Finding your dream wedding dress or suit may be the pinnacle moment of your wedding wardrobe shopping journey but there are so many wedding-related events that you can get your glam on for. In our My Wedding Wardrobe series we shine a spotlight on the stunning sartorial choices of real brides and grooms to help inspire your style.
If you’re getting married abroad there is even more to consider especially when you factor in how you’re going to travel and the weather. In our latest edition in our style series, we’re checking out the dazzling destination style of real bride Kelly which includes not one but two bespoke wedding dresses, fabulous rented pieces and plenty of vibrant prints and sparkling embellishments.
Bride Bio
Name: Kelly Bryden Profession: Art Director From: USA Wedding Date: February 10th, 2024 Wedding Venue: Casa Violeta, Tulum, Mexico Honeymoon: Costa Rica Instagram:@kellaybryden
Let’s find out about Kelly and Eoghan’s love story… “We met on Hinge in New York City. I was there for a three-month work assignment and he had moved to NYC three years prior from London. Our first date was on a rooftop bar where I arrived 15 minutes late and was covered in house paint. Both of us knew from that date that we were meant for each other.”
They actually decided to get married before they had even officially gotten engaged! “In 2021 we took a trip mid-Covid to Gibraltar and decided to have an intimate wedding with just the two of us. We told our immediate family about getting married but no one else found out until our wedding day in 2024. We later got engaged in 2022 in Mallorca and then celebrated a wedding with our family and friends this past February.”
When it comes to fashion, design and décor, Kelly adores bold colours, tropical patterns and sparkle. When curating her destination wedding wardrobe, she says:
“Our wedding was four days long in Tulum, Mexico, so I was so excited to have so many opportunities for outfits. I loved picking out all of my other outfits for the wedding weekend. I really focused on pieces that reflected myself and not just the fact that I was a bride. I rented a lot of my wardrobe! Between the UK and US, I used sites like By Rotation and Nuuly.”
Kelly wanted the perfect easy dress to wear as she was ticking off the last few pieces on her to-do list at the wedding venue. She rented the Raelyn Dress by Beach Riot in a hot pink shade from Nuuly.
Kelly shone bright throughout her wedding weekend by incorporating many embellished pieces like this sequin dress that she rented from Nuuly.
“This was the first night everyone was in Tulum. We had a family dinner and then invited all of our extended family and friends to join us for a bingo party. We provided some chips, salsa and drinks while we played bingo and handed out prizes.”
The couple whipped up a fun-filled itinerary for their guests, with a cookery class in the mix. Kelly was an exotic beauty in her colourful Farm Rio maxi with a tie waist and a ruffled hem which she rented from Nuuly.
“I love this dress and it felt so me! We organised a cooking class with a local chef for everyone to learn how to make some Mexican dishes.”
She wore an ethereal sheer chiffon Mac Duggal gown with ostrich feather sleeves and a plunge neckline from Nordstrom for the reception dinner.
“This was the first dress I ever tried on and thought that it could be my wedding dress. I loved the uniqueness but it didn’t feel like a reflection of my wardrobe. I ended up keeping it to wear for our rehearsal dinner.”
She was a bona fide Dancing Queen in a gold sequin vintage dress which she bought during a trip to Amsterdam with her parents.
“I loved the draping of the back and the iridescent sequins. When I tried the dress on it fit like a glove! I had to have it!”
The wedding morning began with a spot of yoga and she wore a bright white yoga set bought from Amazon.
“I wanted to kick off the morning with something relaxing. I tried to thrift a white yoga set but didn’t find anything in time so ended up ordering it online.”
Kelly tried on about 50 wedding dresses before she decided to go the bespoke route. Charlotte Wilden from Wilden London was able to create the wedding dress of her dreams. Kelly dazzled on her wedding day in a sleek gown with sparkling floral crystal adornments with added ‘something blue’ gems.
“I wanted my wedding dress to be a simple, timeless silhouette but to have a sparkle element. I decided to do clusters of gemstones all over the dress to give the dress a wow-factor. I had this vision in my mind of an elegant disco ball.”
She accessorised with the Victoria Crystal Halo by Lelet NY. Her ‘something borrowed’? A very sentimental piece of jewellery that had belonged to her late grandmother.
“I loved wearing my grandma’s necklace as a bracelet. She passed away in 2022 so it was really special to have her with me in a little way. It was a gold necklace with little gemstones to represent everyone in her family. I turned it into a wrap bracelet and had this little statement of colour on my wrist.”
How incredible did the bridal party look in mixed and matched colours of orange and pink?!
We love to see how brides wow showcase their style with a second-look wedding dress change and Kelly had a stunning and sustainable sartorial surprise up her sleeve for the reception.
“My dream was to have a big dance number where I would dance with my dad in my mom’s wedding dress and then to rip off the skirt and reveal my mom’s wedding dress as a mini party dress.”
“Charlotte Wilden helped create the Beyoncé-inspired dress of my dreams by altering the dress to have the original skirt detach and reattach, and then the mini skirt attached to the original dress bodice.”
“We ended up shortening the sleeves of the wedding dress to make it more modern and removing the turtleneck lace to reveal a deep V-neck. I absolutely love how this dress turned out.”
She wore the mini dress with embellished Nike trainers too… Just so cool!
The Aurelia Dress by Oceanus which boasts colourful sequin and embroidery embellishment with a tropical twist is a fiercely fabulous party dress, don’t you agree?
“This was my investment piece! I love this dress with all my heart and it feels so me. I love the beaded pattern and it was the perfect fit for Tulum. It is so buttery soft and is just absolutely perfect. I am so excited to have this in my wardrobe as a memory but also a piece that I will get to wear often. I also am excited to pass this dress down to my future children.”
She made a serious style splash wearing the Venetian Bikini by Celia B with its cheerful, vibrant print.
“We hosted all of our guests to a cenote, which is a giant hole in the ground filled with fresh water. This cenote we went to was actually in a cave and was so magnificent. I wanted to find a bathing suit that was colourful yet somewhat modest. I found the perfect bathing suit from Celia B and I purchased it at Anthropologie.”
Kelly embraced cosy chic on the final day as she bid farewell to their guests at 7am wearing a gifted cream T-shirt and shorts set from Cozy Earth.
As for her advice for brides planning their wedding wardrobe, she says:
“Use your wedding to invest in pieces that can be memories and heirlooms – not just items that are white. Focus on finding pieces that reflect you and not trends or what you see other brides wearing. Look through your closet and see what patterns pop out. Maybe you have a lot of wide-leg pants – look for a wide-leg pant for a wedding look instead of a dress! Or maybe you love to wear stripes, find a dress with stripes! Just don’t lose sight of your personal style.”
