The trend for coloured wedding dresses has been growing away quietly for the past couple of years, and as big name dress designers Ronald Joyce, Vera Wang and Pronovias join coloured bridal wear connoisseurs Sweet Caroline, Elizabeth Dye and Bowen Dryden this year, to bring us eye catching dresses in shades of black, red, orange, pink, mustard and blue, could now be the time to step away from ivory and embrace something much more contemporary?
Personally I’ve had a massive crush on coloured wedding dresses ever since Gwen Stefani stepped out in her pink ombre wedding dress in 2002, so when the chance arose to work with British dress designer Hebe of Miss He Bridal and award wining photographer Catherine of Boho Chic Weddings, on an Autumn styled wedding shoot that was to feature a richly coloured bridal two piece, at Yorkshire's Goldsborough Hall, there was no holding me back!
Aware that there isn’t a whole heap of inspiration out there to help brides style a wedding day look around a coloured dress, photographer Catherine and I sought out a small team of wedding professionals to support us in dreaming up a sumptuous set of images to give you the confidence you might be missing to go for colour.
If you're considering colour then it's worth allowing your dress to be the main focal point with other elements such as your flowers, shoes, table styling and accessories to work within the same tonal range but at the more muted end of the spectrum.
To give the finished look a lift, punching through with bolder colour accents as our florist Bureau Botany has done here, works to catch the eye and brings your styling together.
We loved taking the opportunity to step away from a traditional block colour for our grooms wear from Dandy Threads, opting instead for a super cool, contemporary modern check featuring the same warmer tones seen throughout the rest of the styling. And by the way...can we just take a moment to appreciate our Mr's amazing hair...?!
The current restrictions for UK weddings mean that there are some surprising wins for couples getting married in 2020/21, not least the opportunity that having a smaller number of guests allow for you to experiment with alternatives to the wedding breakfast.
For our Flaming Fall styled wedding we worked with the team at Goldsborough Hall to come up with some fresh ideas for feeding our couple and their close group of guests. An elegant afternoon tea worked beautifully to compliment the elegance of Goldsborough's Orangery and had the added bonus of filling small, socially distanced tables, with picture perfect tiers of colour.
A smaller wedding with fewer guests also allows more time for you and your partner to head off with your photographer to capture more experimental, fun, memorable images that reflect your characters and the things you love about one another.
Statement bridal wear requires a statement hair accessory to make sure the eye of your partner and your guests travels all the way up through your look and doesn't stall midway!
Having seen the design sketches from Miss He Bridal showcasing this breath-taking bridal two piece, with it's rich velvet topper, bell sleeves, and full tulle skirts, I knew that the richness of the pomegranate fabric would be best complimented by the warmth of the metallic gold crystals in my Harley headpiece, whilst the cooler colours of the ivory pearls and silver leaves featured in this crown stopped the finished look from becoming too heavy.
Deborah of Love Hair and Beauty worked with our opulent fall colour palette to create complimentary berry and gold eyes and a bridal hairstyle of full, free waves.
Photographer Catherine and I actually began discussing the possibility of working together on this autumn photoshoot, showcasing a richly coloured wedding dress, much earlier in the year on June 1st when Catherine posted the caption 'Flaming June' on her Instagram feed, referencing the famous painting of that name by leading Pre-Raphaelite artist Lord Frederick Leighton. This panting just happens to have huge significance for me being my June born, late Grandmother June's favourite painting. Growing up I recall my mum, Linda June, also born in June, having the picture hanging in our family home, and today, I have the picture on my wall - I'm Heidi June, also born in June!
It was with great joy that Catherine indulged me in recreating that iconic painting at the tail end of our flaming gorgeous photoshoot...and also goes to show that if you have a good relationship with your photographer, sharing family traditions and stories with them before your wedding day can help inspire them to create some truly meaningful and memorable images on your wedding day.
To shop my Harley Headpiece and other accessories from the LOVE UNLEASHED 2021 BRIDAL ACCESSORY COLLECTION head here: LOVE UNLEASHED 2021
Our Flaming Fantastic team:
Photography and concept - Boho Chic Weddings
Accessories and concept - Glorious by Heidi
Bridal wear - Miss He Bridal
Hair and Make up - Love Hair and Beauty
Florals and table styling - Bureau Botany
Grooms wear - Dandy Threads
Stationery - Gray Starling Design
Table wear - Whitehouse Crockery
Venue - Goldsborough Hall