Shopping Like a Royal Bride (at David's Bridal)
a message from the CEO of planning my wedding
This Substack is for everyone except my fiancé, so if you ARE my fiancé—stop reading here.
I recently selected my WEDDING DRESS (ahhHhh?!?!) after just one one-hour appointment at my tried and true formalwear destination, David’s Bridal. I went with one guest (my mom) and was armed with 32 inspiration images saved to my camera roll.
Yes, I said David’s Bridal! I knew I wanted to at least start my search there, partially because I have fond memories of shopping for all of my prom dresses in-store. I visited the same location to kick off my wedding dress search without feeling too overwhelmed or out of my element—and wasn’t really surprised when my search ended there, too!
The comfort aspect was much-needed, as I’ve been so turned off by the modern wedding industrial complex over the years that my wedding planning philosophy can now be summed up in one acronym: K.I.S.S.—Keep It Simple, Stupid. I don’t feel the need to drop the equivalent of a down payment on a house for this event or make my friends and family walk on eggshells for 12 months straight.
That being said, I do have a clear, romantic vision for our wedding day…and a social media following who have been clamoring for details since my first post announcing my engagement. Not only that, but a social media following focused on the royals. Now, I don’t need a full-blown “royal wedding” by any means, but the concept is nevertheless so ingrained in our collective imagination that it became a backbone for my mood boards and wedding wishlists.
True royal weddings are rare events that combine tradition, spectacle, and romance, offering a glimpse into a world of elegance and refinement. They are also standard-setting affairs; from Queen Victoria’s groundbreaking white gown to Kate Middleton’s unforgettable lace sleeves, royal brides often set trends and influence the way that Western society perceives the “perfect” wedding attire.
My vision for our October 2025 nuptials also incorporates vintage and bohemian elements. The vibes that I scribbled into my notes app include things like “Garden Party, but Make It Fall,” “Boho Princess Witch,” and “Old World Eclectic.” I also know that, for simplicity’s sake, my color palette is just “fall florals.” And the bridesmaids WILL be mismatched.
Here’s my current set of mood boards for the occasion:
So with allllll of this in mind, as I followed the suggested timeline of beginning the wedding dress hunt 9-12 months before the big day, what follows is every single set of criteria that I gave Libby at David’s Bridal as she pulled dresses for me to try. I won’t be showing you the actual dress I chose, but I’m guessing you can get a good idea of what it might look like from my list of standards.
Yes:
Relatively Modest: Royal weddings are typically held in religious settings, so you won’t find any plunging necklines or bared shoulders. Our wedding will be spiritual in nature but not held in a church, so there was no true dress code governing my choices to cover up or not. However, my personal style, born from years of working with students and families, has come to naturally incorporate more modest elements (higher necklines, lower hemlines, etc). I’m not talking Christian fundamentalist standards of modesty by any means, but I landed on the phrase “relatively modest” to encompass (*gestures wildly*) all of the above sentiments.
1-2 Memorable Elements: Royal bridal attire can take many forms, but in order to become solidified in our cultural memory, it must make use of unique, striking, or memorable details. For me, that meant lace. I grew up in the catholic church and find a jaw-dropping lace moment to be the height of wedding dress culture. And this became a central element in the dress I ultimately chose. For some brides, a memorable element can just as easily mean clean lines, a specific neckline or bustle shape, or a spectacular train.
Well-Made Detailing: Dimension and visual interest are, in my opinion, a must when it comes to any wedding ensemble. If you’re keeping it simple, seams and shapes should be well-tailored. If you’re going with details like lace, applique, embroidery, or cutouts, try to avoid designs that leave evidence of cut corners in the final product. My biggest pet peeve in this regard is lace pieces being pasted onto, rather than incorporated within, a dress/veil/shoe/whatever. You’re too important to buy and wear cheap shit on any given day, let alone your wedding day. (Do you think the 56 commonwealth flowers within Meghan Markle’s veil were hot-glued to the bottom edge? No!) For the brides who are ballin’ on a budget with this point in mind, focus first on what you can do, and then ensure it’s done well.
A-Line Shape and Easy Movement: The last thing that any royal bride wants to look is contrived and overdone. I identified the shape of my gown as the easiest way for me to personally avoid this pitfall, although this element will also depend on your own preferences for your body. For me, a ballgown or a mermaid cut dress would never feel authentic, so I settled on an A-line gown pretty early in the process—something I feel is a universally beautiful choice for any bride wanting to capture a touch of royal elegance.
This silhouette, fitted at the bodice and flaring out gracefully from the waist, provides a timeless structure that flatters nearly every figure. Its classic shape mirrors the sophisticated styles often chosen by royal brides, who aim for a balance of grace, modesty, and grandeur—think Princess Grace, Duchess Kate, and Queen Letizia. Offering the best of both worlds when it comes to the drama and simplicity that royal wedding dresses often embody, the A-line just gown exudes understated majesty.
No:
No Glitter Lace: I’m not sure when this became a thing, but so many of the bridal gowns available today would utterly forgettable if it weren’t for one thing: glitter lace. Now, incorporating sparkle as a central element to a wedding gown is one thing, but slapping it on as an afterthought seems to be an all-too-common shortcut for designers to charge a premium for an otherwise lackluster dress. If there’s nothing else drawing you to a gown (be it shape, neckline, or hemline, just say no to the glitter lace).
No Illusion Sleeves: For me, contemporary illusion sleeves act as too much of a substitute for classic elements like lace or a high neckline, and I knew I didn’t want them. You’ll find that many modern royal brides also eschew them in favor of a more timeless look.
No Boob Shelf: My mid- to plus-size sisters will understand this one. While I’m not a prude when it comes to my breasts (I’ve just spent 5 minutes deciding on terminology and nearly went with “tits,” but we’ll stick with “breasts”), I don’t really fancy having them hoisted to my chin on the most spiritually meaningful day of my adult life. I would prefer, as I think many of us, to have them incorporated into the bodice rather than being stuck sitting on top of it.
No Plunging Neckline: Similarly, I did not need a neckline that would draw the eye to my navel. Personal preference, yes, but also a preference that you’ll often find to be a non-negotiable among royal brides.
Neutral:
I went into my bridal appointment completely neutral and open to all options when it came to sleeve length, skirt length, and train length. I also didn’t have too much of a preference on color—as long as it was flattering and warm. Ivory, off-white, cream, sand, ecru, and the like were all on the table. The only color I was really opposed to was a true icy white (which, thankfully, doesn’t seem to be a bridal industry standard like it was from about 2000-2010, when I was a flower girl in 8 separate weddings).
I also remain neutral on what to do with my hair, so that wasn’t a factor that impacted my dress selection. You’ll find royal brides pretty evenly split between rocking an updo and wearing their hair down. Right now, I’m leaning toward asking my hairstylist for loose waves that can pair well with a tiara, to blend vintage formality with a touch of natural beauty.
As a reward for reading to the end of this newsletter, here are the final four tiara options that went into consideration before choosing my dress. If you’ve watched my recent TikToks, you’ll know that I’ve now narrowed this group down to just two. But just like the dress itself, I’ll be saving the tiara reveal for our wedding day!
I may not always agree with your Royal commentary but am fascinated and excited looking at your ideas and no-no's.
What a rich colour palette for an Autumnal celebration.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you for sharing ! So exciting to ride along with you.