Lacing up bridal trends

From the holidays through until Valentine’s Day is the time when most couples get engaged. Even my 60-something-year-old mother rang in the new year with a wedding proposal, proving that love can show up at any time of life.

For the summer nuptials, she’ll most likely wear a modest champagne-coloured dress for her later-in-life second wedding. But for most brides to be, the wedding dress is a time to go all out on a lavish ensemble that will be documented – by high-priced photographers – and referred to for the rest of their lives.

Many of those blushing brides will be wearing lace this year, which continues to be a popular pick, mainly because it offers a sexy feel without being “trashy,” says Patty Nayel, owner of Pure Magnolia Gowns.

“They are coming out with very interesting laces; they are a lot more artistic and more modern,” says Nayel. “Like we aren’t seeing these silly curtain kind of laces that we were used to seeing back in the '80s.”

Nayel is the organizer of the pop-up Wedding Shoppe on Hastings Street, which runs until Feb. 28. The spacious store has a multitude of gowns, at any given time, with new dresses shuffling in throughout the month. As well, there are bridal accessories, shoes, and displays from other wedding vendours. Nayel’s dresses, made at Pure Magnolia Gowns' North Vancouver studio, which works with sustainable and organic fabrics, range in price from $800 to $3,500 – hitting that market between mass-produced dresses made in China and designer dresses. Pure Magnolia also upcycles dresses, using the “good” parts (silk, lace, crinoline, etc.) of old dresses to create a modern gown.

“Not a lot of brides use the dress as is,” Nayel explains. “A lot of brides bring in the dress because it’s their mom’s dress and they like the lace on it or they like something about it.”

Meanwhile for 2015 bridal trends, Colleen Karavidas from Bisou Bridal – with the eye-catching storefront on West Second Avenue – says off-the-shoulder necklines are one of her favourite looks this season. “These styles are perfect for a classic bride who appreciates a refined and elegant beauty,” she says.

Karavidas also notes the classic beauty of lace never really goes out of style because it is synonymous with bridal.

“When most people think of lace, they think of very traditional styles. The truth is that there are so many different styles of lace,” she says. “For example, Alencon lace is very classic, whereas Guipure lace reads quite modern. I think you’re seeing lace everywhere because designers no longer feel limited in the styles of lace that they can use in bridal.”

Low-back dresses, with a little extra skin, are also stunners guaranteed to turn heads as she walks down the aisle, explains Karavidas. She also suggests the "Great Gatsby" effect – gowns with long silhouettes that offer romantic and chic glamour for sophisticated brides.

But the top trend at her shop is Boho chic, with relaxed gowns featuring accents of lace and delicate sparkle.

“This style is perfect for a fuss-free bride who is a romantic at heart,” Karavidas says.

Bridal gown mistakes to avoid

Patty Nayel, owner of Pure Magnolia Gowns and organizer of the pop-up Wedding Shoppe on Hastings, on three mistakes brides to-be make when on the prowl for the “right one.”

1. Don’t shop around to like five or six places; it’s too much. Do your research, find the shops that have dresses that you like – in your price point – and go to three. If you are doing more than that, it starts to get confusing; you forget which dresses you like and which you don’t.

2. Bringing too many people is a huge mistake. This isn’t Say Yes to the Dress. Don't bring in eight people with you. It’s not like you bring a crew of people to buy a car or even your house. You have one other person whose opinion matters, and that’s it.

3. Try on lots of different things; don’t be stuck on one style.

• Email Vancouver fashion news and story ideas to [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @nikimhope.

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