This year, expect to see brides fluttering down the aisles in streamlined, softer silhouettes. “Brides today are more confident in their own skin,” says Sally Yap, lead merchandiser at Malena Bridal Haute Couture. “They want gowns that show off the figure they have worked hard for, as opposed to stiff, layered ball gowns. Sheer elements will be a mainstay too, from illusion necklines to sleeves to subtly see-through skirts.” Hellen Lie, creative director of Rosette Designs & Co, adds that the common sweetheart cut seems to be losing popularity. “We are seeing more brides going for two-piece gown collections—a cropped top with pocketed skirt—which we foresee will be popular with brides who prefer a more casual and intimate wedding where comfort is key.”

This year, the bridal hair trend taking the crown is perfectly undone locks—think loose buns and pulled-apart braids with controlled flyaways. “It’s like the natural make-up look; it appears effortless, but a lot of work has actually been put into creating it,” says hair and make-up artist GregO Oh. He adds that hair accessories will also be kept to a minimum. “To complement the perfectly undone hair look that’s especially wonderful for outdoorsy, rustic wedding settings, you just need to accessorise with a small item, like a band of tiny flowers.”

If you noticed grooms looking like a caricature of a K-pop boyband member in the past year, you’re not wrong. “Skinny lapels on jackets had a huge moment last year,” says Kevin Seah, director of Kevin Seah Bespoke. “But thankfully, men are beginning to understand and appreciate class.” In place of the K-pop look, grooms this year should be wearing a jacket with cotton trousers of another colour to break the look of a suit. Otherwise, the classic tuxedo look works, too. “The classic tuxedo with a wider peak lapel, complete with vest, tuxedo trousers and black patent shoes will always be, as the name implies, a classic,” advises Kevin. 

For a more intimate celebration, couples are opting to have several smaller-scale events. The White Rabbit, housed in a restored 1930s Ebenezer chapel, offers an escape away from the city’s chaos with its lush surroundings and quaint air that evokes an air of enchantment found in Disney movies. As Olivia Low, co-founder of Our Fairytale Wedding, observes, “The conventional hotel ballrooms are great for traditional, large-scale banquets, but increasingly, couples are opting for non-ballroom settings so as to better present their unique personalities and style. They are looking to hold their weddings at interesting venues, such as a restaurant with a church-like setting or even a beach resort overseas.” 

Looking for something other than posy or round-shaped bouquets? The wedding bouquet trend that will be blooming this year are shapes that are loose while retaining a touch of romance and whimsy, according to Juliana Foo, owner of The Green Room. As for the colour scheme, Foo says to expect a combination of soft muted shades of pinks and creams with bursts of burgundy, rusty red, amber, and lots of green. “The garden-picked look will remain popular as many well-travelled and well-read brides find inspiration from European and American sources. Seasonal and unique flowers such as anemone, protea, and peonies remain some of the favourites,” she adds.

Says Jeanie Tan, assistant director of business development at Mandarin Orchard Singapore, “Metallic accents, such as gold, will be seen everywhere. You will see touches of it on everything from vases for the centrepieces to tiered wedding cakes of white and gold.” Even flowers are getting the Midas touch. “Like last year, bold and vibrant wedding flowers are going to be trendy,” says Brenda Lee Monteiro, creative director of Flore Dorato. “But you can also expect to see touches of warm metallic and white accents in bouquets and centrepieces.”

Decor: Organic and Minimalist

Thanks to Pinterest, there’s been a wave of rustic, watercolour and blush-champagne themes this last year. But as pretty as these themes are, couples seem to be moving away from them towards wedding designs and decor that are more polished and clean. “I think organic and minimalist palettes will still be on-trend,” says Hellen Lie, creative director of Rosette Designs & Co. “Greenery and foliage will still be popular for unconventional venues, but I foresee a demand for cleaner and more modern designs with the use of glass, acrylics, candles and lights.” 

Overly dramatic scenes, such as flying gowns and gazing meaningfully into each other’s eyes, are now a thing of the past. “As we move forward to 2017, there is a movement towards having images that are real and sincere, not contrived,” says Kelvin Koh, founder of Lightedpixels Photography. “A photo now, as it should have always been, is all about capturing the real emotions that the couple shares. It’s not about posing for the photographer or trying to impress the viewers.”

A great indicator of how quickly technology is advancing? Just look at the quality of wedding videos year on year. “It’s getting easier to shoot from unexpected angles with lighter camera equipment,” says Jamie Chan, producer from Vocare Media Production. “And because of technological advancement such as the camera's ability to shoot in low light situations, the wedding videographer is now able to adopt a more subtle presence for certain parts of the wedding day compared to just a few years ago. This allows for a good mix of cinematic and documentary styles in one video.”

Why present wedding favours that your guests may not even use? “We foresee that increasingly, more  wedding favours will be personalised gifts such as candles or skincare products such as hand or body lotions,” says Anna Lim, creative director of Spellbound Group. “With candles, for instance, the couple can choose to customise the scent – it might be the scent that the groom loves most on his wife.” 

While traditional bridal jewellery remains top of choice through the years, jewellers like Sara Taseer Fine Jewellery are noticing a shift towards more creative, statement-making designs. “Last year, our biggest requests were jewellery sets. Brides were eager to find sets that were matching or individual pieces that complement the existing jewellery they wear on their big day,” says founder Sara Taseer. This year, however, she observes that brides are becoming more creative and receptive to unique and bold jewellery designs. And increasingly, brides are also looking for versatile pieces that can be worn not only on their big day but also on other occasions.