She took time out from her very busy schedule to chat exclusively with Style & the Bride. Before you take time out to read the interview, I thought I would share with you some images of beautiful dresses from Alan Hannah’s latest collection, and also a couple from their other label, MiaMia Bridal, which was set up to provide brides with a taste of couture but in an accessible ready to wear option, with a more affordable cost point.

Here are some Q&A from Exclusive Interview With Bridal Designer Marguerite Hannah of Alan Hannah

Not really, every bride is an individual. All our dresses are sophisticated in terms of design and cut but never ostentatious. An Alan Hannah bride, regardless of her personality, can recognize beautiful fabric and a well-cut dress. We only use the best quality pearls and crystals for our beadwork, but we want to ensure that our dresses are within reach for the majority of brides. The price you would expect to pay for an Alan Hannah gown is between £2000-£2500 and between £1000 and £1800 for a MiaMia dress.

When did you launch MiaMia bridal and why did you decide to launch it?

 We wanted to launch a new label in 2009 to develop a more experimental and fashion led style that would retail at a lower price point than our couture gowns. The two labels have a very different aesthetic. MiaMia uses more floaty lace and chiffon and less structured construction. The photo shoots for MiaMia are more boho and have a slightly more playful feel.

Are you influenced by ready to wear designers?

Of course, all artists and designers are inspired by others and this is what produces the evolution of art and fashion. In modern times, I think it is hard to beat the commitment to craftsmanship of Alexander McQueen.

What advice would you give to the bride-to-be when going wedding dress shopping for the first time?

Take a trusted friend, not six! Try different shapes and colours, be open minded and try to find shapes that flatter you and reflect your personality.

If you could design a wedding dress for any celebrity, who would it be and why?

I feel that our brides are very strong and independent. I would love to dress someone like Cate Blanchett who radiates all these traits, as well as being sophisticated, elegant and beautiful.

Do you have a favourite celebrity bride, past or present?

Grace Kelly, of course.

What do you think the big trends will be this year in bridal?

I really think there is a return to strong lines and clean cut silhouettes. Interesting fabrics, bold prints and hand painting will give colour and texture to the  sharpness of cut.

The fashion pack have been hard at work filing their ‘Best Dressed’ list from yesterday’s Oscars. Although I love seeing who they have chosen, I prefer making my own judgement. I thought  Oscar winning Cate Blanchett (who won the ‘Best Actress’ award), looked amazing in a ethereal beaded Armani Privé dress. Actress Lupita Nyong’ o, who won ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for her role in the movie ’12 Years A Slave’,’ also wowed in a baby blue Prada dress that she chose because the blue reminded of her native Kenya.

Two Hollywood stars who looked very ‘bridal’ were Naomi Watts who wore a simple but glamorous white Calvin Klein dress and Kate Hudson who was very ‘old Hollywood’ in a beaded Versace dress with a deep v-neckline and cape detail.

However, the key red carpet wedding trends at 2014 Oscars that I think will be big news in bridal this year are the following:

Red Carpet Wedding Trends At 2014 Oscars

1. Navy/Midnight Blue

Both Amy Adams and Sandra Bullock demonstrated that ‘navy, or midnight blue’ is a big trend in the fashion world right now. Amy Adams wore a Gucci dress, whilst Sandra Bullock chose an Alexander McQueen strapless dress. Midnight blue has been big news in the world of bridal for a while now, and I think it will continue to be so, particularly when it comes to bridesmaid dresses.

2. Nude colours. 

Sparkling ‘nude’ was definitely one of the biggest Oscars 2014 trends. The likes of Cate Blanchett, Jessica Biel and Julie Delpy all opted for glamorous dresses in this colour. ‘Nude’ colours have been a very fashionable wedding choice in the last few years and I think a lot of brides-to-be opt for this look as it is extremely flattering and versatile.

3. Strapless dresses

Hold on a minute. For all of those who thought ‘strapless’ wedding dresses were a thing of the past, think again. ‘Strapless dresses’ were a key trend at this year’s Oscars. The likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Biel and Amy Adams all wore strapless dresses in varying colours. I think, thanks to the Oscars 2014, strapless dresses will be big news once more in the world of bridal.

4. Loose but glamorous side parting waves

Although there were some stars who wore their hair up, the likes of Sandra Bullock, Kate Hudson and Jessica Biel all wore their hair down slightly curled in a side parting style. This is a great look for those of you who want an ‘on trend’ fashionable bridal hairstyle that is perfect for city or boho weddings.

5. The Deep V/plunging neckline

Charlize Theron, Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, Lupita Nyong’o all wore dresses with  deep v necklines, which is a great look for those of you who are want to make a dramatic statement. Obviously if you don’t want to go for too plunging a neckline, you could just opt for a v neckline.

I don’t know if you have had a chance yet to see Christopher Bailey’s beautiful SS14 collection for Burberry, but it is definitely worth having a look at. With the likes of Sienna Miller, Harry Styles and ‘it’ model Suki Waterhouse in the front row, it was destined to be a spectacular affair and Christopher certainly didn’t disappoint. ‘I wanted the colours to be soft and gentle, like sugared flowers,’ he said.

Not only was the show a feast for one’s eyes with the ‘pretty pretty’ shades of mint, pale lemon, rose, lavender etc, it was also very bridal as he had a petal strewn finale. The collection was all about the English rose, which is what many brides-to-be want to look like on their wedding day.

Taking inspiration from Burberry’s SS14 collection, today’s post is all about ideas for a palette of sugar sweet pastels…

Sugar Coated Pastels Meets English Rose

I have to say that I think Millie Mackintosh looked absolutely beautiful when she married in Alice Temperley.

Not only did I love her exquisitely elegant wedding dress, but I also adored her boho plaited up do. Although she looked like the epitome of a modern day bride, I also think her wedding style was very bohemian, which might have to do with the Temperley wedding dress she chose.

I have long been an admirer of Alice Temperley’s bridal and ready to wear collections. Her clothes appeal to me because they are so effortlessly feminine yet fashion forward at the same time.

Boho brides will love Temperley Bridal’s Imogen Winter 2015 Collection as it features lace dresses with intricate embellishments. New shapes include the ‘Mulberry’ dress, a hand embroidered piece featuring floral satin stitch with pearl and crystal embellishment. The fitted bodice and flared short skirt is a first for the Temperley  Bridal collection, and is a fun alternative to a floor length gown. The ‘Posey’ gown is made from French vintage double scallop lace and the bodice flows into a waterfall overlay and full cascading train, which showcases a slim fitted silk satin skirt underneath.

‘I wanted to create a full collection with a wide variety of styles to suit every woman,’

Alice Temperley, MBE

I definitely agree with Alice’s comment that her collection will suit many brides-to-be, but I definitely think it has a real appeal to boho brides.