So while simple wedding dresses today range from the minimalist to the risqué, both are a far cry from the modest, flowing styles that dominated bridal fashion a century ago. Sleeves have gone in and out of style; voluminous skirts have given way to narrow silhouettes and vice versa; hemlines have risen only to drop once again.

A beach wedding is a magical and romantic affair. But, the beautiful location does require some special planning, especially when it comes to your short sweet wedding dresses debenhams. Of course, you want it to be beautiful, but it also needs to be suitable for the sand, sun and sea breeze.

Trust us, you’ll want an arsenal of formal dresses for weddings to sport to the engagement parties, bridal showers, the bachelorette weekend, rehearsal dinner, after-party, honeymoon and beyond. One woman suggested: ‘Yes if you wear brightly coloured or black accessories. Because otherwise it is too white. You don’t know if the bride might be wearing a short white dress… or the bridesmaids, and so it might be embarrassing if you look too much like them.

Buying your ball gown wedding dresses is an incredibly exciting, and stressful, experience. It’s not like picking out an outfit for work or for a Christmas party – It’s one of the biggest days of your life, and you are trying to choose a dress that you will wear months or sometimes even years down the line.