Italian Wedding Dresses

Moda Italiana

I still get the butterflies every time I see a bride here in Italy and am usually the only smiling person clapping and waving, "Auguri! Sei bellissima!" (Congratulations! You are totally beautiful!) at her like if she were my best friend. With only a few months of marriage under my belt I feel still very close to the planning, organization and beauty of my wedding.  I bought my dress in Washington D.C. before coming here for a few reasons: I didn't know how to speak enough Italian to tell a shop keeper what I liked and didn't like, and I wanted something from home. It turns out that my dress is from Ireland but I am cool with that since I had a great-great-grandfather who was from there. I think every American has some Irish in them. My dress was made in Ireland, bought in D.C., flown to Italy and then flew to get married in Mexico. My dress had quite a trip! She held up so good in a suitcase and even resisted a last minute iron before the wedding by me and my mom. My dress is very well made and I'm so happy I found her.

There she is! By far, she is still my favorite. She is elegant, romantic and feminine. I love her!

Italian couture wedding dresses are a dream. The brides dresses intrigue me and every dress is beautiful. Here, in northern Italy (close to Milano runways) I have noticed that brides tend to take a very fashion forward step when choosing the dress of their dreams. I have more than once stopped a stroll in a town when a wedding was starting and forced my husband in a church to watch a wedding with me. He teases me saying that one day a bride will think I am the creepy ex-girlfriend of the groom who came to stalk him (because I get teary eyed and snap pictures at every service). My poor man...

A sweet pew decoration

Anyway, the wedding dress trends span from Kentucky Derby style ensembles to dresses that are short in the front and long in the back. Women here in the north know what they like and boldly wear exactly what they want on their wedding day. Options for the shape, material and details of dresses here are endless.  Here are some pictures I have snapped while going around Italy both before and after my wedding:

The skirt on the right is my favorite of the two.

The lace and little buttons on her dress were exquisite!

I adore the little flowers flowing on the edge of this dress in Verona.

This polka-dot Max Mara dress could be shortened after the wedding and worn in the summer

Elegant, modern and memorable.

I love the bodice on the one on the right.

Oh yes, short in the front and long in the back dresses are in style and worn here!

Verona's romantic delicate dress.

I love how happy this Venetian bride is. She rocked that dress!