Metallic embroidery, huge hoop skirts and matching brides: Paris couture week offers a glimpse of wedding dress trends to come
- Jean Paul Gaultier's wedding gown finale featured a cluster of small flower girls hiding beneath the hoop skirt
- Karl Lagerfeld used the Chanel show to make a statement on same-sex marriage with two identically-dressed brides by way of finale
A couture show traditionally ends with a bridal look, and the most recent collections in Paris this week did not disappoint.
Offering an early glimpse of what are likely wedding trends to come, dramatic hooped skirts and decadent feathers took center stage.
Jean Paul Gaultier's hooped skirt was so wide that it even fit a cluster of children inside it.
The future of wedding gowns? The finales at this week's spring 2013 haute couture shows in Paris, such as Jean Paul Gaultier (pictured) revealed extraordinary dresses for high-rolling brides-to-be
Hide and seek: In the Jean Paul Gaultier finale, the model revealed a cluster of adorable children - or flower girls, perhaps - hiding inside the giant hooped skirt of her wedding gown
In fact, hooped skirts seemed to be a trend this year.
Elie Saab's final look also featured a voluminous baroque-style skirt.
The ornate wedding gown on the Elie Saab runway looked fit for a royal wedding or a period drama.
But it wasn't all billowing skirts and conservative veils on the runways.
Here come the brides: The Chanel show concluded dramatically with two models in wedding gowns holding hands - a testament to Karl Lagerfield's view on gay marriage in France
Bucking the trend: Ulyana Sergeenko's peasant-style gown (left) was accented with a wide belt and hat, and the skirt on the Dior wedding dress (right) had tiny orange beads sewn into it
Dramatic: The ornate wedding gown on the Elie Saab runway - complete with hooped skirt and embroidered floor-length veil - looked fit for a royal wedding or a period drama
Designers broke with convention in various ways.
At Dior, the label showcased a classic wedding dress with a colorful twist: orange beads sewn into the skirt.
The gown was worn with a crisp white overcoat.
Ulyana Sergeenko's off-the-shoulder peasant-style gown was cinched at the waist with a thick beige belt, and the model wore it with a wide-brimmed hat.
Newer couture labels - including Armani Prive and Atelier Versace - bucked the trend altogether and chose not to include a wedding dress in their finale.
Metallics: Valentino's bridal gown (left) was embroidered with intricate silver stitching, while Giambattista Valli's strapless creation (right) was accented with a golden floral design
Some designers went metallic, adding silver and gold detailing to their white wedding looks.
The stunning floor-length dress that concluded the Valentino show had a halter-neck and was embroidered with a silver design.
And in the Giambattista Valli runway, gold accents and a large gold necklace accompanied the strapless, empire line gown.
The Chanel show concluded dramatically with a pair of brides walking down the runway hand-in-hand - a testament to Karl Lagerfield's view on legalizing gay marriage in France.
They each wore ethereal feathered creations topped off with a plumed hairpiece.
