A Blue Wedding Gown: A Unique Twist

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In a departure from tradition, Alemany, the bride, wore a blue wedding dress for her summer wedding to Jake Levine, a special assistant to President Joe Biden. She worked with designer Mark Ingram to select the perfect shade of blue and the correct fabric, drawing inspiration from Fellini’s Juliet of the Spirits and Alice in Wonderland. Alemany's decision to wear blue was driven by her desire to create a joyful and whimsical atmosphere for her wedding, and she successfully pulled off this unique look, pairing her gown with a small veil and her mother's diamond earrings.

Characteristics Values
Bride's Name Alemany
Groom's Name Jake Levine
Wedding Dress Designer Mark Ingram
Wedding Dress Colour Blue
Veil Colour White
Wedding Location Montauk

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Blue wedding dress: breaking tradition

For many, a wedding dress is a key element in achieving their vision for their wedding day. While white wedding dresses are traditional, some brides are choosing to break with tradition and wear a dress that reflects their personality and style. One bride, Alemany, who is featured in Vogue, chose to wear a blue wedding dress for her summer wedding to Jake Levine, a special assistant to President Joe Biden.

Alemany's decision to wear a blue wedding dress was influenced by her desire to create a "joyful and whimsical" atmosphere for her wedding. She wanted her dress to be a playful and colourful statement piece that would anchor the transportive kaleidoscope of colour that she and her husband-to-be envisioned for their special day.

Alemany's journey to finding the perfect blue wedding dress was not without challenges. She made multiple fruitless trips to bridal stores in New York and experimented with different shades of dusty blue and pink tulle before finding her dream dress. She was reminded of Mark Ingram's designs when she saw the wedding of a friend and former classmate, Alexa Buckley, featured in Vogue.

Alemany reached out to Ingram and worked hand in hand with him to select the correct fabric and perfect shade of blue. They flew in samples from manufacturers in Italy until they found the ideal one. Alemany drew inspiration from Fellini's Juliet of the Spirits (1956) and the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland for her dress.

On her wedding day, Alemany stepped out barefoot in a sky-blue tiered strapless dress with a small veil embroidered with sequin hydrangeas pinned to the back of her hair. She even incorporated classic bridal elements, such as her mother's diamond earrings and a pair of white Khaite sunglasses. Alemany's unique and playful choice of a blue wedding dress helped create the joyful and whimsical atmosphere she and her husband had envisioned for their special day.

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Choosing the right shade of blue

Blue is a versatile and complementary colour, with a wide range of shades to choose from. When choosing the right shade of blue for a wedding dress, there are a few things to consider, from the season and setting to the style and formality of the event.

For spring and summer weddings, light blues, dusty blues, and soft periwinkles are perfect as they reflect the seasonal brightness and breeziness. These shades are also ideal for daytime, beach, or garden weddings, as they feel more appropriate and relaxed. A blue floral print adds a soft and playful touch, perfect for outdoor celebrations.

For fall and winter weddings, deeper tones like navy or royal blue are more seasonally appropriate. A formal navy blue gown is a timeless and refined option for any formal evening event, especially black-tie weddings. For cocktail or semi-formal weddings, a sleek blue midi dress in luxe fabrics like satin fits the bill.

It's also important to consider your skin tone and the overall complexion you want to achieve. If you have warm undertones, cooler and neutral colours like blues with a purple tint will complement your skin. If you have cool undertones, shades like soft blues, mint, and lilac will suit you best.

Ultimately, the choice of blue should reflect the bride's personality and style. Whether it's a dreamy dusty blue tulle ball gown or a crisp royal blue number, there is a shade of blue for every bride to feel bold, confident, and comfortable.

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The search for the perfect fabric

For Alemany, the bride featured in Vogue, the decision to work with designer Mark Ingram was a serendipitous one. After multiple unproductive trips to bridal stores in New York, she recalled Ingram's designs and his enthusiasm for creating a blue wedding dress.

Alemany and Ingram collaborated closely to select the ideal fabric and shade of blue for her gown. This process involved experimenting with different shades of blue and pink tulle to find the perfect hue. They sourced fabric samples from manufacturers in Italy, ensuring that the final dress embodied Alemany's whimsical and playful vision for her wedding.

The final result was a sky-blue, tiered, strapless dress, which Alemany paired with a small veil embroidered with sequined hydrangeas. She also incorporated classic bridal elements, such as her mother's diamond earrings and a pair of white Khaite sunglasses, creating a unique and personal look for her special day.

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The bride's only regret

She chose a blue wedding dress, which she felt was "playful" and "transportive", and a far cry from the traditional bridal look. She worked with designer Mark Ingram to select the perfect shade of blue and fabric for her gown. Alemany's inspiration came from Fellini’s dreamlike 1956 epic Juliet of the Spirits and the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland.

Alemany did try on some classic white dresses to appease her grandmother, and although she felt tempted by the traditional look, she stayed true to her original vision. She even swapped her blue gown for a white dress later in the evening for a Dirty Dancing recreation with her husband. However, she wishes she had stayed in her blue dress for longer, a unique and bold choice that she felt truly represented her.

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A colourful wedding theme

Planning a wedding with a colourful theme? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Choosing a Colour Scheme

The colour scheme you choose will help create a cohesive look for your wedding. It's a good idea to select your colours early on, as this will guide your decisions about décor, attire, flowers, and more. You can draw inspiration from your personal preferences, the season, and the location of your wedding. For example, a late summer or fall celebration could feature warm colours like mauve, tan, navy, maroon, and cream. A spring wedding could incorporate colours like purple, peach, green, and pink, while a summer wedding could be an opportunity to experiment with cheerful colours like salmon. If you're getting married by the water, you might take inspiration from the ocean and use different shades of blue with white and green accents.

The Wedding Dress

If you want to wear a colourful wedding dress, you can choose a colour that matches your theme or your favourite colour. If your wedding features a lot of greenery, for instance, you could wear a rosy pink dress. Or, if your wedding is in the summer with pops of orange and yellow, a deep blue dress could be a perfect choice. If you want to stick to a traditional white dress, colourful flowers or a statement veil can help your outfit stand out.

Flowers and Centrepieces

Flowers are a great way to bring colour to your wedding. You can mix and match your favourite flowers and add some greenery to create a colourful bouquet. For the ceremony, elaborate floral arches or altars can make a statement, while centrepieces with bright blooms can be a beautiful focal point for your reception tables. If you're having a rustic vineyard wedding, you could decorate the tables with purple flowers and greenery, and even incorporate purple fruits like grapes, figs, or plums.

Attire and Bridesmaids

If you want to add more colour to the wedding party, you can opt for colourful bridesmaid dresses. You could choose sorbet shades, pastel hues, or bold colours. To make it easier, you can let your bridesmaids pick their own dresses within a range of shades that you select. You and your partner could also consider coordinating your outfits in different colours instead of the traditional black and white.

Photography

Don't forget to consider how your colour choices will look in your wedding photos. You can suggest specific locations that will bring your love to life through your wedding photography. Bold photo backdrops can also enhance your pictures.

Frequently asked questions

The bride, Alemany, wanted to achieve a "joyful and whimsical" atmosphere at her wedding and felt that a colourful dress would help to achieve this vision.

Alemany did try on a few classic white dresses to appease her grandmother, but ultimately decided to stick to her playful vision.

Alemany's dress was a sky-blue tiered strapless gown, with a small veil embroidered with sequin hydrangeas. She also wore her mother's diamond earrings and a pair of white Khaite sunglasses.

No, Alemany changed into a classic white sequined dress later in the evening so that her husband could lift her up for a Dirty Dancing recreation.

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