Designer Erin Fetherston and musician Gabe Saporta’s wedding last spring was the epitome of a fairy tale affair—and we have the photos to prove it. As she’s known for a design aesthetic that’s rooted in romance and whimsy, we weren’t surprised by the gorgeousness of the event, but we were amazed to hear that she and her fiancé pulled it all together in a mere six months!
Held at St. Nicholas Abbey—a Jacobean mansion at a rum distillery in Barbados—Fetherston got the best of two worlds: the lush landscaping of the English countryside and the warm, tropical weather of a Caribbean island. Fetherston describes the property as a truly magical place with “beautiful, formal English gardens in the front yard, a lush gully of 100-foot tall trees in back.” As she tells it, even the drive to the site, with views of rolling fields of sugar cane, was incredible.
In fact, it was the landscape that ultimately influenced the design of her dress. Originally, Fetherston says, she didn’t want a dress with a lot of volume. “I was thinking I would have a very flowing dress, maybe with a long train. I wasn’t thinking about anything structured.” But after studying a lot of photos of the venue, she realized the importance of connecting the environment and the dress.
While Fetherston’s design was part of creating a fully realized experience, and although the English garden-style wedding inspired a specific style of gown, she emphasizes that every bride should have her own approach. If the dress is the first consideration, “choose a venue that goes with the dress,” she advises.
Fetherston created a gorgeous, uniform aesthetic by always keeping her concept and the big picture in mind. One of the ways she achieved this was deciding on a color palette—not just for the decor, but her guests as well. “Instead of giving people a dress code, I gave them a color code for the wedding and for other surrounding events.” She describes how a harmonious color palette made the experience feel really special—and resulted in beautiful photos. But her unique approach didn’t stop with a color code.
In lieu of having official bridesmaids, she dressed every female guest in Erin Fetherston. “It was like the bridal party had no boundaries,” she says. Fetherston dived into her archives, pulling every dress that fit her chosen palette, and then invited her girlfriends to come choose their dresses. Looking back through her past collections, reflecting on her years as a designer and being married while surrounded by friends all wearing her designs gave even greater meaning to her wedding.
With so much care and consideration given to every little detail, the results were truly spectacular. Thank you, Erin, for sharing your magical moments and beautiful day with The Wedding Suite Blog!
Find Erin Fetherston dresses and intimate apparel online and in our Wedding Suites. We’re excited to announce that even more Fetherston designs (exclusive to Nordstrom!) will be arriving this September.
