Hayley Paige is our new girl crush for a number of reasons. She’s super talented, has a great sense of style (not a surprise) and she’s an absolute doll! We had the pleasure of chatting with Hayley moments before her fashion show. We got into all of the sweet details about how her and Danny met, their cutesy wedding and her gorgeous, GORGEOUS gowns in our exclusive interview. Big thanks to Now & Forever Bridal Boutique and Two Be Wed for a fabulous event! P.S. You can see more gorgeous gowns at the I Do! Soiree on Thursday, February 4. Get your tickets now before they’re gone!
Weddings in Houston: Give us all the juicy deets about how you met Danny!
Hayley Paige: Oh my goodness! So many. Well, it was definitely a set-up. My father had a best friend who was a golfer and Danny golfed at Brown University. They got to know each other very well, and my dad totally approved. He said, “Whenever you’re ready for your husband, let me know because I have this great guy in mind.” Sure enough, after dating around in NYC for a couple of years, I was ready for a set-up. It was long distance for a bit and it really came in HOT!
WIH: How long after dating did he propose? When did you know he was the one?
HP: Oh, immediately. It was love at first text—so our generation. We got engaged after two months of dating and were married a year later.
WIH: We know designing wedding gowns AND planning your own wedding is tough. How did you do it?
HP: They actually went hand in hand. The only difference was my personal perspective. It was a little bit more daunting, but the celebratory platform was a great way to go over the top and have fun with it.
WIH: What vision did you have while creating your own wedding dress? What was your thought process and inspiration?
HP: The design process looked similar to how it does every season with a collection. For the wedding, I considered each setting (a daytime church ceremony, an outdoor reception in the evening and a BIG dance party afterward), the different environments that I was going to be in and a few thematic principles I could have fun with.
WIH: Tell us about your wedding theme and favorite moments.
HP: For a while, I was calling my wedding theme “Whiskey in a Teacup.” We ended up focusing more on our personalities to plan our wedding, so there were a lot of out-of-the-box moments. A blue unicorn made an appearance (for the record, we used a rescue horse and non-toxic chemicals, and we donated it to a children’s hospital after the wedding). We got married on 7/11 so we had 7/11 Margarita Slurpies for our signature cocktail, and we had a giant neon sign that said “Scaramouche, Scaramouche, Will You Do The Fandango” from Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ on the dance floor!
WIH: What’s your personal favorite wedding trend for 2016?
HP: Shades of champagne is an illusion that makes a dress look like it’s floating on your body. The look is both alluring yet traditional. Sleeves are coming back, but with the illusion under layer, the style is sexy, fun and fresh. I think of it as an ode to tradition.
WIH: Can you give us a hint of what to expect for your next collection?
HP: More beautiful dresses! I had a lot of fun, iridescent and floating embellishments last season, so I’d love to carry that on into the new collection. Definitely more color as well.
WIH: What’s the one piece of advice you would give to a bride choosing her wedding dress?
HP: My motto lately has been, “When in doubt, go all out!” Some brides come in wondering if they’ll still like their dress in 30 years. Who cares! Be of the moment and have the time of your life. It’s your red carpet moment. You do you!
