond hot, but kudos to everyone for looking fresh and unwilted in these pictures!

    Our scribe who did our ketubah also created a logo for us that we featured on our wedding programs, photo booth prints, and prayer brooks.The two faces create an infinity symbol made of meaningful quotes and our names in Hebrew. I created the programs from this Etsy template and printed them out at FedEx the day before I left for France (jamming their printers several times with my thick paper!). I finished the project by tying the pages together with custom-dyed ribbon I got on Etsy too.

    Why are flower girls one of the best parts of any wedding? Our niece, in a Self Portrait dress, and Vadim’s daughter (basically our other niece), did a fabulous job. 

    Zac’s grandfather’s tallit, or prayer shawl, made the roof of our chuppah. The chuppah symbolizes the home we’re building together, and it is open on all sides, representing how our home will always be open to family and friends.

    It’s tradition to put the wedding ring initially on the pointer finger of the right hand because it’s considered closest to your heart. 



    Our rabbi flew all the way from L.A. to officiate, and he did such a tremendous job. He also revealed during the ceremony that Zac’s great great great grandfather introduced our rabbi’s great great great grandparents. Kismet. 

    Crushed it on the first try! 

    WWW Weddings Tip: I saw on TikTok that I thought was smart: ask your officiant in advance to step out of the way for the big kiss moment so you have a clear background for the photos.

    Moments into being married.

    I love how these photos show the POV behind and in front of us.

    I was so grateful my side of the family came from all over the U.S. to be there.

    After many portraits, the Wolf family got a little silly with it. 

    Here we are with our soon-to-be neighbors. How cool is Dean’s beaded Bode shirt? He’s a talented architect, and is helping us with our home.

    We had a long enough cocktail hour that we could socialize with guests and still get plenty of pictures in. 

    We offered a few signature cocktails, including one with a local lemon verbena tea. The swimwear brand Bruna Malucelli made me the cutest custom swimsuit for the wedding, and I loved the detail of the birds with our names on it, so I asked her if I could use the art in other places like this cocktail sign, too.

    The queen of the party and always gracious host, Vadim’s mother. This is her second look for the evening. Iconic. 

    In our daily life, Zac is always in head-to-toe black, and if I’m dressed monochromatically, it’s usually in all white. I love how our wedding looks felt like our usual outfit dynamic.

    I have to mention Zac’s Comme des Garçons Mary Jane shoes. For many years, Zac had this photo of Jean-Michel Basquiat walking for the S/S 87 Comme des Garçons show on his inspiration board. The whole outfit is beyond, but Zac loved the shoes especially. A few months before the wedding, he decided to do a search for them, and the exact shoes from that show popped up on Grailed. I got them for him as an early wedding present.

    Our niece and nephew made good use of the property, playing hide-and-seek and practicing gymnastics.

    I was so lucky to have Lou Flowers come out to make all my floral dreams come true. She just gets it. I love how some flowers were stuck out at odd angles, and for the smaller arrangements, they felt like still lifes with shells she had collected and unusual touches like an artistically-placed green sunflower head.

    We had so much food! I asked the caterer if we could cut back a few weeks before the wedding, because it seemed like too much, but I was met with the very French response, “Ce n’est pas possible!” It was abundant, to say the least! I went for a buffet over a served dinner because I like to have the freedom to eat more of my favorite dishes and figured guests might too.

    I embroidered 85 lace-edged napkins I ordered from Amazon with just me, myself, and my embroidery machine before the wedding. It was a labor of love but so absolutely worth it and actually more affordable than renting plain napkins (if you don’t count my endless hours of crafting, of course). I licensed the image of the flower and shell from Isabelle Feliu. A huge plus of doing napkins like this is I didn’t have to worry about a seating chart display or name cards. Plus, people loved taking them home as a souvenir.

    WWW Weddings Tip: My friend Alyssa got married around the same time and also did napkins customized with names, but she was smart enough to have a plain napkin underneath the embroidered one. I heard some people didn’t use the ones I made, because they didn’t want to get them dirty!

    Near where where we signed the ketubah, there’s  a cereus or “Queen of the Night” plant, and it only blooms once a year for a single night. It happened to make its appearance for our wedding night!

    Being lifted on a chair was one of the moments of pure delight I remember perfectly. There’s nothing like it. 

    What’s a wedding without a few great speeches?

    My dad was a savage on the dance floor. He had more energy than most of our friends.

    WWW Weddings Tip: If you’re going to have a band, consider having them start after dinner. While being serenaded with “La Vie en Rose” while dining was incredible, you’ll get more time dancing to a live band if you stick to a playlist while everyone eats.

    On to second look. A month before I was due to depart for France, I saw some images of the Resort 2023 collection of one my favorite designers, Anna October. A patchwork dress with gloves caught my eye, and I asked if it was possible to borrow it for the wedding. I couldn’t believe it when the team created a new one for me using deadstock fabrics in Kyiv. The story of how the collection came together despite Russia’s invasion makes me so proud to have worn this dress. The Anna October team describes the dress as a “metaphor of the female form, shades of lingerie and skin in one piece.” It’s a piece I know I’ll have in my closet forever.



    I don’t care if espresso martinis are overplayed—they’re the best for keeping people lively into the wee hours of the night. We danced until around 4 a.m., and then collapsed in a bedroom a few steps from the dance floor.

    Just two gals in white dresses.

    I had to show the back of my Anna October dress.

    Zac and I went back and forth about where we’d sit and ultimately landed on a sweetheart table. It felt like it sidestepped seating chart politics, and honestly, I don’t think we sat for longer than 10 minutes all night! 

    WWW Weddings Tip: Unbeknownst to us, our friend had a mini Polaroid camera and was snapping pictures throughout the day. She left an arrangement of them along with a sweet note on the table, and it was a gesture I’ll always remember. Especially because it usually takes a beat to get pictures back from the official photographer. 

    A couple more pictures from the dance floor, and one more shout-out for the flowers—I love how roses look with flipped out petals.

    Kat Collings

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  • I Asked 12 Beauty People What They Smelled Like on Their Wedding Day

    I Asked 12 Beauty People What They Smelled Like on Their Wedding Day

    As a self-proclaimed fragrance person, I’m always intrigued by the scents people choose to wear. For instance, what makes the ideal job-interview fragrance? First-date fragrance? Perhaps my most burning question when it comes to scents is the most personal—what’s the perfect wedding-day fragrance?

    Of course, every bride is different. Some brides choose a scent based on nostalgia (whether their mom wore it or it reminds them of something), some brides choose a scent that they wear every day, and some brides opt for a light fragrance that enhances their natural scent. No matter what, a wedding-day fragrance should feel like an encapsulation of who the bride is, which can be easier said than done. 

    I decided to ask 12 people who work in the beauty industry what scent they wore on their wedding day and why they decided to wear it. Keep reading to learn about the perfumes they chose to wear on their wedding day.

    Katie Berohn

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