Have your wedding party comfortable, confident and dressed to impress When it comes to the big day, the question on everyone’s lips is: what am I going to wear? It’s difficult enough to decide for yourself, let alone being responsible for another group of people, your closest confidants, who make up your bridal party. So, where to begin? The answer is: with yourselves. It sounds selfish, but if you can’t be on your wedding day, when can you? Your look will have the greatest influence on that of your bridesmaids and groomsmen. If you’ve opted for a boho vibe, you’ll want to look for a similar style for your best gals. Likewise, if the groom has fallen in love with a pastel, tweed, three-piece, dressing the chaps in tuxes won’t quite be the ticket! Of course, in deciding upon your own look, you’ll already have in mind whether it suits your venue and overall vision for the day, but one element that will have a bigger affect on your bridal party than you is your colour palette. And there are ways to get creative with this. For example, do you want to select a different colour from your main palette for each maid to wear? Perhaps you fancy going floral, which is stunning for a boho-inspired day. The choice is yours. There are also fun ways to mirror this in the groomsmen’s attire with pocket squares and ties to complement the bridesmaids and that’s just your starter for 10! We asked some of Kent’s experts for their ideas on what’s hot for 2023. Read on to find out more... HERE COME THE GIRLS Your bride tribe will naturally be made up of the ladies closest to you, your inner circle, the ones you hold dear. So, because you love them its only natural for you to want them to feel comfortable and enjoy your big day alongside you. The best advice we can give you then is to be as open-minded as you can about their attire. Giving them as much flexibility as possible when looking at dresses will make them feel happier when shopping, ensuring a relaxed and super-fun process. Don’t worry, you don’t have to let go of the reins completely. Just giving the girls some parameters will set you all well on the way to smiley faces on the day. For example, you might decide you can’t compromise on the colour, which most will be happy to concede as long as they’re wearing a style that matches their vibe and personality. Plus, we absolutely love the way the squad looks when they’re wearing what they look best in but still work together. After all, you love their personalities, that’s why they’re your friends, so why hide their lights under a bushel by shoehorning them into the same silhouette? It’s rare to find a set of ladies who all share the same body type or even body confidence, so dressing them identically is far more stress than it’s worth for you and them, trust us! Glamour and gladrags Victoria Walton from Victoria Elaine Bridal (www.victoriaelainebridal.co.uk) tells us about the trends to look out for this year: “Sage green has been very popular in recent years, but it’s time to consider a slightly darker shade, such as olive. The deeper colours are proving popular in the U.S. and it won’t be long before they take off here. Plus, these shades are far more likely to complement your bridesmaids’ skin tones than some of the pastel shades out there. “Another trend we’re seeing more and more of is skirts with a slit. This adds a modern touch by showing a little leg, but nothing too inappropriate for a wedding! It will work really well if you’ve chosen a wedding dress with the same style element, tying all the outfits together nicely. Team this trend with a metallic fabric for a contemporary and luxury look that your best girls will love! Our Hayley Paige Occasions range has lots of styles in this fabric and are so stunning, you’ll struggle to choose.” Image courtesy of Victoria Elaine Bridal Image courtesy of Victoria Elaine Bridal Image courtesy of Victoria Elaine Bridal www.whistles.com 67 DRESSING THE BRIDAL PARTY
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=