Flower Me Pretty - the Rise and Rise of the Floral Headdress

The 80s were a cruel fashion decade in many respects.  Shoulder pads, big hair and jewellery so chunky you could demolish houses with it.  Wedding dresses were adorned with big puffy sleeves, gaudy embellishments and huge trains.  This was typified by the wedding dress of Diana, Princess of Wales.  Her dress became iconic of the decade.

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However there was one trend, typified by the Royal Wedding of 1981, that is make a comeback which I'm a teensy bit thrilled about: floral headdresses.  Along with shower bouquets, the floral headbands and wreathes that bedecked the hair of the brides and bridesmaids in 80s are coming back stronger than ever.

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The trend started with last year's Royal wedding.  The younger bridesmaids had headbands of ivy leaves and white flowers while maid of honour Pippa Middleton wore a clip of lily of the valley.  Following on from this, many more brides have opted to wear flowers in their hair.

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It's a style long advocated by the wonderful florists Spriggs and Miss Pickering.  It's such a great look because it lends itself to all kinds of occasion: casual, formal and themed.  Using seasonal blooms or tying in with your bouquet can really emphasise your colour scheme.  It also looks wonderful on all ages; from very young flower girls to brides entering their second marriage.  Even high fashion is getting in on the action.  Lady Gaga attended milliner extraordinaire Philip Treacy's SS13 show at London Fashion Week with colour and arty piece.

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Indeed this trend show absolutely no sign of dying out with more spectators at London Fashion Week wearing garlands in their hair, the Duchess of Cambridge joining in with local customs in the South Pacific and young bride Peaches Geldof carrying on the bridal tradition.

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I for one am absolutely thrilled by this wonderful revival.  Tiaras are pretty in their place, but nothing quite says it like flowers.

For all your wedding flowers needs, please contact louisesblooms@yahoo.co.uk

Bye Bye Bare Arms - the sleeve is back!

When the announcement was made over a year ago now (my how the time flies!) that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged to be married, we all knew that whatever gown she chose for her big day it would be a trendsetter.  And we were not wrong.

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Resplendent in Alexander McQueen couture, Kate has certainly buoyed up the bridal market for lace and white bridesmaids dresses, but also for sleeves.  For more than 10 years, strapless arm-bareing gowns have been in vogue, but it seems that the tide may be about to turn.  Kate's dress alone would not a trend make, but the second most hotly anticipated gown of the year bears many of the same features.

Summit Entertainment / Alfred Angelo

 

Bella Swann (played by Kristen Stewart in the Twilight movie series) married her long-term love Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) in a long sleeved Carolina Herrera gown with striking lace detail on the back.  So much hype was focused on the dress, the movie trailer deliberately only gave teasing, tantilising glimpses of it.  Only now that the film has been released.

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The design has proved so popular, women and girls are claiming to be engaged just to be able to get into Alfred Angelo stores, where replicas of Bella's dress are being sold, to try the dress on.  I've been rooting for the return of the sleeve for years - perhaps this could its turning point.

Dusting Off the Fairytale - what to do with your dress afterwards

It's probably the most expensive outfit you'll ever buy and the one piece of clothing you'll treasure above all others for the rest of your life.  So once you've wrapped it in acid free paper and a UV-protective cover, what will you do with your wedding dress?

Well, unless you marry royalty, it's unlikely to end up in a museum.  However, that doesn't mean you can't showcase your dress.  Purchasing a mannequin and a display case is not unheard of, but you will require a lot of space and fair bit of cash too.  If you're not adverse to cutting up your dress, if you have some particularly beautiful lace or applique, you could cut it off and then frame it.  Alternatively, you could sew it into a decorative tablecloth.

In these times of austerity and great awareness of reducing waste, some people find it an unnecessary expense to purchase a dress they'll never wear again.  Monsoon is particularly great for creating beautiful yet understated dresses that you can use again and again.

You don't even have to turn to the high street for a dress you can wear again.  The ever-thrifty Duchess of Cornwall has been spotted in the dress she wore to wed Prince Charles many times since her 2005 nuptials.  The dress was a bespoke piece by Robinson Valentine.

If you still want to purchase that dream dress you've had your eye for longer than you care to think about, who knows?  If you put it away now, the generation after you may want to wear it.  Daughters wearing their mother's wedding dresses has boomed in popularity in the last few years; this is due in part to the tough economic climate, but also because nostalgia and all things vintage are very much in vogue at the moment.  Who knows: if you buy that dream dress now, it may well be back in fashion by the time your daughter gets married.

Something Blue, Something Pink, or Something Gold - Not wearing white on your big day

Long gone are the days of the bride wearing white.  It represented virginity, which is something not a lot of us can claim to on our wedding days these days!  Whilst ivories and warmer shades of white are still the norm, other colours are gaining in popularity.  This is due in no small part to celebrity influence.

Following her Friday nuptials to Prince Albert of Monaco, the new Serene Highness Princess Charlene could well be a trendsetter with this elegant blue suit.  The floatiness of the trousers gives it a romantic edge, whilst the jacket gives it a suitably formal edge for the civil ceremony.  The colour looks beautifully cool against the hot Monaco summer.  The duck-egg tones echo those worn by the Duchess of Cornwall at her wedding to Prince Charles in 2005.

Victoria Beckham opted for a champagne gold colour.  It was traditional enough for her Catholic wedding ceremony but still radical enough at the time to set her out as a trendsetter.  Since her 1999 wedding, similar colours have been spotted on the likes of Chantelle Houghton (2007) and Coronation Street actress Jennifer James (2001).

Red is the colour of romance, so therefore it makes for a good choice as a wedding dress.  Chinese brides often wear red as the colour is thought to bring good luck.  However, this large cherry on the top of the cake offering from Jodie Marsh somehow looks more monstrous than harmonious.

There is no one quite like Dita Von Teese so therefore we should have expected nothing less than originality from her when she married kooky rockstar Marilyn Manson.  This dramatic creation from Vivienne Westwood manages to be fairytale and dramatic.  And since purple is traditionally the colour of passion, I don't think we could've expected anything else from Ms Von Teese.

Her wedding still remains the biggest selling issue of OK! magazine of all time, so it's little suprise that Jordan's big fat gypsy wedding dress (back in the days when we didn't know what big fat gypsy weddings were) heavily influenced wedding dresses over the following years.  Women felt liberated after this dress; white was no longer the only option.  Sales of pink wedding dresses when through the roof after Katie Price's 2005 nuptials.  However, Katie was not the first celebrity bride to dare to wear pink...

Two years before, rock chick extraordinare Gwen Stefani walked down the aisle in  a John Galliano creation splashed with pink around the hem of the skirt.  Given Gwen's outlandish taste in fashion, this dress suited her to a tee.

Star Style - Celebs who get it right (and oh soooo wrong!)

Whilst we can't all go out and have a dress made for us like The Duchess of Cambridge did, there's still no reason we can't all find the perfect dress for the big day.  Dressing for the occassion as well as for yourself is the first thing to remember.  You'll look rather silly turning up at the concrete registry office in a Princess Di replica.  Likewise, there's no point in booking the city cathedral if you'd far rather wear a suit.

The time of year (and day) and your own personal style are also critical factors when picking the most important outfit you'll ever wear.  Forget any of these rules and you'll end wearing something you'll look back on and regret.

Join me as I talk you through some of my best (and worst) dressed celebrity brides.

Best Dressed Brides:  Caroline Corr, Princess Di, The Duchess of Cambridge

This is how to do it.  Caroline Corr knew she was going to have hoards of locals and fans watching her on her big day, so she knew she needed to dress to impress.  However, a dress that was over the top and fussy would not have served her well in the Mallorcan heat.  This dress is an easy laid back combo of the two and Caroline looks effortlessly chic and cool in it.

Princess Diana's dress captured the hopes and desires of a nation in one outfit.  And that is a pretty powerful thing.  The fluffy meringue style of the dress matched her warm and giving nature seen in the proceeding years with her children and her charity work.  The sheer size of the dress meant it didn't fade within th grandeur of St. Paul's Cathederal.  The expensive detailing in the lace and the sequins served as a symbol of the opulence and wealth of the country at the time.  The dress suited her and it suited the Nation.  Perfect. 

Okay, don't hate me for saying this, but I didn't like The Duchess of Cambridge's Westminster Abbey dress.  It was a work of art with all that beautiful lacework and folds of the skirt and it suited the ocassion of a future king's royal wedding perfectly.  But I don't think it suited her.  Kate is unquestionably a style icon and by-and-large is a very good judge of what she looks good in.  This is why her evening wedding dress that she wore to the private party looked a million times better on her.  It was simplicity itself with the simply flourish of the McQueen belt to keep it stylish.  The wrap was practical for keeping out the chill of an April night.

Worst Dressed Brides: Claudia Schiffer, Jemima Khan, Big Fat Gypsy weddings

Too much lace!

 

Too much like Oxfam.

Too much.  End of.

Do It Like A Duchess - how to be the perfect wedding guest

Before she became recognised as being one of the brides of the century, it was a case of 'Always the guest, never even the bridesmaid' for Kate Middleton.  We all have that Hugh Grant/Four Weddings moment when we seem to have a wedding to attend every single Saturday, but perhaps in this, we can learn something from Her Royal Highness: 

Sticking to a range of comfortable colours and simple styles is the key.  There is a place for daring fashion, but your best mate's big day is not it.  Do as the Duchess does and stick within your normal pallett.  While she looks divine in cool blues and gorgeous golds, you will know which colours suit you best.  Kate likes her skirts to sit just above the knee and she has a nice cleavage which she shows to effect (but never revealing too much!)  It's important to remain modest at a wedding - leg or bust, never both.

One pit that is sooo easy to fall into is wearing the all black ensemble, especially for a winter wedding.   Some might call it classy; everyone else will say funereal.  Kate's tried to lighten her outfit here with some burgundy shoes, but they're simply not enough.  The LBD can look great at a wedding, but weddings are happy occassions.  And it's scientifically proven fact that bright colours go hand in hand with happiness.  Inject some colour a bright pair of shoes, hat or fascinator, or even a bag.

 

When it comes to hats, Kate's got it nailed.  Never too big, never too small.  You need a hat that has character without having a full-blown story to tell.  (Princess Beatrice: we're looking at you!)  Rule of thumb: if you can't travel in a car with it on your head, it's probably too big.

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When it comes to shoes, smart but comfortable is the way forward.  For all that you want to look your best, you will be on your feet for quite a long time.  Will the corns from those amazing 6-inch Manolos really be worth it in the morning?

Lily and Sarah - Fashion rules on the big day

We all know that celeb weddings set the trend of the rest of us poor common folk, and many people quite rightly predicted the boom in lace detail following the wedding of the  Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Given how she's set up a fashion label as well as a vintage clothing boutique with her sister Sarah Owen, all eyes were on the sometimes-wacky-sometimes-uber-chic Lily Allen to see what she would be wearing on her big day.

And I have to say... I was rather taken aback.

We all know that vintage is 'the' by-word in wedding culture at the moment, and many brides spend hours traipsing around charity shops in a bid to find their perfect antique dress. In her line of work, I would be very surprised if Lily hasn't come across a dress or two like this, so why go to all the bother (not to mention expense) of making this 'modern' vintage, lacy oddbox.

Especially those Princess Leia earmuffs.  We can all see the Rag Time influence in this dress, but this detail feels overblown and over the top to the point of being ridiculous.  It seems such a shame too when the rest of the cap headdress looks rather pretty.

For a high profile fashionista wedding such as this, fashion etiquette cannot be entirely forgotten, but that's exactly what the bride's business partner Sarah seems to have done.  That is FAR too much cleavage on show.  And who told her that those shoes go with that dress??  Okay so she's got to draw attention to her outfit in order to get notice for her business, but is upstaging the bride really the way to go?

Having said all that, given the rough year Lily's had, it's nice to see her with a beaming smile on her face.  No matter what a bride looks like or does, we should always wish her well.  Marriage is a tricky business and the wedding is just the start.