5 Shows, 3 Days, and One Dress—72 Hours Inside Bridal Fashion Week as a Bride-to-Be
After I got engaged earlier this year, the one thing everyone has asked me since seeing me is whether or not I’ve secured my dress yet. Thee dress, if you will.
As a fashion editor, my life is dominated by pretty clothing and shiny things, but when it comes to my bridal wardrobe, I’ve felt stuck. While there are some brides-to-be who feel like they have no options, I almost find that I have too many. After a few years of working in the industry, I’ve amassed countless bridal designer and stylist friends who feel like family rather than brands to know. As a result, narrowing it down to only one dress has felt impossible. With my wedding approaching faster and faster, I knew I had to make a decision, and thus I began my search for my wedding dress in the midst of New York Bridal Week. Spoiler alert: I may not have found my dress yet, but I think I’m closer than ever to nailing down exactly what I want.
Unlike regular ol’ New York Fashion Week, New York Bridal Week feels like a breath of fresh air—the shows are calmer, the people slightly nicer, and the atmosphere a bit lighter. We are celebrating love, after all! While New York Bridal Week has transformed from a place to showcase runway dresses into a week of events celebrating the best of all engagement and wedding love stories, my heart still lies with the big, poofy, white dresses I’d watched as a kid on TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress.
From the best New York jewelers showcasing their bespoke engagement rings to the one-of-a-kind bridal trends going viral on social media, here’s your firsthand account of bridal week as a woman walking down the aisle very, very soon.
DAY 1: Everything’s Coming Up Roses
9 a.m.: After walking my dog, Holly, and throwing on a pair of jeans and last night’s T-shirt, I ran downstairs to catch a taxi to my first presentation of the day, Francesca Miranda. I’d previously traveled with the brand to Colombia for the label’s ready-to-wear show in Barranquilla last October. During the trip, I’d witnessed Colombian artisans handcraft every detail that goes into one of the brand’s bridal dresses, and with this latest collection, you can really tell the labor of love that goes into producing the gowns.
10:45 a.m.: After an hour of chitchatting and oohing and aahing in an intimate West Village townhouse with the Francesca Miranda team, I met up with Nikki Chwatt, Who What Wear’s associate fashion editor, to head to the next presentation of the day. We may or may not have filmed a TikTok (or two!) on our way over.
11:15 a.m.: Up next was Galia Lahav, a celebrity-beloved bridal brand focused on high-end couture and bespoke dresses. Friends of the brand include Nina Agdal and Millie Bobby Brown, both of whom wore the brand’s jaw-dropping designs on their big days. This season, the brand teamed up with fine-jewelry company Leibish to create an extravagant gown featuring a 30+-carat red sapphire surrounded by diamonds. If you’re a bride sans budget, this one’s for you: The gown is estimated to be worth over $1 million. It might not be exactly in my budget, but a girl can dream!
(Image credit: @balencianas)
12:30 p.m.: Nikki and I split up, and I headed uptown to catch Jenny Yoo’s latest collection in the brand’s atelier. Flanked by expensive-looking blue-velvet curtains and delicious macaroons, the team put on a small runway show featuring gowns from Yoo’s three distinct category offerings: Jenny Yoo Collection (the brand’s flagship bridal line), Jenny by Jenny Yoo (a more modest, entry-level wedding dress line), and a selection of elevated bridesmaid dresses. I interviewed Yoo earlier this summer for my investigation into the plus-size bridal market, and I’ve always been a fan of the brand’s simple, timeless styles.
1:45 p.m.: As much as I wished I could bop around the city all day to look at prospective wedding dresses, I have a desk job! I grabbed a snack from my favorite Venezuelan spot a few minutes from the Jenny Yoo atelier and headed home to work on the day’s stories. Of course, in between hitting my deadlines and getting ready for the final show of the night, I had a debrief with my mom about the pieces I’d seen so far. As a pragmatic person, I’d honestly never given too much thought to my wedding dress, but as the deadline to order thee gown inches closer, I knew I’d have to make a decision relatively soon. Spoiler alert: My mom is a tough woman to please, so I knew my search had to continue well on into bridal week.
(Image credit: @balencianas)
7 p.m.: It’s showtime at Alexandra Grecco‘s dreamy flagship store, which has been turned into an interactive set where models are floating throughout the space, picking up props and weaving throughout the giant crowd that’s emerged for the brand’s biggest presentation to date. As a theater kid, I’m geeking at the level of thought that’s been put into the show. As a bride-to-be, I’m ecstatic to see the gowns emerging in between the hoard of excited guests. I spot a billowy, oversize coat and make a mental note to ask the team about it later. Like most things Grecco produces, it takes my breath away.
8:15 p.m.: After about an hour of mingling with friends and editors, I take the elevator downstairs to see there’s still a sizable crowd waiting to get inside New York’s hottest club for the evening. I hug my lovely friend Sofia goodbye and thank her for inviting me to the presentation. It’s off to bed—I have an early morning the next day and the stamina of a 75-year-old grandmother.
Alexandra Grecco
Sullivan Veil
Galia Lahav
Kate Pearl Shoes
DAY 2: Dreamy Dresses and Hailey Bieber–Worthy Manicures
9:30 a.m.: I’m running late. Again. I stayed up way too late the night before watching YouTube videos with my fiancé about urban planning. I order a car and head down to Sundays Non-Toxic Nail Studio in SoHo for a fun day of playing with diamonds and getting manicures thanks to Aaryah, one of my favorite fine-jewelry labels. Megan Kothari, the founder of Aaryah, has built a cool-girl brand focused on interesting, sculptural shapes and imperfectly perfect natural diamonds, so I’m excited to play with some pieces that are way above my pay grade when I arrive.
10:45 a.m.: My nails needed some TLC, so I’m grateful for the quick manicure that the Sunday’s Nail Studio staff delivers in less than 15 minutes. Now, it’s diamond time. I pick up a cup of chai, give Kothari (who just announced her first pregnancy!) a massive hug, and we go on a yap session about diamonds, wedding planning, and how busy our schedules are going to be in the next few months with all of our life-changing plans. Naturally, I start playing around with the brand’s wedding bands since I’ve neglected to think about what I want my full wedding stack to look like. To no one’s surprise, Aaryah delivers. My eyes land on a chunky satin band with a hidden pavé, and I make a mental note to add the style to my vision board.
(Image credit: @balencianas)
11:15 a.m.: I practically run 10 minutes to just make it in time to my appointment with Kyha Studios. The Australian label just wrapped up its runway show in Vietnam a few weeks prior, and I knew that by the images, the dresses IRL would blow me away. I take a canned water (branded, of course!) and chat with the team about the label’s design inspiration this season. The collection, titled Waterlines, explores the fluid curves and natural landscapes of Vietnam, drawing inspiration from rivers, canals, coastlines, and flowers. Every dress in the collection feels refreshingly light and fluid, something that’s hard to find in the bridal world, where it feels like every dress looks the same. I take about five dozen videos and pictures and immediately drop them in a message thread with my mom. To my surprise, I get two thumbs-up reacts. That’s what I’d call success!
12:30 p.m.: I hop in another ride share and head up to Rockefeller Center to stop by Hill Houses’s holiday preview. Although it’s not *technically* bridal, there are still a few quite pieces that catch my eye, perfect for a beachside honeymoon or bachelorette. My friend, Riana, works next door at J.Crew, so I pop into the store to say hello and try to find one of the brand’s elusive Rollneck sweaters that have been sold out for weeks. No dice! I pick up some apple cider doughnuts for my fiancé and head home for the day.
J.Crew
2025 Rollneck Sweater
9 a.m.: Another day, another morning filled with bridal events—only this time, it’s for my dear friend and talented jeweler, Steph Mazuera. It’s her first brand preview ever, and as one of her biggest supporters, I knew I had to be there bright and early. I’d ordered a Fabrique Bakery princess cake (one of her favorites!) to mark the occasion, so I head to Chelsea early to pick it up and surprise her before heading to her showroom.
11 a.m.: The preview is in full swing, and I’m talking anyone’s ear off who will listen. Mazuera is the mastermind behind my engagement ring, a piece that my friends and colleagues joke broke the internet when I posted it. It’s a butter-yellow pear-cut diamond set in a yellow-gold bypass setting, adorned with a secret quarter pavé along the sides of the top and bottom of the ring. While Mazuera specializes in bespoke engagement rings, I’m here to check out the rest of her collection and the first brand samples she’s put into production. Since my ring was completely custom, it’s the first time I’ve seen other pieces she’s produced in-person. I snap a picture of the brand’s intricate tennis bracelets I’ve been salivating over and send it to my fiancé with a funny text: “Christmas present?”
1:30 p.m.: I spend all day at Mazuera’s preview, mingling with friends and editors. We cut into the princess cake to celebrate a job well done, and I get up to speed on meetings, emails, and deadlines in the swanky WSA lounge. The building makes me feel like an innie from Apple TV’s hit show Severance, and I know I’m not the only one when I post the thought on my Instagram story and I immediately get a bunch of DMs affirming my unhinged comparison.
4:30 p.m.: After focusing on work for a few hours, I make my way over to Alexandra Grecco’s SoHo boutique for a quick re-see and to film some social content for Who What Wear’s TikTok. Alex, Samantha, and the rest of the team have become incredibly supportive industry friends of mine after we worked on my plus-size bridal feature together. I spy the swoon-worthy overcoat again and resist the urge to try it on and parade around the store like a Victoria’s Secret Angel. In the mix, someone opens up a bottle of prosecco, and we lose track of time laughing and catching up.
(Image credit: @balencianas)
7:30 p.m.: The Alexandra Grecco team and I migrate over to the swanky Grown Brilliance party a few blocks down, the label’s jewelry partner this season. I worked with Grown Brilliance earlier in the year to judge a panel of FIT students and their chandelier designs, one of which was selected to go into the brand’s new SoHo boutique located at 121 Greene Street. The chandelier is made up of 1500 carats of lab-grown diamonds and is tucked away in the back of the space, beckoning you to discover the high-jewelry section downstairs. I say hello to the student who won, PR friends who worked on the project, and grab a goodie bag on the way out. One more event to go before bridal week is officially over!
8:15 p.m.: I make my way over to the final stop of the night, the Good Six showroom, to celebrate Francesca Miranda again—this time, it’s the brands ready-to-wear collection. This season, there are dozens of animal prints in the elevated pata de cabra artisanal technique Miranda has perfected over the years. After too many passed desserts and a glass (or two!) of wine, I close out the event with my dear friends, Sofia and Alex, as well as Miranda and her two daughters. When you’re Latina, there’s no such thing as leaving a party early and, naturally, the six of us sit around and chat for a few hours even after the event is officially done. New York Bridal Week, it’s a wrap!
Steph Mazuera
Billie Tennis Bracelet
Steph Mazuera
Sierra Diamond Studs
