Listen, my own wardrobe staples may be sweatshirts and leggings, but even I can appreciate that a custom wedding dress is a work of art.
As a luxury wedding photographer, I have seen firsthand how a designer dress can transform the way a bride moves through her day. The way it shapes each portrait, the way it flows with every movement in every candid moment.
Some wedding dresses are worn. A custom wedding dress, on the other hand, becomes part of the experience.
As for a high-fashion, statement wedding that never loses sight of what truly matters? Now, that’s something truly special… and it’s exactly what Annie and Matt created for their destination wedding in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Annie’s custom wedding dress didn’t just make a statement (and it really did)… it made each and every moment. Her three-piece custom Varca gown became a literal thread in her and Matt’s day as they moved from scene to scene. It was high fashion yet traditional and effortlessly stunning in every frame.
So how do you make a statement without overpowering the heart of your day? Let Annie and Matt show you how it’s done.
Vendors | Ceremony Venue: St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church | Portrait Venue: Yerkes Observatory | Reception Venue: Grand Geneva Resort | Hair: Hair by Amanda Kosiek | Makeup: Blushing Reflections | Custom Wedding Dress: Belle Bridal Atelier | Custom Wedding Dress Designer: Varca Studio | Dress Alterations: The Workroom at Belle Atelier | Videographer: Sureshot Productions | Menswear: Wool and Linen | Band: Hey Jimmy | Florist: Petals n’ Bloom | Bridal Shoes: Christian Louboutin
A Statement Ceremony Look Steeped in Tradition
The moment the doors to St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church opened, warmth poured in. Not from the light filtering through stained glass windows, but from the people who filled the pews. Bridesmaids beaming the whole way down the aisle, hands squeezing shoulders, both mothers embracing Matt— the kind of tenderness that makes a church feel alive… sacred.
At the altar, Matt waited, taking in every detail. The hush before the doors open. The collective held breath of loved ones. The way time slowed.
And then, Annie flowed in. A picture of classic elegance clad in a custom-fit corset, lace turtleneck, and delicate overskirt. It’s like her entire ensemble was handcrafted to honor the gravity of this moment … because it was. A custom wedding dress chosen not just to make a statement but to preserve the reverence of their marriage.
Seeing Matt’s face soften in pure adoration, you could tell it was the first look he had always envisioned—surrounded by family and his bride as radiant as ever. Since getting married myself, these are the moments I truly want my couples to feel, as much as see, later. The ones where you don’t have to rush to the next thing… where love fills the silence, and you are held in it.
Because in the end, styles will fade, trends will change… but your love for each other is what lasts.
And that’s what makes Annie’s custom wedding dress so special. From kneeling at the altar to the ribbon send-off, her Varca gown didn’t just complement the church—it felt like it was always meant to be part of it. Not a departure from tradition but a reflection of it.
How a Handmade Veil Made This Wedding Even More Meaningful
Some wedding details hold weight. Not because of their designer tag (or their stunning chantilly lace details… like honestly, just look at it!) but because of who made them.
Annie’s custom wedding dress sourced from Belle Atelier was high fashion at its finest, but her veil was something even more rare. Handmade by her aunt, it was a piece of her family, stitched into their wedding day… a family heirloom in the making.
And as she and Matt stepped away from the crowd for a quiet moment by Lake Geneva, it got its moment in the most unexpected of ways. The whirlwind of the day softened. The reflection of the water stretched endlessly in front of them. And then— the wind.
Her veil lifted, catching in ways no amount of styling could replicate. It moved with her, effortless and alive. The fabric, delicate but a living presence.
It wasn’t about the gown or the veil alone—it was how they came together. How high fashion and family history didn’t compete but complemented each other.
Because you don’t have to choose one over the other. You CAN have both.
You can walk down the aisle in a couture gown worthy of Vogue and still carry pieces of your family with you—stitched into the fabric, wrapped around your shoulders, present in every frame.
And when you look back at your photos, you won’t simply see their surface level beauty. You’ll feel the depths that give them meaning.
A Portrait Location as Iconic as the Custom Wedding Dress Itself
There are wedding venues, and then there are spaces that make you stop and stare. And Good Lord, if there was ever a place that could take your breath away…
With its dome towers and Romanesque arches, Yerkes Observatory is the kind of place that makes you feel small in the best way.
And when Annie and Matt stepped onto the grounds? Suddenly, the vision fully came to life. Some locations photograph well. Others feel like they were made for the couple standing in them. And Yerkes Observatory? It was made for them.
The delicacy of Annie’s custom wedding dress against the strength of the stone, the way Matt’s custom tux mirrored the venue’s timeless elegance. And then the sheer unbridled happiness of their bridal parties (energy I wholeheartedly encourage by the way).
With the carved archways as our backdrop, we captured everything—their formals, their bridal party, and the details that made their wedding day feel both editorial and natural.
Framing each shot, I understood why Annie and Matt chose this location. Yerkes is full of character, capable of making an already iconic wedding day feel even more timeless.
Just like a certain custom wedding dress.
A Cocktail Hour Look Made for Mingling
With a big, tight-knit family and a guest list to match, the day could have easily felt overwhelming. But instead, it felt intentional. Intimate. Welcoming.
Annie and Matt didn’t rush through the motions; they embraced them. They spent time with the people who shaped them, soaking in every hug, every toast, every shared glance across the room.
As a photographer and former bride who knows what it’s like to crave the space to engage in those moments, that’s exactly what I give you. Your wedding photos should feel like stepping back into fleeting memories you longed to hold onto.
And that doesn’t come from posed perfection, no matter what the Pinterest boards will have you believe. It comes from the in-between. The giggles over cocktails, the affectionate arm touches, the way your dad looks at you when you’re not even paying attention.
And Annie’s custom wedding dress offered the same freedom. As cocktail hour began at Grand Geneva Resort, she revealed her second look.
The statement overskirt was gone, leaving behind a lace look that was sleek, modern, and designed for her to move as one with the energy of the room.
Because that’s what this part of the day is about: Being present, laughing with loved ones… and, if you’re Annie, slipping behind the makeshift bar to hand out beers to your guests.
(And having a dress that lets you look regal while doing it.)
A Reception Wedding Look Designed for the Dance Floor
By the time the reception began, Annie had stepped into her final look of the night.
The turtleneck lace was gone, leaving a sleek, strapless silhouette as refined as her classic slicked-back bun. And with her Louboutins on full display, every detail of her look felt purposeful—timeless, but with a high-fashion edge.
And the setting couldn’t have been better suited for it.
Grand Geneva Resort’s newly remodeled ballroom was glowing—candlelight flickering across white and green florals, the space feeling both intimate and grand.
But the moment that truly stole the night?
Annie and Matt’s first dance.
A fully choreographed routine, danced in front of the people who had been part of their journey from the very beginning. And the best part? The way they smiled through every second of it.
Because when you’re this present, when your dress moves with you rather than holding you back, you don’t just remember your wedding—you live it and your guests live it with you.
The dress had changed, but the sentiment remained the same: this wedding was about more than aesthetics. It was about being fully there, surrounded by love, and stepping into this new chapter with full hearts.
How A Custom Wedding Dress Becomes Part of Your Legacy
A custom wedding dress isn’t worn. It’s felt. It absorbs every hug, twirl, and happy tear into its very stitching.
Some wedding gowns are made to stand out. Others have a way of elevating everything around them—the setting, the ceremony, the human connections.
Annie’s custom wedding dress became part of her and Matt’s legacy by virtue of the love poured into its creation and the way it centered her family, even when in the spotlight.
Chic, but never at the expense of the people who mattered most.
Her dad seeing her for the first time, the flower girls and ring bearer carefully carrying her train, the way the wind gave her handmade veil a life of its own, as if Annie’s aunt herself was wrapping her love around their shoulders.
This was a look designed to be experienced.
Annie and Matt’s wedding is proof that high fashion and heartfelt moments can coexist beautifully.
So, if you’re dreaming of a wedding where your dress forms a piece of your story, I’d love to document it for you—the beauty, the movement, and the legacy.
