Don't Be Tardy star Brielle Biermann posted herself wearing the same Vera Wang wedding gown chosen by fashion influencer Brigette Pheloung before the bride officially unveiled it online. Biermann shared the clip on Instagram on 9 August, one day after Pheloung married Mitch McHale in Newport, Rhode Island, saying it was a dress she had considered for her own wedding.
A photograph showing Pheloung's bridal look had already leaked from the 8 August ceremony, but the Acquired Style creator did not publish her official reveal until 10 August.
Biermann's video therefore gave followers a clearer look at the design first, prompting questions about whether its timing was intentional.
Biermann later said she had never met Pheloung, did not know the wedding was taking place and had not seen the leaked image.
Biermann Says the Post Was Scheduled
Biermann, the daughter of The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Kim Zolciak, modelled the cream, off-the-shoulder ballgown in a video captioned, 'Still love her'. Text across the clip read, 'The dress I almost said yes to', confirming that it was not the gown she ultimately selected for her wedding to baseball player Billy Seidl.
The Vera Wang design featured a fitted drop-waist bodice, a voluminous skirt and oversized rose appliqués around the waist and train.
As comments questioned the timing, the 29-year-old addressed the reaction in an Instagram Stories statement on 10 August. 'As you'll see, I made this video on Friday. We had it scheduled to be posted on Sunday for engagement purposes,' she wrote, explaining that her content strategist wanted her to start sharing bridal material as her wedding approaches.
Biermann said another video featuring a different rejected gown had already been scheduled, then told Pheloung: 'I genuinely hope you had a fabulous wedding day and enjoyed your dress.'
Pheloung Unveils 'Dream' Gown
Pheloung, also 29, officially revealed the gown in wedding photographs and a getting-ready transition video, calling the Vera Wang creation 'the dress of my dreams'. She styled it with a diamond teardrop necklace and Old Hollywood waves swept into a side part.
The waterfront ceremony featured white roses and hydrangeas, while her identical twin and maid of honour, Danielle Pheloung, contrasted the bridal look in a black drop-waist gown.
The Newport celebration marked the second wedding moment for Pheloung and McHale, who met at Saint Joseph's University nearly nine years ago. They legally married at their former university on 29 June, with Pheloung writing on Instagram that they had made it official 'exactly where it all started'.
Beyond her Acquired Style fashion content, Pheloung co-founded clothing label Phe Phe with Danielle, making the closely watched reveal part of a wider bridal era built around her work in fashion.
The Bride Responds to the Dress Drama
Pheloung appeared to dismiss suggestions of a feud with a playful social media comment: 'brielles second choice >>>'. Her response followed Biermann's statement that Pheloung 'clearly has great taste' for choosing Vera Wang. Neither woman has indicated that there is any personal dispute between them.
The overlap grew further when influencer Tabia Ceja also posted herself in the same design, describing it as 'a dress I loved but didn't choose' and an 'absolutely stunning gown'. Like Biermann, Ceja had tried on the Vera Wang dress but selected something else.
The three posts documented three different decisions around one gown: Pheloung wore it down the aisle, while Biermann and Ceja left it behind.
Biermann became engaged to Seidl in February 2024 and has continued teasing preparations without publicly confirming a wedding date. Her recent content has included dress fittings, bachelorette looks and 'wedding-worthy' hair.
What began as a scheduled glimpse at a rejected gown instead collided with another creator's wedding reveal, leading Biermann to explain the timing publicly.
