Boutique Directory: Bridal Wear
You'll have the pictures for the rest of your life (if all goes according to plan!), so making the perfect choice of outfit for your wedding day is a decision worth taking time over.
Here's how to give that classic dress a contemporary flair, courtesy of the fashion experts at eve magazine.
Many brides-to-be have dreamt since childhood of wearing a full-blown princess dress, so the traditional corseted, full-skirted gown is always in fashion and there's a plethora to choose from. Plus, they create curves in all the right places.
More weddings now take place in evening venues and designers have cottoned on to creating gowns that exude red carpet glamour. Take the drop-waisted dresses with floor-sweeping skirts, scalloped necklines and halter-necks, worthy of Oscar-winners...
Vintage-inspired dresses are also coming through. Full skirts are giving way to more refined styles in beautiful antique-look lace, overlaying silks and satins.
Intricate detailing is paramount. Delicate beadwork lifts white and ivory dresses, as does a contrast-colour ribbon at the waist. And a vintage brooch worn on the hip could be your something old.
The back of your dress is often the focal point, given all the guests at your ceremony will be staring at it for at least half an hour. Covered buttons, a cascade of silk or a deep v-back are great showcases.
Do... wear a little bolero jacket, if you're worried about showing your arms. Or choose a strapless gown, it'll draw eyes to your cleavage and away from your arms. If you're tall, break a long body up with a bow at the waist. If you're small, a halter-neck dress will create a longer line from the bust to the floor.
Don't... buy a dress you'll need to slim into - it'll only give both you and your dress designer a huge headache. Be realistic about what suits you. You want to be yourself, just the most beautiful version of you.
More weddings now take place in evening venues and designers have cottoned on to creating gowns that exude red carpet glamour. Take the drop-waisted dresses with floor-sweeping skirts, scalloped necklines and halter-necks, worthy of Oscar-winners...
Vintage-inspired dresses are also coming through. Full skirts are giving way to more refined styles in beautiful antique-look lace, overlaying silks and satins.
Intricate detailing is paramount. Delicate beadwork lifts white and ivory dresses, as does a contrast-colour ribbon at the waist. And a vintage brooch worn on the hip could be your something old.
The back of your dress is often the focal point, given all the guests at your ceremony will be staring at it for at least half an hour. Covered buttons, a cascade of silk or a deep v-back are great showcases.
Do... wear a little bolero jacket, if you're worried about showing your arms. Or choose a strapless gown, it'll draw eyes to your cleavage and away from your arms. If you're tall, break a long body up with a bow at the waist. If you're small, a halter-neck dress will create a longer line from the bust to the floor.
Don't... buy a dress you'll need to slim into - it'll only give both you and your dress designer a huge headache. Be realistic about what suits you. You want to be yourself, just the most beautiful version of you.
