Finding the perfect wedding dress is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to completing your wedding style. There are so many other fun wedding-related events to plan looks for. From your engagement party and hen do, to the rehearsal dinner and day two, as well as the long-awaited honeymoon - weddings are a multi-event affair, and we get tonnes of emails asking for advice about what to wear. To inspire your style choices, we ask stylish brides to share their sartorial secrets with One Fab Day as part of our My Wedding Wardrobe series. Here, we take a peek into real bride Emily's fabulous wedding wardrobe; what she wore, how she wore it and where she sourced it... let's go!
Bride Bio
Name: Emily
Profession: Account Executive in Tech Sales
From: Dublin
Wedding Date: August 5th
Wedding Venue: Casa de la Era, Marbella, Spain
Honeymoon: Ibiza
Let's get to know our bride... Emily and Mark met eight years ago on a summer's day in the DIT library while she was completing her thesis and he was finishing his Finance Masters. Fast forward to their fairytale proposal in the most magical of settings - Holbox Island Mexico just after sunset, before heading to Tulum to meet friends to celebrate Mark's 30th birthday. Her fashion nous developed through her years working retail in college, and Emily also worked on shoots, and behind the scenes on TV productions alongside her aunt, renowned stylist Ingrid Hoey. As for her personal style she says: "I love to have good basics, but I’m drawn towards colour and pieces that are a little more unique. I love to be comfortable!"
Emily showcased her impeccable sense of style at her engagement party with this phenomenal white Jacquemus La Robe Saudade dress.
I found this dress in the sale in Brown Thomas a couple of months before our engagement party... which was also my 30th birthday party. It was the last one left and in my size so I felt it was a must-buy. I wanted to buy a few re-wearable wardrobe stapes for my wedding events, and I’ve already worn my engagement dress a handful of times and it will definitely be with me on the summer holidays to come.
Emily was briefed by her bridesmaids to wear something comfortable for her hen party at Glasson Lakehouse. She opted for a practical yet fabulous striped co-ord from Mango, paired with taupe Chanel sandals.
While I wanted to have a more timeless vibe, I didn’t want that to dictate every look, so I still bought some pieces that were more quirky and fashion-forward too.
Changing into her party outfit for the evening of her hen, Emily chose a spectacular ruffled ivory mini dress by Aje, sourced on Matches Fashion.
I always try to shop around for an offer if I’m purchasing something that is higher-end. I also wore my hen dress on the night of the wedding as my 'party dress' and I was delighted to be able to wear this again.
Starting her Marbella celebration in style, Emily veered away from an all-white look in favour of a pretty pink halter-neck dress by The Attico from Mytheresa.
I was a little over all of the white looks, and also wanted to get something I could wear again to a party or wedding. I bought this dress a few weeks before the wedding - it was on sale, so I was delighted I waited. I had saved it down months ago, but with all the Barbie hype I was more persuaded to buy it!
For the main event, Emily scouted out a timeless Vivienne Westwood Grace wedding dress from the White Gallery Boutique in Newry. Exchanging vows in the church of Marbella Old Town, Spain, Emily took the 30-degree heat of the city into consideration when choosing the fabric and style of her gown. Tying into the shell details on her stationery, Emily paired her showstopping dress with well-thought out accessories. She also plans on dying her Giovanni Rossi wedding shoes black, so they can be worn again.
I loved the half bow detail on my shoes and the drop shells of my wedding earrings. For my something old, I wore a diamond necklace belonging to my sister-in-law's granny, for something borrowed I wore Mark's sister's veil, and my blue was the little blue bow sewn into the label of Vivienne Westwood dresses.
Moving onto Casa de la Era for their wedding reception, Emily changed into the pleated Aje dress she wore for her hen party as a fabulous second look, perfect for the warm summer evening.
I didn’t plan to take my wedding dress off, but I wanted to have a party dress just in case. I was so happy I did, because with the heat I was ready to pop into something lighter to dance in.
Complete with a white disco-party theme, the couple's Day Two celebrations carried on in style at the La Milla Beach Restaurant, with Emily sporting a custom feathered Texture by Ann Flavin mini dress and her satin wedding heels.
I wanted to wear something short and light so I could dance and have my hair up too! I love the fashion from the 60s, so took inspiration from a 60s-style dress I saw in a magazine.
Rounding out her wedding wardrobe with a Reformation navy linen co-ord paired with Chloé espadrilles and a crystal embellished Prada bag, Emily and Mark headed to Ibiza for their honeymoon.
I wore it with both heels and sandals, and I can wear it separately too. I also loved my little black Charo Ruiz Ibiza dress that I picked up during our Honeymoon in Ibiza Old Town.
Emily had this advice for brides planning their wedding wardrobes...
It's really important to feel yourself in your main dress. For me comfort is key, so even though there were some dresses I loved, I made sure that I felt like I could last the day in it. Try on everything! Sometimes it's the shapes and styles you’re not drawn to that are the most flattering. Don’t rush buying every look such as it’s so easy to go off things. I found myself getting a little sick of all the white, so introduce colour if you feel the same.
Very special thanks to our fabulous bride Emily! If you know someone with incredible bridal style, contact us at hello@onefabday.com to be part of our My Wedding Wardrobe series.