Designer Johana Hernandez dishes on her experience working with Tana to create her perfect wedding day looks.
It was a night to remember for Tana Mongeau!
After a whirlwind romance, the 21-year-old YouTuber and Jake Paul got married at Graffiti House in Las Vegas on Sunday -- with the bride looking ravishing in not one, but two, Glaudi by Johana Hernandez designs for her special day.
Tana instantly fell in love with the wedding dresses as soon as she tried them on, designer Johana Hernandez, told ET over the phone a day after the nuptials. For her first look, Tana wore a curve-hugging all-white Veronica gown with lace detailing and a long, floor-length lace veil. She then switched to a stunning ruffled Cindy ball gown that featured a white corset-style top with sweetheart neckline and a voluminous pink ombre skirt.
Now, Hernandez is sharing with ET details of how she and Tana created her perfect wedding day looks, how long it took to create the dresses and more!
Entertainment Tonight: Did Tana reach out to you to design the dresses?
Johana Hernandez: The dresses are from my current collections. The pink ombre gown, Cindy, was designed for my Paris Fashion Week show and then the other Veronica gown I had in my other collection, and she loved them. I didn't even have to create something new because she was obsessed with them. Tana is actually the first bride that has ever worn the pink ombre dress, so that was something exclusive to her. I worked with her stylist named Tyler Lambert and then she came over to my store and she just loved everything. When she chose the dress, I altered it to her body, because all our dresses are made with the bride's measurements.
Did Tana make any special requests, ask for changes for the dresses -- or did she stick with the original designs?
No, she stuck with the original designs and I thought that was beautiful because usually brides are really specific, especially a celebrity bride, they want to have certain details. Tana was very confident about herself. She loved everything. Literally, we tried on the the first dress, then a second dress and that was it. She didn't try anything else. She just loved everything and it was so great. She was so easy to work with and I loved that she liked to be extra. She just wanted to shine and she likes shiny and sparkles, that's why the first dress was perfect for her. It was still sparkly but elegant at the same time. It was form-fitting and had lace on it too.
I feel like if she would have been safe, she would have looked like every other bride and she didn't -- and I think that's why everyone loves it. She's young so it goes with her age. I made her dresses form-fitted because she's curvy, she's busty. She wanted her butt to look great, so I did that on the first dress.
Did she always want two dresses?
No, it just came up because she loved them so much that she couldn't make up her mind, so she chose two. And it actually turned out to be the color theme that she wanted, which was a blush color.
The engagement was only a month long, how much time did you have to create the dresses?
It was [an] extremely short time. The good thing was that she loved the collection so I was able to rush it because I had to rush the current designs. It wasn't like I was making something that was completely new and, to me, that was great because as a designer it's a huge compliment for the client and the brides to love what you do. I also do custom-made dresses, but I think when they love what you do it's just very rewarding.
How long was the process from the first consultation to the wedding?
I can't really share that because it was so fast. What I can share is that each dress takes about three to six months to make. So that is what was great, that she chose something that was already from the collection and then everything is hand made.
How many dress fittings did she have?
Only one. Right on the dot. Just one and she just loved it. I already knew what I was going to do. I've been doing this for a very long time. You saw her pictures, her dress was very on point, nothing was wrong with them. It was just great, and her stylist Tyler was very helpful. He's been working with her for a very long time and that helped because he already knew her style and knew that I was the right fit for them.
Did any of her family or friends go to the fittings?
It was just Tyler and the assistant. Her schedule is very hectic and busy. So I closed the store for her and she came in very early in the morning. She was so kind, excited and grateful.
Did Jake, her fiance, have any say in her decision making?
It was just her. Of course, he's not going to see anything before the wedding.
How did she react when she tried the final dresses on?
She loved it! She was like, 'I can't believe it!' She was so happy. In the pictures when we're both in the fitting room, clearly that dress was so big on her around the waist and she was already so happy even though it wasn't fitted. I loved that she was a visionary, she sees it beside what it is. Some brides can't picture the final dress on them without it being perfectly fitted, so that's why they don't choose a dress and go back and forth until it's perfect. And you can't have it perfect until you order it.
Were there any hidden personal items added to the dresses?
All my dresses have inside corsets and bras, so they snatch your waist. The big ball gowns have an inside petticoat, so she was super comfortable walking even though the dress is super extra from the outside. Everything is corset fitted.
What materials were used on both dresses?
On the ruffled one, that is English mesh and was hand dyed to be ombre and the ruffles are made and sewn by hand, so it takes months to do all that work. The fabric doesn't come like that, you have to create it by dyeing it different colors. And for the Veronica gown, it was a mesh with shimmer on it and we had an Italian embroidery that goes on top of it with beards and pearls. Her veil was also ours. Her veil had Swarovski crystals on it and it was a really beautiful lace.
Did Tana have a vision for her dresses or a look she was going for?
No, she really trusted me and trusted her stylist and went with the flow. She really loved it and there was never a doubt in her mind that those were not the dresses. She was sure of them. Her [bride] story is amazing and she looked so good and fresh.
As the designer, what was your inspiration when creating these two dresses?
For me, I feel like my brides are young and fun, but she's still sexy. For Tana, the first dress is for a girl who are not afraid to shine, literally. She has her own personal style, isn't afraid to express her personality through her wardrobe, and I think that's really important for your wedding day. It's important for her to feel like herself and that she's not a cookie-cutter bride. She's Tana, she's her.
The pink one, it's just fun and different. The same thing, she's bold but she's soft — and at the same time it's sexy because it has the perfect amount of cleavage and has a super exaggerated train. I'm just inspired by that girl who is not afraid to shine inside and out.
Hernandez will be presenting her next collection Sept. 29 at the Ritz Carlton in Paris, France, for Paris Fashion Week.
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