NYBFW
Spring 2025
New York Bridal Fashion Week, often abbreviated as NYBFW, happens twice a year in New York City typically in April and October. Just like the popular New York Fashion Week (NYFW), designers and brands use this time to share their new collections and latest trends for their respective upcoming bridal seasons.
In this case, I attended NYBFW Spring 2025 as a wedding photographer, which took place during the first week of April: 04/01/24 - 04/04/24 in New York City.
Here I’ll go over the brands and shows that took place, which ones I actually attended to, how I got passes to the shows, and my opinion of the shows, dresses and trends.
nybfw - the Bridal shows
These are the major designers / brands that had shows during New York Bridal Fashion Week (in no specific order). Disclaimer, this list could be missing some independently produced shows. Most of these had scheduled show times, like Galia Lahav, while others like Berta were appointment based.
GALIA LAHAV
ITUWA
SOUCY
KYHA
MARKARIAN
REEM ACRA
MONIQUE LHUILLIER
EVAN HIRSCH
INES DI SANTO
JUSTIN ALEXANDER
MARIA ELENA HEADPIECES
LIHI HOD
CLAIRE PETTIBONE
JULIE VINO
IDAN COHEN
NADIA MANJARREZ
NARDOS DESIGN
BRONX AND BANCO
BERTA
ANNE BARGE
FRANCESCA MIRANDA
YELLOW BY SAHAR
SCORCESA X LOUVIENNE
LEIN
EVE OF MILADY
MIRA ZWILLINGER
NORDEEN
HONOR BRIDAL
WONA CONCEPT & EVA LENDEL
HALFPENNY LONDON
JENNY YOO
CINQ BRIDAL
KATHERINE TASH
ANDREW KWON
ESÉ AZÉNABOR
nybfw - getting in
Attending Bridal Fashion Week was always on the back of my mind but I never really took action. Two weeks before the shows, I randomly scrolled past a post about NYBFW and decided this year I had to go, but obviously there wasn’t much time left.
I started by searching what designers / brands were going to attend NYBFW. Thankfully, I found a list of most of the shows and dates, and went to instagram to direct message those whose shows were on days I could attend. I expressed who I was and my desire to attend their show to which most of these replied with a PR email address, some didn’t reply on time to make it, and others never read the message.
I then drafted a new message reintroducing myself, my business and what I could offer if I were to attend their show, then emailed it to the PR teams. I emphasized my passion for content creation and assured them that I would share the event through my platforms as well as let them use my content for themselves if needed. Within a couple days, I could not believe I had received invitations for Berta, Galia Lahav, Anne Barge, Soucy, Ituwa, and a couple others that unfortunately I could not attend to.
nybfw - my experience
WEDNESDAY
(04/03/24)
Anne Barge
Soucy
Ituwa
Berta
9am
10am
11am
By Appt.
THURSDAY
(04/04/24)
Galia Lava
11am
I arrived in New York early on Tuesday (04/02/24) to have ample time to unpack, iron my outfits and prep my equipment. It’s important to note that Bridal Fashion Week primarily consists of showrooms and collection previews rather than formal runways. While I’d say it’s essential to dress presentably, the events themselves are not overly formal. Obviously keeping in mind, that this is a major networking event.
I opted for a smaller crossbody bag with just enough space for my Canon R5, RF 50mm 1.2 lens, and a flash. Instead of my usual harness, I took a wrist strap to hold my camera. This is what worked for me, but every show had space to place your backpacks if you choose to bring one.
Wednesday (04/03/24). Anne Barge, Soucy, and Ituwa’s shows were all at the Plaza Hotel in the Upper East Side. All three of these were done in suite rooms that served for the best shots of the models wearing the gorgeous dresses. I was glad to see the rooms were not too similar to each other, and they had different set ups. From there I Uber’ed to Berta’s store in SoHo. Their store had more of a runway setup for the models to showcase the dresses and the store was more spacious.
Thursday (04/04/24). The last show I had was Galia Lahav at their store in SoHo. Their show was split in two sections, one in the dressing room and one in a bit of a runway setup, accompanied by a champagne bar, cheese table and snacks, goodie bags, and a DJ.
Overall the experience itself was very thrilling and exciting. I enjoyed meeting other wedding photographers and networking with the brands. Everyone was very welcoming and overall understanding that we were all there to photograph and make content, rather than being competitive.
nybfw - the fashion
Here we are, the fashion. Of course we have to talk about the beautiful gowns. They were all truly spectacular and sure enough setting trends for Spring 2025. The following are the predominant trends from my experience and personal opinion:
Bows: With the coquette era taking over the world, this one wasn’t a surprise at all.
Statement Sleeves: My favorite trend, from unique to more traditional, they were all absolutely stunning and added just the right amount of drama.
Slits: I personally thought slits were fading but from what I saw in the shows, they’re very much in for Spring 2025.
Drop Waist: We’ve seen these silhouettes over the years but it seems as this time they’re taking the main stage.
Lace: I was surprised by the amount of lace detailing. My favorites were the lace flower details that added both texture and movement to the gowns.
NYBFW - that’s a wrap
Thank you to everyone that made this happen for me, and for delivering these stellar shows. For more pictures and videos of Bridal Fashion Week Spring 2025 check my instagram account.
See you next year Bridal Fashion Week.