Fashion and beauty: Helping an older bride to get ready for her big day

Nov 5 2009 by Hilarie Stelfox, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Fashion and beauty: Helping an older bride to get ready for her big day

MARRIAGE might be on the decline in the UK but those who do decide the tie the knot want to make their wedding day something really special – no matter what their age.

Because more than a third of all weddings are now between people who have been previously married brides are getting older. This doesn’t mean, however, that they’re not interested in wearing fashionable bridal gowns, tiaras and veils or make-up.

Bride-to-be Eryl Stephens, from Rastrick, is a rarity because at 49 her wedding tomorrow in Huddersfield Register Office will be her first.

“But I’m having a long dress, a full veil, everything. I’m very excited about it,” says Eryl, who is a specialist TB nurse in Calderdale.

The only thing she was uncertain about was how much make-up she should wear and what ‘look’ she should go for.

“I wondered,” she said, “if you could arrange a mini make-over for me to give me some ideas.”

Like most brides Eryl chose her gown some time ago and has been going for regular fittings. Because she’s so slim her dress had to have major alterations and she’d never have been able to buy off the peg.

Although many older brides still opt for full-length dresses there’s a marked difference in the gowns chosen by younger and older brides.

“Older brides are looking for simpler lines and less bling,” says Dawn Kenney, sales assistant at Pronuptia in King Street, Huddersfield.

“They want dresses that look like evening gowns and will sometimes choose colours rather than white or ivory,” she added.

Eryl, who is marrying postal worker Clive Nelson, 52, says that if she had been younger she might have been tempted to “a meringue dress”.

“But I have chosen something quite simple in ivory,” she explained “because I think it looks more sophisticated.”

Because she wants her big day to be perfect Eryl was looking for professional make-up advice.

We took her to meet Sue Brown, account manager for Estee Lauder in House of Fraser, who has been trained in bridal make-up.