Ahead of Cecilie Bahnsen's tenth anniversary showcase, four brides share why they picked the designer for their big day
If there’s one image from Copenhagen Fashion Week that has stuck in the mind in recent years, it’s from Cecilie Bahnsen’s spring/summer 2020 show, featuring models dressed in pastel, puffed-sleeved dresses, floating down a pier in the Danish capital. Indeed, the designer’s voluminous creations have become a staple among cool girls in Scandinavia and beyond, ever since she emerged on the scene a decade ago.
It’s no surprise, then, that Cecilie Bahnsen has become a go-to for fashion insider brides, beginning with the former model and long-time Scandi muse, Caroline Bille Brahe (née Brasch Nielsen), who wore a custom lace dress by the designer for her canalside wedding back in 2018. After operating on an ad-hoc basis for a number of years, Bahnsen formally launched her made-to-order bridal service in 2024, attracting fans from all around the world. “Some of our prospective brides arrive to fittings with Pinterest boards full of ideas,” she previously told Vogue. “They might fly out to a fitting in Copenhagen with their whole family or their best friend.”
As the brand celebrates its 10th birthday with a special anniversary show in Copenhagen, Vogue speaks to four brides on why Cecilie Bahnsen was the only choice for their wedding day.
Photo: David Gomez-Maestre
Nuria Val, beauty founder
“I chose to wear Cecilie Bahnsen because her designs are everything I love: they’re feminine, light and quietly powerful. The dress felt effortless, like a second skin. I could move freely, be fully present and most importantly, I really felt myself in it. My daughter wore Cecilie too, which made it all the more meaningful – a shared sense of softness and strength between us.”
Photo: Brown Paper Parcel/Jessica Tremp
Cecile Huynh, stylist
“I chose CB for my wedding day because I love the way wearing a Cecilie Bahnsen dress makes me feel. It was important for me to feel like myself, and there’s an ease and effortlessness to her designs that makes me feel comfortable and confident. I chose the Alexa dress as it’s romantic but playful, and it made me smile as soon as I tried it on. I liked that it was light and airy, and easy to move around in.”
Photo: Andreas Bach
Fatimah Gabriella, stylist and creative director
“I’ve followed Cecilie’s work since I first began as a stylist, and her designs and unique aesthetic have always deeply resonated with me. It felt only natural to wear her creations on my wedding day – it was as beautiful to experience as it is to look back on in photos.
“I ended up wearing two dresses: the first, for the ceremony, was long, seamless, and had an elegant, almost ceremonial feel. For the reception, I changed into a shorter version featuring Cecilie’s signature voluminous puff sleeves and beautiful drape. I styled it with a pair of trousers from MKDT and a Moncler jacket – elements that made the look truly my own.”
Photo: Harper Pictures
Ella Riley-Adams, writer and editor
“I loved the romantic details of this set – the thin straps and ties in the back, the floral stitching, the scalloped edges – and that it was comfortable. It was like I got to spend my wedding wrapped in an airy quilt. For the courthouse, and dancing later in the night, I wore a shorter crinkled dress, also by Cecilie Bahnsen, that made me feel bouncy. My hope was to wear all my wedding pieces again. So far the short dress has been to a party at Grand Central Oyster Bar and I layered the top over a turtleneck for a New Year’s concert at Madison Square Garden.”
Originally published on British Vogue