Wedding dress trends, designer wedding dresses, top boho wedding dress styles, vintage wedding dresses… let’s face it, picking your dream wedding dress is a big deal and the choice can feel overwhelming!

It’s the one feature of the wedding day that a young girl dreams about long before she even wonders who the groom might be! How funny is that? So choosing the dream wedding dress can feel like a big challenge.

It is common to feel the pressure to choose a ‘WOW’ dress that both breaks the mould but is equally timeless (so you will still love seeing it your pictures in the decades to come.) It’s a big decision but fear not! If you are looking for inspiration to choose the perfect wedding dress, I have poured my heart and soul and years of experience into this guide:

The Top Nine ‘Must-Have’ Wedding Dress Styles

Let me showcase the very best in rustic, boho, dream wedding dresses I have seen. This is not so much a guide to the fashions, seasons and trends of wedding dresses but rather a collection of the most stunning dress styles I have personally photographed, and the key features that make them so delicious on camera. Because, let’s face it, having a dress that photographs well has got to be high on the wish list as the photos will be all you are left with after the day is done.

Each one of these dress styles is an absolute dream to photograph. Choose any one of them and you can’t go far wrong. So, let’s get this party started with one of my favourite wedding dress styles of all time (who am I kidding, every one of these wedding dress styles is my favourite!)

1

The ‘Two-Piece’

The ‘Two-Piece’ is glamorous, modern and flexible… what’s not to love? If you are looking for a ultra-modern, stand-out-from-the-crowd boho wedding dress, you can’t do better than a gorgeous two-piece wedding dress. Adorned with beading, jewels, lace or crochet, the two-piece sets you streets apart from any other wedding as an independent, ultra-fashionable bride.

Such a stunning wedding dress, the perfect combination of modern but timeless elegance too. On to the next wedding dress:

2

The “Bombshell” One

Whenever I arrive at a wedding and see a bride with a sheer, plung neck-line dress I KNOW it is going to be good wedding! This dress is a dream to photograph! It is so elegant but daring. bold but delicate, all at the same time. As far as wedding dresses go, this had got to be one of my all-time favourites.

I have photographed many over the years and they never seem to age. They are a truely time-proof, statement wedding dress. If you want to be bold and a little daring but still look elegant and classic, this is definitely the dress for you!

Love it! Such a stunning wedding dress! I’m sure you can see why it made it’s way into my ‘Top Nine’ wedding dress styles. And number three…

3

The ‘Glamour’ One

This wedding dress literally makes me weak at the knees. I mean, can you GET too many sparkles on your wedding day? I’m pretty sure you can’t! Adorned with jewels, beading and sequins, the ‘glamour’ wedding dress is all about shimmer and decadence. Honestly, you can’t over-do this, the more jewels, the better!

These heavily-beaded, vintage-style wedding dresses are a dream to photograph. The jewels catch the light and make the dress look incredible from any angle. The detailing gives plenty for the camera to focus on and will guarantee that you get more photos that the average bride which has got to be incentive enough to splash out on a bit more bling!

Wow, what an amazing wedding dress. I love a heavily-beaded wedding dress, it adds a touch of class to a wedding in a way that few things can. The next wedding dress is the epitome of boho wedding style:

4

The ‘Boho’ One

I love, love, love a boho wedding. The rustic details, wild flowers, flower crowns and relaxed vibe makes these wedding so much fun and the pictures so full of life and beauty. So what do you need for the perfect rustic, boho wedding? A perfect rustic, boho wedding dress!

The boho wedding dress is all about loose designs, ruffles, layers and lace. Off-the shoulder wedding dresses work really well, as well as simple capped-sleeves and high or wide laced neck-lines. Basically avoid any harsh lines or silky fabrics, the boho wedding dress is all about texture and floaty, feminine elegance.

Stunning! The boho wedding dress is the perfect choice for any bride wanted a relaxed, rustic, woodland or funfair-style wedding. The next dress is when things start to get really fun…

5

The ‘Colour’ One

I know you are out there… my brave brides who hate to do anything predictable or safe. You love life and live big. Your taste is far too vibrant to be constrained to a simple white dress… if so, a coloured wedding dress is for you!

Over the years, I have seen an increasing number of coloured wedding dresses and I love it! The trick is to keep it subtle; a little bit of soft, pastel colour can go a loooong way in a wedding dress. Layering sheer or embellished overlays is the perfect way to create a hint of colour without going over-board. I recently saw a bride with a wedding dress made from a delicate rose patterned fabric over-layer with layers of white sheer fabric so the pattern was delicate and faint… the effect was breath-taking and so unique!

So if you fancy really wearing a wedding dress to turn some heads and make your mark in the wedding dress fashion trends of the year, why not go a little bold and choose a coloured wedding dress?

Love it! How many of you are brave enough to wear a coloured wedding dress? I can’t wait to see what you find when you start to think outside the box with your wedding dress choice! On to the next dress, prepare yourselves, it’s amazing!

6 

The ‘Vintage’ One

Oh my goodness, I can’t even begin to describe just how much I love a vintage wedding dress! My heart literally skips a beat when I turn up to a wedding and see a breath-taking vintage wedding dress, or vintage-inspired wedding dress, hanging in the corner. I even had one bride who got married in her grandmother’s wedding dress… can you imagine?! How special is that!

I am a deeply nostalgic and sentimental person at the best of times so that nearly finished me off! What made it even more special was that grandma was there at the wedding and she didn’t know the bride was going to wear her dress… can you imagine what she must have felt as she saw her beautiful granddaughter walking down the stairs in her old, but still stunning, tea-dress wedding dress?!

Whether you are going for the simple satin wedding dresses of the 1900’s, the glamour of the 1910’s, the beaded wedding dresses of the 1920’s, the loose-fitting chic of the 1930’s, the high-necked wedding dresses of the 1940’s or the irresistibly twirl-able tea-dresses of the 1950’s. Vintage wedding dresses will never go out of fashion!

What style would you go for? It is a really fun to google wedding dresses through the ages and see what characterised the vintage wedding dresses of each past era, and then incorporate that into your wedding dress design. If you love to shop then why not visit some vintage wedding dress shops to find a genuine vintage wedding dress with history.

7

The ‘Fairy-tale’ One

Oh this dress is a dream, my brides who have worn this dress do tend to end up with more pictures because they are so easy to photograph… I mean, doesn’t it make you feel happy just to look at it?

It is a tricky wedding dress style because there is a fine line between a gorgeous “fairy-tale’ wedding dress and a dress that is a bit too…er…dare I say it… {old-fashioned}. But, when you get it right with modern shapes, intricate details and rustic accessories, these wedding dresses have got to be my absolute favourite to photograph movement in! The way they move, the way they fall, the way they command attention – they are utterly memorising and truly look a million dollars!

The way to check if your wedding dress is still modern even with a ‘fairy-tale’ design, is to check the skirt. The skirt must be layers and layers of fabric so it hangs and swings with creases and folds. This gives the gorgeous volume and shape without the dated look of a hooped under-skirt. This gives free movement and natural shape and create a gorgeous modern look whilst still being every little girl’s dream wedding dress.

If your dress needs an underskirt, opt for a multiple layer underskirt rather than a single hopped one. You want to be free to move and run and twirl, and generally show off how utterly stunning you look!The prefect combination of drama and awe with classic, breath-taking style, the fairy-tale dress is a dress I could photograph all day! And it’s exactly the same with dress number 8…

 

8

The ‘Statement’ One

This is not so much a set wedding dress design but rather an overall attitude to your wedding dress style. Are you going to play it safe and choose a wedding dress style that will be worn by thousands of other brides that year, or are you going to push the boat out, be bold and choose a dress that really breaks the mould?

Those that dare, really do end up creating a wedding dress style that is talked about and drooled over by tens of thousands of other women wishing they were brave enough to ditch the simple and safe, and go for bold and unusual with their wedding dress.

These statement dresses are so much fun to photograph. The unusual shapes, textures and details mean there is just so much to photograph and I feel creatively inspired in a way few other dresses achieve.

Look for unusual designers and ‘out-there’ wedding dress designs. Look in high-street wedding dress shops as this will give you a great idea of what ‘normal’ wedding dress designs look like this season. When you know what you AREN’T looking for, it will then be easier to find that one-in-a-million, stand-out wedding dress.

Also, check online wedding blogs to see if anyone else has found the same dress and if not, you might just have found your dream ‘statement’ wedding dress! Go and rock it girl, you are a leader!

Well, your wedding day is a once-in-a-life time opportunity after all so why not be brave?! So many women dress to match their confidence level and regret in the years afterwards, wishing they not only had the courage to wear something more striking but also have the confidence to enjoy the admiration. So, why not dress for the confidence you wish you had instead, and then hold your head high and rock it like you just don’t care. I can tell you right now, you are going to look incredible and I know your future self will thank you for it! And finally…

 

9

The one with “Sleeves”!

Oh, how I love a wedding dress with sleeves – there is only one thing better and that is a dress with pockets! (Yes you can get wedding dresses with pockets! How wonderous! Why did nobody tell me that on my wedding day? I was stuffing tissues down my top as I prepared to be a snivelling wreak at the alter – I’m a big crier!)

A wedding dress with sleeves is for all year round not just for winter. Sleeves on a wedding dress is the epitome of elegance and luxurious beauty. Sleeves go with EVERYTHING: long skirt, short skirt, tight shirt, big skirt, jewels, flowers, rustic, vintage, boho, classic…everything! Sleeves on a wedding dress also look incredible in photos too, they create depth and details and catch the light. They enable me to create beautiful close up pictures, as photographing close up on an arm is pretty dull, but an arm covered in lace or sequins… now that is a picture in and of itself.

I hope that has been really helpful and you have enjoyed looking at all these amazing dresses as much as me! Each one of these top nine wedding dress styles are an absolute winner to wow your guests and create the most amazing wedding photos.

This is obviously my recommendation from a photography and personal preference point of view only, if you have fallen in love with a simple or traditional-styled wedding dress, don’t panic! At the end of the day, I want you to wear whatever makes you feel the most amazing. It is your day and how you feel in your dress is the greatest factor of all.

If you feel incredible, bold and gorgeous then it is definitely the dress for you, buy it, rock it and love it. I have no doubt that you will look absolutely incredible in whatever you chose so have fun!