Jaw-dropping, extravagant, and made to make a statement. Whilst the world of bridal couture is shrouded in secrecy, with fashion houses understandably respecting the privacy of their clients, the output is visible twice a year when the Haute Couture shows in Paris traditionally feature one statement bridal piece. Because of the workmanship that goes into couture bridal gowns, a dress can take 2,000 to 3,000 hours to make, and up to 50 people working on it. British couture designers Ralph & Russo’s closed their SS16 show with one of the most spectacular wedding gowns in couture history: A dress with a train so long it required six atelier staff to turn it at the end of the runway. The gown has a total of 826 metres of tulle and 46 metres of organza, with millions of micro-beads, crystals, pearls, delicate shaped organza flowers and three-dimensional petals and leaves hand-embroidered onto the gown. Michael Rosso revealed that the embroidery alone for his SS16 bridal gown took over 50 couturiers 6,000 combined hours to create!

“Like any number of traditions, the white wedding dress comes to us straight from the Victorian era—in fact, from Queen Victoria herself”