Something blue

Bride: Amanda Gustafsson

Colour of dress: Light blue with white details

The wedding: Swedish-Maltese wedding in the middle of the forest in a small village in Sweden

Date: May 25, 2013

Church: Torpa church, Sweden

Reception venue: A cute historical wooden village hall just next to the church

I have never felt comfortable in white and could not imagine myself wearing a white dress, especially on my wedding day so I chose to wear my favourite colour: ice blue, just like my eyes.

People loved my dress as much as I did. I felt great in the dress and I think that is very important for you as a bride and for the people around you.

People look so much nicer in a bit of colour

I bought my dress on www.etsy.com, a website that sells handmade and vintage items. I sent the seller my details and the dress was perfect when it arrived – it only needed some minor alterations. It could not have worked out easier or more stress-free.

The theme of our wedding was comfy colourful. All the banners and decorations, from the candles to the flowers, had different pastel colours. The result was great. We asked people to dress comfortably and colourfully. People look so much nicer in a bit of colour. For us, the comfy theme was important as we did not want anyone to come to the wedding feeling uneasy and uncomfortable just because they had to follow a strict dress code. I believe the free dress code helped people to enjoy the wedding party and our day together even more. That said, everyone came dressed nicely anyway.

Traditions are nice but they are also there to be broken. It’s not worth getting stressed to follow codes and traditions: do it your way. Anything is possible. Take the chance, be spontaneous and do not plan everything rigorously: leave some space for a bit of freedom. You need to find your way and your time to enjoy your party. If you are not happy about your wedding party, your loved ones around you won’t be either.

Fairy tale beginning

Bride: Joanie Mifsud

Colour of dress: Black and white

The wedding: A fairy tale themed wedding

Date: September 20, 2011

Church: Parish church of St Peter’s Chains Birżebbuġa

Reception venue: Wine Vaults at Monte Kristo Estate

Our wedding was held on the eve of a public holiday. When we saw the Monte Kristo wine vaults we immediately fell in love with them. Although the wedding was originally planned as an outdoor one, the rain and wind meant we had to stay indoors, but that turned out lovely all the same.

I always dreamt of having a different wedding dress that strayed from certain traditions. I started looking for coloured wedding dresses online but soon realised I was attracted to dresses which had a touch of colour in them. So I then started looking for such a style locally.

My dress was a gothic style, ivory dress with a black lace corset and black flowers on the bottom part of the dress. I had a tailor-made black and ivory lace bolero, headdress with black and ivory Swarovski crystals and black and ivory sandals.

It’s your day and you should feel comfortable with your ideas

When I went to buy the dress, my mother was against the idea at first. To please her I tried on traditional white wedding dresses but in the end she agreed that the one I had chosen suited my personality most. People were surprised when they saw my dress but they loved it and it received good reactions all round.

My wedding had a fairy tale theme. For the invitations we had a Shrek theme and we also kept the same theme for the wedding cake and the wedding cake toppers. I also ordered black ribbon and black envelopes for the invitations so they would match my dress. At the end of the wedding, all the bridesmaids, best man and ushers changed their outfit to jeans and t-shirts. Everyone had a personalised t-shirt in Shrek font which explained their role in the wedding. My husband and I wore jeans and a black ‘Just Married’ t-shirt.

It was very difficult to decide the colour scheme of the bridesmaids’ dresses because they could easily clash with my dress. So after various appointments at many shops, we opted for tailor-made satin dresses in blue grey. They matched perfectly with my dress.

My advice for anyone planning their wedding is to trust their instinct. It’s your day and you should feel comfortable with your ideas because people will remember your original ideas and therefore remember your wedding day even more.

In bloom

Bride: Nadja Chetcuti

Colour of dress: Flower pattern

The wedding: An afternoon wedding celebration on the last day of summer

Date: September 20, 2014

Ceremony venue: Courtyard of Bottegin Palazzo Xara, Rabat

Reception venue: Courtyard of Wignacourt Cafe, Rabat

I find white to be such a boring colour. Moreover, I have a strong dislike for white strapless wedding dresses, which make every bride look the same. So when I got over the surprise of Joe’s proposal, I knew I’d go for something chic, elegant and untypically bridal.

Originally I had in mind a red dress which in Asia symbolises happiness. However, when we decided on a September wedding, I decided that I would go for something more summery, something flowery.

Most bridal shops only stock dresses in block white or creamy colours, so there was nothing I could do but make a bespoke dress. I went to a local shop that sells fabric for wedding dresses and explained what I had in mind. Minutes later, the shop assistant was showing me this beautiful silk, flower-pattered fabric.

“The design of the fabric was used by Oscar de la Renta in one of his collections,” he told me, while I gushed.

De la Renta is one of my favourite designers, and I have a whole wishlist of his outfits for when I win the lottery.

The design of the fabric was used by Oscar de la Renta in one of his collections

“This is it,” I told my mother. “It’s a sign.” And I bought the fabric – it took us less than 10 minutes in total.

The dress was a figure-hugging ankle-length dress with a boat-neck collar, a V-shaped back with Swarovski buttons and a slit on the side. Happily, the dress was a hit. Joe loved it – which is what mattered most – but so did everyone else. And when it came to party time, I just rolled it up and we danced the night away.

The dress was designed by my seamstress Olga Shmidberskaya. She took great care to style the dress in a way which enhanced the pattern of the fabric. I have to say that Olga has magic hands.

My husband and I love summer so we opted for an afternoon wedding celebration on the last day of summer. Joe wore a navy blue suit to match the flowers in my dress and we had touches of navy and orange here and there.

We only had one very excited flower girl: my seven-year-old niece Pippa. For her Holy Communion last year my sister had got her a lovely simple dress made by Stephanie Staub, from an online French shop. We all loved the dress and Pippa was thrilled to be able to wear it again, this time with a gold glittery ballerina shoes. Olga simply altered her sash from white to blue to match the flowers in my dress and she had orange butterfly pins in her hair.

I think people stress and spend too much time and money trying to create the perfect day. So here’s a tip: go for simple things, opt for locations that you and your husband like to hang out in, just invite your family and close friends and make sure that you enjoy every minute of the wedding celebration. Oh, and dance.