So 2019 might seem miles away (I'm still writing 2017 half the time!), but when it comes to wedding dress collections, bridal designers already have their sights firmly set on 2019 brides. You may have spotted on our Instagram Stories, we were over at London Bridal Week scoping out the new collections, while New York Bridal Fashion Week has seen the debut of some incredible wedding dresses across the pond over the last few days. So now that the shows have wrapped, we're finally able to dissect the best of the collections with our Wedding Dress Trend Report 2019.
While some of our favourite wedding dress trends are sticking around for another season - we're looking at you off-the-shoulder sleeves, 90s silhouettes, jumpsuits, sheer fabrics, backless styles, crop tops and separates - there's also a host of new and developing trends we're excited to see real brides rocking in the next couple of years.
This is our pick of the next big bridal trends for 2019 and beyond!
1. Something Blue
We're all for wedding dresses with a little colour, and from sky to cornflower, the touches of blue on the bridal runways were like a breath of fresh air!
As seen at: Jenny Packham, Carolina Herrera, Leanne Marshall
2. 3D Florals
This trend has been around for a while, but this season, it's easier to reel off the designers who didn't have 3D florals in their collection, than the ones who did. Giving everything from a hint of texture to a statement feature, we love this one for its romance and playful possibilities!
As seen at: Temperley, Lela Rose, Tadashi Shoji, Viktor & Rolf, Galia Lahav, Phillipa Lepley, Bowden Dryden, Naeem Khan, Carolina Herrera, Francesca Miranda, Elie Saab, Lihi Hod
3. Big Ballgowns
Every season offers up a few big ballgowns, but this year they were back in the mainstream - the bigger the better. These Disney wedding-worthy gowns might seem a bit classic, but for 2019, they couldn't be more in vogue. If you can walk through a standard doorway wearing your wedding dress, it isn't big enough!
As seen at: Marchesa, Inbal Dror, Galia Lahav, Suzanne Neville, Amsale, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra, Elie Saab
4. Tiered Skirts
Looks like our very own Tatum's mam was a trendsetter, because tiered skirts were everywhere this season. This typically Bo-Peep-style silhouette is getting a couture makeover with luxurious lace, bouncy tulle, and geometric crochet.
As seen at: Theia, Tadashi Shoji, Viktor & Rolf, Suzanne Neville, Monique Lhuillier, Carolina Herrera, Lela Rose, Sassi Holford, Katya Katya Shehurina
5. Statement Skirts
Pom poms, fanned fabric, splashes of colour and avant garde silhouettes - we saw lots of bold shapes, bright colours and more subtle statements on the runways this season, it's been all about the bodice for a few years now, so it's about time the skirt got to shine!
As seen at: David Fielden, Viktor & Rolf, Phillipa Lepley, Vera Wang
6. Foliage Appliqué
We're used to seeing floral appliqué all over the runways, but as foliage becomes a lasting trend in wedding floristry, it seems it's filtered through to the gowns as well.
As seen at: Reem Acra, BHLDN, Berta
7. Brides with Bows
We're suckers for cute bows around here, so we were chuffed to see lots of them make cameos across the catwalks. Wedding dresses with bows ranged from the statement to the subtle, but one thing they all had in common, they're impossibly chic!
As seen at: Viktor & Rolf, Reem Acra, Carolina Herrera, Zuhair Murad, Amasale, Alan Hannah
8. Full-Length Shimmer
Head to toe sequins, pearly beading, and iridescent fabrics, the Bridal Fashion Week runways were alight with shimmer, and we think this trend will resonate with winter brides in particular!
As seen at: Jenny Packham, Naeem Khan, Dany Mizrachi, Savin London, Justin Alexander, Lazaro, Berta, Mira Zwillinger
9. Metallics
Give us gold, silver, pewter and rose! We saw lots of metallic wedding dresses over the last few weeks, and while it was something of a mixed bag (1999 called, it wants its debs dress back!), there were some showstoppers. We see fair brides in particular, looking gorgeous in gold, while silver would be fab for a cool city wedding.
As seen at: Jenny Packham, Galia Lahav, Naeem Khan, Sabine Motesem, Ines Di Santo, Mira Zwillinger
10. Feathers
Feathers come and go at Bridal Fashion Week, but for Spring 2019, they feature heavily - if you follow us on Instagram Stories, you'll know we fell hard for a particularly dramatic feather skirt by couture dressmaker, Phillipa Lepley - we're swooning at the thought of it!
As seen at: Inbal Dror, Phillipa Lepley, Naeem Khan, Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, Zuhair Murad, Sassi Holford, Savin London, Ines Di Santo
11. Robe Dresses
While it might take a confident bride to pull this trend off, we think these luxurious robe-style wedding dresses are just divine. We can picture it now, a destination wedding somewhere glamorous, an effortless upstyle, some statement jewellery - how fabulous! A twist on this trend was a sheer trench we saw in a few collections - very cool for an alternative elopement.
As seen at: Jenny Packham, Savin London, Ines Di Santo, Dany Mizrachi, Justin Alexander, Gracy Accad
12. Dresses with High Neck
Now this is a trend we adore! High neck wedding dresses have been popping up for a few seasons, but they became an official trend for Spring 2019, with elegant lace, long sleeves, or pretty broderie Anglais. A beautiful trend for church weddings too!
As seen at: Reem Acra, Viktor & Rolf, Monique Lhuillier, Dany Mizrachi, Sareh Nouri
Need more of a fashion fix? Check out the latest designer wedding dress collections
Images via: The White Gallery, Vogue, Brides and individual designers
Feature image: Taylor Jewell via Lela Rose
