If you ever needed proof that celebs aren’t like normal people, then actress Jessica Biel’s wedding to Justin Timberlake is it! Opting for a candyfloss Giambattista Valli gown and following in the footsteps of Reece Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway and Gwen Stefani, Jessica is the latest celebrity bride to sport a pink dress on her big day.
But according to Meghann Mills O’Riordan from Myrtle Ivory bridal boutique in Dublin, it’s not just a Hollywood thing. Having dressed several of Ireland’s most famous faces for their big day including actress and author Amy Huberman and model Aoife Cogan, the boutique has seen a huge increase in the amount of Irish brides open to the idea of a coloured wedding dress and says the trend is getting more and more popular.
“Both Una Healy from The Saturdays and Aoife Cogan opted for a hint of colour on their dresses. Una wore a design by a designer we stock Claire Pettibone which had hints of lavender in it and Aoife opted for an Amanda Wakeley design featuring a bronze pattern running through it so I think it does make brides more open to colour and gives them the idea to move away from the traditional white and ivory.”
Boho bride Aoife Cogan wore Amanda Wakeley
So why do some brides go for a coloured dress? Those getting married abroad or in sunnier climes can often get away with incorporating a bit of colour into their dress but if you are opting for a showstopping coloured design, you have to be careful about the rest of the wedding and mindful of bringing it all together. Meghann advises “If you start off with a coloured dress then you have to be careful about the type of flowers you go for, what colour the bridesmaid dresses will be.”
The other reason is presumably to make a bit of a statement by breaking from convention and ultimately breaking the rules. Paula Yates famously wore red on her wedding day to Bob Geldof in 1986 and style queen Sarah Jessica Parker opted for an unassuming black design for her 1997 nuptials to Matthew Broderick (to ironically escape media attention!) but says she now regrets her decision.
Saturday’s singer Una Healy opted for designer Claire Pettibone
Meghann says that often brides don’t come into the boutique expecting to go for a coloured wedding dress but are often surprised by how much they like the coloured designs. Her advice is to have an open mind and don’t rule anything out before you’ve tried it on. “Leave everything you know at the door” she says “and you’ll be surprised by what you go for.”
