About Me —

“My philosophy to style and fashion has always been to approach it with child-like wonder but with a touch of refinement and simplicity.”

Hi, I’m Ava and I am the owner of Bridal Rebel. My philosophy to styling has always been to approach it with child-like wonder but with a touch of refinement and simplicity. I am not a traditional bridal content creator- I believe boring bridal is killing the industry and that anything you want to wear on your wedding day, should be what you wear to your wedding. I’m here to help ANYBODY find & create dope bridal looks that feel like them, regardless of what traditional bridal dictates is normal, or proper.

I have been in the fashion world since I was 11, and the bridal industry since 2017. I have enjoyed working a wide range of roles in bridal & fashion at different boutiques around Denver & the USA.

I began Bridal Rebel Styling & Events in August of 2019 after realizing that I could provide a much more educational, comfortable, and open-minded space for engaged couples of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, and beliefs to feel excited to plan their wedding looks or events. Bridal Rebel has since transformed into a bridal content creation machine, in which I can create & help move the flow of bridal content. I pride myself on being hospitable, inclusive, innovative, and unique. If you are looking to break out of the traditional bridal moulds and create a surprising & fun vision with me, come join the Bridal Rebellion!

All hours updated in Calendly.

Please contact via email for all personal styling, event planning, photoshoot, collaboration, or other business inquiries. I will respond to all emails as soon as possible; please allow up to 72 hours for a response.

If you are in need of my assistance outside of my usual business hours, please contact me and I will do my best to accommodate.

5 Things I learned about bridal shopping as a bridal stylist shopping for her own dress —

“being on the other side of the process- shopping for my dress as a bride- I was able to get a lot of perspective in a process I thought I knew so well.”

By Ava E. Daniels
September 2020

As a stylist I see brides coming in to shop for their gowns daily. I know the right things to bring, I know what it looks like when a bride loves a dress, and I know how to guide a bride through the process of shopping. But being on the other side of the process- shopping for my dress as a bride- I was able to get a lot of perspective in a process I thought I knew so well. Here are 5 things I learned about bridal gown shopping as a professional bridal stylist shopping for her own dress:

1. The gowns feel different on your body than they do on the hanger. They will look different, of course, but also feel different. I tell brides all the time don’t judge a gown on the hanger, but when they put it on and still don’t see what I see I ask- “why don’t you like this?” Often I’ll get a response that it’s not comfortable.
After putting on gowns and thinking about it from a brides perspective, I understand why comfort is so important. That being said, while there were gowns that were not the comfiest, most were not uncomfortable by any means. However, some gowns were so comfortable that it made me think I could fall asleep in the dress- which was interesting to feel!! I still didn’t choose my gown based on comfort, although one of the things I did want to feel in my gown was ‘relaxed’. I think I felt that in most of the gowns I wore, but that may also come with some experience wearing different types of gowns. Nothing I put on was uncomfortable, but there were some gowns that felt like a cloud on the skin.

2. Even as a stylist I was surprised by my favorites. I thought I would have a hard time finding something that would feel special since I watch different people put these gowns on daily. Going through the process, I was surprised the gowns I thought I would love did not feel special- it was the gown I never in a million years would have thought would be the one! I see this happen all the time of course, and prepare all my brides to try on options outside of their comfort zone- but it was really interesting as a stylist who does this professionally to be caught off guard. It goes to show, that even stylists and those who “know what they love” should be open to new possibilities, because you could try on a wild card pick and that could be the dress!!

3. Come with your decision makers- it won’t be as easy to decide alone or with friends as you think. I would have had a lovely time trying on gowns with just my friends (all of whom are also bridal stylists!) but having my mom and my sister there took it to the next level. I would say with 100% certainty that if my mom was not there with me, I would not have been able to find my gown. Her perspective and knowledge of myself really kept me on track. She was honest about what she thought looked good on me, which was the most helpful.
As a stylist I often think people should let the bride decide and share her thoughts, but without my mom & sister’s opinions I would have been so lost. My friends were great support and made the appointment fun, but I really needed someone who can honestly share their thoughts with me there, like my family. My advice to gown shoppers is to take your family if you think that you may need their opinions- don’t waste your time shopping alone or with acquaintances & friends if you need an honest opinion to decide.

4. Be prepared to find the one- even at the first appointment. As a stylist, I had a list of designers I would have loved to try on and consider for my gown. I was going into my appointment with the thought that I would probably need to continue shopping after my first appointment- big mistake! I tell brides all the time that many of my brides find their dress at the first appointment and then continue shopping because they didn’t think that was possible. But I found my gown in the 3rd dress I tried on! I kept trying other styles at the same boutique just to validate my thoughts, but when you know- you know. I cried in my dress and felt so special (although not everyone cries- I was a little emotional already), and I know nothing else will compare even if I continued shopping at other boutiques. I was shocked I found my gown after one appointment, but now I’m relieved! The shopping is done, time to have fun with the rest of the planning!!

5. Take good photos of the dress. As a stylist I always love when brides take pictures of their faves to review later- but as a bride, I didn’t know how important those photos would be. Now that I have said yes, I will need to wait 9 months before I see my gown again! So in the meantime, I’ll be staring at the photos of myself in the gown. Be sure to get lots of good pictures, front & back, as well as some detailed shots of the gown to refer back to later. Have your stylist or anyone good with a camera take the pictures, and be sure to have great lighting. Also, make sure the camera quality is good! You will want to be reminded of how beautiful you felt in the one, so these photos will be very important for any bride.