Enlisting the Expert Eye of a Fashion Stylist for Your Wedding

Part Two: The Benefits of a Bridal Stylist on Your Wedding Team

featuring Carrie Goldberg, Gabrielle Hurwitz & Micaela Erlanger

So, you’ve hired a bridal stylist. Or, you’re thinking about it. If you’re still wondering why it’s a good idea, check out Part One of this series, on Why You Should Hire a Stylist. In Part Two, the wedding industry’s top bridal and fashion stylists will guide you on the three most valuable benefits of having a bridal stylist on your wedding team.

I WANT PEOPLE TO SEE THE DRESS, BUT FOCUS ON THE WOMAN.
—VERA WANG

Long gone are the days of matching polos in the park for engagement sessions. 

Today’s discerning couple has strong, personal taste; a unique vision for their wedding; and an attuned sense of style. But despite their elevated awareness of fashion, they also know the value of an expert. They know that a fashion stylist offers access, support and a collaborative vision that can take everything to the next level.

So…

What does a bridal stylist actually do?

A bridal stylist offers value on the practical side of planning your wedding, as well as the design side. From steaming your gown to mending a last-minute snag, having a stylist on hand can be a life-saver on the wedding day itself. Before the big event, they’ll offer guidance on gown selection, coordinating the entire wedding party and choosing accessories.

But the best bridal stylists do all of this—and so much more. The logistical support is necessary, don’t get me wrong! But the real benefit of a bridal stylist is in the expertise of their discerning eye and artistic vision.

The real benefits of a bridal stylist

The benefits of a bridal stylist can be summed up into three key areas of expertise that go far beyond which neckline you prefer. 

Micaela Erlanger, Gabrielle Hurwitz and Carrie Goldberg gave us the inside scoop on how they work with clients to create cohesion, conquer curation and coordinate customization. It’s these three valuable areas of expertise that will elevate the overall design and aesthetic of your wedding events.

Continue reading to hear directly from the industry’s experts…

Bridal Stylists Create Cohesion

Micaela: Just as you want a cohesive design when it comes to mood, invitations, decor, and floral, the same should apply [in] thinking about your wardrobe. We are there to help you bring your vision to reality while ensuring it doesn’t only compliment you, but works with the overall design and aesthetic of your events. 

Gabrielle: Just like the flowers and decor, fashion is a key component of a wedding’s (or auxiliary event’s) overall design. The right fashion can make or break a wedding’s design success. As a bridal stylist, my job is not only to take into consideration your personal everyday style, but also your style as a bride, which factors in your event’s overall design, color palette, location, time of day, and more. […] A stylist also ensures that your looks are cohesive and that you and your partner’s wardrobes play off each other.

Carrie: If your guests enter the ceremony space or dinner tent and it’s perfectly designed and curated, but your fashion is far less put together, it feels less authentic on the whole. You want your look to be as considered as every other aspect of your wedding planning.

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Bridal Stylists Conquer Curation

Gabrielle: Your engagement photos or pre-wedding session are an extension of your wedding. Whether you use the images on your save-the-dates or websites, or just post them on social media, they set the tone for what’s to come with the wedding.

Carrie: A gown looking ceremonial or an after-party look feeling festive signals to guests what the mood of the event is all about, and those looks suiting the event’s setting and decor make the visual impact of an event that much more cohesive. Plus, each time the bride changes and re-enters the room, it signals that the party is far from over!

Micaela: Bridal styling transforms and elevates the overall curation and aesthetic of a wedding. We guide the process so that any outfit changes happen as natural transitions over the course of the weekend. And most importantly we work closely with key vendors ( such as photography/videography, planning, design)to understand and anticipate when the “moments” will unfold so they can be captured in all their candid real time.

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Bridal Stylists Coordinate Customization

Carrie: We like to make sure we are allowing our couples to showcase all the facets of their fashion personalities—but not necessarily all at once. Our brides are dynamic—they aren’t one note; we always keep in mind when is the best time to show off the different aspects of their personalities, from the romantic and traditional, to their edgy, sexy, minimal, or fashion-forward sides.

Micaela: Because I work primarily on one of a kind custom designs, I have to get super granular and specific about a client’s vision. I share lots of visuals and have mood boards to make sure what is being created reflects what the client envisions for themselves and translates the idea in their mind into the creation and form of a curated look.

Gabrielle: When I work with clients, I go beyond just asking for their favorite designers or to see any dresses they’ve saved on Instagram (though I do want to know that, too). I want to know how they want to feel on their wedding day and how they want to feel when they look back on their wedding photos years from now. I also want them to feel their best, and to highlight their favorite features, so we talk that over and discuss options (whether it’s a delicate bow on their shoulder or a more body-conscious silhouette).

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When I scan through my portfolio and reflect on the weddings and shoots that have defined my work, I see a pattern:

Most often, the locations are a standout.
The couples are truly in love. You can see it in their eyes.
The design is beautiful and a reflection of them.

But the fashion makes a statement.

From bold gowns to soft, romantic fabrics that perfectly adorn a bride, there is always something amazing to see. 

Learn More About Our Fashion Experts

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Gabrielle Hurwitz is a bridal fashion stylist specializing in luxury weddings and fashion-forward editorials. Obsessed with all things weddings since she was a little girl, Gabrielle has channeled that passion into helping brides find the wedding dress of their dreams and working with the industry’s top planners and photographers to creative direct and style photo shoots around the world. After three years working as the head of social and editorial content at Style Me Pretty, she launched Gabrielle Hurwitz Bridal Styling in 2018. 

Micaela Erlanger is a Celebrity Fashion Stylist based in New York City. Her work has been seen on the biggest red
carpets around the globe and in the pages of top fashion publications worldwide. As one of the most sought-after Celebrity Stylists in the industry, Micaela’s unprecedented ascent to power stylist has been profiled by Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar and numerous other publications. A self-described glamour-girl, Micaela’s inspirations
vary from modern art to classic Hollywood film. But the hallmark of her work derives from her in-depth knowledge of fashion, meticulous attention to detail, in-depth collaboration with her clients, and her unfailing dedication to create fashion moments that will stand the test of time.

Carrie Goldberg is an editor, stylist, and writer based in New York City. She is the Digital Weddings & Travel Director at Harper’s BAZAAR, overseeing the publication’s BAZAAR Bride channel and online travel and dining content in addition to writing and styling fashion coverage and editorials. Goldberg’s role requires her to have a finger-on-the-pulse of the best in fashion, event planning, décor, floral design, and much more. Prior to her time at Harper’s BAZAAR, Goldberg was the Senior Fashion Editor at Martha Stewart Weddings. Throughout her career, she has covered over 50 seasons of fashion collections—from ready-to-wear to Couture to bridal—and helped style more than 120 real weddings across the globe.