When we think of the ideal wedding dress, we think of something white, perhaps a train and some embellishments. Forget the grand, puffy, princess wedding gowns, this Brooklyn stylist dared to do something different on her special day.
Claudia Cifu married advertising executive Niclas Kristiansson and decided to wear denim jeans to her wedding. “I knew I didn’t want to wear anything white. I wanted the outfit to feel very me”, explains Claudia. Her laid-back outfit choice also reflected the relaxed vibe of her wedding venue, City Hall in New York.
This couple certainly don’t have the typical nor conventional love story like most couples. Their story began all on social media, surprise surprise! “We met two years ago after I planned a soul-searching trip to Panama. I put a posting up on Facebook to rent out my New York City apartment while my roommate and I were out of town, and an old acquaintance from Finland responded that she knew another Finnish person looking for somewhere to stay in New York,” Claudia explained to Vogue. From there, the two were inseparable and several months later, Niclas knew Claudia was the one and decided to propose to her.
Claudia was tagging along with a friend to a vintage trade store where she stumbled upon a cream, floor length, lace dress. However, Claudia put her own spin on it and added some DIY touches, making it something original and authentic. “The straight silk dress look wasn’t me, so I ended up cutting and sewing it into a top, with the lace draping in the front and back”.
Now that half of her bridal look was complete, she had one decision to make, which was, what bottoms was she going to wear? “I knew what style I wanted them to be: not too tight but comfy, not too torn but not too fresh and polished either”. After digging through all her jeans, she found the perfect pair. She tied her unconventional bridal look together with a bold lip and some Dries Van Noten brocade heels.
“It was perfect, and I think that most important thing was that I felt so comfortable in it. I felt very me. I guess I could look back 30 years from now and say ‘Oh, God, what was I wearing?’ But it won’t matter, because I’ll remember how great I felt” explains Claudia.
This is certainly a bridal look that we will never forget as Claudia has paved the way for other brides who dare to be creative and do something a little unusual.
Congratulations to Claudia and Niclas!
Written By: Alessandra Fasanella