Wedding gowns have been on my brain for as long as I can remember. To give you context, my first internship in college was with Kleinfeld Bridal in 2011 (where they film “Say Yes to the Dress”). I went on to intern for a multi-label bridal house, which evolved into my first full-time salaried job right out of college. It was the job that officially moved me from Kentucky to New York City, and I would continue to stay in this industry for the next several years.

I was originally drawn to the bridal fashion industry because I loved getting to be a part of creating a gown that helped women feel so special and beautiful. I also have crazy attention to detail, which paired well in this industry, especially when I was in design and production.

My time working in bridal was filled with high highs and low lows, but ultimately, it connected me to some really incredible women who are still in my life today.

One of these women is Marteal Boniello Mayer - the founder + designer behind Loulette Bride.

Check out the behind-the-scenes with Marteal in the video below
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about Loulette Bride

Marteal and I met as co-workers at the bottom of the bridal food chain, and it’s inspiring to see how she’s graciously evolved into a badass female founder who uses her bridal biz for good. She is a true example of what living your values looks like. I appreciate Marteal for always keepin’ it real and even calling out the shortcomings of the bridal industry - her firsthand experiences helped shape the values Loulette Bride stands behind today.

Loulette Values:

• Made-to-order to eliminate excess inventory

• Use of recycled and natural fabrics

• Locally made in NYC which minimizes carbon impact from excess shipping

• Always fair and ethical labor

• Low-waste patterning + fabric recycling with Fab Scrap.

You can read more about Loulette’s values here.

Getting to custom design my wedding dress with Marteal was such a special highlight for me, and I couldn’t be more in love with the end result. Looking back at pictures (all captured by Carmelisse Sanga!), I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect dress that not only embodied my personality, but also my values. Let’s dive into the creation process!

THE DESIGN PROCESS

Marteal and I kicked off the conversation about a year prior to the wedding date. We went through budget, photos of inspiration, words to describe how I wanted to look and feel, as well as the fabrics and silhouettes I was drawn to. I originally wanted a two-piece gown… y’all know I’m a crop top kind of gal. We ended up landing on a beautiful interpretation of an embellished ‘illusion two-piece’ that felt whimsical and bohemian with the perfect combination of sweet n’ spicy.

After Marteal whipped up the initial sketch, my mom and I made plans to fly out to NYC to finalize the design in person. It was really fun to include my mom in the design process, since I kind of robbed her of the traditional ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ bridal shop experience, haha. I’ve tried on dozens of dresses in my lifetime after working in bridal, so I already knew what styles I did NOT like on me. I specifically knew I was not a ballgown girl, because too much fabric tends to swallow up my petite-frame. I ended up with a modified a-line with beautiful inset godets that created a more slim skirt, but still elongating and flowy silhouette. This was based off of Loulette Bride’s Primrose skirt shape.

Since I came in with a strong vision + full trust in Marteal, we didn’t waste a lot of time going back and forth over details. Actually, designing my dress was probably the least stressful experience of the entire planning process! Marteal is so chill to work with, and together, we made a good team.

Though I kept an open mind, I was very set on the “cold-shoulder” sleeve-look (for YEARS), so that was a must-have element for me. Other than that, I followed Marteal’s lead for the rest from the lace sourcing to the floral appliqués. One dynamite detail that took me pleasantly by surprise was the flounce/cape in the back. It was unlike anything I ever imagined, and it was a really beautiful and unique detail Marteal absolutely nailed.

How sweet are these “first look” shots with my brother? Carmelisse is so incredible at capturing these sweet moments.

The Details

By far, the most magical details of my dress are the hand-sewn flowers and lace embroidery. I think my heart skipped a beat when Marteal texted me a close-up video of it twinkling under the lights of her studio. These details take SO much time to execute, as it’s sewn on by hand, one-by-one. I couldn’t be more grateful to Marteal for all of the love, time, and energy she put into my gown. And it doesn’t stop there… Marteal ALSO created the most gorgeous matching veil to go with it.

Loulette Bride is all about designing with integrity, responsibility, and love in NYC - They also care about size inclusivity and will go above and beyond to customize the gown of your dreams. You can visit the Brooklyn studio in person or purchase online.

The Full Look

Now that you know aaaall about the dress, I want to shine a light on the rest of the dreamy details that made the full look! While I’m not very traditional, I did love the idea of the ‘something old, something new’ tradition.

So, here’s the rundown:

Something Old

I had the opportunity to wear my late grandmother’s jade ring. My Halmoni (Korean for ‘grandmother’) was a very special person in my life, and she passed away along with my sweet grandfather last year. I loved getting to have a piece of her with me as I married the love of my life who she loved too.

Something New

I mean, my dress is definitely something new! My shoes were also new (linked here). That’s a funny story for another time… but in short, I forgot I needed shoes for my final dress fitting, so I found these shoes in a fiery frenzy a couple of hours before my appointment. It ended up being perfect and definitely something I’d rock again.

Something Borrowed

Since I was doing my own hair and makeup, I wanted to make sure I had a hairpiece that I could easily style on my own. It was a tough decision to make because there are so many beautiful accessories out there - I was even asked to co-design a piece. However, in an effort to be less wasteful, I decided I’d rather borrow a piece and return it instead of letting it collect dust post-wedding. I was introduced to Emma Katza’s pieces a few years ago when I met her at the bridal market with Marteal, so I was excited to work with a friend of Marteal’s because it felt full circle! I borrowed the Emilia Headpiece with an elegant combination of crystals and freshwater pearls - it was a minimal, yet ethereal complement to my overall look. I even tested it out pre-wedding with my Austin-based stylist in this fun video.

Something Blue

My dear friend Asha Patel surprised me with a custom 14kt gold anklet with elegant lapis stones. It was the perfect ‘something blue’, and she even made a Mini Prism Necklace for my best friend/matron of honor. Asha is the absolute sweetest woman in the world. She’s also the designer of my Nazar Gemstone Necklace that y’all are always asking about. Most of the necklaces I wear are made by Asha.
*She has generously offered Om & The City readers 15% off with the code OMANDTHECITY.

Last thoughts…

There can be a lot of pressure surrounding the dress search. Mostly TV has you believe you need to have a grand reaction to finding “the one”. Personally, I’ve never cried from trying on a wedding dress… but that’s just me. I don’t get emotional over things like that. Focus on how you want to feel on your big day, and when it comes down to trying on gowns (or designing your own), see if that same feeling hits ya. Honestly, you probably looked gorgeous in the last 10 gowns you tried on - but it’s up to you to make the decision.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• Can you imagine walking down the aisle in this dress?

• Do you feel comfortable in it? Can you lift up your arms, sit down, move around, and comfortably hug people in this dress?

• Does the dress fit your personality?

• Is it within budget? NO dress is worth going into financial stress over.

• Bonus: Does the dress designer/brand align with your values?

  • I know this isn’t something that is accessible to everyone. I’m not here to preach sustainability to you - it’s your wedding day, and you have to honor your wishes + budget. However, I think more conscious gown designers (like Loulette Bride) are popping up at affordable prices (+ rentals + secondhand!), and it’s worth looking into if this is a value you hold dear.

  • My reception dress was purchased secondhand on Poshmark, and I loved it!

I’m sharing more on my full wedding weekend wardrobe in an upcoming blog post!

This is just the beginning of more wedding-related posts to come, including how we planned a low-waste wedding. In the meantime, feel free to drop any questions or topic requests for upcoming posts in the comments below!

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