Marriage has never been so fashionable. From the nuptials of Kate Middleton to Kate Moss, wedding fever has well and truly gripped the land. As if we needed further confirmation that marriage is en vogue, catwalks are crammed with an eclectic mix of bridal wears. The autumn/winter collection from Alexander McQueen is a case in point: a showcase of dramatic silhouettes, tumbling ruffles and fanciful detail.

Beyond the realms of high fashion, the wedding look is flooding onto the high street as both day and evening wear are borrowing from the busiest bridal designs.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Essense, Vu's Bridal

Although there isn't one defining look that reigns supreme, a series of recurring details and ideas are dominating bridal shows and boutiques' new collections.

Fusion fashion - where styles are mashed together - and creative personalisation are still popular patterns in bridal dress-up but, as we have seen for seasons now, anything goes.

We've compiled a list of our top ten trends to kick off your quest in the dreamy world of bridal fashion. Prepare to unleash your inner fashionista...

New Romance
This is a fresh take on the fairytale theme, with keywords of ethereal, sensual and feminine. In keeping with the still popular princess style, elements of whimsy are incorporated for an oh-so romantic look.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - White Rose, The Wedding Company

Collating many of the top trends within one look, New Romance can feature the hottest fabrics, most coveted accessories and spectacular styles all at once; it's the way they are all individually worn together that defines the arising look.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Impression Bridal

Soft, classy and elegant, New Romance is a modern reworking on more traditional styles where old-school glamour is echoed through contemporary design.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Sophia Tolli

Flowers
Floristry need not be confined to the bouquet. As structural shaping or ornate add-ons, flowers are one of the prettiest trends du jour. Floral details take a range of forms: they might be worn as corsages on the wrist (prom queen style) or on the waist. Whether it's big and bold, subtle stitching, floral appliques, organza or paillettes, blooms are a brilliant statement-making device or pretty addition to virtually any look.



Wedding dresses Cornwall - Bonny Bridal, Little Anne Maids

Modern Couture
This dramatic trend incorporates a wide range of designs, from sweeping lengths with huge trains to graphic gowns. Wearable pieces of modern art, the wave of architectural, origami and sculpted dresses are super stylish, uber modern and incredibly attention-grabbing.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Alfred Sung, Little Anne Maids

Designers are experimenting with visual effects and movement for a multidimensional look, such as huge puffball sleeves and skirts. Colour, minute attention to detail and creative clashing all signify the modernist movement.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Ellis Bridals, County Cream


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Jasmine Bridal

Volume, vivid prints and stark black with bold accessorising such as giant bows are all features of modern couture's intrepid aesthetic.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Martin Liana, Vu's Bridal


Lace
Lace is feminine, alluring and rich in vintage appeal, whether donned head-to-toe or in panels, overlays or accessories. A chic means of ticking the floral trend box, lace can ooze a boho, beachy or classic aesthetic.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Alfred Sung, Little Anne Maids


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Martin Liana, Vu's Bridal

Beyond lace, the desirable fabrics of the moment include tulle, light taffeta, chiffon and organza. Silk and satin - especially clingy or floaty for body-con styles or stiff and fitted for modern designs - are also headlining the latest collections.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Pearl Bridal, From This Day Forward


Wedding dresses Cornwall - White Rose, The Wedding Company

Volume and Movement
Anything that moves goes. Restrictive dresses simply don't cut it, as brides are sashaying down catwalks and aisles with ease. Big ballgowns with full skirts are particularly en vogue; the latest designs are made with featherweight fabrics so brides can float effortlessly through the crowds.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Benjamin Roberts


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Jasmine Bridal

Frothy frills, ruffles and overlay over overlay are creating multi-layered and multi-dimensional frocks. Voluminous, billowing and sheer, fabrics are finding their natural flow as ballgowns balloon to epic proportions.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Sincerity, Vu's Bridal


Wedding dresses Cornwall - White Rose, The Wedding Company

Dynamic Shapes
Dramatic veiling, puffball sleeves and skirts, and a range of hemlines - the silhouette is veering between narrow and sleek to broad, asymmetric and Amazonian.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Art Couture, County Cream

Graphic and sharp necklines make modern features as classic lines, such as sweetheart, become contemporised. Rejecting soft and clean lines, jagged edges spell a little irreverent playfulness and experimentation with fashion.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Jasmine Bridal

The trumpet is the new mermaid as flared silhouettes are still en vogue, while the A-line remains a popular shape.

New Clean
Modern shapes lend themselves to this look, but with clean, tailored lines and simple cuts. Favouring refined details, a more relaxed approach to embellishment is required for a minimalist yet subtly striking appearance.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Ellis Bridals, County Cream

Sleek and sharp, think of a stunning sheath dotted with Swarovski crystals or a contrasting black corsage for a vintage gothic edge.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Ronald Joyce

Taking classic shapes and silhouettes, the style works with pre-established trends to achieve a simple signature look that speaks for itself in an understated, timeless way.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Trudy Lee, Lavender Rose

Think clingy columns, crisp A-lines and breezy ballgowns for a natural and sublimely chic statement.

Sleeves and Straps
The days when strapless reigned supreme are long gone. This year, designers are experimenting with sleeves and straps. From long and pointed to short, mid-length and cap sleeves, all angles are covered.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Sopia Tolli


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Essense, Vu's Bridal

Spaghetti straps can be thick, thin, one of each or asymmetric, creating a flaunty focal point on the shoulders and drawing down to the decolletage.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Pearl Bridal, From This Day Forward


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Sophia Tolli

Vintage
Borrowing from all manner of bygone fashions, vintage is still a hugely popular trend that is set to continue well into this year and beyond. In particular, designs inspired by the 1950s' hourglass and screen siren glamour are pulsing down the catwalk.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Alfred Sung, Little Anne Maids

Original vintage apparel is being carefully modified and updated for today's bride, with lace panels being reworked into new designs and old skirts being stitched onto fitted, boned bodices.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Art Couture, County Cream

Where new dresses are not being fashioned from vintage gowns, they are being modelled on them. Favourites include the 1920s' tea-length/flapper, 1960s' boho hippy/geometric and 1980s' fairytale/theatrical.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Sincerity, Vu's Bridal


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Sweetheart, Vu's Bridal

LWD
The little white dress may well become the most wanted wedding gown of the future. Cocktail style dresses are making moves into bridal houses, exuding elegant chic for brides wishing to ditch the outfit change and move into the evening prepared to party.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Trudy Lee, Lavender Rose

Hemlines are getting higher so - if you've got the pins and confidence to flash them - opt for minis, super-minis and even shorts.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - Trudy Lee, Lavender Rose

The playsuit may make the transition from leisurewear to bridal couture as designers continue to experiment with crossover fashions. Part of the New Clean movement: white, short and achingly simple, the LWD is a very sexy trend for self-assured brides.


Wedding dresses Cornwall - White Rose, The Wedding Company


words Hannah May

Copyright WED Magazine 2011