The Dress With Elle McPherson-Yoon

Finding the perfect wedding dress is a huge part of planning for the big day. In our new series, Elle McPherson-Yoon shares their journey to finding ‘The One’

Elle McPherson-Yoon, 32, is Assistant Registrar at The Royal Academy of Music. She has devoted her career to the arts and spends her spare time supporting philanthropic endeavors in the arts and culture sector. Elle is Young Patrons Co-Chair of charity Art History Link-Up and a Young Patron of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Angus Tweedie, 38, is SVP Strategy and Logistics of an American logistics company.

We met in 2017, in Venice, Italy, at a party hosted by our mutual friend Angèle Donà dalle Rose, designer of the eveningwear label Angie Power London (@angiepower.london) We wed on a sunny October Saturday, at Crathie Kirk, a Gothic Revival church in Ballater, Braemar. We hosted our reception nearby at The Fife Arms, Braemar, which combined our shared Scottish ancestry with my studies in Art History.

THE JOURNEY:

After having seen a photo of the 2017 Viktor & Rolf Diagonal Cut Tulle Gown online, I tracked down a sample in my size and had it shipped to me directly, sight unseen. It arrived in a brown UPS box! I felt it was a modern take on the 90’s wedding dresses I grew up admiring and I knew it was the one.

THE VISION:

I have an early childhood memory of being a flower girl for a beautiful bride in a ball gown. I think from that moment it was always going to be a ball gown.

THE DECISION:

I found it fun! My only regret is that I couldn’t share the moment with close girlfriends because of Covid restrictions. When the reality hit that our wedding would be scaled down to a party of 20, I also momentarily considered downsizing my wedding gown. Ultimately, I loved it too much to let it sit in my closet.

THE STYLE SUPPORT:

I relied on my own instinct and most importantly, my mother’s opinion! She was a runway model in the 80’s and we have a very close relationship and similar tastes.

THE EVENING LOOK:

I had anticipated wanting to change into a party dress in the evening and, when our wedding became a micro-wedding, it made even more sense to change into a dress which would reflect the smaller scale and venue of our reception. Emilia Wickstead’s Cruz Mini Dress was the perfect fit. I loved the irreverence and joy of the oversized bow, and the black and white palette which reminded me of Truman Capote’s infamous ball.

THE ACCESSORIES:

As the gown was, itself, a guest at the wedding, I kept accessories to a minimum. The drop earrings were sentimental and family owned, and the English net veil was by an independent Canadian company; Noon on The Moon. My favourite accessories, however, were removable sleeves my seamstress and I had designed together, for the ceremony. I paired the Emilia Wickstead mini dress with an Olympia Le-Tan clutch emblazoned with the words “The Art of Happy Marriage” and wore Aquazzura heels with both dresses.

ADVICE FOR BRIDES:

After the wedding, consider donating or selling your dress on consignment. I’m so glad to know mine has had a life past my wedding and that it has made someone else feel beautiful.