I had a very brief chat with Sharon Bowen at last years wholesale bridal show – she was an incredibly nice, decent person. I have a confession to make – I sometimes get majorly intimidated by highfalutin wedding fashion designers (which may well say more about me than about them… insecure etc etc. OK, shut up already.) But there are some in the industry that have a knack for putting people at ease – worries about having spinach stuck in your teeth, or frumpy hair, or being so downright ordinary in the face of glamour fade into the background whilst in their company!

So basically, Sharon Bowen is nice. And extraordinarily talented – her dresses are very very classy. Check out her website for more eye-candy.

I’ve stumbled across Veromia a few times in my travels, thought they had very pretty gowns but nothing that really inspired me to blog, but my word, Jason Jennings has come up trumps with this lovely vision of a wedding dress – absolutely exquisite.  This would be an inspired choice for any bride who doesn’t want white, and the combination of brown and pink (which sounds really quite foul – “Yes, I’m getting married in brown and pink”…!, but in this dress is simply gorgeous) would suit a lot of different complexions.

View the Veromia website »

I avoid posting about US designers simply because this blog is really for UK readers, and it seems a bit pointless waxing lyrical over designers who are fairly inaccessible to Brit brides, unless they’re into jetting off overseas for the sake of their big day.

Carolina Herrera is one of those US designers who I’ve heaved wistful sighs over – she has utterly gorgeous wedding gowns that make me drool on every perusal. So after another idle glance through her website this morning, I discovered (to my delight) that Browns Bridal is the sole stockist in the UK, so if you too were longing for a Carolina Herrera gown, you’re now officially in luck, and you’ll only need to go as far as London.

I was excited to see that Charlotte Balbier has posted on her blog some images (admittedly small, but I’m guessing things are still a little under wraps until the official launch) of her 2010 collction – looks fabulously girlishly pink. You can follow her on Twitter too.

David Fielden is at the very top end of his field for wedding gown design, and his designs are jaw-droppingly lovely.  I imagine they have a jaw-dropping price tag, though don’t take my word for it – they just LOOK expensive.  He’s easily in the “top designers in the world” category and on a par with Vera Wang, so if you’re looking for an unbelieveably stunning gown and have a big budget, take a look at his website.  (Shame his website is so awful…!  I really really REALLy hate it when people have music on their website and don’t have a mute button, meaning you have to mute your computer.  STOP IT ALREADY. )

View David Fielden Stockists »

I went to a lovely wedding exhibition celebrating 100 years of the wedding gown hosted by Kula Tsurdiu in Nottingham (it’s on until the 5th of June – if you’re in the area, it’s well worth checking out), and was excited to find out that Kula Tsurdiu are branching out into wholesaling, so if you love their gowns, hopefully they’ll be coming available in your area.  I’ve been a huge fan since seeing their wedding dresses at the NEC bridal show.  They’re gorgeous – beautifully made, with top quality materials.

If you know of any top end bridal shops who are looking for designers, mention Kula Tsurdiu.

Johanna Hehir only sell directly to the public, so if you’re interested in their gowns, a trip to London is in order.  It might well be worth your time – there are some really beautiful wedding dresses, if you have the budget.  If you’re happy to buy online without having the dress fitted, it works out cheaper, though you’re limited on the styles you can buy.

I’ve fallen madly in love with the dress on the left which is a copy of Audrey Hepburn’s first wedding dress.  The boatneck gown in the middle is very pretty, and pleats is a new trend that’s caught my eye, and really is lovely.

Check out the Johanna Hehir website »

According to Fashion Bride (a great blog with loads of wedding fashion info – well worth checking out),  the 2010 wedding gown collection by Augusta Jones will be available in shops this summer.  Seems kinda early to me, but hey. *shrug*  They have a winning formula  – lovely bridal gowns at affordable prices.  The gown on the left reminds me of a Charlottle Balbier gown.  Very pretty.

View Augusta Jones website »

View Augusta Jones Stockists »

Here are some very pretty, UK designed wedding dresses from Art Couture.  There were some dresses that I loved on their website, and some dresses that I instantly disliked, particularly one that looked as if it was made out of hot air balloon material and blown up with a bicycle pump.  Adds a whole new dimension to ‘walking on air’.

Despite the Hated Blow-up Dress, they have some extremely lovely wedding gowns. I’m particularly taken with the layered material and mermaid skirt of the right wedding dress.

See the Art Couture website »

View Art Couture Stockists »

Claire Pettibone’s wedding dresses seem to pull in a lot of influences from the past, particularly the 70’s and Victorian periods.  Quite honestly, I’m not mad about them (though I love the left dress in the pictures below), probably because I was never crazy about either of those two fashion styles (I’m more of a 50’s fan), but I can see the beauty and romance in the dresses, and if you’re into more edgy, rock chick styles, Claire Pettibone may well be your cup of tea.

Check out the Claire Pettibone website »