Shop The French Collection Wedding Dress Collection

published 23 January 2019

There's no denying the high street wedding dress offering is strong, so strong in fact, that you really don't need to spend a fortune on a designer dress, unless you want to of course (have you seen the amazing couture gowns in Paris?).

Case in point, the new FCUK bridal collection, launching online as a pre-order on 1st February (you can sign up for it here), and in all stores on 18th Feb. The second installation from the brand comes after the success of the first one last year, and it is just dreamy.

Think super sleek pieces for the bride that really isn't into massive ballgowns. There are high-necked midi dresses, minimalist column dresses and embellished Grecian style gowns. My favourite detail has to be the pockets though, because every bride needs somewhere to store her tissues if she gets emotional.

Maria Chen, Creative Director at French Connection, says, 'After such a positive reaction from customers towards our debut bridal collection from last year we’re delighted to be launching a second capsule for 2019. The essence of the collection retains its modern feminine French Connection identity, evolving the most popular designs.'

The beauty of these designs is that they're also great if you're having a civil ceremony first, then a religious one at a later date, or a destination wedding. Although they haven't launched yet, Marie told us the styles she predicts will sell out fast.

'The Palermo dress from 2018 was a bestseller, indicating our customer loves intricate hand-embellishment and a classic bridal shape, the beautiful Emelina dress from 2019 brings a new element to this timeless design. The Clandre Vintage Jumpsuit is a favourite look from the new collection.'

Be sure to set a reminder.

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.

Marie Claire Newsletter