Bridal design trends and ideas for 2024 brides

Sometimes I stop and realise how quick time flies and here we are nearly at the end of another year and looking forward to what's in store for 2024. When my head is down sewing I just don't see where the time flies. One thing about my work is I cannot ever miss a deadline so this time of year I feel I have to do my best to stop take stock of projects I want to do and how I want to best present them to you. 

I am quite a shy person and I much prefer to meet you in person to firstly put you at ease and then to get to know how I can help you. Trying to put into words or to present what I try to do for brides and customers seems really difficult for me. People often ask me outside of my shop what I do for a living and I never know how best to answer. This year one of my clients described me as a creative problem solver, which I thought was kind of apt. I am constantly creating but in that process you have to problem solve as fabric and people need you to adapt to their needs.

Sometimes I feel like I have my "back against the wall" as I have to work out what a bride wants and how I can give it to her for the price she wants, so I have to do my best to quickly come up with the perfect solution. Other times I feel a girl was meant to come to me and the whole experience just falls into the perfect scenario.

Keeping up with the latest fashion trends is easier now than ever. I actually find it nearly too much information. There are ideas and inspiration all around. One of the reasons I like working for a client is that it keeps me focused and stops me getting too many ideas and not knowing which one to start. However I also like to create “off the peg” dresses when I get ideas that I want to put into reality. 

So instead of being split I stay focused on what is desired and required. Hopefully from my 

inserted pictures you are being feed the trends for 2024. That is what our smart phones do today, they feed us with trends they want us to inspired by. However much they want to tell us what to wear, we have our own unique style and personality and we want to feel special.

The wedding dress is perhaps the most important aspect of any bride's big day. It's a symbol of love, beauty, and tradition. Recently, wedding dress trends have evolved to reflect the changing tastes and styles of modern brides. 2024 is all about personalisation and that extends to wedding fashion. Couples are opting for bespoke wedding attire, ensuring their outfits are as unique as their love story. Discover the world of custom wedding gowns, jumpsuits and accessories that reflect your individual style. 

One trend that has taken the bridal world by storm is the rise of the non-traditional wedding dress - and this trend is here to stay. Many brides are opting for dresses in colours other than white, such as blush, champagne, or even bold shades and details. These unconventional colours allow brides to express their unique personalities and stand out from the crowd.

Bridal seperates are a popular choice for brides in 2024. With the growing trend of having multiple looks throughout your wedding day, we're seeing a lot more brides opting for a two-piece or three-piece bridal ensemble for their wedding day. This look is seriously stylish and you can put it together however you like.

Oversized bows are making a real impact on bridal catwalks. In addition to adding drama and elegance to bridal attire, they create a striking focal point, drawing attention to the back of a gown or the neckline, which elevates the overall look. With bows available in different fabrics, colours, and styles, brides can experiment and find one that complements their dress and vision.

Bridal Fashion Week featured fresh, modern twists on traditional bridal styles. Designers aren't abandoning tradition, they're just updating it, from detachable trains to opera-length embellished gloves. A trend that we're loving is shorter veils - they aren't too formal, but still very elegant.

I find veils are a personal choice and I tend to find my personal choice is a long veil and because I know this when a bride is deciding what she wants I know to hold back and let her decide what she likes. So one trend so will promote is choose what makes you smile. 

The Latest from the Bridal industry on the newest trends for 2024

"Come fly with me"

I have always loved watching the birds in my garden. Every morning there is one there to say "Hello"

You will have seen some of my work with embroidered birds, from simple outline stitching to more intense elaborate embroidery.

Recently I noticed birds appearing on the couture catwalks, so I thought I would share the latest trends with you.

"Birds flying high you know how I feel" inspiration from a song maybe!

"Love is in the Air"

"Let your idea out of the bag"

"Dare to Dream"

"Icons in the Spotlight"

"Fresh Trends for 2023"

Short bridal dresses seem to be a thing for 2023.

What's on trend that the bridal shops are buying for 2024?

Bodices with a straight across line rather than the sweetheart line?

Sleeves still a Big thing in some form or another.

Bows?

Do you ever see a dress in a picture and think well I like a notion of this but not quite the same as that. Or maybe you have been to a wedding dress shop and liked a part of an idea but need someone like me to make it the way you want. Well then why not come and meet me to discuss your ideas to see if its possible. 

History is being made today in London as Zelensky visits the capital. He thanked us the Northern Irish for our support and help so far with the invasion of the Russians into their country, jeopardising freedom and democracy. He appealed for "Wings of Freedom" While recently Miss Ukrainian Universe sold her wings to raise funds for the crisis.

Who needs a needless war when we have a natural disaster to cope with since the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria?

Let us All sew the seeds of Love and "Give Peace a Chance!!"

"Spread Peace and Love"

"Love can Conquer All"

“Battle of the Bridesmaids” spare us!!

What was it really all about, ‘Battle of the bridesmaid dresses tells us everything we need to know about ‘mean’ Kate’!

I was fascinated to learn more about the bespoke MOB outfits for Kate's wedding, this time I wanted to learn more about the flower girls dress debacle!! 

Everyone has known for years that there was a disagreement between Meghan and Kate about Meghan’s bridesmaids, which included Princess Charlotte, but it was all guesswork. Was it to do with tights? Or maybe it was the dresses themselves: the design, the fabric?

We definitely knew – or thought we did – that Meghan had made Kate cry about this, which was when things got real.

Kate, stoic Kate, who for years dealt magnanimously with hassle and teasing (remember “Waity Katie”?) of not just her but also her various relatives. 

We liked Meghan, she was modern and glamorous, but we didn’t know her like we knew Kate. Someone we didn’t know making Kate cry was just, like, the end. And now, finally, Harry has revealed a potent text exchange between his sister-in-law and his fiancée that takes it all to a new level.

So here we go: the bridesmaid dresses were handmade in France because, to an American, French couture is the apex of all things. But because of this, they were made based on measurements only, without a fitting. The garments arrived back in the UK rather close to the wedding and, four days before the event, Kate told Meghan that the dress did not fit Princess Charlotte. It was, says Kate in a text, “too big, too long, too baggy. She cried when she tried it on at home.”

Meghan replies, a day later, that a tailor at Kensington Palace is waiting to re-fit the dresses. Kate drops the bombshell that she, and her own wedding organiser, think that all the dresses need to be remade. There is no time for this and it freaks Meghan out. Meanwhile, her father, Thomas, is cutting up rough. It’s all a mess. “I’m not sure what else to say,” Meghan texts back. “If the dress doesn’t fit then please take Charlotte to see Ajay. He’s been waiting all day.” Then Kate delivers the frankly killer, “Fine.”

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking “Kate sounds mean.” And it’s true that Kate does sound a bit curt,but I suggest she herself is hugely freaked by how chaotic things are. If she would later be triggered by Meghan telling her she had “baby brain” she must have hit the roof when Meghan instructed her to take Charlotte to the tailor “as the other mums are doing”.

Kate is not a “mum”, like “others”; Kate is going to be the queen of United Kingdom.  This is not Kate being up herself, this is Kate understanding that she is no longer a person, she is an institution. 

She is also a Middleton, and they plan events. It’s their whole thing. They would never in hell send kids’ clothes to be made blind in France. A contact, who has some inside knowledge, said she suspects Meghan was advised not to send the dresses to France precisely because they would arrive late and not fit.

Meghan didn’t understand why this mattered, why the damn dresses couldn’t be taken to the damn tailor. Kate’s reaction to this, surely, was exasperation at this lack of sense: why refuse advice, only for the dresses to come back wastefully late and wrong, then demand that Kate, on her own time, correct this. They could have been made perfectly first time round by some nice lady on the Fulham Road!

Meghan, already on the edge, is now aghast at all these mean British people being so mean to her. Harry arrives home to find Meghan “on the floor crying”. My heart goes out to her – I’m serious! I do think she was trying to fit in, but couldn’t fathom that being a British princess means eating cereal out of Tupperware and having clothes made in Fulham.

It’s just so clear to me now that all this was a classic case of an Elsa versus Anna personality-plus-culture clash. Meghan is exuberant, romantic, emotional. Kate is organised, dutiful, practical. Throw in a wedding, which turns most people into their worst selves and you have a row about bridesmaid’s dresses that lasts fully five years in which, and I can’t believe how disappointed I am to say this, absolutely no one is to blame.

So what can you learn from all this? 

Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life. You put a lot of thought and effort into it. You can listen to advice and then decide what suits you best. Expert advice is vitally important, well worth taking into consideration. Planning is essential and you need to understand that fit is one of the most important things. You can choose a wonderful style but if the fit is not perfect it can totally soul the look. 

Even a flower girl knows whether she is happy to with her dress. 

The Budget -Savvy Bride

It's usually this time of year that bride's run around all the bridal shops in Northern Ireland looking for a bargain. The Wedding Journal Northern Ireland tells newly engaged couples how to be savvy with their  wedding budget. They suggest that shops can sell their dresses at 80% less than the usual price. Stop and think about this bride's to be. Firstly how can you possibly drop a price so much unless it has been over hiked in the first place. If you buy this shop sample dress, can it be cleaned or at least pressed. What happens if you need more fabric or beads to replace what should be there. Who do you know that can best advise you on whether this is truly good value. This something sounds to good to be true, remember it usually is.

Some brides tell me how they were talked into a dress and that they regret buying it. A bargain is only a bargain if you can use it. Rushing to buy your wedding dress can cost you more in the long run, as some brides end up buying another one.

2021 is an odd year, things are definitely not the normal, if there is a normal when you are planning your wedding. This is a totally new experience for you. Please enjoy the experience and stop and allow yourself time to think before someone pressurises you. If I can be of help in some way, just arrange a virtual appointment for now on my facebook page

www.facebook.com/joannefergusonbridalshop

How to shop for your Bridal dress in 2021

Wow what a start to the New Year, 2021!! Ulster Bride's for 2021

are wondering how to shop if the Best Bridal Shops in Northern 

Ireland are closed. As usual my brides have provided me with the 

answer.

I am surprised what I can tell once I chat to you. 

Normally I get to meet you in person but even if we have to

just speak over the internet or the phone you would be surprise 

what a good conversation can do. Because I have been designing 

and making bridal dresses for 35years I can guide you with what 

you would suit. A sketch of the shape and style of the dress is 

confirmation that we have an idea of the look. 

Certain styles suit different bridal fabrics, different brides like 

different things. However if I ask the right questions and listen 

to the bride herself I can really help you. 

So why not book a virtual consultation today and we can convert 

those measurements into a plan so that you can start to look 

forward and get excited about that Wedding dress that you have 

dreamt of getting.

Make a virtual appointment on my Facebook 

facebook.com/joannefergusonbridalshop

or phone my mobile 07736069692

The New Normal 2020

 Face masks, finally N.Ireland  has made it manitory for us to wear face masks while on public transport and while shopping.

To make sure you can step out in style I turned my hand to making a few. You can have a plain one or a bespoke one, or have you a logo in mind!