Enlisting the Expert Eye of a Fashion Stylist for Your Wedding

Part One: Why You Should Hire A Stylist

featuring Carrie Goldberg, Gabrielle Hurwitz & Micaela Erlanger

While it might be a bold statement, I believe that fashion can single-handedly make or break a shoot. And I believe it’s one of the simplest ways to create incredible imagery. An expert wedding photographer is vital to getting the best, most memorable photos.  But hiring a bridal stylist is the best way to ensure your fashion choices enhance the overall aesthetic, purpose and personality of your pre- and post-wedding events. 

Top bridal and fashion stylists Micaela Erlanger, Carrie Goldberg and Gabrielle Hurwitz shared with me why hiring a bridal stylist is one the best choices you’ll make before saying ‘I do.’ 

Keep reading to understand the irreplaceable value of this wedding vendor you don’t want to skip out on.

Staying In Your Lane

We’d been searching online for weeks. We were looking for the perfect gown to capture the celebration of Vicki and Jon’s wedding anniversary. But not just any celebration—an African safari in Tanzania during the great migration. 

We needed something earthy, but luxurious and elegant. Something that felt like it belonged in the wilds of Africa.

While I’m not a fashion stylist, I’m very visual.  My years of experience have cultivated an instinct for what shoots well. I can accurately envision how looks, locations and hair and makeup will all come together. And when we were planning this glamorous shoot, we didn’t have a fashion stylist to conjure up the perfect gown. 

“What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language.”
— Miuccia Prada

So designer and acting art director Joy Proctor and I led the charge. We created an overall vision board for the fashion, did the online scouring and helped to guide the final selections. In the end, we found some great pieces. We even unearthed the perfect green gown to catch the Serengeti breeze. 

I still love this shot.

And although the results were there, the process was long. As I said, weeks of searching online. Because Joy Proctor and I are not fashion stylists. We may have the creative and visual eye for aesthetic and design, but we don’t have the fashion knowledge, experience and access that a wedding stylist can add to a shoot. 

While I still embrace a ‘do whatever is needed’ approach in my work, I’m fortunate to work alongside many talented vendors, not least of which are fashion stylists. 

That’s why we’ve gathered the coveted advice and consultation from some of the wedding industry’s top stylists to help drive the point home.

Why You Should Hire A Wedding Stylist

It’s one of the first questions I ask a couple: what are you planning to wear?

Think about it…

Marilyn’s white dress over the subway grate.
Diane’s khaki slacks and neck tie.
Carrie’s tiered tutu and pink tank top.

Fashion makes the moment.

So without further ado…

here are our reasons why hiring a bridal stylist is a ‘must,’ straight from the experts’ mouths…

1. For Their Expertise

Think of your wedding as a puzzle. The fashion is just one piece of it, but without it, the overall picture will be incomplete.

While I love being a part of the planning and decision-making process with my clients, I’m also very grateful to have true fashion experts guiding them. Your best friend might have a really good eye, but there is no substitute for hiring a bridal stylist. They are becoming more and more irreplaceable in the wedding planning phase.

Micaela: I think there is more focus and awareness on styling now more than ever. Just as you have key vendors for planning, photography, design, glam, etc., you need to have someone dedicated to a role as critical as curating wardrobe. After all, the bride and her gown are arguably a major focal point if not THE focal point.

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. Think of your wedding as a puzzle. The fashion is just one piece of it, but without it, the overall picture will be incomplete. 

Carrie: I think the future of weddings promises lots more fashion than ever before. After over a year in lockdown, couples are dying to dress up, spend time with their friends, and throw incredible parties. That means longer wedding weekends, which means more events—which means more clothes.

2. For Their Vision

It’s not just about the dress…

A fashion stylist can take all the design elements of your wedding events and let the fashion shine. In the same way they know how to pair a big, bold ensemble with just-right, delicate accessories, they know how to use fashion to complement and enhance your overall wedding vision.

Gabrielle: I have a pretty thorough process to get to know my clients and it ultimately helps me guide them when it comes to their wedding fashion. I work with my clients on their head-to-toe looks. It’s not just about the dress—it’s about the jewelry, shoes, accessories, and hair and makeup too. We also talk about all the details of their wedding so the fashion speaks to the overall design of the event.

Carrie: Brides typically come to us with lots of ideas in mind or none at all, and it’s our job to work with both to recognize their vision. We like to get a sense of the couple themselves, the venue, the other creatives in the mix and get inspired by those details to propose the best looks for each event.

Some of our clients tap us for a range of looks for an easy few hours with their photographer in their hometown, others use our editorial skillset to concept full-scale photoshoots, complete with mood boards and otherworldly destination settings. Whatever you choose, making sure you think about your looks and ensuring they are prepped and styled for your engagement session is a choice you won’t regret.

Micaela: Understanding my client’s vision is most important […] I approach bridal styling as a hybrid of walking on the red carpet and being on set for an editorial shoot. Understanding location and design is first. There are many nuanced details like knowing what the direction the wind will blow or what time the sun will set, even down what surface you are walking on, that all come into play. These details often influence and set the tone for what some wardrobe decisions will be.

3. For the Access

It’s going to take an industry expert…

Whether a portrait session, engagement, pre-wedding shoot, or the wedding day itself, fashion stylists can not only source hard-to-find gowns, but they themselves can be accessible during the most important moments. You may be tempted to let family and friends stand in for wedding day tasks. By hiring a bridal stylist, you allow them to relax and enjoy the day fully too. 

Stylists are there when something needs fluffed, mended, tied or primped. And they have key designer relationships to help you secure that dream gown.

Carrie: Shopping has changed as a result of the pandemic, and it’s going to take an industry expert with a finger on the pulse and great relationships to deliver options you won’t find anywhere else and that your guests haven’t seen before.

Micaela: Having a trusted and dedicated partner to collaborate with you and your team on wardrobe will allow you to rest easy. And give space for the other key vendors to focus on executing their specific roles too.

4. For the Photos

…stronger, and more effortless-looking photographs.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the fashion must write at least 500 of them.

All three of our fashion experts agree that hiring a wedding stylist enhances the final wedding photos. They know how to highlight your very best features. And they compliment them with hair, makeup and accessories to create a series of magazine-worthy looks that elevate the entire experience.

Gabrielle: Having a stylist on board means your […] photos will be polished and elevated. They’re going to work with your photographer and glam team to think outside of the box so your photos are unique to you and don’t look like everyone else’s.

Carrie: As for the photos, the camera does us a lot of favors—but it also sees everything. The fashion, accessories, hair and makeup being thoughtfully styled, organized, and coordinated along with the stylist being on hand for tweaks and a creative eye on the day of the wedding always results in richer, stronger, and more effortless-looking photographs.

Micaela: After the event I also like to work with the planner, photographer and couple to discuss a final edit of photos, retouching notes, and help with the potential submission of images for editorial placement.

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Now that you know the value of hiring a wedding stylist, stay posted for next week’s post to discover the three crucial things hiring a bridal stylist can do for your wedding events.

For more tips on what makes an engagement (or any!) photo shoot a success, download my Engagement Session Guide here: