Today’s brides are approaching their day with a new mindset. Fashion and storytelling are now inseparable parts of the celebration. It’s no longer about a single dress or a static photo album, but about curating a wardrobe that reflects every side of who they are, and documenting it all with an eye that feels as genuine as it does considered.
At the center of this shift is Madison Woolley — influencer, designer, and entrepreneur. As the founder of 23rd & Madison, a Sydney-based boutique reimagining bridal with Australian-made designs, she’s creating pieces that move beyond the aisle into every chapter of the celebration. Through Weddings by PURR, the creative content agency she co-founded, she’s redefining how weddings are captured: immediate, editorial, and social-first. With over a decade of experience in content creation and an influential voice in the bridal space, Madison embodies this new wave, shaping a modern landscape that’s as expressive as it is editorial. Here, in her own words, she reveals how brides now approach both fashion and storytelling — with fresh intention and an insider’s take on what’s next.
The New Age of Bridal
Dressing & Documentation
Weddings have become more and more about self-expression — less about ticking traditional boxes and more about creating something true to the couple. Every detail feels personal and intentional, from the fashion to the way the day is documented. It’s less about following a set script and more about curating an experience that feels aligned with who they are as individuals and as a couple.
Social media has definitely played a part in this shift — couples are more aware than ever of how their day is shared and remembered, which is shaping the way they design, style, and tell their wedding story. That awareness has blurred the line between fashion and content: fashion sets the mood — the silhouettes, the fabrics, the textures — and content captures it in motion. When those two elements work together, it creates a story that feels layered and lasting.
Defining the Modern Bride
The modern bride is confident, creative, and thoughtful. She curates her wedding the way she would her wardrobe — every choice feels like an extension of her personality and style. Today’s brides are shaping their own narrative, one that lives beautifully both in person and on screen. Every detail is intentional — from the wardrobe to the timing to how scenes unfold, from rehearsal to after-party. At 23rd & Madison, we design for how fabric moves, how details read in 9:16, and how the narrative rolls out across platforms without ever losing the intimacy of the day.
Inside the Bridal Wardrobe Today
Modern brides are embracing multiple looks, building a capsule-style wardrobe that carries them through every part of the celebration. Weddings are multifaceted — the ceremony, the dinner, the party — each has its own vibe. Brides want pieces that evolve with the flow of the day. They're drawn to pieces that feel distinctive — unexpected fabrics, tactile textures, and silhouettes that stand apart from the traditional bridal landscape.
With 23rd & Madison, we wanted to get creative with our designs — experimenting with fabrics, shapes, and textures that feel different to what’s already out there. Our aim is to give brides a way to express different sides of themselves — romantic, playful, chic — across the entire wedding journey. A full wardrobe means brides can wear pieces for every event, from the rehearsal dinner to the after-party, rather than condensing everything into one look. Minis are becoming increasingly popular in the bridal wardrobe, especially for after-parties, whereas previously full-length gowns dominated. At the same time, flowing silhouettes remain a favourite for the ceremony, offering contrast across the different parts of the celebration.
Storytelling Through an
Editorial Lens
But fashion is only half the story; how it’s captured is just as defining. Brides are now thinking just as much about how a dress captures on camera as how it feels in the moment. Just as fashion has entered a new wave, so has storytelling — couples want their day captured in ways that feel both chic and natural. There’s a definite shift towards short-form, social-first storytelling — vertical clips, playful behind-the-scenes moments, and edits that can be shared instantly. At the same time, couples still want variety: raw, in-the-moment captures that feel effortless, alongside more polished edits that wouldn’t look out of place in a campaign. It’s about giving them a balance of immediacy and longevity in the way their day is remembered.
At Weddings by PURR, we position ourselves as content directors. Our role sits alongside photographers and videographers but with a different focus. While they capture the timeless, polished coverage, we create social-first content designed to feel immediate and editorial — vertical frames, quick cuts, playful behind-the-scenes — and present it with the same level of creativity you’d expect from a fashion campaign. Our work is meant to complement traditional coverage, offering couples another dimension to relive their day.
For us, balance means content that feels raw and social-first, but refined with just enough editorial polish to make it timeless. And because weddings are so emotional and fleeting, speed matters. Couples want to relive the magic straight away. Being able to share highlights with their friends and family while the energy is still fresh adds to the joy of the whole experience.
Shaping What Comes Next
I think the lines between fashion and weddings will blur even more — gowns that could just as easily be shown at Fashion Week, and wedding content that looks like a campaign. Brides will continue to treat their wedding as a curated world rather than a single day.
For me, the vision is to build a full bridal ecosystem — one that spans fashion and content. At 23rd & Madison, that means offering a complete wardrobe for every occasion, and soon introducing an in-house atelier where brides can design personal pieces that are completely unique. With Weddings by PURR, it’s about continuing to shape how weddings are remembered — creating content that feels social-first and immediate, yet elevated with a fashion-editorial edge. Together, both brands work hand in hand to redefine modern bridal — offering brides not just pieces or content, but an entire world to step into.
