The Eloping Bride's Guide to Wedding Attire
4 real life eloping brides on what they wore for their small weddings abroad
💌 This issue is long, so may have you click “view entire message“ to read the full letter in your email inbox 💌
I have some exciting news to share…. I’m getting married!! It feels surreal typing it out, but my boyfriend and I will elope in Manhattan next week. We decided to ditch the big traditional wedding for a more intimate ceremony.
Regardless, I have been in a state of panic trying to figure out what to wear on the big day. (I’ve only had about a month to find an outfit!) I scoured through tons of Pinterest boards, online retailers, thrift stores, concept boutiques etc., before I decided to reach out to the Substack community for help navigating the bridal fashion scene.
So, for today’s issue, I’m sharing the advice given to me by four fellow Substack writers, who all eloped abroad:
from the sustainable fashion newsletter, .
from —a personal style diary in the form of a newsletter.
behind the design-focused travel newsletter, .
, writer of the style- and interior design newsletter, .
Here’s what they said 👇
Alberta Rose
and her partner, Benn, eloped on February 1, 2024 in Copenhagen City Hall. The couple wore a mix of thrifted, handmade, heirloom, and sustainable pieces for their ceremony.
Emma Saadi: What did you wear on your wedding day?
Alberta Rose: I wore a grey alpaca sweater that was as warm as a hug and somehow light as a feather (Bare Knitwear), a tiered skirt in ivory silk dupion that I made myself, red leather ballet flats with pale blue flower clips attached to them (shoes and clips both from Maguire), a custom red beaded necklace (@muracowolfe), grey cashmere socks, a handmade crochet bag covered in antique buttons (@_she_shell_), and gold and silver hoop earrings that belong to my mother and were a subtle nod to my mixed metals wedding rings. My husband wore a knit from his favourite local sustainable brand (Ecologyst), thrifted wool trousers that he already owned, and a beautiful pair of leather boots that he’ll have for a lifetime (Red Wing). We splurged on heirloom quality knits and shoes that we know we’ll get so much wear out of.
ES: What was the inspiration behind your look?
AR: I work in sustainable fashion, so for me the goal was to put together an outfit composed of pieces that I would *actually* wear again. I wanted to feel like myself, and I needed something that would be comfortable in the cold weather. The idea to combine a cozy knit with shimmery silk dupion came from the bridal collection of my favourite brand, Cawley.
ES: Do you have any tips or advice on how to pick out a wedding outfit for an elopement or a small wedding ceremony?
AR: Weddings are so deeply personal and intimate (regardless of size) and I think the most important thing is to wear something that you feel great in. I loved having quirky accessories that were decidedly not “bridal” because it felt like me.There’s so much pressure to look a certain way on your wedding day but I think the best advice I could give would be to find a way to have your personality shine through in what you wear.
Nora Fabian
Surrounded by a small group of friends and family, tied the knot with her partner, Niklas, in a private Copenhagen ceremony on December 1, 2023. A few months after, the couple registered their marriage in their hometown of Hamburg, just the two of them.
ES: What did you wear on your wedding day?
Nora Fabian: For the Copenhagen wedding, I wore a vintage Chanel jumpsuit with Chanel slingback heels and an organza cape as well as a pearl studded headpiece from Maryam Keyhani, an Iranian artist living in Berlin. For the registry office I wore a white summer dress from Sir. The label with an ostrich feathered veil from Christopher Kane, both vintage, together with my banana shoes from Christopher Esber (a birthday gift from my husband).
ES: What was the inspiration behind your look?
NF: I was 5 months pregnant for the first wedding and 10 month for the second so the outfit had to fit but also feel like myself, which is not so easy with a constantly changing body. I just collected pieces of things I’d love over time, the veil I bought almost 2 years ago, just because I loved it so much.
ES: Do you have any tips or advice on how to pick out a wedding outfit for an elopement or a small wedding ceremony?
NF: I would say that both, the jumpsuit and the dress, were not very wedding-y but by combing them with the accessories they were elevated while still feeling very much like me. Especially with weddings people put a lot of thought and energy in their outfits, when really it’s the one day where you should feel comfortable enough to not think about what you’re wearing. So my tip would always be stick to your intuition, if something feels right wear it and don’t over do it just because it’s a wedding! 💒💜
Tori Simokov
and her now husband Dylan headed to France for their wedding on June 6, 2023. They were married in Jardin des Plantes in Paris with only their immediate family present at the ceremony.
ES: What did you wear on your wedding day?
Tori Simokov: For the ceremony, I wore an evening gown by Monot, and for dinner, I wore a dress by Rochas. I skipped a veil and bouquet but I did have custom matchbooks 🍰🥂🦢・₊✧
ES: What was the inspiration behind your look?
TS: I first saw the Monot gown in 2021 and saved it for future wedding dress inspiration. After I got engaged in May of 2022, I searched to see if it was still available anywhere. Lo and behold, Net-a-Porter had one left in stock and it happened to be in my size. I took it as a sign. When it came, it was the first and last dress I tried on. I’d always wanted a sleek silhouette with a high neck (the pinnacle of chic, in my opinion), which also suits my frame as I’m 5’11”, and the neck scarf sealed the deal—and took care of the need for a veil). I felt impossibly elegant in it, which was the goal.
For my evening look, I wanted something opposite of my wedding dress: shorter, more playful, and something with texture or volume. I scoured the internet and was close to giving up until I came across a random photo of Cindy Bruna on Pinterest in the dress. It took a lot of sleuthing but I eventually figured out the brand. I love that it’s something I haven’t seen any other bride wear, which was important to me.
ES: Do you have any tips or advice on how to pick out a wedding outfit for an elopement or a small wedding ceremony?
TS: My best advice is to trust your intuition. It sounds crazy that I saw a dress in 2021, ordered it in 2022, and it ended up being the only dress I tried on for my wedding, but when you know you know—and nobody knows you better than you know yourself. Ultimately, you can’t try on every single look that exists, so if you can stay true to yourself, you’ll be happy with the choice you make.
Wendie Power
and her partner, Bryan, eloped on August 24, 2023 in Croatia. The couple rented a rented a moped and drove to Plaža Malo Zaraće Beach where the ceremony took place. Afterwards, they found a nearby church where they took photos and said their vows.
ES: What did you wear on your wedding day?
Wendie Power: I wore a simple white dress from & Other Stories with a pair of leather flats from Madewell and lots of salt water in my hair. It was so hot (thus, the sweaty pits) that less was more here.
ES: What was the inspiration behind your look?
WP: The island of Hvar reminds me of an old Italian town. I wanted the dress to be modest, white or ivory, a lighter material, and most importantly one that made me feel pretty. Being on an island, natural beach waves (touched up of course) with a tan from the day before felt super chic. And heels were out of question knowing the small mountain we climbed to get there.
ES: Do you have any tips or advice on how to pick out a wedding outfit for an elopement or a small wedding ceremony?
WP: I spent HOURS on Pinterest and it helped me narrow in on a look but no matter how many reverse Google Image searches I did, I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. It ended up taking footwork to stores nearby. Luckily, we were living in Manhattan so the options were endless… Still a needle in a haystack, but I’d recommend visiting your nearest version of NYC for a weekend of shopping. And don’t look over your usual go to brands! They’ll surprise you sometimes with great white dress options, for example: Anthropologie, & Other Stories, Zara, Mango. I’d say the style you go for is tied to your location and personality. At first I thought I need something more contemporary and dazzling, which would be amazing walking out of NYC’s courthouse, but wouldn’t have at all fit into the Croatia countryside… Then again, that could be a very Vogue moment… Not my style, but would love to see it.
Huge thanks to Alberta, Nora, Tori, and Wendie for sharing their advice and wedding photos! Putting this issue together was very sweet.
💭 Let me know your thoughts: Are you currently planning a wedding? How did you decide what to wear on your wedding day? You can leave a comment below or reply directly to this email if you’re reading from your inbox.
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Emma xxx
Loved seeing everyone's unique, true-to-them looks! Congrats to you 🥂
Love seeing everyone's different wedding looks—there's so much joy here! Congrats on your imminent nuptials, Emma, and thanks for having me 💐