Claudia Sulewski's Final Oscar de la Renta Fittings: Four Looks for One Wedding Weekend

With her are her mother, Beata Krupinska-Sulewski, and her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Maggie Baird. Maggie says they are thrilled to be included and have been "dying to see you in the dress." Beata says they feel "so blessed." Two close friends, Rebecca Black and Dru MacDonald, arrive later.

The Rehearsal Dinner Dress

Claudia opens with the rehearsal dinner look. At first she isn't sure which way to face or "what to do with myself." The group responds right away: one person says she looks "like a sculpture," and another jokes that she'll have to find reasons to turn around. Claudia says the dress makes her feel "so womanly," as well as classy, beautiful and comfortable. Someone describes the fabric as being "like liquid."

The fitting still turns up a few small changes. The team plans to bring part of the fabric over so it hangs in "an effortless drape." They will shorten the lining at the back because it peeks out. They also discuss shortening the front a little, and one spot will be held in place with tape on the day.

Friends Who Were There From the First Date

Between looks, the two friends talk about the relationship. Rebecca says she and Dru have been writing a speech together, and that the process has reminded them how they've all watched the relationship grow over "the last almost 8 years." Dru adds that the two of them were actually on the first date. Having seen the couple go from their first meeting to a wedding a few weeks away, Dru calls it "such a crazy love story that we really saw from the very beginning." Beata says she is very happy for the couple and that the wedding will make beautiful memories "for us, for them, and for our grandchildren," which gets a laugh.

The Ceremony Dress

The ceremony dress gets the strongest reaction. Claudia tells the group they're going to make her cry. She says that while she was putting it on, she felt there was something about the dress that "demands" silence, "like a moment of silence."

The group goes through the details. There is a necklace with an asymmetric shape, and a scarf that runs down one side of the back for the full length of the train. The fabric is hand-draped silk, with extra volume that carries all the way around. The dress has a drop waist, and Claudia is laced into the bodice. The team plans to add boning, and someone describes the effect as Victorian. The dress sits on very high platform shoes. Seeing how far the train extends, the group jokes about who will manage it on the day, and several people volunteer.

Claudia calls it "my dream dress" and "the most beautiful thing I've ever put on my body." She likes how the neckline sits flat and then dips down. She says the scarf looks as if it "caught on my neck in the wind." The group notes that the dress has improved at every fitting. At one point a visitor is brought in to see her, says she looks "like an angel," apologizes for interrupting, and leaves. Claudia says, "I look like a princess."

She then explains where the design came from. Many of the Oscar de la Renta archive references she pulled had large skirts with volume at the bottom. They started with that silhouette and built on it from there, working out the fabric, the color, and the neck scarf.

A Team That Became Close

While the sides are being shortened, Claudia asks Thomas from the team to come in and say hi. She says Thomas has been part of every step of the process. Thomas says they've been "in the back crying this whole time" because it has been so emotional. Claudia describes lacing up the dress a moment earlier while the two of them looked at each other in the mirror, thinking, "What is happening?" She says the whole team has become close, texting and meeting on Zoom at least once a week. They joke about what they'll do and who they'll text once the wedding is over. The answer they settle on is "each other."

The Veil and the Pockets

The actual veil comes out next. It is clipped under her bun so it cascades down her back. Claudia then points out that the dress has pockets and puts her hands in them. Someone calls her "a modern bride." Once the veil is on, the mood shifts, and the group says it "really becomes real." Claudia agrees: she's getting married. Someone jokes that she might want to make the ceremony longer so she can wear it for more time.

The First Dance and Reception Dress

Claudia says the third dress feels "so grown up in this like sexy wifey way, but it's so celebratory." She will dance in it, and they've already done a dance test to make sure nothing gets in the way. Oscar de la Renta had previously made a dress in a very similar shape, but all in black. The team suggested a white version, and Claudia says the reaction was "we have to."

The dress has a lace-up corset with a cady dress over it. Claudia says the best part is the small crystals hidden in the fabric, which only show when the light catches them at certain angles, "a little surprise" as she turns. All the feathers are upcycled, which she says was really important to her. The team will take the dress in a little, including at the front.

Finneas hasn't seen any of the dresses. Because the first dance happens in this one, Claudia says she has had to stay "very vague" with him about how he can lift her. She's worried about keeping the structure intact, so she has simply told him there's an obstacle that will be "sitting between us a little bit."

The After-Party Dress

The last look is for the after-party, which will be indoors from 10 p.m. onward. The group reacts loudly, and someone shouts "Barbie." The dress has a pink boat-neck top and a gray skirt. The shoes will be gray to match the skirt.

Claudia explains that they pulled a few early-2000s and '90s Oscar de la Renta runway photos. The boat neck stood out as fresh and different from her other looks, so they chose it and made it pink. The gray skirt was, in her words, a "why not?" choice, and someone says no one will expect it. The shorter length shows her legs. Claudia says she feels "like a little cupcake."

Outfits for the Dogs

There is one more outfit, for the couple's dogs. Moose will be in front, and Peaches will have a piece resting on her back. The dogs will walk down the aisle as "flower dogs," and someone says that's when the tears will start. The dog pieces were cut from the same fabric as Claudia's gown, in the same color, so the dogs each carry "a little piece of your dress." After the ceremony, the couple plans to walk the dogs to cocktail hour.

"From the Very Beginning That Has Been the Dream"

To close, Claudia remembers sitting down with her stylist at the start of the planning and asking how they could make Oscar de la Renta happen. She says the brand had been the dream from the beginning, and that she admires its gowns, bridal stories and silhouettes. She says she couldn't be more excited or more honored. She calls the ceremony dress her final look, and the fitting ends with "Let's go get married."