From the start, Margaret knew she wanted something different.
“I wasn’t super interested in traditional,” she said. “I just wanted to do something a little more unique to me.”
Margaret discovered NK Bride on TikTok, where a video tour of Nathalie’s Brooklyn studio instantly caught her attention.
“Then I went to NK Bride’s Instagram and loved the look of everything Nathalie was making, but also just the vibes of the studio.”
Wedding dress shopping can often feel overwhelming, but Nathalie’s world felt like the opposite.
“Everything just seemed like such good vibes,” Margaret said.
Their first Zoom sealed it.
“Nathalie immediately understood exactly what I was saying,” she reflected. “Nathalie was open to all my thoughts and ideas from the beginning and would offer insight and advice when I needed it.”
Even from across the country in Seattle, Margaret knew she’d found her designer.
Drama and comfort
The process began with big ideas - structured corsetry, a dramatic skirt, and a hint of color—before narrowing through mood boards and late-night Pinterest sessions.
“I wanted the drama,” she said. “But I still wanted to feel like a bride.”
As her vision evolved, so did the palette.
“We ultimately decided that navy would be the way to go,” she explained. “It would look the best on me and just kind of fit with the other vibes.”
Nathalie sourced deep jewel-tone fabrics from her European suppliers, mailing swatches to Seattle until the perfect navy appeared. Margaret’s husband Jake had a tux made in the same color.
“The whole dress process was so smooth,” she said. “Every conversation, she knew exactly what I meant, and was also on board and super excited about it.”
After numerous Zoom calls and three in-person trips to Brooklyn, Margaret’s navy gown was born.
The final creation was a statement of artistry: an asymmetrical-neckline corset top with a draped peplum flowing over a voluminous two-tier tulle skirt. NK Bride crafted the gown in double-faced duchess satin and fine leo tulle, all in navy. The form-fitting bodice featured a built-in corset and bra cups for flawless structure, while the airy skirt delivered that “big moment” Margaret had envisioned.
The gown’s top and skirt were made as separate pieces that look like a dress when it’s together, making it easier to wear, travel with, and even re-use.
“It felt amazing,” Margaret said of the final fitting. “It felt like a dream, like a fairy tale.”
Best of all, she didn’t have to worry about her dress slipping.
“I think it’s the first strapless thing that I’ve not even thought about after I put it on my body—it fit so, so perfectly.”
The skirt carried all the drama she’d hoped for, without weight or discomfort.
“Jaws were dropping when I was walking down the aisle.”
Love on their terms
Margaret and Jake met more than a decade ago at a college birthday party for a friend and their love grew around a shared sense of independence.
“We’ve been together forever and just were never interested in rushing it. We did it on our timeline, and did it our way,” she said. “That’s how we’ve approached life through our whole relationship. We just do what makes us happy.”
Jake proposed at sunset on Alki Beach in Seattle five years before their wedding.
“He really wanted a place we could go back to with that memory.”
The couple wanted an intimate wedding that was also gorgeous so they decided on The Corson Building, a restaurant-turned-wedding-venue in Seattle known for its lush gardens and extraordinary food.
“It really feels like kind of a secret garden with beautiful greenery,” she said. The space’s old-world charm and dark jewel-tone palette harmonized perfectly with the navy gown.
Dark jewel-toned florals, moody candlelight, and fruit-accented décor tied the fall atmosphere together. Guests arrived in elegant hues under a black-tie dress code—with one simple instruction: don’t wear navy.
A navy dream come true
“I had the absolute best time through the entire process,” Margaret said. “Natalie and Arthur and the whole team just were amazing to work with. This process was so incredibly positive and easy and wonderful.”
Even on the other side of the country, she hopes to work with the NK Bride team again.
“I’ll be looking for any excuse to work with them for anything else in the future.”
