Your North East Wedding - Sep/Oct 2019 (Issue 34)

THE BRIDESMAIDS Make sure your besties look as stunning as they deserve. How? By following advice from Bernie Sowa of Middlesbrough’s Diamond Heaven (diamondheavenuk.com )… “Choosing the perfect dresses for your bridesmaids can be very stressful. You want all your maids to be happy, but one size most definitely does not fit all, so finding the right dresses can prove very difficult. First and foremost, you want dresses that embrace your bridesmaids’ individuality, maximising their assets and minimising imperfections to create a flattering look for each body shape. Here are a few tips to consider: ❤ Start shopping for dresses at least a year in advance and allow at least six months if opting for custom-made. ❤ Consider dress colours that suit the season/climate of your wedding. ❤ Be mindful of your maids’ skin tones when choosing colours. ❤ When choosing fabrics, make sure they flatter your maids’ figures. ❤ If you have a range of ages/body types, consider multi-way so each maid can choose their preferred neckline or a different dress in the same fabric. ❤ Consider a corset back, allowing flexibility for any weight gain or weight loss. ❤ For junior bridesmaids who want to feel grown up, choose a junior dress style in the same fabric. ❤ If buying stock-size dresses, don’t forget to factor in your alterations because these can be very costly. ❤ Coordinate your flowergirl dresses with matching sashes and page boy suits with matching waistcoats, ties, cravats or dickie bows.” diamondheavenuk.com diamondheavenuk.com diamondheavenuk.com THE MOTHER OF THE BRIDE Don’t forget about how stunning your mam should look! We caught up with Patricia Barnes from Hexham’s Hats & Glad Rags (facebook.com/eveningout ) for her insider info… What are the trends for mother-of-the- bride outfits right now? “Mother-of-the-bride outfits have always been stylish and classy and, in my opinion, nothing has drastically changed. The typical mother- of-the-bride will use a colour that the bride has chosen, whether this is in the bridesmaid outfits, the bouquets or table decorations, but she will then make this colour her own.  “Although the mother-of-the-bride needs to be relaxed and comfortable in what she is wearing, this is the perfect opportunity to be extravagant, as the photographs will be seen by generations to come. Purples, pinks, lilacs and creams have been very popular this year, with ladies tending to stick to a flattering, just- below-the-knee dress or skirt and a jacket or bolero to finish the look. Fabrics that have a soft sheen have outshone, pardon the pun, a matte-finished fabric.” margaritaphotos.com facebook.com/eveningout HATS OFF! Caron Gibson, from Whitley Bay’s A Bit Of A Do & Occasions (abitofadooccasions.co.uk ) talks stylish hats and fascinators … “Hats and fascinators are still etiquette when it comes to weddings. It’s more traditional for the mother-of-the-bride and mother-of-the-groom to wear a hat, but a fascinator – or hatinator – is becoming more and more popular, as they don’t want to obscure other guests in photos. I find that hats and fascinators must complement the outfit the lady is wearing, as well as matching with their shoes and bag. Customers quite often bring their outfit to try on when they are looking for a hat or fascinator. Today, I’m finding that most guests like to wear a fascinator because they can also wear it for the wedding breakfast and in the evening – whereas they would have to remove a hat.” abitofadooccasions.co.uk abitofadooccasions.co.uk erikatanithphotography.co.uk FASHION 77