A custom bridal jumpsuit. Two matching, dazzling dinner jackets. A nontraditional marigold gown. The men and women featured in our wedding announcements wore wedding outfits that told many stories. Here is a selection of photographs from their weddings, with details on where they purchased their outfits and why.
Nicholas Hovsepian and Robert Postotnik on their wedding day, April 28, 2018, at the Plaza Hotel in New York.CreditJimmy Chu
1. From Traditional to Dazzling
Nicholas Hovsepian and Robert Postotnik in Any Old Iron
Typically, no one pays attention to men’s fashion at weddings. But Nicholas Hovsepian (left) and Robert Postotnik wanted to surprise their guests with a memorable outfit change. The couple said they wanted to wear something that was fun and also represented their personalities. They changed into custom jackets by the Nashville based designer Any Old Iron halfway through their reception.
2. Suited for Love
Caitlin Elfring and Shamisa Zvoma in Bindle and Keep
Caitlin Elfring (left) and Shamisa Zvoma both wanted to wear suits on their wedding day, but they also knew how difficult it could be to find something off the rack. Custom was the only option, and Bindle and Keep was the only company they considered. “We knew they would be the ones that would be able to create suits perfectly for us,” said Ms. Elfring. “And we knew we would have the nonjudgmental experience we were looking for. It was incredible to work with a small LGBTQ+ business that’s doing great things for the community,” Ms. Zvoma said. On their wedding day, both Ms. Elfring and Ms. Zvoma knew they had made the right choice. “Our suits were the best fitting and most well-constructed pieces of clothing we’ve ever worn in our entire lives. We’ve both never felt so beautiful and stunning,” Ms. Elfring said.
3. At Two Boutiques, Still the Same Dress
Lissette Flores in Essence of Australia
Like any other bride, Lisette Flores visited multiple boutiques while shopping for her wedding dress. Although it took some culling to find the perfect gown, she finally found a dress she loved, but still decided to keep looking. At another boutique, she found a dress that she absolutely knew was the one. “It ended up being the same dress I liked from the other boutique,” Ms. Flores said. “I took it as a sign that it was the gown for me.” She bought her dream gown designed by Essence of Australia at Diana’s Bridal in Skokie, Ill. “It fit my personality perfectly. It had an illusion back, beading and cascading train, perfect for my free-spirit personality.”
4. Classic With an Edge
Emily Diamond in Oscar de la Renta
Emily Diamond had thought she wanted a dress that was “out there” and “one-of-a-kind.” But after trying on more than 30 gowns, she realized that those gowns weren’t quite the right fit. “What I really wanted was something classic and timeless, with a bit of surprise and drama,” said Mrs. Diamond, who purchased an Oscar de la Renta dress at Saks Fifth Avenue. She added a dramatic tulle skirt with a champagne color bow to give her the edge she was looking for. “I felt like I looked like the best, most beautiful version of myself.”
5. Desert Casual Meets Bohemian Chic
Lindsey Weinstein in Pendleton and Leah Rubin-Cadrain in Laure de Sagazan
Lindsey Weinstein (right) knew that traditional wedding attire wouldn’t be a good fit for her. “There’s nothing traditional about me, my family, or our relationship,” she said. “The thought of wearing a tailored three-piece suit in the Ojai, Calif., sun felt too stuffy, uninteresting.” Leah Rubin-Cadrain also struggled with what to wear on her wedding day after finding out that her mother’s 1970s Mexican sundress could not be restored. “Everywhere I looked, I felt sellers pushing their own ideas of what a wedding day should look like,” Ms. Rubin-Cadrain said. Ultimately both women wanted comfort over pomp and circumstance and went for a “desert casual” look. “We wanted our most loved people to feel fully themselves and be liberated from the usual dress-up woes — so that the ceremony and its real meaning could take priority,” said Ms. Weinstein, who wore a cowl-neck cardigan by Pendleton with white pants from Suit Supply and Common Projects sneakers. Ms. Rubin-Cadrain wore a bohemian dress by Laure de Sagazan, which she paired with a long Pendleton coat after the ceremony.
6. Designed by the Bride
Valerie Veatch Rampton in a custom designed gown
Unlike most brides, Valerie Rampton didn’t spend countless hours scouring bridal shops around the city looking for the dress of her dreams. She simply put pen to paper and designed a gown she knew she would love. She later called on Christina Apolostou, formerly of Blue Bridal, to bring her design to life. “It was so fun to work with a veteran of the N.Y.C. wedding dress world,” Mrs. Rampton said. “We had four fittings and it turned out just perfect.” Her design featured elements that she loved: a bias cut dress, cape and silk. “I felt peaceful, like I was floating in a cloud of silk dancing in the light.”
7. A Vintage Dream
Grace Chapin James in Legends Romona Keveza
When Grace James started the hunt for the perfect wedding attire, she had two requirements: She wanted to match her vintage, eclectic style and the vibe of her venue, the Bond Chapel at the University of Chicago. Mrs. James found both in a Legends Romona Keveza gown. “I felt fancy, classy, and like there will be no way I’ll look back in a year, or 20, and say, ‘What was I thinking?’,” said Mrs. James who paired her gown with a headpiece by Debbie Carlisle, jewelry by Lulu Frost and a rhinestone belt made of trim she bought at a fabric store. There was only one piece left to complete her vintage look: chic glasses. “Finding the right glasses was actually a bit harder for me than finding the dress,” she said. “I’ve worn glasses since I was 4. It was pretty hard to find examples of brides with glasses.” Mrs. James fell in love with a frame from the 1950s on Etsy.
8. A Standout Jumpsuit
Diya Ajit in a custom jumpsuit
Diya Ajit, who works for Vogue magazine, knew there would be a lot of interest in what she chose to wear on her wedding day. She loved dresses, but she also wanted to wear something unexpected. “I wanted to create something I could wear again and wouldn’t just end up in an archival box in the back of my closet,” said Ms. Ajit, who designed a custom jumpsuit that she had made of Japanese silk crepe by a tailor in Dubai. She completed her look with a cathedral length Swarovski crystal veil and a detachable train for a touch of drama. “I added a pair of glittery degrade Jimmy Choo heels and earrings by Kenneth Jay Lane that had been worn by Audrey Hepburn to elevate the look and add much needed shimmer and sparkle.”
9. Elegance Online, Delivers
Annlouise Blanc in a Halston Heritage jumpsuit and a Tadashi Shoji cape
Annlouise Blanc’s wedding day look had to meet three very important requirements. “I knew from the beginning that I wanted my outfit to be elegant, have clean lines, and stand out amid the marble interior of San Francisco City Hall,” Ms. Blanc said. After several disappointing trips to local bridal shops whose garments were either too traditional or not flattering to her figure, she moved online. After a quick search, she found the right elements to create her elegant bridal vision. “I purchased the jumpsuit from Net-a-Porter and the cape from the Tadashi Shoji website,” said Ms. Blanc, who also wore a pair of Stuart Weitzman sandals.
10. A Nod to Tradition and Style
Annie Lee in Jill Stuart and a traditional qipao
With two wedding celebrations to plan for, Annie Lee wanted two distinct looks that would celebrate her culture and style. She chose a black and white Jill Stuart dress with an open back for the civil ceremony at San Francisco City Hall. “It was sleek and deceptively simple yet gorgeous,” said Ms. Lee who, rented her wedding day look from Rent the Runway. “I felt so chic and elegant in the Jill Stuart dress, which fit perfectly even though I had never tried it on beforehand.” For the Chinese banquet, Ms. Lee borrowed a qipao from her cousin. “After trying on at least seven different ones, I loved the qipao I ended up wearing,” she said. “I felt like I was living a childhood dream. I could feel the history and tradition in my choice of outfit, and it was such a pleasure to be able to share that with my friends and husband’s family.”
11. Bridal Separates Inspired by the Ocean
Janet Kim in custom separates
Janet Kim, a former clothing designer, was married Aug. 18 to Scott Kuhlke at the Castle Hotel in Tarrytown, N.Y. She wanted the outfit for her big day to be both memorable and distinctive. “While I wanted my outfit to be mostly white, I wanted the colors from my ring, which I had designed to feel like a piece of the ocean on my finger, to be incorporated into my outfit,” Ms. Kim said. She scoured the internet and ultimately found a designer who did custom dyed, ombre tulle skirts. “I sent her inspiration photos and color swatches. I also found another designer who made a beautiful top embellished with 3-D chiffon and Swarovski pearls.” She bought her top and skirt separately from two designers located in Lithuania.
12. When White Is Not an Option
Heidi Nel in Kate Pankoke
Heidi Nel, who married Thomas Rosser on June 20, in Richmond, Va., knew that wearing white — specifically, upholding the tradition of white — didn’t ring true to who she was. “At age 36, innocence, purity, and virginity don’t necessarily represent who I am,” Ms. Nel said. “I knew I wanted to wear something bright and bold, like marigold, but had a heck of a time finding anything.” Ms. Nel, who had grown frustrated with the lack of colorful options at other bridal salons, bought a custom marigold gown from Elaya Vaughn Bridal in Washington. She worked closely with the designer Kate Pankoke to create a gown that captured her vision. “The gown that I created with Kate Pankoke felt much more like an expression of the promises that my husband and I made to each other on our wedding day: to build a life grounded in honesty, love, purpose, and adventure, and to make each other smile each and every day.”
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