News & Articles
The next big thing
5 Nov 2007
While there's something to be said for a wedding with 'timeless elegance', lacing your day with the look of the season can be a wonderful way to add contemporary flair.
Clever use of modern details and style accents can stamp your wedding with the era of your union, without resorting to ‘flyaway fads' that will have your grandkids gasping in horror.
A Lavish Affair gives you the heads up on what's hot for brides in 2008.
Bejewelled elegance
Strapless gowns with pinched waists and beaded detail were the big looks at the recent New York bridal show. And judging by the amount of rhinestones on show, brides could be set to dazzle guests in the back pew. Thankfully, the jewels are used more sparingly than the sea of Swarovski that gripped the 90s, with bejewelled elegance replacing over-the-top bling.
In his Spring/Summer 07 collection, designer to the stars Alex Perry showcased long simple gowns, detailed with ruched bodices, jewelled halter necks, and a flurry of feathers. His Arctic Princess Winter 08 line continued the high glamour theme with tulle fishtails and wasp-waisted silhouettes. On Mix FM, Perry recently hinted at the reinvention of ‘strapless' with delicate spaghetti straps, and off-the-shoulder cap sleeves set to take the bridal staple in a romantic new direction. Perry is about to make his annual trip to India where he sources beads from the same place as Valentino himself - so maybe that's a heads up that bling is still in.
Bold burlesque
Striptease starlet Dita von Teese has inspired a bridal burlesque movement, with designers like Manuell & Moore delivering lingerie sex appeal in its daring range of one-of-a-kind frocks.
Founding designer Helen Manuell is currently creating a showpiece gown with a piped Jean Paul Gaultier-style cinched corset and a contrasting skirt in raw, shredded fabric. Manuell says red is also emerging as a bold choice for brides, who are increasingly wearing red carpet colours down the aisle. "Girls are being game enough to do reds, or black and white frocks, or black lace. And we tend to show a lot of leg and a sexy low back," she says.
Green day
In the age of global warming, brides are also chasing a lighter carbon footprint, finding ways to renew, reduce and recycle that don't involve trading in the groom. Lets face it - when Oprah features a couple that spent over $7 million on their wedding, buying a ranch to host it on, you can't help but baulk at the excess. And with environmental crusaders as sexy as Leonardo Di Caprio on the campaign trail, is it any wonder some of us have been questioning our indulgences?
Green is the new ‘white' for weddings, with the rise of organic menus, hemp wedding dresses, and a growing list of eco gift registries. Celebrity brides that have paved the way to eco chic include former US Vice President Al Gore's daughter Sarah, who asked her wedding guests to make a donation to an environmental charity.
Daytime soap "Days of Our Lives" also put on a green wedding for characters Sami and Lucas, who used potted plant arrangements, recycled paper invites and place cards and a pure silk wedding gown to sell the green theme.
Local carbon-conscious company and green power supplier, Climate Friendly offers a "wedding package" for a carbon-neutral ceremony. For $387, you can counteract the environmental impact of an 80-person wedding, which contributes an average 16 tonnes of pollution - enough CO2 to fill 111,201 garbage bins.
Or take inspiration from a Chinese couple that got to the church on a tandem bicycle - decorated with wedding trimming of course. But for those with a bridal party, a stretch limo to carpool or public transport could be the next best thing - because if a buxom bride on her way to the altar can't get the trains to run on time, what on earth can?
