Have you ever wondered how celebrities always look so amazing on their wedding day? How their dress is not only the perfect cut, style and shape for their body but also stays looking immaculate all day? Or how all those pictures in wedding magazines always look so perfect? How the jewelry is the perfect accompaniment to that particular dress, every element is just right?
I am going to let you in on a bridal secret. On every wedding magazine I shoot and every celebrity wedding I work on there is a wardrobe stylist pulling everything together, taking care of every tiny detail. This is not just for the rich and famous though – regular brides can take advantage of this type of service too!
Ristyle Consulting photographed by Marisa Belle Photography
My friend Risa Kostis of RiStyle Consulting not only works with me on magazine shoots and campaigns, but also on weddings. She provides the coolest service for brides, and although she does have a high powered celebrity clientele, she also works with non-celebrity brides, A.K.A. regular girls.
RELATED POST: HOW TO CHOOSE A MAKEUP ARTIST FOR YOUR WEDDING
Should You Hire A Wardrobe Stylist For Your Wedding?
I know this is somewhat of a new concept for many brides, but after everything I have seen from working on more than 500 weddings I have to say yes, if you can do it hiring a stylist is a fantastic idea! When I first started doing weddings I had to explain to brides why they should invest in a makeup artist for their big day. For most it was a really new concept.
When I started airbrushing I was the only airbrush makeup artist in my state (Arizona), and although it was required for most makeup jobs I was doing in Los Angeles, here in Phoenix I would have to show brides in order for them to be willing to try it. Of course they LOVED it. If you haven’t thought about working with a bridal wardrobe stylist, either for styling your entire bridal party from start to finish, or for day of wedding assistance, read on, because this is bridal fabulous!
What Exactly Does A Wedding Stylist Do?
For RiStyle Consulting’s Bride’s Best Friend services there are different layers and levels of help available.
From helping choose the dress to co-ordinating bridesmaids dresses, to day of help – there is a lot.
Choosing The Dress.
One of Risa’s Bride’s Best Friend options is helping brides choose the right dress for their body size and shape, for the climate they will be getting married in and for the style of their wedding.
Risa Kostis with bride courtesy of Round Lens Photography
There are so many little details to think of, from the cut of the dress to the fabric choice to how it frames your derriere. Face it, the world will be seeing you from behind on this big day, so you want a dress that makes your bottom look beautiful and that doesn’t allow any back fat to roll over the top or under your arms. Celebrities are so aware of these types of details, be it for red carpet events or weddings, so they have stylists on speed dial to make sure they get it right!
After years of working in fashion around the United States and around the world (Risa used to live in Florence!) styling photoshoots and events, Risa knows how to help you get the best dress for your body (and budget!) and which shapes are going to flatter you most.
RELATED POST: 4 HUGE WEDDING MAKEUP MISTAKES YOU NEED TO AVOID!
Grooming The Groom
Guy’s need help too, or maybe the bride needs help figuring out the details of what the guys are going to wear. Pocket squares or not? Bow ties or regular ties? What type of knot should they be tying? Cumberbunds? Vests? Suspenders? What about the style of tux or the complimentary colors to tie in the bridesmaids dresses?
These details can be overwhelming to a bride, but are quite easy for Risa and her team.
The Bridesmaids Dresses
Risa helps choose bridesmaids’ dresses too, from helping you to coordinate color palettes to understanding the shapes, fabrics and cuts of dresses and how they will work on your bridesmaids’ bodies.
image courtesy of Round Lens Photography
In magazine shoots everyone has a perfect model body, in real life we come in all shapes and sizes, so having someone who understands that working with you can save you no end of problems down the road! I can’t even count how many times I’ve had a traumatized bridesmaid in my makeup chair, dreading getting into the dress that makes her look fat/shows too much leg/shows every dimple even through spanx.
For those of you who don’t have a perfect team of professional models for your bridesmaids, a wedding wardrobe stylist prevents these types of problems from occurring. For those weddings who do have a bridal party full of professional models there is normally a stylist involved in the dress selection anyway!
Mother Of The Bride
Finding the right dress can be stressful for the mothers too. A bridal wardrobe stylist works with mothers who need or want their help and finds them fabulous dresses for the big day.
RELATED POST: MAKEUP TIPS FOR THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE
Wedding Day Styling
I am not around for all the pre wedding work, most of my job with a bride and her girls happens on the day of the wedding (I do the makeup). After working on more than 500 weddings I have to say I have pretty much seen it all! From exploding wedding dresses, to rips and tears in bridesmaids dresses, to alterations that have gone wrong – so much can happen on the wedding day!
image courtesy of Marisa Belle Photography
Risa (or your stylist) arrives during the makeup and hair schedule and starts steaming dresses, making sure the alterations are correct, and generally getting all the wardrobing ready for the photographers and then ready for the bride and her ladies.
Until you get married or have been in several weddings you don’t realize just how many wardrobe issues show up on a wedding day! From having to fashion tape girls into dresses to sewing on buttons, fixing hems, fixing ripped straps, helping the guys get their ties correct – a wedding day stylist takes care of so many things!
She also goes with you for your pictures, making sure the dress is sitting right, hasn’t bunched up or become lopsided, the train is fanned out right, the veil is sitting perfectly. She also keeps an eye on the bridesmaids and groomsmen, keeping their wardrobe and the overall look of the shoot just right.
RELATED POST: HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR WEDDING PERFUME
image courtesy of Marisa Belle Photography
Photographers love it because they can just concentrate on the photography and not be adjusting ties and dresses. Brides love it because they know they are going to look fabulous, so they can relax and just enjoy themselves.
image courtesy of Marisa Belle Photography
Wedding planners love it because they can be focusing on all the other details they need to take care of with the wedding, knowing that the bridal party is being taken care of with an extra set of very well trained eyes.
image courtesy of Michaela Magnum Photography
Where is RiStyle Consulting?
Risa is based in Phoenix but she flies to work with clients around the country and around the world. Risa also has a team of wedding pro’s who work with her.
Find out more about Risa’s RiStyle Consulting wedding stylist services here.
Contact Risa with any questions here.
