When it comes to wedding dress shopping, we find that most engaged women fall into two camps: There’s the group that knows they’ve found “the one” the moment they put it on, moved to tears in the fitting room, and there’s the group that never has an emotional reaction to a single gown. I, for one, fell into the latter camp. Did I love my wedding dress? Absolutely. Did I think it was the only possible gown made for me and my wedding day? No.
I think that’s why I was so surprised to see the magic of a bride-to-be connecting with a wedding dress happen in real time on the set of our cover shoot. Weeks before we shot in LA, we worked with our friends at Morilee, the wedding dress brand we partnered with on our Wedding Fashion Issue, to pull a variety of different dresses for our cover star, Nikki Bella. She had given us some direction in terms of what she loved (Grace Kelly vibes, lace, and long sleeves) then let our teams get to work. Nikki helped us whittle our six selects down to two—a first choice and a backup, because if there’s anything engaged couples in 2022 know, it’s that you’re only as prepared as your best backup plan.
Then, on set, something incredible happened. We had our chosen Morilee wedding dresses on a rack for Nikki to see, and there was a spark, an instant connection…to the backup dress. “When I showed up on set and saw that gown, I thought, ‘This is a dress you dream of wearing but never have a chance to. It made me feel like I was a princess about to become a queen, like I was royalty. When you walk down an aisle in a dress like this, you make people’s jaws drop.” In the end, the “one” for her wasn’t what she had originally thought; she gravitated towards something bigger, grander, and with an entirely different neckline than she imagined. It’s a good reminder to anyone shopping for wedding attire: Keep an open mind, be willing to step outside of your comfort zone, and you just might be surprised by the possibilities in front of you.
If you’re still struggling with choosing wedding attire or simply looking for more fashion inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. Our Wedding Fashion issue is jam-packed with ideas and advice that will help you find your perfect big-day look, whether that’s a dress, a jumpsuit, a two-piece look, or something else entirely.
— Gabriella Rello Duffy, Editorial Director
