Sep 2015
He's a high-end fashion designer with a celebrity following, but when it comes to the perfect wedding dress, Henry Holland has admitted you don't need to spend a fortune.
The designer from Greater Manchester, who has his own fashion house, said there are plenty of options for brides on a budget on the High Street.
'Being a fashion expert, I have something to say on the subject of wedding dresses, and I think you can look amazing without blowing your budget,' he said.
'Everyone knows that wedding dresses can cost an absolute fortune. You can spend anything from £8,000 - to £50,000 if you're J Lo. But there are so many amazing different styles and options on the High Street.'
Holland reveals his top picks, which can all be bought off-the-peg for less than £1,000, in his new Channel 4 show, The Changing Room.
He's impressed by the array of bridal gowns offered by Phase Eight, earmarking one Fifties-inspired design called the Sally Tulle wedding dress, which costs just £250.
He said of the dress: 'It's a cute Fifties-style prom shape with nice tulle and it doesn't look cheap, which is important. The fit and flare style flatters so many different body shapes and the length means you can show off your shoes.'
He also loved a cowl neck, full-length ivory gown from Ghost for £395, and a lacy £450 vintage-inspired wedding dress from Damsel in a Dress.
When choosing the perfect gown to walk down the aisle in, Holland recommends brides consider what they will look like from all angles.
He explained: 'Remember how important the back is. During the ceremony you will have your back to the congregation or your assembled group of friends.
'So for one of the only times in your life, think about how you look from behind.'
He advises looking for dresses with beads and sequin detailing all the way round - and again said this doesn't have to mean spending a fortune.
Showing a dress from Clifton Brides with a price tag of £995, he said: 'You can see the work that has been put into it; the beads and sequins have been sewn by hand by a skilled artisan.'
In his other style tips for brides he recommends glittery or lacy T-bar shoes and said 'always wear a veil'.
He said brides should not feel embarrassed about buying their dress from a High Street store. He added they should also banish worries about a guest turning up in the same gown with a stark warning for those planning their outfits for a friend or relative's big day.
'Buying off-the-peg is absolutely fine. You don't need to worry about anyone else turning up in the same dress as if any of your guests turns up wearing a white dress they need to be told to leave or escorted off the premises,' he joked.
One bride who took his style advice is Alex, who will tie the knot next June in Corfu.
She features in Holland's fly-on-the-wall series, The Changing Room, where cameras are installed in fitting rooms of House of Fraser, New Look, H&M;, Monsoon and River Island stores across the country.
In the first episode, which airs this evening, Alex is filmed trying on a wedding dress from Monsoon as well as picking her bridesmaids' gowns from the Oxford Street store in London.
She was impressed with the design and price of the £499 'Elise' gown, which is embellished on the front and has a mesh cut-away back covered in gems and beads.
'I love it, I don't think I want to try anything else on,' she said.
read more:www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-sydney
www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-melbourne
The designer from Greater Manchester, who has his own fashion house, said there are plenty of options for brides on a budget on the High Street.
'Being a fashion expert, I have something to say on the subject of wedding dresses, and I think you can look amazing without blowing your budget,' he said.
'Everyone knows that wedding dresses can cost an absolute fortune. You can spend anything from £8,000 - to £50,000 if you're J Lo. But there are so many amazing different styles and options on the High Street.'
Holland reveals his top picks, which can all be bought off-the-peg for less than £1,000, in his new Channel 4 show, The Changing Room.
He's impressed by the array of bridal gowns offered by Phase Eight, earmarking one Fifties-inspired design called the Sally Tulle wedding dress, which costs just £250.
He said of the dress: 'It's a cute Fifties-style prom shape with nice tulle and it doesn't look cheap, which is important. The fit and flare style flatters so many different body shapes and the length means you can show off your shoes.'
He also loved a cowl neck, full-length ivory gown from Ghost for £395, and a lacy £450 vintage-inspired wedding dress from Damsel in a Dress.
When choosing the perfect gown to walk down the aisle in, Holland recommends brides consider what they will look like from all angles.
He explained: 'Remember how important the back is. During the ceremony you will have your back to the congregation or your assembled group of friends.
'So for one of the only times in your life, think about how you look from behind.'
He advises looking for dresses with beads and sequin detailing all the way round - and again said this doesn't have to mean spending a fortune.
Showing a dress from Clifton Brides with a price tag of £995, he said: 'You can see the work that has been put into it; the beads and sequins have been sewn by hand by a skilled artisan.'
In his other style tips for brides he recommends glittery or lacy T-bar shoes and said 'always wear a veil'.
He said brides should not feel embarrassed about buying their dress from a High Street store. He added they should also banish worries about a guest turning up in the same gown with a stark warning for those planning their outfits for a friend or relative's big day.
'Buying off-the-peg is absolutely fine. You don't need to worry about anyone else turning up in the same dress as if any of your guests turns up wearing a white dress they need to be told to leave or escorted off the premises,' he joked.
One bride who took his style advice is Alex, who will tie the knot next June in Corfu.
She features in Holland's fly-on-the-wall series, The Changing Room, where cameras are installed in fitting rooms of House of Fraser, New Look, H&M;, Monsoon and River Island stores across the country.
In the first episode, which airs this evening, Alex is filmed trying on a wedding dress from Monsoon as well as picking her bridesmaids' gowns from the Oxford Street store in London.
She was impressed with the design and price of the £499 'Elise' gown, which is embellished on the front and has a mesh cut-away back covered in gems and beads.
'I love it, I don't think I want to try anything else on,' she said.
read more:www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-sydney
www.marieaustralia.com/formal-dresses-melbourne
