Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week is all the glitz and glamour we love about the fashionable side of weddings. We all know the dress is the one of the major centerpieces of a wedding — often times defining the wholistic wedding aesthetic alone — so it’s no surprise that we can never get enough of any and all wedding dress inspo. Getting to see the dresses live and in person sashay-ing their way down the runway will always be one of our favorite things to witness!
This year’s selection of gowns were nothing short of jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Designers like Isabel Sanchis, Yolancris, Viktor & Rolf, Nicole Milano, Rosa Clara, and of course, Pronovias were present and dominating the runway with incredible gowns and bridal accessories we can’t wait to see make their way through our submissions portal in the months to come. There were a few clear trends that we saw make their way down the runway, and whether you have a designer budget or are a thrifty bride-to-be looking to make couture choices, these are trends you can easily apply to your big day.
1. Statement-Making Sleeves
Sleeves of all shapes and sizes are having a serious moment. We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again, we can’t get over this trend and we hope it’s here to stay many, many years. This year we saw everything from a delicate cap sleeve, to an emphasized shoulder all the way to a ballooned cuffed sleeve. The poofed shoulder is currently one of our favorites — it’s universally flattering and always photographs well.
2. Capes
The cape trend has been a long-time coming and now that it’s here and in full use we just can’t get enough of it. From satin to three dimension design details, a cape can come in all forms and sizes. One of our favorite things about this fashionable choice is that it applies all the etheral beauty of a veil without having to make hair decisions based on it. Additionally, if you’re a bride looking for a reception look that’s different from the ceremony look, a cape can transform your dress without completely starting from scratch.
3. Regency Style
It should come as a surprise to no-one that once again we note how much the Bridgerton aesthetic has made it’s way into the wedding sphere. Empire wastes, delicate cap sleeves and squared necklines all reminiscent of Daphne Bridgerton’s own wedding dress walked the runway this year and with the promise of more seasons to come we don’t see this influence going anywhere anytime soon.
4. Gloves or Detached Sleeve
When looking to accessorize your bridal look, why not consider a glove? They’re about as classic and elegant as it gets, and there were several moments on the runway where the sleek glove attached to a structured dress created a wildly modern and elegant ensemble we couldn’t get enough of. Akin to the glove is the detached sleeve — the major difference here being that the detached sleeve is inherently part of the dress (many times its the same lace as the dress) so it is simply an extension of the whole bridal look.
5. Three-Dimensional Details + Appliqué
Whether it was a bit of embroidery, dimensional lace or even an array of pearls, 3D elements were all over the stage this year. The addition of these elements instantly elevates your dress — dimensional elements often allude to a human touch in the creation of the dress and that almost always translates to couture because of how much intentionality it requires. This is one of our favorite trends this year and we can’t wait to see it continue (especially pearls, please give us all the pearls!)
6. Short Wedding Dresses
With the increase in micro-weddings, at-home ceremonies and elopements it’s no surprise that there’s a surge of short dress popularity. These ultra-bridal options do everything from pairing high and low elements (to still include a train, duh) to being a modern, tailored interpretation of a bridal look that’s perfect for a courthouse. Even if you’re not intending to elope, these dresses also function really well as reception dresses or for your getaway car look.
7. Plunging Necklines
Necklines are some of the most indicative elements of change when you look at making fashion forward decisions. There are three necklines that stood out to us this year — the dominant one being a gorgeous plunge neckline. Tastefully done, this can take a dress from ultra-traditional to completely chic and we are totally in love with it. Our favorite combination is a plunged neckline paired with a long sleeve and flowing skirt.
8. Ruffles
Whether it’s a pretty satin fold or layers of tulle, tiered skirts had a very impactful moment on stage this year. Similar to the idea of having a dimensional dress, this particular style takes a full skirt and ads a little zest to it. If you’re looking for a fun interpretation of traditional style, this is definitely up your alley.
9. Nude Illusion
The nude illusion comes in all shapes and sizes. From a fully illusioned silhouette with only a hint of lace, to a bodice peppered with three dimensional details over a nude base, this style lends itself beautifully to anything from a tropically based wedding to a sultry reception look.
10. Square Neck
Another neckline that is making some designer headway is the squared neckline — yes, all you 90’s babies, you read that correctly, the square neck is back. While it’s been sneaking it’s way back into our daily lives for some time now, the structured nature of it translated to bridal almost immediately appeals to “the girls that get it.”
11. Mermaid Silhouette
This silhouette holds a near and dear spot in our hearts. It’s just FUN and is rarely seen outside of the bridal or red carpet sphere, so we love to see it come down a runway. The form-fitting top is indicative of the traditional elements of bridal fashion while the full ankle skirt can be done in an array of materials that hits to the fun that is to be had at a reception.
12. Bridal Jumpsuits
The Bridal Jumpsuit has been making headway for quite sometime, but this year’s interpretation of the look was quite simply, lovely. Our favorite combo is structured jumpsuit paired with a flowing cape — the duality allows for a bit of flowing fun paired with a modern aesthetic and that kind of combo is one we can always get behind.
13. Grecian Inspired
Nothing flows quite like a Grecian-Inspired dress. Even when the trends are heralding from the opposite side of the world, you can almost always find a few nods to the Greco-Roman twist and flow in dress design because truly nothing makes you feel more like a queen than billowing drapes of fabric flowing behind you, so we were pleased to see the look make a strong appearance on this year’s Barcelona Stage.
14. Bold Bows
The back bow was STRONG this year, and we can’t get enough of it. Whether it was a structured straight bow or a loose gathering of fabric, the bows this year were a dominating force and a fun surprise to see walk by. A bow in the back can take a very cookie-cutter traditional style dress and make it pop instantly.
15. Two-Piece Bridal Sets
As everyday sets become more and more popular, it comes as no surprise that the translation to a two-piece bridal look is equally as chic. This is another design choice that can take a standard, traditional gown style and make it wildly current. We mostly saw sets with full skirts, but you can really get creative here on how you’d interpret this look in your own day.
16. Full Ballgown
Similar to regency style, the full ballgown is having an oh-so-queenly moment. For the brides to be out there that have always dreamed of being a princess on this day, you are in luck because these gowns come in all shapes and sizes and sleeve configurations. If you want over-the-top glamour, you’re in the right place with a full ballgown look.
17. Mock-Neck
The last neckline to note in this year’s review is quite the shock for anyone who’s a religious Say Yes to The Dress connoisseur and remembers the poor bride who INSISTED on a mock-neck dress and had to move hell and high water to find one — well, apparently she was just ahead of her time because the mock-neck dress is HERE. There are several different options to pull from just from this year’s Barcelona spread.
18. Flower Motifs
Flowers and weddings go hand-in-hand, but this year especially we’re seeing a step further than simply including flowery shapes insinuated in lace design, but rather full flower cut-outs in distinct shapes like daisies or tulips and often paired with dimensional floral elements as well. But our absolute favorite place to see flowers included in this year is the veil. Three dimensional flowers peppered in a long-glowing veil (or cape!) make our hearts sing.
19. Cutouts
Taking a nod from runway and red-carpet fashion, the cut-out interpretation in bridal gowns is nothing short of chic. Our favorite is a subtle peek-a-boo detail with a sandy-shore backdrop of a venue, and the mood boards are already developing. Can you say Tulum wedding, anyone?
20. Tea-Length
Similar to the short dress, a tea-length dress is a wildly chic way to incorporate bridal style in smaller settings. A tea-length dress in a full-skirt bridal silhouette feels so ultra chic and, for the shoe-loving bride, is a way to give your chosen wedding day pair room to shine.
Overall the dresses this year were to die for. The Pronovias team went above and beyond in making our experience flawless and fitting of Miranda Priestly herself. We cant wait to see these dress styles incorporated in the months to come of this crazy year of weddings.
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