Here Comes the Bride
Jan/Feb 2008 - Erin Isings

This year’s trend in bridal wear has “a little bit more of a fitted silhouette - not as poofy,” says Lilia da Silva, manager of Sophie’s Gown Shoppe in London. While the “caught up” skirt is still pretty popular, she says “it’s moving to a flouncy skirt but with the narrower fit through the hip and into the thigh area; so more of a fit and flare, or fluted look.”

Da Silva says this look is created using fabrics like silk or lace. “There’s more of a layered look with lace and tulle,” she says, adding that the style creates a very feminine and more delicate look than the fashions of previous years.

And, music to the ears of many, there’s no limit on what second-time brides can wear, explains da Silva. “When we dress ourselves and are going out, we want our personality to be reflected in the kind of clothing that we wear. When you pick out your wedding gown, it’s more about how you feel in it and how your personality is portrayed through it.”

Following this idea of personal style, da Silva says she sees more colour, which can be attributed to personality. Dresses are coming in solid colours like blush pink, champagne, café, or gold. For colour accents, gowns (usually diamond white or ivory) are being accented with colours like celadon, sage green, blue or even black.

Da Silva also notes that nothing should be considered outdated. “I think when it comes to bridal, it’s not that anything is so old or out there that no one is going to wear it. Everyone has a certain look that they want to strive for,” she says. “Some girls are picking their wedding dress in their mind years before, so sometimes things that are not as popular are a nice change for us to see.”

And, if you’re always a bridesmaid but never a bride, you’ll no longer be stuck with a closet full of dresses that you can never wear again. Hemlines on these dresses are moving up, from full length to cocktail length.

While da Silva says the idea of wearing the dress again is always in the forefront of her customers’ minds, she attributes the demand for shorter dresses to the fact that brides want a different look for their wedding. “It’s a fun look, even though longer is more sophisticated. For some wedding parties it suits them a lot more.”

Glam for the guys
Our men’s formal wear expert disclosed a surprising trend: “When choosing tuxedos, guys will come in and ask about the fabric first, rather than the cut of the jacket,” says Curt Collins, general manager of Collins Formal Wear in London. Collins says the main reason for this is comfort, but it’s also about practicality.

Since many weddings take place in July, August and September, he says grooms are looking for fabrics that can help them stay cool while tying the knot.

For destination weddings, Collins says men generally choose colours other than black. “A lighter-weight, tan suit is a common choice,” he says, noting that men are considering colours that lend themselves to a tropical setting much better than a traditional black tuxedo.

This year’s colour trend shows up in the vest and tie combination worn by the groomsmen. “White is a minority. People are after colour for their ties and their pocket square hankies,” says Collins, adding that one of his clients chose Mandarin orange dresses for the women and Mandarin orange striped ties and vests under black suits for the men. “It looked phenomenal,” he says.

Other popular colour choices for the vest and tie combination include kiwi green, lemon yellow and Ferrari red.

New this year in men’s shirts is the Eurowing. “It’s not a traditional wing tip nor a lay down, but a combination of the two,” says Collins. Made of microfibre fabric to help guys stay cool while reciting vows and grooving on the dance floor, the Eurowing is carried exclusively by Collins. It retails for about $160 but is also available for rental.

And, unless you’re perusing through your parents’ wedding photo album, you’re not likely to see certain styles this year: “Double-breasted jackets are long gone,” says Collins. “And Burlington Wool has been a traditional tuxedo fabric but our customers are getting away from that.”

Colour your world
“Colour and texture are so in,” says Karen Howie, owner of Gala Galore, a London company that specializes in décor. When asked to sum up what she sees for this year’s styles in bridal décor, she says: “People are not afraid to wear colour and dress the room in colour.”

“We always ask the client to make a wish list: How do you want to feel when you walk into the room?” says Howie. And with their motto “We Build the Dream” Gala Galore can create any atmosphere from a Las Vegas wedding to a soothing, vineyard feel to a romantic candlelight ceremony.

And, tying in with the theme of individuality, nothing is passé, according to Howie. “Each wedding has to transcend time. So if a customer comes in and says ‘since I was 12, I’ve wanted a lime-green wedding’, we coach them to balance it to the room so it is timeless.”

But with the current theme of colour and texture, Howie says, “Chair covers are the definite norm now, but we take that to the next level. Ninety per cent of weddings have chair covers, but the next level is colour, texture and accessories.”

Silk, satin and organza fabrics make beautiful chair covers and can be accessorized with crystals and tassels, she says. Another of her favourites includes brocade fabrics and hand-sewn crystal overlays on table runners.

Howie prides herself on meeting the needs of every individual couple, be it a huppa (a canopy for Jewish weddings) or a mundup, (a ceremonial tent used in traditional East Indian weddings) or the staging area for a traditional Lebanese wedding (this includes two very ornate chairs with a small table and a luxurious backdrop.)

She recommends that the couple decide on a budget before meeting with a decorator or florist. Gala Galore has served clients with décor budgets ranging from $800 to $38,000, but Howie says a head table area, including the backdrop, the front of the table and the cake area, can be created for between $400 and $1,000.

For those who are looking to go all out, speciality lighting is huge, says Howie, whose company decorates for other events besides weddings. Big budgets are spent on getting a music video feel, or a bachelorette-type feel, or a TV experience. “It really goes down to the individual,” she adds.

And second-time brides need not be afraid to decorate. “Second-time brides are some of the best because they’ve been there before and they know what’s important,” laughs Howie, who’s currently planning her own second wedding.

Words of wisdom
What do our experts offer as advice? Howie wants women to remember what’s important. “Many women say ‘because I’ve done it before I shouldn’t do this or I shouldn’t do that.’” But she advises her clients to remember that “this is a celebration of two people uniting. Represent the people you are and the relationship you have. That’s what’s important.”

Don’t be so caught up in perfection, adds da Silva. “Everything is perfect in the eyes of the person who is striving for it.” Relaxing about the details will cause less stress in the long run.

She also says she’d like to see women be kinder to themselves. “Be happy with your body type,” she advises, noting that in her line of business she frequently hears women complain. “Yet the people they’re with and the people that love them do not see that part of it. They just see the person that’s out there that’s beautiful with a fantastic personality.””