Bridal Expo

The music begins and the bride starts to walk down the aisle, bouquet in hand, escort on arm. Most of what the wedding guests see is from the waist up and what they remember is the look on the bride’s face as she begins her journey to the end of the aisle where her future husband waits.

However, once she reaches the end of the aisle there is plenty of time for the guests to focus on the gown. So, it is no surprise that designers have begun to put so much emphasis on the back of the gown.

Last week, Twilight fans were delighted with the wedding of Bella and Edward. Bella’s Carolina Herrera gown featured a simple silk princess cut, A-line  gown with a dramatic deep-V back edged in scalloped lace. For devout Twilight fans (Twihards) an exact replica of the gown is already  available by Alfred Angelo under the “Twilight Bridal” label.

Pnina Tornai, the famed Israeli designer whose creations are featured on “Say Yes to The Dress” showed several stunning gowns with intricate details in the back.

Designers from ‘Haute Couture’ to ‘entirely affordable’ are embracing this style.

If you are not comfortable with the extremely low back and all that skin being exposed, you can find a gown with buttons, lacing or another equally interesting detail. You can also opt for a modest keyhole back.

The best news of all is that brides have more choices than ever. Just make sure you have the correct undergarments so the gown is what people are talking about – not pantylines!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

This Friday (Thursday at midnight) fans of the Twilight series of books and movies will not only be moviegoers, they will be guests at the wedding of Edward and Bella.

I will share a secret with you: I am not a Twilight fan. Sorry, folks I just don’t get the whole vampire thing or the cult following. However, I love weddings. ALL weddings… even a Vampire wedding. I would go to a werewolf wedding, a trailer park wedding, a dog wedding – any wedding. Invite me and I’ll be there. You will recognize me immediately because I will be the one smiling from ear to ear, hopping up and down, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over every detail.. Why? Because I love weddings. So here I am.. in a pickle, deciding whether or not to go to the wedding. Oops… I meant movie! I’ll keep you posted on that.

I am very excited to report that Bella Swan’s  gown was designed by famed fashion icon Carolina Herrera and (according to her) took six months to design. She immersed herself in the books to get a feel for the character and what she would wear. Her goal was to make it reminiscent of the early 1900′s to mirror the engagement ring.  Breaking news: the gown will actually be  available in salons after the first of the year so loyal fans planning their own wedding can immerse themselves in the Twilight experience.

Will this be a huge influence in the bridal fashion? Only time will tell. I thought Kate Middleton’s gown was going to change the face of bridal fashion, I thought at least one of Kim Kardashian’s gowns would be  a showstopper. I was wrong on both counts but, I still wouldn’t bet against this one. Carolina Herrera was designing clothing when I was still in diapers and  mastered the art of  effortless style long before that. She is one of the most sought after and talented designers in the bridal industry to date and if you add to this the unbelievable dedication of the Twilight fans – you might just have a breakout style influence for 2012. One can only hope!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago