Romance, But Darker: The Wedding Aesthetic Set to Follow Wuthering Heights
- 7 hours ago
- 7 min read
There are films that influence fashion, and then there are films that alter atmosphere. The new Wuthering Heights movie by Emerald Fennell, with Margot Robbie cast in its most hauntingly romantic light alongside heart throb Jacob Elordi , feels firmly like the latter.
I treated myself to a viewing on Valentine's Day, and phew... immediately I could see it's visual language drifting into the wedding world. Not in costume or theme, but in mood: windswept romance, tactile fabrics, flushed colour, and a kind of modern gothic femininity that feels both literary and wildly contemporary.
For those planning celebrations in 2026 and beyond, I do think we can expect a distinct shift away from whisper-light minimalism toward something richer, more layered, and unapologetically emotive.
After allowing myself to recover from the movie and remembering all the little details and set design, I have pulled together some of the wedding trends I believe will quietly emerge in its wake. Do you agree?
Our continued obsession with the colour red
For years, bridal has lived in a palette of nudes, almond, cream and muted blush. That restraint has been dissolving over every fashion season as individual style has dictated design, and we have already been seeing a lot more red in colour palettes for our clients when designing their weddings.
It's not going anywhere soon... deep burgundy will continue to feature heavily, but bright blood or bold brick red tones are surely going to be featuring in event design, florals and tablescapes so much more for 2026 and beyond. We have long been a fan, and you might remember a previous article we wrote on the "unexpected red theory" too.
It wasn't just the set design in Wuthering Heights that played with the colour red so strongly, it appeared everywhere in fashion too. So I am willing to bet we see much more in bridal party styling too - deep carmine silk shoes glimpsed beneath hemlines, ox-blood bridesmaids gowns or crimson red manicures contrasting against ivory silk.
I do think red will appear in layers rather than declarations when translated into wedding design though. You will see it paired with antique pinks and bruised berry tones, so that it creates a palette that feels cinematic rather than seasonal- less Valentine’s or autumnal in style, more windswept moor with sprinkle of modern interiors and romanticism.
Side note: less obviously iconic but also used throughout the movie is the colour blue... stormy, slightly greyed, broody, deep, inky, mineral, dusky... dreamy paired with red and bound to be a hot colour in 2026/27.
Corsetry and the sculpted silhouette
Fashion is already returning to structure, and bridal will follow where it left off last season in this regard. Corsetry (both visible and internal) is set to dominate the aisle this year. Not in a restrictive or historical sense, but in a way that feels architectural and empowering.
Expect corseted bodices beneath layers of chiffon, lace and sheer polka dots; boning visible through silk organza; basque waists elongating the torso; and couture styles with internal structure creating posture and poise.
Corsetry of course will then allow for more of the dramatic: heavier fabrics, longer veils, sweeping skirts. It anchors a look so that even the most romantic styling feels deliberate and composed. The effect is quietly powerful if you think about it, a bride who looks entirely held within her dress rather than simply wearing it.
The new bridal wardrobe will also feel less singular and more styled. A layered approach brings movement and narrative, with a sense that the bridal fashion evolves visually across the day, rather than appearing fully formed at once. It also nods to literary heroines: slightly undone, deeply romantic, entirely self-possessed.
One particular scene featured Margot Robbie shimmering in liquid, high-gloss silk on the night of her wedding day - which all but guarantees a rise in second-look dressing that leans sultry and self-possessed. I have been saying it for ages now and I am convinced this will be a huge shift seen in the after party outfit change. Brides will slip not into something simpler or shorter, but into something sharper: shine instead of tulle, structure instead of softness, colour instead of calm.
Perhaps we will also see a new breed of groom styling too: slightly dishevelled, with formalwear that will feel less boardroom, and more brooding gentry - with heirloom signet rings, open collars, velvet jackets thrown on as dusk falls. It may be a step far to imagine the gentlemen sporting a single gold tooth but I am sure there will be an understated earring in the manner of Jacob Elordi hitting the wedding catwalks this season.
Veils: longer, heavier, more dramatic
With absolutely no doubt about it, the veil is returning as a central character in the bridal fashion wardrobe.
Not just cathedral length, but weightier in silk tulle, lace-edged organza, or embroidered with fluidity that catches the light and air. Some will be worn doubled, layered, or even tinted faintly blush or rose (consider that flash of red against pink tones). A long veil moving through candlelight and evening air feels entirely aligned with the mood of this cinematic revival: romantic, slightly melancholic, undeniably beautiful.
It does make me wonder if we might see a lot more later evening ceremonies too... as clients seek out that soft sunset or candlelit glow.
Face gems and undone glamour
Beauty will continue to step away from polished perfection toward something more expressive.
Perhaps the one beauty look that made me sit bolt upright in my cinema chair at the weekend was the use of face gems. I am 100% sure we will see these on a bridal fashion runway or at a wedding in real life this year. Perhaps for an after party transition - worn lightly at the corner of the eye, scattered across the cheekbone, or placed like dew along the temple - less boho festival styling, and more modern bridal adornment.
Overall make-up will continue to be luminous rather than matte, flushed rather than contoured, slightly windswept and intentionally imperfect (big prediction for subtle freckles becoming more of a trend too).
Hair will be soft, often partially undone, and most definitely featuring braids once again. A sense of having danced already, even at the beginning of the evening rather than neat and structured though.
Mini sunglasses and modern irreverence
Every romantic movement needs its counterpoint, and this one arrives via accessories. I hope the team at Oliver Peoples are re-stocking the pink Calidor sunglasses (seen worn by Margot in the movie and red carpet since, in a custom red lense - I bet they do a limited edition, they will fly off the shelves!).
Expect to see those red and pink mini sunglasses everywhere.
Worn with a corseted gown or heavy silk dress, these small, playful accessories create a deliberate tension between gothic romance and modern cool. I love it. For the arrival, departure, cocktail hour and dancefloor - the punctuation marks of a wedding wardrobe are often my favourite elements.
Gothic-inspired jewellery
Remember how we used to worry about looking too much like a Christmas tree when accessorising a bride? No longer. Jewellery will absolutely be growing bolder, heavier, and more textural. I think a lot of women with swerve the costume look for something more refined but still with a statement. I can imagine so many gorgeous looks featuring chunky antique gold chains, baroque pearls, garnet drops and heirloom-style rings layered together
There is a move away from delicacy toward presence. Jewellery that feels collected rather than purchased. Pieces that look as though they carry stories.Worn against silk, lace or velvet, they anchor the romantic softness with something more grounded and enduring.
Scent as narrative
Perhaps the most subtle influence will be scent. You know I it's a huge part of my event design process but when we were told in the movie that Cathy was wearing Lily of the Valley I paid attention. It is an odd choice and I would love to ask Emerald Fennell why she chose it not anywhere in the novel as far as I am aware. It symbolises entirely the opposite of what I would imagine for this character... maybe that was the point... but if I were to choose, then I'd have selected something less overtly floral or sweet, and chosen a more complex and evocative scent.
In terms of event scenting, I think this will translate with mood created in notes like rose absolute and pink pepper, damp moss and cedar, blackcurrant leaf, aged leather, a trace of smoke or incense maybe.
Layered carefully through a celebration with candles, room sprays, personal fragrance, and even stationery - scent becomes part of the memory architecture of a wedding. Something guests feel rather than see.
A new kind of romance
The weddings influenced by this aesthetic will not feel theatrical or themed. They will feel emotional, textured, layered, slightly untamed.
Romance, but with depth.
Beauty, but with weight.
Softness, grounded by structure.
In a landscape increasingly saturated with sameness, a shift toward atmosphere and narrative feels both timely and timeless. A reminder that weddings, at their most compelling, are not simply styled they are felt.
And as fashion and film continue their quiet conversation, it seems certain that the windswept, rose-flushed world of Wuthering Heights will linger long after the credits roll.
SHOES: Flash of red under your ivory tulle? I truly hope this trend lifts off! HERE.
DRESS: Annie's is surely going to be inundated, modern cool corset dresses in London, go check them out. HERE
FACE: Found these face gems at Sephora but if anyone wears real diamonds on their skin I must hear about it! HERE
VEIL: A sheer extra long version is now on every bride wish list right? HERE
NECKLACE: chunky, romantic, slightly gothic, might just wear one with a little black dress on a date night for fun. Would totally invest in something heirloom for my wedding though. HERE
SUNGLASSES: someone tell Oliver People's to do the limited editon red versions. Until now we can make do with pink? HERE
SCENT: a client of mine scented their wedding with this and it was heavenly. The most cinematic of florals in perfumery is surely Tuberose? Creamy, slightly dark, sensual and not sweet, nostalgic but still modern, romantic with an edge... and in red glass. Sold! HERE
