How to personalise the latest bridal looks

Take your style cue from the dreamiest looks of the moment and add a generous sprinkle of personality. The result? An all-eyes-on-you bridal look...


Maggie Sottero, Amanda K Bridal

Explore your whimsies to create your very own wedding style. Simply fuse all your favourite things into a magnificent melting pot of your loves for an inimitable event oozing personality - including the style centrepiece that is the dress.

Whether you design a theme and then select a dress to suit or allow the gown - or elements of it - to act as the muse for the minutiae, rest assured the latest bridal fashions will provide all the inspiration you need.

Set off with an open mind as you sample the most swoonsome styles to create your very own fashion-forward look. Remember, it's not just about the dress, but the way - and where - you wear it for maximum effect.

We've compiled a few fresh-from-the-runway style suggestions to help you get started...

RUSTIC ROMANTIC
Keynotes: Homespun, feminine, natural
Venue: Barn, farm, country manor or marquee
Celebrity style: Frieda Pinto, Rachel McAdams, Kate Winslet
Dress features: Fairytale, floral accents, feminine fabrics

The rustic romantic encompasses all manner of weddings. From garden parties to countryside chic and hay bale hoedowns, settings and style can take a fabulous mix of forms.

If you're staging an eco-friendly event with a stripped-back look, an organic cotton sundress simply adorned with a daisy chain headband or floral corsage is just the ticket. Or for country manor house grandeur, seek the more embellished end of the style spectrum with a fitted, fairytale frock complete with a floor-length veil and floral crown.

Embrace the romantic movement's signature style by flirting with hues of nude, vanilla and rose, off-the-shoulder necklines, petal lacework and detachable tulle overskirts.


Mooshki


Maddy


Naomi Neoh


White Rose


Ellis Bridals


Maddy


Claire Pettibone


D'Zage


Kelsey Rose


Maggie Sottero

BOHO BEACHY
Keynotes: Ethereal, eclectic, laidback
Venue: Cliff-top tent, beachside hotel, woodland tipi
Celebrity style: Jessica Alba, Sienna Miller, Kate Moss
Dress features: Slinky shifts, short skirts, nude lace

From woodland weddings with a festival or folksy vibe to sand-between-your-toes ceremonies, the natural world, or an expression of it, is a chief component.

Grecian goddess gowns, gypsy frocks, crop tops and asymmetrical hemlines all convey bohemian or beach-influenced style, with draped bodices, lace sheaths and shades of blue and mint green accruing extra sartorial points.

A sexy show of skin via cut-out backs, spaghetti straps, deep V-necks or high hems adds to the allure of the aesthetic, while silk and lace remain two of the most coveted materials.


Alfred Angelo


Ellis Bridals




Claire Pettibone


Claire Pettibone


Claire Pettibone


Kelsey Rose


Kelsey Rose


Maggie Sottero

VINTAGE GLAM
Keynotes: Glitz, nostalgia, classicism
Venue: Old town hall, castle, boathouse
Celebrity style: Angelina Jolie, Amy Adams, Cate Blanchett
Dress features: Metallics, dainty embellishment, rich/multi-layered textures

Borrow from a series of bygone ages for a modern mashing of era wear; you might, for example, channel formidable vintage style by combining '30s glam with a hint of flirty '50s.

Think screen starlet with slim silhouettes in champagne or gold silk with added sparkle from silver embroidery or an ornate headdress. Cap sleeves, pearls and high, illusion necklines - especially (Victoriana-esque) collars and bateau necklines - give a regal and timelessly romantic air.

Don a cape or tiered skirts for a luxe, layered look with a nod to vintage, and accessorise with long lace sleeves, a birdcage veil, bright bejewelled brooch or feather hair comb for an extra style dimension.


Annais


Naomi Neoh


Ellis Bridals


Maddy


David Tutera


Sophia Tolli


D'Zage


D'Zage


Maddy


Venus Bridal


Kelsey Rose


Maggie Sottero


Maggie Sottero


Maggie Sottero

DECADENT DRAMA
Keynotes: Impact, imagination, indulgence
Venue: City block rooftop, destination wedding, hot air balloon
Celebrity style: Lupita Nyong'o, Tilda Swinton, Rihanna
Dress features: Colour, design, customisation

Seeking a heady dose of high drama or effortlessly cool and quirky? Whether you're hosting your wedding on a river cruise or creating your own mini circus space, the end result is to wow your crowd with character and creativity.

People and place are uniquely mirrored as the bride and her backdrop merge into one magnificent, jaw-dropping display of individuality. Picture an art gallery wedding where the bride is a moving canvas of haute couture or a giant hat tipi complete with stage for a show-stopping sense of theatre.

The latest and most lusted-after looks fuse eye-catching and extravagant detail with intricate craftsmanship, including laser-cut leather embroidery, cascading ruffles, block brights and prints, burlesque-style bodices, butterfly headpieces and the seductive showpiece du jour: body hugging, barely-there lace sheaths.

Simply pick a part that's you to piece together your own, unique outfit that smacks of modern, memorable and distinctive style.


Mooshki


Annais


Annais


Annais


Jenny Packham


Mooshki


Alfred Angelo


Sophia Tolli


Claire Pettibone

words Hannah May

Copyright Wed magazine 2014