Your Bridal Personality: The ‘Urban Chic’ Bride

At 5 Star Weddings we know brides – our team members have backgrounds in wedding photography, venue management, beauty, and florals – meaning we have seen it all, from the whacky to the wonderful – when it comes to weddings. We have put our heads together to create guides for brides on pulling together all the elements of the perfect wedding, according to different, unique personalities.

There’s nothing wrong with being a ‘girly girl’ (in fact, if you read part 1, Secret Duchess Bride, last week you’ll know we love a bit of femininity) but some women just aren’t into pink, and flowers, and lace – but when you’re planning a wedding, sometimes you can’t move for the mountains of rosy tulle. If that is just not your thing, it can be extremely annoying. Enter the perfect tonic, the Urban Chic Bride. We’ve put together the most fabulous collection of luxury suppliers and designs, based around those brides we’ve known who wanted a little more edginess to their nuptials. Think rich, dark colours, sleek and elegant bridal wear, and hardly any pink.

1 – 3, Vera Wang Spring 2016 Collection, 4 – Dior Rouge in ‘Unique’, 5 – Givenchy Nail Polish in ‘Poupré Défilé’, 6 – .Agent Provocateur Lingerie, sold separately, both Harrods, 7 – Alexander McQueen Knuckleduster Clutch, 8 – 9 Both Jimmy Choo, 10 – Alaia Pairs Eau de Parfum.

After The ‘Yes’ Comes The Dress:

For any brides who like their fashion choices to come with a little more danger, look no further than Vera Wang’s 2016 Spring Bridal collection. Some pieces require a little more daring than others, but the whole collection is a dark, beautiful, ensemble of couture pieces. With respect for classic, white bridal gowns – but with a nod to both grunge and goth styles – Vera’s latest gowns are the epitome of cutting edge fashion.

But, if you are after something a little less daring, this gorgeous Herve Leger fish tail gown is a slick, modern, metallic number that would look stunning with dramatic make up and some pure, white calla lilies.

Shoes:

We’ve chosen some killer heels from Jimmy Choo to accompany the dress choices for our Urban Chic Bride. Jimmy’s shoes come with a bit of a bite; there’s always a sharp heel or a bold feature. No flowers, no fuss, just fabulous footwear:

Finishing Touches:

Most brides tend to choose one accent colour to feature as a theme in the wedding; bridesmaid dresses, florals, invitations, and so on, usually end up being matching. We’ve seen some brides who we would class as Urban Chic, choose pure, bold black as an accent colour, creating a gorgeous monochrome palette. For the accenting touches for this bride, we opted for a slightly less dramatic, but still intense, shade of plum. For the nails there’s Givenchy polish in ‘Poupré Défilé no 8’, for lips the incomparable Dior Rouge in ‘Unique’. For bridesmaids we’ve chosen two dresses from Net-a-Porter; one off the shoulder by Tamara Mellon, and one 1970’s inspired midi number by Zero + Maria Cornejo – take your pick or mix and match. Go to Ruth Kaye for stylish and high quality wedding stationery, such as these bespoke invitations, which just so happen to perfectly match our Urban Chic palette…

For bridal accessories, don’t assume that your wedding night lingerie has to go under the dress – it can be changed into later for when the fun starts. Be bold, and check out this Agent Provocateur suspender belt from Net-a-Porter (matching bra and knickers also available). Love, honour, and disobey with a knuckle duster clutch by Alexander McQueen, and lastly complete your nuptial ensemble with the modern fragrance of Alaia Paris, which blends warm and cool notes for a sophisticated, 21st Century scent.

Venues:

Where to throw the biggest party of your life? London, of course. There’s no shortage of wonderful venues in the capital, so it was hard to pick two but The Mandarin Oriental was such an clear choice. Architecturally magnificent, central location, and a level of service and luxury that really lives up to its sophisticated interior – there is no way to go wrong.

Or, be daring and unorthodox and plan your reception at the giddying Altitude London. This skyscraper venue is a blank canvas for whatever kind of reception you want – the décor is minimalist so you can bring whatever you want to the space. Alternatively, you could just let London’s landscape do the hard work for you… Read more about Altitude in our review from their showcase day last month, here.

The little details (and some not-so-little, like the matter of a groom…)

Think white gold rings by Cartier, florals by Amie Bone, sleek and modern cake by GC Couture, and finally – a style icon groom in a textured tux from Alexander McQueen.

Lastly, to bring it all together…

We’ve chosen Mark Niemierko as the perfect Urban Chic Bride’s planner. Mark has worked at some of the most spectacular venues in London, he loves a monochrome colour scheme, and he knows how to throw an unforgettable party… Read all about him, here.