Yesterday we kickd off our end of year round ups than with Best of 2019: Wedding Cakes and today we’re all about the bridal parties y’all! According to your clicks, likes and comments throughout the year (across our blog, Instagram and Pinterest pages) photos of bridal parties are our most liked. Largely because they are usually bursting with joy, but also because they are typically jam packed with inspo from bridesmaids dresses to flowers, shoes, accessories and more.
Last years list was all about mismatched yet tonal gowns and this year was undoubtly the year of the silk slip, and mismatched bridal parties still had their place in the world, but this was also the year matching bridesmaids dresses made a come back – we’re not talking some frumpy thing you’ll never wear again, we’re talking sleek ready to wear gowns that we can easily see becoming a wardrobe staple long after last drinks are called.
Special shout out to Friend of Audrey who has just dropped a new bridesmaids collection and we’re calling it already – this tie dress will make the top 10 bridal parties list in 2020 for sure. Juliette Hogan is another local label who’s recently dropped a new bridesmaids collection. With a huge range of tones and styles in sizes 4 to 16, we think her Ella Jumpsuit is sure to make an appearence on our best of 2020 list in 12 months time too.
But lets look back to 2019 real quick first before we get carried away with all the new bridesmaids collections, pull up your Pinterest boards ladies, because right here, in no particular order, are our top ten bridal party looks of 2019…
ALEX & ANDREAS, CANBERRA, ACT
Alex (who also happens to be our go-to letter press invitation guru, aka Terrace Press) and Andreas’s Canberra wedding was one big fat giant surprise. Even the bridal party were not in on it as Alex recalls a funny story “Trying to print the wedding day items in secret so my family and bridesmaid (who works at Terrace Press) didn’t see anything. The coasters were the worst – Andreas had to man the door and I would stop printing and essentially block people so no one would see anything”. It all paid off though as she tells us “we told my parents and bridesmaids whilst we were getting hair and makeup done and also gave the bridesmaids the dresses that they would be wearing. Then we announced our wedding to our guests during our speech after we had poured a champagne tower from a nine litre bottle of Loius Roederer”. The girls wore Portmans and you can read all about the rest of the day right here, with photos by Alana Taylor Photo. Planning a Canberra wedding and looking for amazing vendors? Click here for our dream team of bridal boutiques, photographers, hair and makeup artists and so much more!
ALYESHA & TOM, PERTH, WA
One of our fave Melbourne based lens ladies (and humans) Amanda Alessi jets back to Western Australia (where she used to be based) on the regular shooting humans in love, and boy oh boy are we glad she chose to share Alyesha and Tom’s gorgeous (and seriously bright and fun) day with us! One print three different ways, Alyesha’s maid’s all looked the part in their Mister Zimi gowns and jumpsuits they’ll no doubt wear over and over! Love Amandas joy filled photos as much as we do? Click here to check out more of her beautiful wedding work.
HANNAH & DREW, BYRON BAY, NSW
Hannahs five best gal pals looked so elegant in thier Camilla and Marc forest green silk slips. Photographed by Cassandra Ladru, you can click here to check out more of this gorgeous day. At over $600 a pop though we understand these gowns fall a little on the pricey side of things, so we’ve sourced some more affordable silk slip options for you here and here (we’re talking under $200 guys!) and loads more colour ways here and here (over a dozen different colour ways to choose from). And because we’re here to help – click here for a list of our favourite Byron Bay based vendors.
HONIA & JAY, NORTH COAST, NSW
This bridal party wins the year for us, not only because Honia included her gorgeous mum as part of her team, but the all white, all cotton Sir The Label gowns were a literal dream (and oh so perfect for a humid North Coast wedding!). Honia and Jay’s gorgeous day just so happened to be captured by one of our fave lens ladies, Janneke Storm, who’s work you can check out here and here as well as on the cover of issue 26 (available for sale here).
ELLA & JEY, MELBOURNE, VIC
As if it wasn’t enough that Ella and Jey’s cake made our Best of 2019 list, now their bridesmaids gowns have too! One of only two mismatched bridal parties in the top 10 this year – Ellas girls nailed their blush brief with a mix of velvet, sequins, lace and cottons – proving once and for all when it comes to bridesmaids dress shopping, the rules are, there are no rules. With gowns from Zimmerman, ASOS, Whistles and Reiss, this lovely day was photographed by Motta Weddings. You can check out more of his stunning photographic work here.
ELLE & AARON, MELBOURNE, VIC
Another repeat offender on our Best of 2019 round up (check out Elle and Aaron’s cake here) this time we’re all about those 90s era Rat & Boa silk slips (see a similar style and colour on sale here for only $99 in size 6 to 14). This gorgeous wedding was photographed by Daniel Milligan. If you’re looking for an amazing Melbourne photographer click here for a list of our favourites.
HOLLY & KANE, BYRON BAY, NSW
With a respectable mix of Australian high street brands (Sir the Label, Zimmerman and Bec & Bridge) Holly’s five besties scrubbed up a treat in their all white gowns their sure to wear again (if they’re anything like us, once they’ve had the red wine stains dry cleaned out, of course!). If mis matched all white is the look you’re going for be sure to check out this epic white edit of gowns and jumpsuits). Special shout out goes to Byron Bay hair and make up artist Phoebe Barrett from The Future Mrs who Holly says was her “absolute favourite vendor”. Lucky for you guys The Future Mrs have hair and makeup artists based all over Australia and the world. Simply click here to check out a gallery of their gorgeous work, it really does speak for itself. Photos by Joey from Allume Weddings.
BRITT & ZAC, MELBOURNE, VIC
What can we say about Melbourne photographer Madeline Kate except to say she sure knows how to get her bridal parties to relax infront of the camera (just check out our brand spanking new issue 27 cover that she photographed) before you go back to loving on these black Silk Laundry bridesmaids dresses from Britt and Zac’s inner city nuptials. And if you’re digging the photographic stylings of Madeline as much as we are, be sure to click here and here for more of her gorgeous wedding work, who knows, maybe you’ll be on the next cover of Hello May.
ASH & JOEL, KANGAROO VALLEY, NSW
Those clever kids from The White Tree (photographers, cinematographers and an epic live band all rolled into one affordable offering) are known for attracting some seriously fun couples who are all about good times and great music and they didn’t disapoint when they shared the wedding of Ash and Joel with us this past year. Ash’s maids looked gorgeous in their sparkly mix of blush and gold gowns (sorry guys, they didn’t share who actually designed each gown, just that it was a mix). If you’re after a photographer, cinematographer, acoustic duo or live seven piece brass band (or all of the above) be sure to click here for more from The White Tree.
STACIE & LEIGH, OCEAN GROVE, VIC
Originally blogged in May 2019, this gorgeous day almost broke our Instagram with the amount of love pouring in not only for the bridal party (Silk Laundry again, guys) but for the epic photos by Enchanted Wedding Photography, one of our fave Victorian lens ladies. For more of photographer Sofia’s gorgeous work, be sure to click here and here and prepare to be swept away by her raw, candid and oh so fun style.