THE pandemic has been tough for brides and grooms-to-be, with many couples have had to delay their weddings at least once.
This has shaped wedding dress styles too. Ally Voss of bridalwear brand Clover London suggests there’s now more of a focus on sustainable brands, lower price points and simpler styles, as many brides have come out of Covid “with a really different perception on what’s important in life”.
Many couples will be having two weddings – a smaller ceremony when restrictions are in place, and a larger party at a later date to celebrate with all their friends and family.
“If you are going to have two weddings, you’d have two dresses,” Voss says. “Obviously, you’d be looking for something a little bit more affordable than forking out quite a lot of money on one or two.”
With lots of people affected financially due to the pandemic, the hunt will likely be on for more affordable options.
While we’re hopefully looking forward to more weddings this year, there’s still a lot of uncertainty as to how this will pan out – ceremonies could still get reduced or cancelled due to Covid-related restrictions, and brides need to be prepared for all eventualities. That’s why Voss predicts dress styles will err towards simplicity.
“Everybody’s planning for the unknown,” she explains. So it might not make sense to buy a dress for a 150-guest marquee wedding when you don’t know if it will go ahead and you might end up only have 15 guests.
Ultimately, her top piece of advice is to “never lose sight of your budget".
If you’re looking for a chic dress suited to the demands of being a pandemic bride, these brands won’t cost the Earth…
For modern elegance...
Clover London (cloverlondon.com) was born out of Voss’s difficult hunt for her own wedding dress. She was getting married within six months, didn’t want to spend a ridiculous amount of money, but still wanted to feel like a bride – and realised there weren’t many options out there. All the gowns are made to order.
For the boho bride
If you want to channel a relaxed, bohemian vibe for your wedding, look no further than ASOS (asos.com). There’s a huge range of styles, with plenty of long-sleeve dresses, dripping in lace.
For the vintage lover
Cult favourite fashion brand RIXO (rixo.co.uk) launched its debut bridalwear collection in February. The 26-piece collection is a mix of traditional gowns and more modern outfits, all with a distinctly vintage look.
For simplicity
Monsoon (monsoon.co.uk) has some of the best wedding dresses on the high street – and this season, the brand’s tapped into the appetite for simple and timeless.
For greater plus-size options
Coast has a dedicated plus-size range with sizes going up to UK 26, meaning curvy brides don’t have to miss out on the trendiest wedding dresses. It’s a goldmine for bridesmaids dresses too.
