Local Bridal Boutiques Share Their Advice for Winter Brides

Fashion & Jewellery, Planning & Advice

With the weeks whizzing by and Autumn in full flow, before we know it winter will have arrived and no doubt we’ll all be caught up in a Christmas shopping frenzy.

This magical season is a beautiful one to get married in although it can be trickier to choose your dream wedding dress which is not only stunning but caters for our Irish weather. With style and suitability in mind we asked some of our favourite Mr2be.ie bridal suppliers to share their advice on dressing for winter and to also share their picks for 2018.

Bella Bleu Bridal, South Mall, Cork

Lovely Lucy has lots of advice for winter brides…

Fur as a cover-up for a bride is very classic and timeless, but embracing wool and knitwear is definitely more stand out and becoming more and more popular. For fabrics look towards silk crepe, heavy weight satins and beading in golds and silvers. As we are all on the paler side in the winter months, choosing the warmer tones of ivory, creams, champagnes and gold will be more warming on skin tones, specifically the classic pale Irish skin-tone.

I always advise my winter brides to consider their footwear carefully. Leather, suede or velvets have a more wintery feel and are more durable than delicate satin. 

Always be aware of the temperamental weather in Ireland, be prepared for cold and rain, but don’t let it affect you too much because you will spend such little time outside on the day as it is, don’t miss out on your dream dress for practicalities.

winter brides

My favourite dress in the new collection at Bella Bleu is called Faye from American brand, Ivy & Aster. It has a romantic ethereal look, while the plunging V neck gives a modern and more edgy feel. We are getting serious Berta or Elie Saab vibes, without the big price tag. This is not a classic style that we would usually have at Bella Bleu but we are in love with this dress, it is definitely a show stopper. 

Visit Bella Bleu Bridal here.

 

Ophelia Bridal, Dyer Street, Drogheda

Aoife and her team are very excited about the latest bridal trends coming through for 2018, especially separates.

My favourite trend for 2018 is the idea of separates. Pronovias have introduced a collection of bodices and skirts that can be mixed and matched. Some of my brides are choosing to wear one skirt with two different bodices, a day look and an evening look, or changing up the skirts with the same bodice to give a different look. By wearing separates brides get two dresses but without the cost. One of my favourite looks is the Xantri skirt with Xenine bodice for the ceremony, then changing to the Meras skirt.

winter bride

winter bride

Visit Ophelia Bridal here.

 

Ivory & Pearl Bridal Boutique, The Square, Comber

Owner Kate feels that no matter the season, each bride should really love her gown and work around the elements to make it suitable.

When it comes to choosing a wedding dress for weather (or even venue) – I don’t let it influence my decision too much, I always say you HAVE to love it and there’s always ways around the weather! For example if you’re getting married in the winter, most likely you’ll be indoors most of the time, hopefully with the fire lit. And when you go outside to get your photographs taken – there’s nothing more beautiful than a blanket wrapped around you while you wait. I had a bride in the boutique last week getting married this winter and she brought in a few options to keep her cosy on her wedding day, such as a cool leather jacket, a wooly jumper or a blanket. From Ivory & Pearl Bridal Boutique, our winter brides sometimes opt for a beautiful long sleeved dress or a sequins sparkly number.. both are gorgeous for the twinkly lights, crisp and hopefully dry winter months!

winter bride

Visit Ivory & Pearl Bridal Boutique here.

 

(Featured image: Naomi Neoh from Ivory & Pearl Bridal Boutique)