It’s your wedding day. Sure, everyone’s judging you for the food, flowers and fanfare, but you know what everyone is really looking at? Your dress. Or, these days, even multiple outfits.
And whether you’re a fashion hound or sweatpants chick, you can likely benefit from the sage counsel of a wedding stylist.
Callista Osborn, owner of Callista & Company in Malibu, Calif., reported that the trend of hiring a wedding stylist is on the rise. “Whereas 10 years ago we saw perhaps a couple of our clients per year hire a stylist, this year we’re seeing 80%-plus hire stylists, and we specifically are hiring day-of dressers for almost every wedding,” said Osborn.
Per Erika Plackowski, a bridal stylist serving the metropolitan Detroit area, a stylist means brides don’t need to worry about making sure they’re staying on schedule or that their dresses are steamed. Instead, they can focus on being present and grounded at this milestone event that flies by in the blink of an eye.
Ahead, what you should know about wedding stylists and what they can do for you.
Gina Jokilehto, owner and creative director of Shi Shi Events in Cleveland, says enlisting the services of a bridal stylist is a win for everyone. “Having someone I trust advise the bride as she makes her fashion choices for the dress itself, her accessories, reception dress, outfits for the entire weekend, bridal party and more, works in service to the [wedding] vision,” said Jokilehto.
Jokilehto often works with vendor partner Rebecca Somnitz, the owner of Something White Bridal. Clients can decide if they want day-of dressing or start-to-finish styling, standard offerings in the industry. Per Jokilehto, day-of dressing includes attendance at fittings, pressing all dresses for the day (bridal party included), getting the bride dressed the day of and more.
Somnitz also stays with the wedding party for photographs and returns the cleaned dress to the bride post wedding. Start-to-finish styling guides the client through picking the dress, the wedding-day look and the dress ordering.
Similarly, Plackowski’s full-service process starts off with a style consultation. Plackowski and the bride work on a style board and, if the client is local, she joins them for dress selection and fittings. Then, the stylist moves onto accessory curation and bridal-party outfits before arriving on-site for day-of assistance.
Costwise, you can expect it to set you back a pretty penny, but for many, the money spent is worth it.
Carletta Sanders worked with Plackowski for her wedding last October. Plackowski “brought so much ease and comfort to my bridal experience and wedding weekend,” raved Sanders. “Do yourself a favor and invest in your peace of mind for your wedding.”
Carol Guedes, founder, principal planner and creative designer of Flying Little Birds in Brooklyn Heights, said brides can expect to start budgeting at $4,500 for a 10-hour wedding-stylist package.
“Some stylists also offer consultation hours a la carte, starting at $450 per hour,” she said. Or, go the day-of dresser route, which can start at $2,500.
Hiring a wedding stylist may help you avoid snafus, too. Julie Sabatino, founder of the Stylish Bride in New York City, said a planner doesn’t just care for the bride and her gown — they also play a vital role in helping photographers, who may feel anxious handling delicate wedding dresses.
“My team works directly with photographers to style the dress, veil, shoes and accessories for perfect flat-lay and hanging shots,” she said.
The bottom line? As per Osborn, a bridal stylist is akin to “Mary Poppins — with a solution to every possible attire mishap.”