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. )

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This post made me giggle, and conjured up memories of a particularly style conscious friend of mine who was recently forced to wear a vision in apricot flowers with a silver jacket when she was a bridesmaid, much to her horror.  The only time I’ve ever been a bridesmaid was for my sister *suddenly feeling unpopular*, and she let me choose the material.  I chose a dark navy tartan silk, which back in the 90’s was the pinnacle of fashion!

Do any of you lot have any bridesmaid horror stories?

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 »

Vera Wang, the queen of bridal designers, has posted two Youtube videos of her 2009 collection – absolutely stunning, and the music is pretty cool too.  Enjoy!

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 »

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If you’re wondering what you’re going to carry your lippy and bits and pieces around in on your wedding day, take a peek at this swoon-worthy bag from Olivier Laudus.

They also have very prettily beaded ring cushions (which can be personalised), and loads of other nice products.

Check out the Olivier Laudus website »

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 »

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Our current wedding fashion trends feel really diverse – you can have a wedding gown style based on pretty much any era of fashion and still be extremely fashionable.

So what’s in store for this year and next?  What wedding dress styles are hot, or going to become hot?  Some leading wedding gown designers were asked that same question, and the following are what they predicted.

1. Sexy Slinky Silhouettes

If you’ve got a fab figure (or fantastic suction underwear!), now is the time to do a victory dance – sexy, figure-hugging wedding dress silhouettes will be hot for the next couple of seasons.

Left to right:

Maggie Sottero, Justin Alexander, Jesus Peiro

2. Ballgown Styles

For those who loved the wildly ridiculous yet fabulous gowns in Gone with the Wind (*blush*), and for many of us who want to disguise our thighs, ballgown style wedding gowns are back. Fabulous! Ballgown wedding dresses have many rather wonderful upsides, including squishing you into the shape you desire, giving you fabulous cleavage, and being impossible to remove on your own .

From left to right:

Sottero & Midgley, Maureen Myring Kesterton, Ian Stuart

3. Fifties style wedding gowns

This is the one I’m really very pleased about – I always have and probably always will love 50’s style glamour. There’s something about the whole belted waist idea that makes me happy.   And the Stephanie Allin gown on the left is probably my current favourite gown of any I’ve seen (…and I see a LOT).

From left to right:
Stephanie Allin, Sarah Danielle, Suzanne Ermann

4. Mermaid Style Wedding Gowns

Apparently mermaid style wedding gowns are also a fifties influence, and thinking about it, one of my favourite dresses of all time is the dress Audrey Hepburn wore to the races in My Fair Lady – an extremely tight-fitting mermaid style gown.

From the left:

Benjamin Roberts, Pronovias, Ellis Bridals

5. Tea-length wedding dresses

Tea-length wedding dresses are fabulous for a more casual, less traditional wedding, especially if you have a nice pair of pins and some knock-out shoes.   Once again, the 50s influence is shining through!

From left to right:

Alan Hannah, Charlotte Balbier, Leigh Hetherington,

6. Grecian Goddess wedding dresses

Are you in touch with your inner goddess?  Grecian style wedding dresses are hot at the moment – high-waisted with floaty materials, they would make me look like a mountain, but if you’re slim and smaller breasted, it’s a style that could look stunning.

From left to right:

August Jones, Lambert Creations, Manuel Mota

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 »