Fashion-Forward Weddings

A fashion-forward wedding requires the balance of high fashion and feeling, design, and emotion. That’s when each image feels like it’s been pulled from the pages of Vogue, and still deeply personal. 

Planning a wedding with fashion at the forefront isn’t about chasing a trend; it’s about the magic of intentional details, documented. Wardrobe pieces and accessories that tell a story. The light in your venue and the way your guests move through the space.

My photojournalistic perspective as a photographer allows me to document the stories of style and emotion, so that when you look back, each image feels as true and intentional as the love that inspired it.

Designer Gowns & Fashion-Forward Looks

Fashion has the ability to set the tone for the entire celebration when a couple and their guests feel free to express themselves truly and uniquely. The outfit, the gown, and the attire for pre-wedding events can be a standout moment and thread throughout the entire event’s design.

The most impactful choices are the ones that feel authentic, and that is especially true when it comes to fashion. The phrase “Fashion-forward” doesn’t necessarily equate to trendy or extravagant; it just means there has been thoughtfulness and intention put into the way a couple expresses themselves through their wedding attire. It’s about attire that tells the story of who you are, individually and as a couple, not just who or what you are wearing for the sake of.

Whether it’s through texture, silhouette, or unexpected styling and accessories (like those by the incomparable Jennifer Behr), the choices you make should feel deeply personal and expressive. A few of the designers I look toward for inspiration are Danielle Frankel, The Row, Loho Bride, Alexandra Grecco, Jenny Yoo, and Oscar de la Renta. Each bring a distinct taste and artistry. I especially love when couples collaborate with stylists who help them shop and curate their wedding wardrobe. If you are a couple in search of guidance through the process, Gabrielle Hurwitz is a fashion stylist helping brides, grooms, and couples curate the wedding wardrobe of their dreams. She is an innovator and trendsetter with a fresh perspective on fashion, and her knowledge of the wedding market is an invaluable resource to brands and couples around the globe.

Lizzy Mambretti of Agency Eight is also a wedding fashion stylist with a team ready to curate and execute the wedding wardrobe of your dreams. Their services include shopping itineraries, fitting support, dress steaming, bustling, and emergency adjustments.

If you love modern vintage textures, Happy Isles Salon is another one of my favorite showrooms. You can see Sarah’s vintage gown from Happy Isles come to life in their Vogue feature, where Sarah shares more about her process of sourcing her entire wedding wardrobe secondhand. You can also read more about their day, from the Manhattan Courthouse to a Brooklyn townhome, in my guide to NYC elopements. Making unexpected fashion choices is often what creates the most memorable imagery. Wherever the journey of finding your wedding wardrobe takes you, be willing to try on pieces you may have never imagined yourself wearing…you just might be surprised by what you love most.

Choosing a Venue That Photographs Like an Editorial Set

Selecting your venue is more than choosing a backdrop. It also informs the light, tone, and architecture of your design for the event. From a photographer’s perspective, and when it comes to making beautiful photographs, light is everything. If you want your style to shine in natural light, consider early on whether you will be indoors or outdoors. It is also good to consider where the sun will be throughout the day and how the venue interacts with natural light throughout all points of the day. It’s not something most couples first think about when they’re falling in love with a space — but the time of year, amount of light, and outdoor access will change the way your photographs look. If you’re drawn to indoor images with dim, ambient lighting and direct flash, it’s good to take note of this while selecting your venue. Or, if you notice that you particularly love outdoor photographs and envision natural light photos, consider time of year and ability to be outdoors with guests at your venue. 

When a creative director is planning an editorial shoot, they don’t just style the subject and walk away.  There is also a team that assists, builds, and creates an environment to frame the wardrobe. A wedding works the same way. The venue becomes a piece of the design for your story.

In New York City, I am drawn to venues that already hold a strong sense of character and design: The Beekman, The Bowery Hotel, Nine Orchard, Hotel Chelsea, and The Wythe. Each offers its own tone, be it moody, cinematic, or sleek, and they all photograph beautifully.

When visiting potential venues, consider the following:

• Light: Soft, directional, natural light that flatters skin tones and fabrics.
• Color Palette: A tone that complements your overall aesthetic and attire.
• Architecture: Texture, lines, and history. Does the environment feel like a living character in your story?

Curating the Aesthetic: Guest Fashion & Cohesive Design

Guest fashion is often what separates a visually cohesive wedding from a disconnected one. Beyond outfits, the textures, tones, and materials throughout your day all contribute to the story. Guest fashion makes a huge difference in how your day photographs and feels. 

If you pulled up a wedding featured in Vogue, what stands out isn’t only the fashion of the couple. It’s the collective sense of intention. Every person in attendance looks like they belong to the same visual world. It’s a reflection of taste that feels collective, not coordinated. 

Rather than dress codes that leave your guests feeling restricted, consider offering inspiration, or a direction — a mood or palette that lets everyone look and feel confident. Confidence is what translates most beautifully on camera.

A talented planner can help bring all of this together. I often point couples to my friends Tory and Lauren of Smith James Events, who are masters of creating events that feel lived in, not staged.

My Editorial Approach

When I moved to New York, how I saw photography completely changed. Sitting front row at fashion shows, I wasn’t there to shoot, I was there to observe. 

That shift in perspective continues to shape and inform how I photograph weddings. In time, I started photographing guests and models at fashion events – people like EmRata at Mirror Palais during NYFW. Those experiences sharpened my instincts for when to direct and when to quietly document. 

“Blake has an incredible ability to capture candid, authentic moments while also making them feel editorial and artistic. His use of color and editing has a nostalgic yet timeless quality that feels both special and personal. Seeing our album for the first time was a dream. We were in awe of how artistic and editorial everything looked. It was such a joy to relive the day through his lens.”
— Christine & Zero

Real-World Style Inspiration

The most memorable weddings balance confidence and authenticity. Fashion and storytelling intertwine.

Vogue’s feature on Charli XCX and George Daniel’s wedding is one of my favorite examples of late: bold, unapologetic, and effortlessly editorial. Charli’s Vivienne Westwood mini dress and playful styling redefined what a modern wedding could look like. Intimate yet editorial. Laid-back yet entirely intentional. Their Hackney Town Hall ceremony embodied what Vogue called “London’s self-consciously cool wedding vibe.” Consider it a shift toward authenticity, individuality, and style that tells a story rather than follows a rulebook.

Another favorite is The Cut’s feature on Caroline Newton and Alfred Bridi, whose celebration embodied what a fashion-forward wedding can truly be. They told their story in a way that made sense, for them. The day epitomized shared interests and the life they’ve built together. They made outfit changes throughout the day as needed, from Alfred’s first outfit of his late grandfather’s silk blazer with custom floral pants to Caroline’s cocktail-hour look, when she removed the spherical silk skirt from the ceremony and let the ruffled crop top and wide-leg pants stand alone. Their intention spread to all their guests, of whom Caroline said, “Everybody was the main character of their life at our wedding.” They never lost sight of what mattered most and that authenticity drove their wedding story.

Weddings like these remind us, fashion-forward doesn’t mean overdone. It’s about intention, presence, and knowing who you are. The thread remains the same, style and sincerity are what should be in the frame.

Your Fashion-Forward Wedding 

I’m passionate about photographing fashion-forward weddings that feel like an extension of who you are as a couple. Where fashion, location, and your guests come together to create an atmosphere that feels like the most celebratory, sincere expression of your love. If this resonates with you, you can get in touch to see if your wedding or elopement date is available in my calendar.

Explore more editorial fashion-forward features on the blog, including our NYC Courthouse Elopement Guide.