Wedding updos: The classic chignon

If you’re considering trialling one of the many different styles of wedding updos, don’t forget to try the classic chignon. We think it was the perfect choice for our bride Danielle when she walked down the aisle in a light-as-air wedding gown and full veil.



Danielle wed her beau, Chris, at Church of Saint Ignatius Loyola on Park Avenue.

“As the doors of the church opened, I could see Chris waiting for me at the end of the aisle with a look of happiness I have never seen before,” says Danielle. “At the same time, the other most important man in my life, my dad, walked me down the aisle past all of the people we love in our life together, and brought me to my husband.


Then they moved on to the reception at The Loeb Boathouse, Central Park. Danielle’s gown was by Anne Barge from Kleinfeld, and Lenox Hill Florist took care of the flowers. These stunning photos are by Brian Dorsey Studios.










Danielle and Chris met in NYC when a mutual friend invited them both out to dinner, where they immediately hit it off. A few years later, Chris planned a weekend in Napa Valley, California, as a surprise birthday gift for Danielle, and the two visited their favorite vineyard from a previous trip to Napa. “Chris found a quiet spot in the vineyard to give me my birthday card,” recalls Danielle. “He wrote the most beautiful card about our relationship and how much I meant to him, and when I finished reading the card, I looked up and he was down on one knee, asking me to marry him. The rest of the trip was spent celebrating…with plenty of wine. For our honeymoon, we stopped in Napa on our way to Hawaii so that we could stop at that vineyard where Chris proposed, which is now a very special place for us.”

Once Upon A Bride styles for Kleinfeld, the premier bridal gown salon


We feel so honored! The legendary New York bridal gown salon Kleinfeld asked Once Upon A Bride to style hair and makeup for their latest shoot showcasing this season’s gowns. We loved every minute of creating beautiful looks to complement the work of the top designers across the United States and Europe.

Kleinfeld, now a household name because of Say Yes to the Dress, has been a top name in the bridal world for decades. It’s no wonder they sell more designer bridal gowns than any other store on earth — they are just so professional, have a huge selection of gowns, and the owners, Ronnie and Mara, really do treat their brides like family.

Their Chelsea salon takes up over 30,000 square feet, and it’s filled with stunning gowns, shoes, and accessories. And to make sure your gown looks perfect on you, they have 200 staff, including bridal consultants, custom fitters, sewers, beaders, embroiderers and pressers.