Is this the perfect wedding dress? 3,000 brides pick every detail from sleeve style to embellishment to create £15,000 gown

  • Dazzling gown will go on display at London wedding show on Friday
  • Magazine readers chose every detail of the stunning wedding dress
  • 'Kate effect' has made lace popular with brides wanting a royal touch

By Nicole Mowbray

PUBLISHED: 16:58 EST, 10 October 2013 | UPDATED: 03:40 EST, 11 October 2013

Grooms, look away now. This is the nation’s dream wedding dress as designed by the experts – that is, thousands of British brides.

The women were asked to come up with their perfect gown, picking every detail from dress shape and length to sleeve style, fabric and embellishment.

And here is the result – brought to life over ten days by top bridal designer Stephanie Allin, who makes all her gowns by hand at her workshop in Wales.

The Nation's Favourite Wedding dress from a survey conducted bt Bride's Magazine
The Nation's Favourite Wedding dress from a survey conducted bt Bride's Magazine

3,000 brides picked every detail of the dress, which goes on display at the Brides The Show event in London

The catch? Anyone who wants to walk down the aisle in this one will have to pay £15,000 for the privilege.

Around 3,000 readers of Brides magazine provided their views about what made the perfect dress.

 

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The result is a charming mix of the fashionable and the traditional. Lace – brought back into popularity two years ago with the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress – was the favoured fabric for almost half of women and appears on most of the dress, including the sleeves and veil.

The style of sleeve picked by 44 per cent is surprising, however.

The cap sleeve is the cruelest sort, serving to emphasise broad shoulders and cut the arm off at its widest point.

The Nation's Favourite Wedding dress
The Nation's Favourite Wedding dress

Here comes the brides: Everything from tricky cap sleeves to crystal embellishments were chosen by women around the country, with the most popular ideas incorporated into the finished £15,000 product 

More flattering is the sweetheart neckline, chosen by 39 per cent and shown by the likes of Lanvin, Prada and Gucci on their autumn/winter 2013 catwalks.

Designed to add femininity to a dress, the sweetheart works to emphasise the bust – whatever your size – without being revealing, and balances out those tricky cap sleeves.

Together with a waist-cinching embellishment and on-trend fishtail skirt, this hourglass-enhancing dress is truly something that will flatter any figure.

Mrs Allin, who has been  designing wedding dresses for 22 years and has a store in Marylebone, Central London, said: ‘It is made from French Chantilly lace, with silk crepe and silk chiffon underskirts, which give it a beautiful swishing feeling.’

‘Brides The Show is taking place from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th October at Battersea Evolution, Battersea Park, London.  For a further information please go to www.bridestheshow.co.uk

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Has the strapless wedding dress, worn by 999,000 brides, finally died a death?? Hurrah!

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No; this might some brides dream dress, but others would hate it. Personal taste can never be buttonholed like that.

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How much...for THAT????

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no.

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Not flattering at all

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Except for the gorgeous fabrics, which really can't be seen well in the white-on-white design, it's very ordinary looking.

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That particular dress would look better without sleeves, even though I like sleeved wedding dresses.

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No it's horrible

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It is very pretty! But it's not my style, plus I have seen prettier dresses!

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As a wedding photographer one thing I would say is that brides should have a dress with a perfectly supported, well fitted top, plus sleeves. Full and fleshy bare arms spoil many a good photo.

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