Every now and then I like to pop over to J. Crew to check out what’s new in their wedding department, and I’m usually not disappointed. Their wedding dresses are usually what I’d call accessible in terms of style, but also a little bit quirky (sunburst polka dots? femme ruffles?). But I have to say, the brand isn’t doing themselves any favors with this:

And by this I mean the way it’s presented, not the product being sold. What you’re looking at is not some hybrid formal-casual wedding dress, but rather a gorgeous $3,000 skirt made of layer upon layer of shimmering pleated Italian metallic foil-printed tulle, topped off with volumes of solid French gossamer tulle. We’re talking about the good stuff, crafted by master weaver Sophie Halette. And J. Crew, to advertise it, pairs it with a ratty-looking old t-shirt on a slouchtastic model, making an amazing skirt look like some crap from a teen shop. I hate that. Does that drive anyone else nuts?

Aren’t these pretty? More than a wee bit unusual, sure, but pretty nonetheless! All four dresses are from Marchesa‘s Spring 2010 collection (so in fashion terms, a blast from the past) but they caught my eye and I thought they might inspire. I actually like Marchesa’s non-wedding dresses much better than their bridal lines, which tend to be rather boring in their glaring whiteness when compared to all of the interesting things happening elsewhere in the brand.

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In today’s edition of LOVE/HATE, I thought it would be fun to take a look at Sevruga by Ian Stuart Bridal. But it’s not the wedding dress itself I want you to be looking at – even though I rather like this gown with its full skirt and strapless corset bodice that is draped and beaded with Swarovski crystals, tiny sequins and bugle beads. Take a look, if you will, at those detached sleeves. Available to match the antique pink, aubergine, and ivory gowns, these sleeves almost seem like the commitmentphobe’s answer to the mutton sleeve. Sure, they’re not a true mutton, but they definitely have that feel – and the bride can wear them or remove them depending on how she feels (or whether her arm poufs are in danger of getting a salad dressing bath during the reception).

I say HATE, but I’m also no fan of gloves on brides or huge sleeves on wedding dresses. What, my lovely ladies (and gents), do you think of these full-bodied detachable sleeves?

Knees and ankles really get the shaft when it comes to wedding dresses, most of which cover everything from the decolletage down to the toes. (Sheer panels excepted, of course.) Brides who do go in search of short wedding dresses often find themselves facing hanger after hanger of frocks that look like the bastard children of a standard length dress and a pair of scissors. Or, slightly better, nothing but retro wedding dresses that are fine for those looking for that vintage-look but not so great if you’re not.

It is rare indeed to find that wonderful animal, the short wedding dress that looks as if it was meant to be short and isn’t meant to look just like the dress your mother wore in 1964. It doesn’t matter why you’re looking for a short wedding dress — easier to move in? having a low-key city hall wedding? you’re a mega klutz who can’t wear a long skirt to save your life? — I’m of the opinion that you should be able to find one that suits your tastes and looks beautiful on you.

My current faves in the short wedding dresses category come from Charlotte Balbier. Noelle and Ruby are absolutely adorable, and would be perfect for an outdoor wedding in the afternoon or even a reception dress for the bride who dreads dancing in her huge ballgown. And I’d suggest they’re perfect for the bride who is eloping. They could also look cute on bridesmaids, though they might be a little much. Are these Charlotte Balbier dresses for everyone? Absolutely not, but then, what wedding dress is? For some bride, though, Noelle or Ruby might just be the answer to her prayers.

Is it just me, or is anyone else bored by all the plain mass market white wedding dresses out there? Maybe it’s just that I’ve been at this for years and years now, but I feel like all those gowns are bleeding into each other. Does a colored sash and some diagonal folds really make one strapless A-line wedding dress that different from another? I’d argue that, no, it doesn’t. It’s like there’s this basic wedding dress template out there and whoever is making the majority of the gowns you see is just moving a bead or adding some lace and a few gathers here and there.

I’m trying to figure out if it’s simply wedding dress fatigue on my part, because I know the gowns that are not part of the cookie cutter brigade are out there! I love, for example, these from the Fall 2010 Claire Pettibone collection:

I’d say it’s the little details that make these Claire Pettibone wedding dresses stand out, but I think it’s actually the big details – the English lace and silk ribbon ties, the pewter embroidery, the pairing of a 40s style bodice and a sheer back. Gowns like these are the antidote, as I see it, to all the yawn-inducing wedding dresses out there. I think boredom is the reason I am so quick to push having a custom wedding dress made, either by some high end house of couture if you can afford it or an Etsy seller or local seamstress if you’re on a budget. Why settle for something that’s basically indistinguishable from every other wedding dress out there when you can have something much, much more interesting?

Seems like people make a lot of fuss over pregnant bridesmaids, and not in a good way. You get posts on blogs and articles with titles like “Dealing With a Pregnant Bridesmaid” (which makes it sound like the bride is looking for a way to rub her out) and “The Pregnant Bridesmaid Dilemma” (translation: can I ask her to get an abortion so she doesn’t ruin myyyy daaayyyyyy?) and “Another Pregnant Bridesmaid?!” (for the couple who’s wondering why those bridesmaids can’t keep their dang legs closed).

With headlines like that, you’d think that women everywhere are all just waiting until they’ve been asked to be in a bridal party to stop taking their birth control. You know, because there’s nothing more awesome when you’re knocked up than finding a non-sucky maternity bridesmaid dress and standing up for a 45 minute long ceremony while someone takes photos of your cankles. That in mind, here’s a treat for the pregnant bridesmaid: a bridesmaid dress from Amsale that will make you feel like a million bucks.

As opposed to, you know, making you feel like a million pounds. And the nice thing about Amsale is that there are various other bridesmaids dresses on offer that look good on the pregnant bridesmaid – see a real live pregnant woman in one here – without specifically being maternity bridesmaids dresses. So you might find a reason to wear it again after the wedding. You know, once that baby in your belly is old enough to be left with a sitter for a night and you actually feel like putting on something other than sweats.

I’ve been sitting on these lovely dresses from Ouma for a while – so I thought what better way to celebrate the coming of another weekend than pictures of beautiful, pretty, frilly, feminine wedding dresses? Here’s a tiny taste:

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