There are so many opinions expressed when a couple decides to have a court house wedding;

“ Is she pregnant?”

“Well it should be, this is her second marriage you know”

“ Oh, they must not be able to afford a big wedding”

“ Good for them, save the money and buy a house”

“ Aww they must be really in love”

“ How Bold!”

Hi! I’m Sadia, fashion and bridal stylist. Whatever your reason is to have a court house wedding, you do not have to compromise your style. As a professional stylist, I have a few tips about choosing your look:

1. Scout your location

First thing you should do is make a trip to your local City Hall or County Clerks office, whatever they call it in your city, and scout the lobby area and the surrounding areas of the building for photo opportunities. This can help determine the look you might go for. If neither area is great for photos, choose a photo location (your photographer can also help) and this will give you more freedom to choose your look. Now you can determine which category you fall into and pairs well with your proposed photo location: Traditional, Boho, Romantic, Modern, Edgy or Glam.

2. pick your outfit length

Next decide what length do you want your dress to be: short, midi or long? Or do you want to wear a jumpsuit or suit? Are you keeping with tradition and wearing white or opting for a color? So many things to decide! A detail that is usually missed is what is the style of your future spouse? The goal is to blend your styles together to create a magical look for the day. I always say, your partner is your best accessory! Make sure they compliment your look.

3. Decide on budget

We are saving money on the ceremony, yes? So, what are you spending on your clothes, shoes, accessories and bouquet? Are we on a budget or going all out?

4. be true to you

Finally, always stay true to your style, who you are daily. This is not the time to be someone else and wear a “costume”. Your wedding look should be a direct reflection of who you already are! The photos will last forever so make sure you will recognize yourself.

I’ve gathered a few images that represent the styles I’ve mentioned above. Where does your style fall or is it a combination?

Traditional: Satin, classic timeless, feminine

Boho: lace, slip dress, effortless

Romantic: Tulle, lace, ballgown, bows

Modern: Sleek, sophisticated, structured

Edgy: color, unconventional, pant suits, tuxedos, jumpsuits, non-traditional

Glam: Shiny, feathers, sexy silhouettes, drama, beading

If you ever need help shopping for your wedding day look or simply want to have a wedding gown expert be with you on your wedding day (Day of Wedding service) stop by my website www.idoidoidony.com and I’d be happy to speak with you! Be sure to follow me on Instagram @sadiaseymour.

Happy Planning!

Sadia Seymour, Author

Since she was 8 years old, Sadia had the fashion bug. While also a stylist, she is currently an instructor at FIT (her alma mater). The New York native empowers students to follow their fashion dreams and you’ll probably find her busting out her dance moves backstage

The dress (or jumpsuit), jewelry, your mom's veil that you've loved for forever…and don't forget shoes! Styling your wedding look, or for the other wedding events, can be overwhelming (hello wedding planning) and sometimes you need a starting point. Lucky for you we have professional fashion stylist, Yoko, here giving all the tips to help make your special outfit as unique as you are.

How to start building your wedding look:

Your main outfit is #1 (dress, jumpsuit, etc). After that should be the veil (if you’re choosing to wear one) as the dress and veil go hand in hand. Determining if you’re wearing a veil will help you in deciding your other accessories. As a general rule of thumb, the jewelry style should match the dress. Example: if your dress has pearls on it and no crystals/rhinestones, then skip the diamond earrings and go for pearls or simple metal pieces

Speaking of veils:

If you choose to have a veil or cape, think of it as an enhancement to your style on the big day. This means picking something that compliments the vibes of your dress without overshadowing it. Also, consider your hair style since that will determine where the veil will start or what part of your cape/dress will show (it would be a shame for a gorgeous, detailed back to be covered by long hair). Try on as many different veil styles as you need to see what works best with your dress (pro tip: if you’re choose a long veil, make sure it extends past the train of the dress). Cape vs veil? Definitely pick one or the other, wearing both doesn’t work well together.

Get personal with your style:

It’s always fun to add your own personal flare on your special day (I mean, this day is about you). This can come in many forms but a few examples would be hats, statement jewelry, choosing a jumpsuit or mini dress instead of the traditionally long dress, fun sunglasses, or going for sneakers or flats instead of heels. And feel free to custom these things too, like getting your name down the back of the shoes, initials as earrings, or a quote across the veil (Hailey Bieber style).

Peep the examples below!

Maybe you don’t want ALL the things:

And that’s ok! If you get easily overwhelmed by accessories (or just don’t like them in general) the best thing to do is base your pieces around the dress. Most importantly, the neckline. Understanding the style of the dress is really helpful and can be a natural guide to balancing out your look to prevent everything from clashing. The diagram below is my favorite!

For the minimalists:

It’s all about the details. Choose shapes and clean lines that are flattering and make you feel your best. It’s fine to have some embellishments that you want to stand out! Perhaps it’s a bow detail, a veil, or a cape. For accessories and shoes, pick something classy and comfortable since you’re going to have everything on for the better portion of the day! The shoes can also be your statement piece, but you don’t have to go too minimal. Have some fun! If something like a tiara or headband is something you’ve always admired, go for it

For the maximalists:

For the bride that’s more “extra”, the key is figuring out which piece is the one thing you want to stand out most, then build everything else around that. For example the dress: is it the silhouette? The sparkle? The intricate beading or lace? Maybe you want a clean dress and the accessories are the statement. It could be anything, but make sure there’s a good balance

If you’re wearing an heirloom piece:

Find ways to incorporate the piece into your wedding look (instead of building everything else around that piece) works best for many people. Especially as heirlooms can come in so many different forms. If it’s a gown you can have it restored or use just a few pieces from it. If it’s jewelry you can choose a gown with a neckline that will make it stand out properly, or you can decorate your bouquet with it! If it’s a shawl/shrug, wearing a more simple gown would compliment it beautifully. Another idea is to incorporate the heirloom into one of your other looks like for the rehearsal dinner or day-after brunch

Yes, you can have a stylist on your wedding day:

You can have a stylist help you from the start of the process, all the way to the big day. They will accompany you to every wedding salon appointment and help select the perfect gown and accessories. They’ll can be with you on the day of too, or hire them for just the wedding day only. A day-of stylist will be there to steam, bustle, and save the day from any fashion emergencies (believe me it happens). Similar to a stylist at a photoshoot, we’ll be there to assist through out photo time, holding your train so it stays in pristine condition for the ceremony, and ensuring you look picture perfect. You should feel like you’re being taken care of and catered to for the entire day

Yoko has worked as a stylist on some amazing campaigns with big fashion brands, celebrities, and editorial shoots. Her content is definitely something that will liven up your social media feed so be sure to follow her on Instagram @iamyoko.j and click here to check out her website.

Yoko J, Author

Yoko is a fashion stylist born and raised in Philadelphia, but you might as well call her a New Yorker. Starting out in the industry as a model, she realized she loved styling more. When she’s not running from photoshoot to photoshoot, you’ll catch her in a pair of converses binge watching anime with her cat, Mina.