The theme of the 2011 collection was black in tribute to past brides who traditionally got married in this colour. Rosa Clara’s stylish black wedding dresses are accompanied by accessories such as gloves and belts. With bare necklines, highlighted busts, and higher waists, these dresses will highlight the bride at any wedding.

In the more classic designs, the stand-out item is the long v-neck silk dress which features a lower-cut neckline and a silky flowing hemline in a mixture of elegance and sensuality. Turning to the black wedding dress designs, the strapless empire-line dress looked amazing, especially with the black statement necklace.

Rosa Clara’s 2011 Bridal Collection features some great innovations for the fashion world. Throwing aside the traditional white wedding, Rosa Clara has expanded the bridal wardrobe and opened up new avenues which should be explored further. Keep your eyes peeled for brides in black wedding gowns in this coming year.

The dresses Ana Torres has designed for this year are very young with the drapings reminiscent of the 1980's, although in a more elegant way. The evening gowns are fun and bold, but they don't make for very good bridesmaid dresses unless the bride is willing to give up some of the spotlight.

These gowns are perfect for an individual  guest, but the same dress placed on more than one person would end up being an distraction. But with the draping and rosette detailing, the skirts that will make you want to twirl and fabrics being fit for a queen, as a wedding guest these gowns would be a winner. They would also be perfect for the mother of the bride or groom as they would enhance the importance of their role in the occasion.

All except for the gown with palm trees printed on it. I'm not sure that would fit into any occasion other than over-the-top beach wear??

For any woman with a wedding to go to this year, Ana Torres should be at the top of the shopping list.

Lily is a corset style gown with a lace bodice and fishtail satin skirt extending out at the back, both help to create a flattering but sexy silhouette for the bride.

Amelia features a gorgeous ruffle across the bust and the same material is used on the back of the skirt, giving the gown a historical feel.

Felicity offers brides a simple design across the bodice with a panel of lace decoration placed just above the knee from where the skirt is finished in flowing chiffon.

But my favourite from the collection is Phoebe which instanly took me to an image of the type of dress I image Lizzie Bennett marrying Mr Darcy in.  Both the lace work on the shoulder and the graceful chiffon gown will make any bride feel like she’s in her very own Jane Austin novel for the day.

Although Alisa takes inspiration from the Victorian and Edwardian eras and their breath taking gowns, she has never wanted to just recreate historical replicas for today’s bride. Instead she interprets the vintage design into contemporary creations for today’s modern bride, using the era’s love of the silhouette to make her brides feel sexy and feminine.

Using all of the knowledge from her fourteen year career in bridal design, in 2009 Alisa Benay decided to design her first full line of Bridal gowns which she launched across America, which featured unique gowns made from luxury silks and European laces and trims.

Featuring all of the style, tailoring and detail of the couture wedding gown collections (allbeit tamed down for mass consumption) here are some of our favourite gowns.

Celeste with it’s heavily beaded bust panel, Giselle featuring a flattering pleated bodice, the gorgeous embroidery across the bodice and skirt on Isabella and the very expensive looking Luciana with lace detailing across the bodice, skirt and as the train of the dress.

Each gown is a perfect picture of femininity, intricate detail, and modern styling. There is a silky, graceful quality to many of the dresses reminiscent of a kind of movie star quality in the way they drape and move. Anne Bowen’s collection is clean-lined and unfussy, fashion forward and ultra-modern. Among the traditional, icy white, floor length gowns is the number of short wedding dresses for brides who wouldn’t mind showing off a great pair of legs.

The inspiration for this dreamy collection is “feminine strength from the inside” and there’s some pretty terrific things happening on the outside as well. Semi-precious stones, crystals and silver beads embellish one stunning gown created from yards of scrumptious tulle.

Another charmer in the group is a sensuous shimmery gown with a deeply plunging neckline that hugs the waist and then, flowing out to classic floor-length, ends in a simple and elegant train.  How’s that for movie-star glam?

Marchesa evening dresses have been seen on the red carpet adorning such stylish celebrities as Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Lopez. There is little doubt that the exquisite gowns in the Spring Bridal 2010 collection will be highly coveted as well.

These light and airy confections will make any bride look as if she stepped right off of the wedding cake. Mostly available in snowy white or pale cream, the dresses in this collection can best be described as classically romantic and feminine. Many are column style with delicate floral details and cascading ruffles, while a few others have dreamy ballgown skirts.

One really pretty dress is an A-line duchess satin with an intricately embroidered waist and cascading tulle overskirt. Brides who prefer a little less detail and more sophistication will not be disappointed however, as there are also sleek, body skimming silhouettes featuring expertly draped or sculptured bodices in this
collection as well.

Marchesa Bridal is available at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Harrods, and specialty boutiques around the world.

Carolina Herrera’s Spring/Summer 2011 Bridal Collection is tailor-made for the bride looking for vintage beauty and distinctive style.  Carolina Herrera wedding gowns are known for their daring yet understated designs, and this collection won’t disappoint fans of her unique styles.

Famously creative women in history such as Georgia O’Keefe, Grace Kelly, Lena Horne, Frida Kahlo, and Edith Piaf were the inspiration for this unique collection of beautiful wedding gowns. Just hearing the names of these exceptional female artists evokes feelings of creativity, drama, and romance, and their essence is definitely captured in Carolina Herrera’s latest bridal  designs.

The soft florals and exquisite lace, taffeta and tulle on the gowns give each a romantic and vintage look. Some feature cascading trains and dramatic chapeaus, and all are grand in style and elegance.

While many dresses are in traditional white, some feature softly hued printed florals, while others have bold touches of colored lace and embroidery.

The silhouettes range from classically fitted mermaids to expertly draped full skirts to a very pretty two-tiered ballgown. In less expert hands, these creatively styled gowns might appear costume-y, but given Carolina Herrera’s instinctive touch, there is only one word to describe them: magnificent.

One truly exquisite standout is “Elisabeth”, named for the eighteenth century painter Elisabeth Vigee-le Brun. This silk strapless floral pastel gown with back pleats and a bustle was paired with a gorgeous wide brimmed, feathered hat. With or without the hat, this dress has a serious wow factor!

Read more about Carolina Herrera’s Spring 2011 Wedding Dress designs at http://www.carolinaherrera.com

The exhibition had everything from Wedding Planners to photographers, floral design to wedding cakes but of course the highlight of every bridal week is the new bridal collections.

The event plays host to some of the top names in Spanish bridal designers including Pronovias, Rosa Clara, Pepe Botello, Franc Sarabia and Raimon Bundo.

Rosa Clara showcased her Spring 2011 collection by using American actress Mischa Barton to model one of her gowns.

Pronovias showed why they are one of the leading names in bridal design with their new collection displaying their trademark lace and ruffle gowns but with their Fashion Collection they have taken inspiration from the latest fashion trends and I adore their Grecian style dress.

Raimon Bundo’s collection has an extremely floaty, feminine feel to it, although I can’t image many brides teaming one of his gowns with the same head dresses as seen on his models!

And the same woodland themed head dresses seem to overshadow some of the (rather) plain Victorio and Lucchino gowns which were on display. It will be interesting to see how the high street interprets the tree on your head look!

The Pepe Botello collection remembers the companies key design feature of the feminine as the essence of each gown, while the Franc Sarabia collection shows Spanish lace at it’s best.

As always Barcelona Bridal Week promised so much and delivered. ]]> http://weddingfashionfiles.com/2010/05/26/barcelona-bridal-week-2010/feed/ 0