This July, a bridal wedding gown photo shoot took place in New York City of some of the most elegant wedding gowns. We had the perfect team lined up to make this photo shoot a huge success. Emma Cleary, a top New York Bridal photographer was to capture the gowns in the one of the most beautiful wedding venues in Manhattan, which is no other then the breathtaking Hudson Terrace. As my models were getting prepped for the shoot, I was looking through racks of at least the 100 unique wedding gowns from the 2010 collection of The Wedding Closet and making notes in my mind of which model would fit the 3 looks that I needed to create. In the past, many of my brides opted in for traditional wedding ball gowns in basic white. Brides that deviated from traditional white to a cream or ivory gown were considered quite the risk takers! These days, brides are approaching wedding gown shopping with a “which gown matches my personal style” approach and are feeling better than ever about their final choice of wedding gown. You see, you will look your best if you accentuate your style rather than create a new version of who you are for one day. So, what style bride are you?
The Innocent Bride
The model that we chose for this style is the classic definition of the “innocent bride”. Luda looks simply, innocent. She looks naïve. Her look is not something that can be recreated with the right makeup or the right dress; she will look this way no matter what she wears. So, in order to accentuate her natural style makeup artist Janet Vinograd, who is an expert at bridal makeup and a true artist at her craft, decides to go a for a natural look rather than bold tones for the models makeup. Hairstylist Irina Baranova decides on leaving Luda’s hair in a classic half up half down look with soft curls and flower accessories to decorate the crown of her head. The dress that will best accentuate her youthful glow will be a traditional full ball gown; we chose one of the ball gowns provided to us by The Wedding Closet called “Beautiful Bride” which is fitted on top and super fluffy beginning at the waist with an elegant bow at the center.
The Sensual Bride
I realize that wearing white on your wedding symbolizes virginity and purity but let’s face it, we don’t all have angelic faces nor care to look innocent, even on our wedding day. The sensual bride has strong features and looks dignified and elegant with red lipstick rather than a made-up doll. For this look we chose a model that has large, strong features. Daniela is the opposite of the “innocent bride” look so we decided to accentuate her sensuality. For this look Janet used a bold red for Daniela’s lips and smoky eyes. The hair style, bold accessory as well as the mini veil are all strong statements that not every bridal style could pull off. The dress is a fitted mermaid style gown from the collection of The Wedding Closet that finished of the look making Daniela look almost like a vixen in a James Bond movie. We have all seen women who are desperately trying to carry out the sensual look with an innocent bride style! It just looks unnatural. Therefore, if you have strong features, are on the slimmer side and look great in a mermaid fitted gown, this look is definitely for you! Just keep in mind that dressing a little sexy on your wedding is okay but it will be best to still make sure it is in good taste.
The Casual Bride
If you’re a nature-lover, like playing with the young ones, roughing it out with the boys and not minding getting dirty and love outdoor activities, you’re as casual as a casual bride can be. Comfort is what you look for in clothes, especially your wedding gown. The gowns that you will find surprisingly comfortable, casual yet elegant for your wedding are different variations of the Grecian inspired gowns. The most exciting part of this look for me was the Grecian inspired wedding gowns once again from the collection of The Wedding Closet. The gown is free flowing and comfortable yet elegant and sultry. The hair should be kept natural and free flowing accentuated with braids. Janet kept the makeup to a minimum with gold tones on the eyes and a sun kissed glow for the skin.
These are just a few of bridal styles that are out there, since we had one day to shoot so we were not able to capture them all. However, this is the first out of many more photo shoots to come. Remember, whichever category you fall under, it’s all about confidence. A bride needs to “own” her look and feel comfortable carrying out a style. Choosing the look that will fit your personality will bring out your inner happiness, confidence and ultimately result in an amazing wedding day experience for the fabulous and stylish you!