New year and a new decade… so what will 2020 mean for wedding dress trends? Celebrity style has affected wedding dress trends closing the gap between wedding dress and red carpet gown. This season wedding collections on the catwalk are featuring tiered gowns; lace is as popular as ever; but the main story for the new year is feathers – around necklines and hems or covering gowns.

Sleeves are also on trend but not the slim lace or illusion sleeves of the last decade which followed the royal wedding of Kate and William. This year sleeves are off the shoulder and voluminous with little or no embellishment. Tailoring is also finding its way into bridal collections with coats and jackets over slim dresses.

Jennifer, bride wearing Elizabeth Bessant couture slip wedding dress for her wedding in the mountains

Colour is a key note with lemon, which was previously only considered for bridesmaids’ dresses, competing with ivory and cream as a more exciting option for bridal wear. And pink will still be popular but not too sugary along with lilac and soft blues.

Interestingly at a time when couture audiences are shrinking around the fashion capitals of the world, bridal couture is growing. Every season, brides come to see me looking to have their dream wedding dress or outfit created. They want to be involved with the process, to see their one of a kind wedding dress evolve at every fitting.

I believe the rise in social media has spurred this trend. Wearing a couture wedding dress ensures no one else will have a gown quite the same which is important as so often the photos are for the world and not just the family album.

When I met Ulrike at the National Wedding Show she wanted a unique outfit for her January wedding in New York. It was going to be cold maybe even snowing so warmth as well as style was important. She asked me to make her a tailored silk dress and jacket in a soft shade of blue or grey with a short skirt styled to show off her figure and long legs. I also made an ivory cashmere cape with faux fur trim for warmth.

Ulrike invested in a beautiful pair of Dior heels which featured a black and blue vine/flower design. As soon as I saw these shoes I knew I needed to include this motif somewhere in the outfit. I beaded the neckline of the silk jacket to mimic the cut appliqué leather design on the shoes. I also made a bag and hairpiece to finish off Ulrike’s wedding day look.

It was quite a tight brief as Ulrike had a lot of her own ideas but there was still plenty of scope for me to contribute my design ideas to ensure her outfit was unique. I also spotted a pair of tights which had a black seam up the centre back that read ‘love is everything’… perfect to compliment the Dior shoes.

She loved her outfit and wrote to me saying: “Today finally was my wonderful day and my outfit made me feel as special as the day deserves. Thank you so much for that.” – Ulrike von Saldern