Long Live Something Borrowed

On my dress rehearsal skirt

You’d think, considering all the traditions I ignored or intentionally inverted with my wedding, that I’d ignore the classic adage: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. But in a way, the phrase became a comforting mantra as I pieced together a wedding that felt like me and my partner.

I promise, things will get less sappy.

The TLDR is this. We met on Hinge in May of 2020. I was alone, grieving, and incredibly hopeless. He was living in New Jersey, thoughtful, and very darling. Phone call, then video call, then a weird will they won’t they wear masks the entire date moment. Then soulmates. We moved in a little over a year later, were engaged by Christmas, and got married last week.

Husband leak!

While the questions of what our wedding would look like seemed to evolve, I knew what I wanted to wear out of the gate. Instead of feeling the pressure to be the best dressed I would ever be, I opted for a theme. My favorite bridal era has always been the 60s. I love The Graduate. Sharon Tate’s dress is imprinted on me. I think of Priscilla Presley’s wedding look as the pinnacle of chic.

My mother-in-law, a very chic woman herself, was also married in New York. She was working in magazines at the time, and had a dress designed by Vera Wang. Not just any dress, but a tight top that gave into a buoyant tulle layer, capped off by what my father-in-law affectionately referred to as “a propeller,” otherwise known as a massive bow that sat at the back of her tiny waist. Dreamy.

A regular scene: Jane and I giggling, Christian darting in the opposite direction.

An afternoon of dress up in New Jersey, and it was clear the dress was too small for me. But the bow, which came right off, sparked something in both me and my mother-in-law. Her name’s Jane, so let’s drop all the hyphens. Jane said, “Here, take it, honestly,” and I did. In my head, I thought of a skirt I’d coveted for years from the brand Bernadette. I hugged Jane, tucking the bow, which seemed to grow by the minute, into my bag, and headed back to New York.

Quite Barney-esque, but here’s the inspo.

First, to find a skirt that would match the bow’s very specific shade of ivory. Not to be that bride, but it wasn’t simply white. I shot from the hip, trusting the very eBay instincts that were the impetus for this newsletter, and ordered a vintage Chanel skirt.

The fit was ok, but never fear. I brought both pieces to my beloved tailor, Ramon, and let him work his magic. He took in the waist, shortened the skirt, and attached hooks to the top of the bow for an easy on-and-off from the waist. The skirt, after an hour of very appreciated steaming from a bridesmaid, was ready.

Sharon Tate in Italy

I knew I couldn’t pair the new piece with white, because, again, both pieces were ivory. I put off styling the rest of the look until the night before. I opted for black boots and a black Wolford bodysuit, which felt very Sharon Tate to me. I kept my hair simple, to really drive home the 60s of it all.

In the end, I felt totally like myself, pulled together, and comforted to be wearing a piece of my (new) family history.

The final look!

Honorable Mentions

Sorrow and Bliss—I don’t know HOW I missed this book when it came out, but hear me out. This is the book you want to be cuddled up with after Thanksgiving dinner. It’s moving, incredibly f-ing moving, and hilariously written.

I’m slowing unwrapping, and writing thank yous, for the influx of generous registry gifts we received. The first MVP is this very sleek label maker that both Christian and I have been obsessively using. Marital bliss!

Thank you so much for reading. Recently, I wrote about (very fittingly) gifts for mother-in-laws for PEOPLE. See you next, next Thursday! x