I am so lucky to be surrounded by world-class, talented and creative business people in Melbourne when it comes to weddings and style. These include, but not limited to my professional friendlies, Lei Lei of Lei Lei Clavey Photography, Graham from Tweed Twigs and Eliska from Ruffles and Bells Luxury Wedding Styling. The best outcomes in any collaborative journey is trusting in the experts and when it comes to your wedding planning, this could not be more true.
Professionals who are of course sensationally creative at their craft, but where the magic truly lies is how they SEE their clients - you! - and draw out, celebrate, the individuality that lies within you that you probably knew but had never taken much time to articulate or draw upon.
Last month, Eliska and I met for some delicious Greek pastries and chatted all things business, style and passion. I came away from our catch up feeling energised, but also intrigued. We discussed the interesting phenomena that happens when a couple engages a wedding stylist and planner, however curiously, rarely do they ask for advice on the clothing side of the styling for their wedding.
So in this article, with the help of Eliska from Ruffles and Bells Luxury Wedding Styling and Planning I explore this.
Is your style extrinsic, or intrinsic?
When I meet clients at the Carte Blanche Bride showroom, we spend longer than most getting to know you as a person. We ask lots of questions about feelings, emotions and specific personality traits to piece together the puzzle that is your personal style. This includes both extrinsic and intrinsic style profiles.
Intrinsic style traits are your internal drivers for how your dress. From my experience dressing and styling women in many stages and special events throughout life, this is tied very much to how things feel, our experiences from childhood to adulthood and our body confidence. All so important, and yet so very specific to every individual.
Extrinsic style traits include how you want to look to the outside world, family members or guests you will see on your wedding day and, also whether your partner has preferences or favoured style traits of yours they'd love to see on your wedding day.
Atelier Blanche and Margaux Tardits designs from Carte Blanche Bride
Should you dress for your partner or yourself on your wedding day?
I love meeting clients and getting to know them and find out what makes them flushed with excitement, quiet with reflection and pause with surprise. The Carte Blanche client is confident, smart, witty, while understated. However two things can be true at once - having confidence and independence and still placing importance on dressing for a really important event, and even your other half.
I hear clients say an array of comments in relation to this...
"I haven't thought about that actually..." | "nahhh, they haven't made any specific requests" | "my partney just wants me to feel good" | "they said no big sleeves!"
Whichever weight you place on dressing extrinsically or intrinsically, one fact remains true each and every time. Your outfit must fit well and have an element of comfort and an ease of movement. With these boxes ticked you will shine from the inside out and own your look.
Dressing to complement your partner on your wedding day.
Eliska from Ruffles and Bells Luxury Wedding Styling and Planning believes couples tend to complement each other naturally because it shows the connection in your relationship. Eliska regularly works with "couples who started out picking outfits themselves but always end up complementing each other; sometimes one person would subconsciously choose a piece of clothing that they know the other person would love."
Of course, it is so important to choose a wedding outfit that represents you and what you love to wear. Tying it in together with your partner is the next step up - this is where professional stylists are worth so much, because they will be able to recommend outfits that would look great together. Don't be afraid to show your wedding outfit stylist or your event stylist, they have the eye.
Margaux Tardits designs from Carte Blanche Bride
Dressing to complement your overall wedding styling.
Eliska is one big advocate of having congruent wedding styling. Eliska says you should think of your wedding as a "movie". "When you're producing a movie, you take everything into consideration - the wardrobe, the set, the sound, the lights. It all marries up together creating a memorable experience. Your outfit helps amplify all the other elements on the day creating a coordinated visual effect." This just makes so much sense to me and the imagery makes it so clear how important your wedding outfit is to the finished product that is your wedding.
Image: Ruffles and Bells
Eliska recommends her top 3 things YOU can do to to tie your look into your overall wedding style.
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It's important to know your wedding style before you start choosing your outfit, whether it's a formal affair or a casual garden party wedding.
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Speak to your wedding stylist/planner AND your wedding dress designer to understand what you're working with. Do not be afraid to introduce them to each other. Each professional brings a different point of view to the table which would help you choose the best outfit/dress for your day. The latter would be able to assist you with what looks great with your body type and recommend dresses that would work best with your theme while your wedding planner would be able to advise you on how you'll be moving on the day and make sure that your dress and your theme marries well together.
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If you have decided your wedding outfit before picking the venue, make sure that you share photos of your outfit with your planner. This will give your wedding stylist/planner a good starting point to create your design concept and make sure your outfit doesn't clash with your overall theme.
When your wedding styling reflects you as individuals coming together, and so does your personal wedding look.
Head on over and say Hello!
Eliska from Ruffles and Bells Luxury Wedding Stylists and Planners create beautiful, breathtaking events. If you want your wedding day to be seamless, stylish and an event to remember get in touch here. There is limited availability for 2024 and 2025 wedding dates.
Image: Ruffles and Bells
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