You’re well known for your style advice (as we’ve seen on TLC’s What Not to Wear!). What are your “dos” and “don’ts” for a bride trying to narrow down her wedding day look?
There are so many factors that go in to creating the most fabulous wedding day look, that I would need to speak with each bride individually, to hear her story, get a sense of who she is and what she wants her big day to be like. Overall, you’ll probably be getting a lot of advice from many different people at this time, so I would encourage you to smile, nod and say a polite thank you to those who offer their opinions and then decide what works best for you.
On your wedding day, you’ll want to be the best version of yourself, not someone your family and friends don’t recognize. That means that your dress, hair and makeup should all be reflective of you at your most beautiful. Luckily, there are bridal, hair and makeup consultants to help you do just that.
For the bride who wants to be daring and different, how does she make a statement without overdoing it?
An easy way to show off and amplify your personality on the big day is with accessories. Try a colored or patterned shoe or bag instead of traditional white. Or look for a fascinator-style headpiece instead of the traditional veil. You can also experiment with your jewelry. There are no rules that say you have to do everything in traditional white. Just avoid doing anything so over the top that it doesn’t feel natural to you.
Is there a gown style that you feel is classic, it never goes out of style?
Who cares if your wedding dress goes out of style. The only thing that matters is that you feel like the most gorgeous creature on the planet that day.
What about the groom? Any dos and don’ts for him?
The groom should also feel like the most gorgeous creature on the planet that day. This isn’t 1815. Men are allowed to feel special too. So he should wear what he wants (within reason). One man might want a dark, slim-fitting suit. It’s universally flattering and can easily be worked into the business-week rotation after the wedding. A trend that is turning heads right now is the midnight-blue tux. It’s a great in-between the classic black tux and a suit. I got married in shorts, so who am I to judge anyone. But, I do have amazing legs.
For brides, we know it can be challenging to make decisions regarding their own look, let alone a bevy of bridesmaids. In terms of bridesmaid looks, how can brides avoid the dreaded “What was I thinking!?”, while still trying to please all?
I think women are nervous about this because you might be comfortable dressing your own body, but not five other bodies. My advice is for brides to go shopping with the bridesmaid who has the trickiest body. Maybe she has hips or a big bust or is curvy. If you find a dress that looks good on her body, then chances are the dress will look good on the rest of the ladies. In general, A-line skirts and empire waists tend to look good on all body types. When it comes to color, it’s fashionable now to choose within a color palette versus one color for all. This way each maid feels special and also can find the hue that best fits her completion. Or consider choosing a color or a fabric and then letting each maid pick a style that will suit her.
Do you have any registry must-haves?
If you want it, then you should register for it! Even if you think you might not use some items immediately, you’ll be glad you have them in the future. Be sure to register for bedding. Also, cookware and I’m very into kitchen appliances that have more than one use, like a stand mixer, food processor or a toaster oven. I also recommend registering for two sets of dinnerware – formal and informal. Some people think they won’t use fine china and I always say, I bet you have a fabulous sparkly dress (or a James Bond suit!) that makes you feel like a million bucks. Fine china is just like that fancy outfit—everyone should have it and everyone should use it!