Heather Prime

JUNE 21, 2023 | AVIGNON, FRANCE

The girl in the antique steel blue satin gown.

I met Heather in person 8 months after her wedding. She emailed me on April 9th and her wedding was only two and a half months later, on June 21st. It was a quick turnaround and all of our work together was done virtually, which I typically do not do, but with Heather, it just worked.

We shared a deep love of vintage and I knew that would be the starting point for both inspiration and execution. When she reached out she had already bought a slew of vintage dresses, most of which she didn’t know if she even liked, and was struggling to create a cohesive wedding wardrobe for three days of events.

HEATHER_MATT_WEDDING_035_websize (1).jpg

wine tour

To kick off their wedding weekend, Heather and Matt visited local wineries in Provence with their guests. The attire was noted as ‘snappy casual’ and we loved the idea of a look that was part buttoned up, part effortless. The opposite of try hard. Something that felt properly French. This linen waistcoat by Chloé is one of my favorite iterations of the style. It’s still the most well-tailored vest I’ve seen and suited Heather’s petite frame like it was custom-made. We paired it with a cream Rixo silk skirt, the same color as the buttons on the vest, with a small amount of lace detailing on the hem. Instead of trying to match whites in two different pieces of clothing, just like black there are myriad shades of white, I recommend going for a complementary, tonal color.

For shoes, I sourced a pair of vintage Ferragamo mules with a turquoise blue footbed and marigold-printed scarf from Vintage Martini. They provided the perfect touch of color and comfort for a buzzy afternoon wandering along gravel paths. Celine Triomphe sunglasses to complete.

Shop the Look

rehearsal dinner

Heather and I basically texted every day from the time she signed on as a client. We went round and round on what to do for her rehearsal dinner. We knew we wanted a color, something that would stand out against the ancient stone streets and buildings of Provence. It had to shine in some way, again looking for that juxtaposition from her surroundings. A strong contestant was the third to last look in Tory Burch’s SS23 collection. I pushed for it hard, thinking the mirrored sheath would give us that wow factor, but ultimately we didn’t go for it. She had a pair of lace bridal gloves from her grandma that she wanted to incorporate and it didn’t pair with such a modern silhouette. I’m glad, it wasn’t right.

As if by magic, V.O.D., a fantastic boutique in Dallas, told me they were planning a trunk show with Desert Vintage, my ultimate vintage destination, in their store in Dallas. I had a feeling Salima would bring something perfect for Heather. The unlabeled 1930s steel blue silk gown was what we’d been looking for. To this day it’s the look people ask me about the most.

Everything about it just worked. The condition was flawless and the size was even better. It needed no alterations. To complement that shiny silk, we chose a pair of silver Studio Amelia wishbone heels. Even in a silver, the shoe reads invisible. It pairs perfectly without taking away. Grainne Morton amber cameo drop earrings gave the look some color. The dress came with a matching belt and bolero that she took on and off throughout the night as the temperature dropped.

A nappa leather pouch by Porto is the best bridal accessory and something I introduce almost all of my brides to. The best thing about this look? It’s like it was meant to be worn with grandma’s gloves.

Shop the Look

wedding day

Heather had already decided on her beautiful custom Savannah Miller bridal gown when we began working together, but she needed help styling it. We kept the earrings classic. Pearl drops by Lizzie Fortunado drew the eye without distracting. We went round and round… and round… on shoes. Her dress draped open at the calf revealing her feet so the heels couldn’t be an afterthought. Heather loved the idea of a colored shoe, something not as traditional, and a reception shoe change gave me the best of both worlds. For the ceremony, she wore a Manolo Blahnik crochet mule, and for the reception, she switched into a perfectly playful Blahnik blue floral slingback.

I love sourcing my brides vintage pieces to get in on the wedding day. It’s important to wear clothing that feels special and unique to you - it just gets you in a good mindset! I sourced these antique black grosgrain Natori house shoes for Heather to wear with her nightgown. An outfit that goes from dinner to bed!

The final look of the night was a vintage silvery sequin Bob Mackie gown that Heather sourced before we started together. A perfect, happenstance evolution from the steel blue rehearsal dinner gown that kicked off the weekend. This was the late-night interpretation of that dress. We carried the sequin to the ear with vintage rhinestone earrings and simple Reformation silver platforms. The dress said it all.