I have never had so much fun playing dress up. Morilee sent over their Marciela Wedding Dress and I spent the afternoon running through New York City with my photographer to get the perfect street style bridal shots. People were wishing me congratulations left and right, taking photos, calling over their friends to see the bride… One man even offered to let me borrow his dog for the photoshoot. (Totally would have said yes, but I was not about to let a dog trample on the train.) I’m not married, so this was my first taste of wearing a wedding gown and it was awesome.

As amazing as these photos came out, this was actually not at all the direction I had originally envisioned. I planned a shoot outside the Museum of Natural History where I would twirl underneath the tall columns and walk down the steps with my train flowing after me. I wanted grandeur and the most elegant backdrop in New York. I checked the weather obsessively all week and everything was looking good. Then the morning of the shoot came and after several hours getting ready and dressed, my photographer called to let me know it had started raining.

It was 1:30pm already and my photographer had to make a 3pm train, so unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of time to let the rain run its course. I had two options. Freak out, cry, and panic that the shoot had been ruined or improvise. My photographer, Chaya Ross, turned out to be the queen of improvising because she refused to let the rain be an issue.

Chaya rerouted her cab to my apartment and we immediately started rearranging my apartment into a photo set. I ran to the flower shop to pick up a bouquet, whipped out some wedding magazines for inspiration, and we got started. As expected, the rain stopped just as we were getting ready to wrap, so we quickly ran outside to shoot some street style.  

I may not have been an actual bride, but I can only imagine what it’s like to see a rainy weather report on your wedding day. After spending months or even a year planning an outdoor wedding, it’s devastating to have to bring the party inside. There are so many things that can go wrong on your wedding day. The florist can send the wrong flowers, the seating chart can get messed up, your crazy Aunt Mary could show up drunk. Who knows? But there’s one thing you have complete control over and that’s your dress.

Even as it was pouring outside and I still desperately wanted to be on the steps of the museum, I felt beautiful wearing Morilee. Their dresses are gorgeous, ranging from timeless to modern styles, and everything in between. You can search their site by various details like silhouette, neckline, fabric, and sleeve length, and then find a nearby retailer to try it on. Morilee also has a selection of bridesmaid dresses, prom dresses, and evening wear. Something for everyone.

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Photography: Chaya Ross

xx Esther