Since planning a wedding can feel like a full-time job, with as many spreadsheets, colour-coded to-do lists and video calls as your actual 9-to-5, we've put together a definitive guide to pulling off the chicest nuptials in 2026, from the nail polish that will take your manicure from bland to bridal to the off-the-beaten-track destinations that will inspire awe in your guests. Think of this as inspiration (rather than a blueprint) for how to host a wedding that is beautiful, memorable—and most importantly, 100% you.
Bridal Brands to Know
For Romantic Brides: WED
Founded by Central Saint Martins alumni Amy Trinh and Evan Phillips, WED has become the go-to brand for brides who want modern romance. Its 2026 collection includes a strapless gown in voluminous, stiff tulle with a draped flag hem trimmed with floral lace, creating the impression of handkerchief-like tiers. Another, also in tulle, features visible boning and is adorned with flattened bows and a semi-sheer layered skirt that both reveals and conceals. It’s less period drama, more Margot Robbie’s Catherine.
For Brides Who Value Craftpersonship: Róisín Pierce
Róisín Pierce’s pieces aren't billed strictly as "bridalwear", but her signature colour palette of fresh whites and focus on artisanal techniques such as crochet, lacemaking and smocking lend themselves nicely to the genre. If you’re looking for a wedding dress with a difference—something textured and sculptural, high-fashion and heritage—Pierce’s exquisite creations, where craft is showcased, you just might find it here.
For Minimalist Brides: Viktoria Chan
Swedish brand Viktoria Chan draws on "structured simplicity" and "modern sophistication", tenets that might ring a bell if your everyday mood is minimal but interesting. One gown has fine straps and a silhouette that gently curves away from the body, stopping at the ankle with an elegant train at the reverse. Another is shaped like a T-shirt, with a boat neck and subtly pooling hemline. Easy to wear yet heart-stoppingly gorgeous, they’ll ensure people see you, not just the dress.
For Glamorous Brides: Taller Marmo
Famous for its glamorously fringed take on kaftans, Taller Marmo’s bridalwear is similarly high-octane. Its 2026 bridal dresses are offered in a sumptuously rich shade of latte and feature ostrich feathers, caped arms crafted from fluid crepe chiffon or a shoulder-framing halter neckline.
It’s All Content
Credit: Content for Brides
A hashtag combining your names is now the bare minimum, FYI. In 2026, couples are hiring content creators. According to wedding planner Katrina Otter, "More couples have been asking about capturing additional content alongside a photographer and videographer. These elements are still the priority, but there’s increasing interest in the spontaneous, behind-the-scenes moments that unfold throughout the day," she says, recommending two businesses in particular: MB Weddings & Events and Content for Brides.
"My clients aren’t necessarily calling it a 'content strategy'; it’s more about making sure the atmosphere and energy of their wedding is captured in real time. Some are hiring dedicated content creators to film short-form, social-ready clips, whilst others rely on guests to share their perspective. It’s less about replacing traditional coverage and more about complementing it with immediate, shareable moments," says Otter.
Don’t Say "Yes" to the (Bridesmaid) Dress
Bridesmaid dresses are usually a point of contention. Chanel’s Haute Couture spring/summer 2026 show offered an alternative, albeit inadvertently, for the age-old question of how to find chic bridesmaid dresses. The answer, apparently, is to side-step dresses altogether (they often look too satin-y and/or insipid in a pastel-themed lineup), and opt instead for a suit. Chanel’s were pearlescent, pink and complete with a semi-sheer column skirt, but if you really want to make sure your girls are suitably comfortable, Bella Freud’s sky-blue trouser suit might just be The One.
The Top Table
Credit: @casadeperrin, Gigi and Olive, Content for Brides, @sofiethompson2
Adding vintage elements—anything from candlesticks to bread baskets—will help to personalise your tablescape. Gigi & Olive, a one-stop shop for the modern bride, has an entire section dedicated to vintage finds, with silverware, drinkware and even hankies (I think the pedestal-foot ice bucket with matching tongs is particularly tempting). Connolly England’s edit, meanwhile, includes a clam-shell plate set from the ‘70s that would take pride of place on any top table.
Instead of thinking in literal terms (cutlery, plates, glassware, bud vases and placecards), why not theme your table setting around your journey? As Laura Hoyos, founder of creative studio Hito Estudio, explains, "For me, curating a table begins with observation, poetics and research. I like to start by asking questions, for example, in the context of weddings, [questions about] your morning routine, how you met or the small moments that make you keep falling in love," she says. "These stories become the starting point. I proceed with research and editorial direction that translates these feelings, memories or prompts into materials, colours and gestures. The table then becomes a reflection of the couple’s poetics; a place where intention, food and taste come together."
Flower Power
Instead of a single trending flower this year, floral arrangements now sit at "dramatic extremes", according to Emily Sritharan, founder of Athlyn, who has made arrangements for the likes of Alexander McQueen, Loewe and Prada. "I've been drawn to delicate, understated arrangements that emphasise the intricacy, detail and beauty of each stem; petite bridal bouquets wrapped in fine ribbon, small piles of fragile pansies or slender arrangements of rare, small orchids." The flipside is "sprawling bouquets—oversized and dramatic, like one of my favourites from the past year for the photographer Annie Reid, with cascading orchids inspired by vintage bouquets," she shares.
And the flowers don’t have to stop at bouquets. In fact, the Dior Haute Couture S/S 26 runway provided a viable alt: an oversized corsage, positioned not at the wrist but the shoulder. Vivienne Westwood has yet another proposition in the form of a new fabrication for one of its iconic wedding dresses, the Nova Bagatelle, which comes printed with falling long-stemmed roses.
The New Places to Get Married
Credit: Getty, Content for Brides
Arguably, some European destinations have been overdone by wedding tourists—Tuscany? Again?—so why not choose somewhere on the continent but slightly more under the radar? Mark Niermierko, luxury wedding planner, suggests choosing somewhere that has resonance. "Couples are no longer picking random locations purely for shallow reasons. Instead, [they're choosing] places with meaning to them. It might be home, somewhere they met, studied or a place tied to family history. We’re planning a wedding this summer in Bulgaria, close to the couple's family home," he says.
Niermierko also name-checks three other destinations that are slightly more unusual. "Seville offers culture, architecture and sunshine, but still feels less saturated than many traditional destination wedding locations. Copenhagen is also interesting, offering a clean, stylish and slightly unexpected setting. And for Medieval charm paired with extraordinary views, Montenegro is hard to beat."
An Out-of-This-World Honeymoon
Credit: Content for Brides
What constitutes a "dream" honeymoon destination will vary from couple to couple, but many will be looking for a mix of activity and relaxation. According to Molly Crow, head of global travel at Audley Travel, "We are seeing a rise in bookings for hybrid trips, with two clear parts. A couple may choose to pair a Tanzania safari with time relaxing on the coast of Zanzibar, or Thailand's beaches with a stay in the tropical rainforest setting of Khao Sok National Park, including a night spent in a floating tented camp," she says, adding, "Adventurous couples may like the idea of searching for wildlife whilst hiking through Madagascar's rainforest, followed by a few days on the tranquil beaches of Île Sainte-Marie."
If you want an otherworldly setting near a tapestry of waterways, lagoons and islands, meanwhile, Abercrombie & Kent’s Baines' Lodge reopened last year after an extensive rebuild. Situated in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, on the edge of the Kalahari Desert, its six private suites rise on stilts from swaying papyrus reeds, with opportunities to spot hippos, painted reed frogs, lions and leopards by motorised boat or canoe in the wetlands.
A Modern Trousseau
Your honeymoon wardrobe shouldn’t be a mere afterthought. Gigi & Olive has collaborated with swimwear brand Away That Day to produce a bridal swimwear collection that will make for chic poolside selfies (the sweetheart-neck one-piece, complete with corsage, is a favourite). Birkenstock’s Arizona sandal recently got the wedding treatment courtesy of bridal label Danielle Frankel, which has edged the sandal's straps with micropearls and chiffon-embellished florals, whilst SKIMS has just launched its wedding shop, including a draped silk-chiffon slip dress that’s perfect for a hot-weather honeymoon. Oh, and don't pack your case without a pair of chic heels from Malone Souliers' wedding edit—the pretty pink-and-gold mules have "party" written all over them.
Something Old
Credit: Knatchbull, Gigi and Olive, Content for Brides
More and more brides are opting to make their "something old" a meaningful part of their bridal look. At Knatchbull, Savile Row’s first and only shopfront exclusively for women, brides often want personal items incorporated into their outfits. "We’ve found that, particularly for brides who no longer have a parent with them, this can be a very meaningful way to include them in the day. For example, we recently worked with a bride who had her late mother’s veil transformed into a pocket square for her bridal suit—a beautiful way to keep her mother by her side on the day," says Daisy Knatchbull, founder and CEO, adding, "I really love the hidden details that we can weave into a bridal suit, whether it’s embroidered messages on the inside of the suit, a personalised lining or something even more tender and secret."
Beauty Mood Board
This year’s bride might want to embrace a more experimental beauty look. At Diotima, what resembled a fine, shimmering white powder was lightly spray-painted across one model’s left eye socket, brow and forehead, creating an ethereal kind of shadow that could substitute for a veil. Pauline Dujancourt’s models had lace manicures, and one even had nails that perfectly matched her high-neck, long-sleeved capelet. As for hair accessories, diamanté crowns, worn on the hairline instead of the top of the head, appeared at Simone Rocha. What better way to keep your hair off your face if the weather is windy? And finally, it may be pretty traditional, but we have to mention the blushing-pink lipstick at Erdem, applied to create the perfect rosebud pout. There’s romantic, and there’s next-level romantic.
Old-Fashioned Flower Girls
"Chic" doesn’t feel like quite the right word to describe the intended "look" for a flower girl, but modern brides are turning back to traditional flower-girl dresses with classic silhouettes for an elegant take on childrenswear that doesn't include glitter or rainbows. That’s why the smocked, puff-sleeved and cotton-sateen dresses from Smock London and La Coqueta should be your first port of call for adorable outfits that won't date in photographs.
