Can Butter Yellow Be Bridal?
The process of finding the perfect engagement shoot ensemble.
I didn’t love the outfit I was wearing when I got engaged — but I can’t deny that it was extremely Me. That morning, I threw on a long cream skirt, a black top, black espadrille flats and my trusty Prada Galleria, plus a white pashmina in case I got cold.
After everything went down, Pat said he thought for sure I saw it coming, primarily because I was wearing so much white and cream. But trust me, this was not the look I would’ve chosen to get engaged in!
Still, it was extremely On Brand, and I’m glad I didn’t take any Major Fashion Risks that morning. That said, I knew I’d have the chance to redeem myself by selecting a few strong outfits for our official engagement shoot.
In the era of the Wedding Wardrobe, my engagement shoot ensemble marks the first of my “bridal looks”. It sets the tone for a year’s worth of white and cream, and I desperately wanted to nail it.
Now that I’ve gotten the photos back, I’m thrilled to share the details on both my outfits (Pat’s too!), as well as all the pieces in the running that didn’t end up making the cut.
Look 1: Low-Key West Village Date Vibes
When preparing for the shoot with our photographer, Kyla, I put together a Pinterest board that featured couples cozying up on the streets of the city. Our love story began in New York, but we’re getting married in Jersey — the state we both originate from, and live in now — so I knew I wanted our Save The Dates to pay homage to the parts of our relationship spent city schlepping.
Pretty much everything I pinned gave autumnal West Village vibes, and I knew right away that I didn’t want us too dressed up for this portion of the photoshoot. I wanted it to feel like a true date — and lucky for me, we really are pretty formal dressers on the reg.
Can you blame a girl for wanting to look exceptionally put-together, ridiculously chic, and yet effortlessly cool all at once?
My original inspo came from Prada’s FW23 show. Wanting to wear white but not too much white, I had already secured my dream bouquet heels during one of Nordstrom’s designer sales, and I knew they’d be the focal point of my look. I planned to pair them with a white skirt and my chocolatey suede trench from the Alexa Chung for Madewell collaboration, as an homage to one of my favorite runway looks.
[Quick detour: I briefly fell in love with a pink floral Prada dress from the same collection, which I tried on at the Woodbury Commons outlets. I brought it home and realized it just didn’t fit the vision for this shoot. Still, I know I’ll get good use out of it come spring and summer.]
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I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I felt an immense amount of pressure to secure pieces from “cool” and “not basic” brands for my shoot, given how often I’d be sharing these images online.
I felt like people expected A Look™, and I wanted to deliver.
In search of something white to wear beneath my trench, I ordered pieces from Self Portrait, Leo Lin, Ulla Johnson, Reformation, and Selezza. All but the Ulla and Self Portrait pieces were kindly gifted to me, and I’m so grateful to the incredible publicists who were eager to help me find the right look for my special occasion!
I really thought I’d end up in a dress like this Cream Boucle Bow Detail Midi Dress ($640) from Self Portrait. In the end, I felt like this silhouette deserved its own moment, and shouldn’t be hidden under a trench coat. I returned it, then repurchased it on sale to wear next year.
Leo Lin is officially one of my new favorite brands for special pieces. These sleeves didn’t work with my trench, but I’ll certainly be donning the Aliyah Lace Butterfly Sleeve Midi Dress ($995) at some point in my bridal era.
I daydreamed of the Kaia Dress ($1,390) from Ulla Johnson — until I tried it on in store. Beautiful, but a little too risqué for the occasion.
I thought the stunning Prisca Skirt ($348) from Reformation might give me my Carrie Bradshaw moment, but the ivory colorway ended up clashing with the very-bright-white Prada heels I’d already committed to.
Self Portrait’s White Flower Lace Midi Dress ($585) was spectacular, but ultimately too summery for our autumnal shoot.
The Gabriella Skirt ($328) from Reformation and its delicate floral appliqués really stood out to me, but the fit ultimately didn’t Wow me enough to choose.
Another Leo Lin favorite — if the Rayna Appliqué Bustier Maxi Dress ($895) had straps or sleeves to make it a bit more seasonally appropriate, it would’ve been the one. This really is the most beautiful dress.
A last nod to Self Portrait, this ridiculously cool Cream 3D Flower Satin Midi Skirt ($425). I just knew it wouldn’t photograph well on me, so it didn’t make the cut.
It wasn’t until the night before the shoot that the perfect pieces (for both myself and Pat!) arrived. For Pat, a sage green Wool Texture Twill Jacket ($449) generously gifted from his favorite menswear brand, Charles Tyrwhitt.
For me, the Gaia Midi Skirt ($546), the most incredible gift from Selezza. And to accessorize, an unreleased pair of heart-shaped earrings from my favorite jewelry brand, Jenny Bird.
I absolutely love how this first set of images turned out. Easy, relaxed, and romantic, but also timeless and very Us.
After an hour of shooting, it started to get dark. We did a quick-change at Ludlow House and headed to our favorite spot for late-night eats for Part II of our shoot.
For our night look, I wanted a more glam aesthetic. Pat and I love going to Katz’s Deli for pastrami, latkes, and matzo ball soup after fancy events, and as a result, we’re often totally overdressed when we go.
Getting all dolled up to shoot outside beneath the deli’s iconic signage felt fitting.
For our West Village photos, I knew I wanted to build a look around my suede trench. But for the night shoot, I was completely clueless. I knew for sure that Pat would wear his tuxedo — which he rented and then bought a year or so ago via The Black Tux — but I needed a great dress-and-coat combo of my own.
On a visit to the Simkhai store in Soho, I came across a dress I’d had my eye on — the Claudia ($1,150), a beautifully embellished column gown with a high neckline and fitted bodice. It was at the top of my price range, and they didn’t have it in white in my size. Only a surprisingly dreamy butter yellow.
I tried it on and fell in love. But could I get away with a non-white look? I purchased it as a safety option and debated whether or not I’d regret going yellow for the occasion.
When I tried the dress on at home, I realized I already owned a Jil Sander coat in the exact same shade of yellow. Talk about a sample sale victory that played the long game!
Then I accidentally ripped the tag out of the dress, and chose to take that as a sign of pure destiny: I couldn’t return it, therefore it was meant to be worn for the shoot.
Styled properly, this look had it all: a First-Lady-level matching coat and dress combo, designer brand name recognition, and special embellished flair. Ultimately, I did end up swapping my Prada heels for a pair of Jimmy Choo Bings, another recent sample sale acquisition.
The second set of photos was a mad dash during rush hour, and the chaos yielded some incredible images. Shout out to Kyla (and her assistant-slash-husband, and honestly, also Pat) for humoring me and nailing the vision.
I’m beyond biased, but I think our photos are absolutely perfect. From the styling to the settings, everything was so precisely planned-out in advance, and Kyla effortlessly brought my mood boards to life with her impeccable eye.
If you like ‘em too, good news — this is hardly the last you’ll see of these images. In fact, prepare to be sick of ‘em! Let me know your favorites, and sorry in advance for the incoming spam on my socials.
What can I say? I’m just a girl in love.
x BG
The Katz’s deli pics are legendary! Gorgeous!
Gorgeous couple & gorgeous photos! This is such a special time- share all the lovey, positivity ✨️ 💖