HIGH STREET TOP PICKS...RED bridesmaids dresses

As I was sat in the sunshine, trying to pick the theme for my first High Street Top Picks post, the obvious things popped into my head...summer, florals, pastels, brights, etc. 

But, then it occurred to me...those weddings are happening NOW. God help the bride who still hasn't got her bridesmaids outfits for her Summer 2013 wedding! That's not to say you can't have any of these themes for a winter wedding. I'm all for choosing the colour you love irrespective of the season you're getting married in. Buck tradition, I say!

But, in an attempt to be more seasonally appropriate, I decided to focus my first post on red bridesmaid dresses. Why 'red' I hear you ask? Well, my reasoning is as follows...

I am getting married in December which is less than 6 months away. I have only just sorted my bridesmaids outfits, and I have to say this area of wedding planning has probably caused me the most stress!

Red is a popular colour scheme for winter weddings, so this post is dedicated to any bride who is in the same stressful position as I was a matter of days ago...wedding in a few months, bridesmaids outfits still TBC. I want you to know that I feel your pain, and I hope this helps you tick another thing off the endless wedding planning list...

Warehouse

£70.00

Oasis

£65.00

Definitions @ Very.co.uk

£69.00

Topshop Boutique

£80.00

Warehouse

£80.00

Oasis

£50.00

Mango

£39.99

alternative wedding dresses...Tadashi Shoji

When I initially set out on the search for my wedding dress, I had one clear thing in my mind...I didn't want a wedding dress! Firstly, I was on a budget and didn't want to spend thousands of pounds on a dress. Secondly, as you may have guessed, I don't love all things typically traditional.

For me, an evening gown is such a nice alternative to your traditional wedding dress. The silhouette is often more simple, meaning a much more comfortable wedding day with the added benefit of being able to move around on the dance floor! Plus, there's always a chance you could wear it again. Seriously, why not?! It will probably be the most expensive clothing purchase you'll ever make, and I'm all about cost per wear, so it makes sense to buy something you could wear more than once!

Now, what I didn't expect was to actually end up buying a typical wedding dress! I was told about a bargain wedding dress shop in Liverpool called Copplestones Bridal. Their dresses seem to be mostly ex display samples (but they do sell a range of sizes, not just your typical sample sizes). So I decided to go and check it out, and grabbed myself a bargain in the process! Because the dress was so cheap, I have been able to request lots of styling amendments to make it more personal to my style. I'm now just anxiously waiting to see the finished results!

So, after always wanting a non traditional wedding dress, here I am with one. But for those of you who are still looking and like the idea of an evening gown, take a look at Tadashi Shoji. I saw a wedding on a blog recently where the bride wore a dress from this brand. So I thought I would take a look, and I was really impressed with what I found. The dresses are stylish and really reasonably priced. Who knows, I might still buy one to change into for the evening!

Paillette Lace and Tulle Gown in Sand

$408.00

Tadashi Shoji

Beaded Crinkle Chiffon Gown in Cream

$548.00

Tadashi Shoji

Crinkle Chiffon and Floral Embellished Applique Draped Gown in Desert Bloom

$548.00

Tadashi Shoji

Links:

http://shop.tadashishoji.com/evening-shop/evening-gowns/paillette-lace-and-tulle-gown-in-sand.html

http://shop.tadashishoji.com/evening-shop/evening-gowns/beaded-crinkle-chiffon-gown-in-cream.html

http://shop.tadashishoji.com/wedding/bridal-suite/crinkle-chiffon-and-floral-embellished-applique-draped-gown-in-desert-bloom.html

INSPIRE ME...modern separates

Topshop vest shirt
topshop.com

By Malene Birger knee length skirt
shoplesnouvelles.com

Christian Louboutin red sole shoes
net-a-porter.com

Lanvin
$1,580 - net-a-porter.com

Jenny Packham silver jewelry
shopbop.com

Diane James Camellia Bouquet In Low Cylinder Vase
gracioushome.com

INSPIRE ME...vintage separates

Alice You t shirt
dorothyperkins.com

Kay Unger New York pleated skirt
couturecandy.com

Le Silla nude heels
stylebop.com

Forever New embellished purse
$55 - forevernew.com.au

Alexander mcqueen necklace
luisaviaroma.com

Peony Rose and Hydrangea Faux Silk Floral Arrangement
lampsplus.com

OBSESSION OF THE WEEK...rose gold wedding jewellery

A trend that I am absolutely OBSESSED with at the moment is rose gold wedding jewellery. Whether it's an engagement ring or a wedding band, I just love this look. Blake Lively is the latest celeb to pull off this jewellery trend, with a delicate rose gold wedding band (complimented by a HUGE rose gold & diamond engagement ring...well done Ryan!).

Whilst my engagement ring is a vintage inspired white gold ring, I am considering going with a rose gold & diamond wedding band. I think mixing metals is an important rule of jewellery wearing in general, so why not follow the same rule when choosing your engagement & wedding rings?!

Take a look at some of my favourite rose gold rings, I dare you not to fall in love with this trend...

bridesmaid separates

The hardest part of wedding planning for me has been finding the perfect bridesmaid outfits. I remember watching Phoebe's wedding in Friends and loving the fact that the bridesmaids wore tops & skirts...not dresses! Gasp! What I loved even more was the fact that they each wore a different yet coordinating colour.

So fast-forward 10 years or so, and here I am planning my own wedding, with that memory still at the forefront of my mind. 

Traditional bridesmaid dresses have never been my thing. They just seem so uninspired! Your wedding is an opportunity to be creative, yet for me traditional bridesmaid dresses seem so lacking in thought (and quite often style). That's not to say I hate them. I actually considered dresses briefly, but obviously with a twist! I'll elaborate more when I do a 'bridesmaid dresses' post.

But for now, back to separates...

I researched lots of looks, and below are some of the styles I found and have used as the inspiration for my bridesmaid separates:

I just think these are so much more stylish than anything I've seen at weddings I've attended. The upside to the separates look is you can work with every body type by slightly amending the tops or skirts to suit the individual, which is much more forgiving and far less restricting. It should be noted one dress does NOT suit all.

The only downside for me was colour. I have 4 bridesmaids and wanted each to wear a different colour skirt. But, as I'm a bride on a budget, I didn't have the money to get anything tailor made, and the high street will very rarely stock a style in more than 2 colours, so I've had to go with one colour for all.

After lots of researching and online shopping, I've finally got outfits that I love. My wedding isn't until December so you'll have to wait patiently until then to see my final choices! 

welcome fashion loving brides!

Welcome to 'The Bride Loves Fashion', a blog dedicated to brides with style who are looking for alternative wedding inspiration.

As a bride-to-be myself, I have to admit I don't love traditional bridal trends. OK, so maybe I'm guilty of buying a wedding dress that is perhaps more typically 'bridal' than I would have expected. But when it comes to my bridesmaids, their outfits are anything but!

Which leads me perfectly into my first proper post...bridesmaids separates.