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Buzz Feed
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
21 Stunning Wedding Guest Dresses From Reformation
A boatneck number that's not only gorgeous but also bra-friendly, which will be one less thing to worry about when packing for a destination wedding (here's your friendly reminder to bring your passport and double check the flight time!). No matter how far away you're traveling for the wedding, you'll feel comfy and supported in this dress on the big day. Price: $348 (available in sizes 0–12 and six colors) A backless dress so gorgeous, someone's aunt will gasp audibly when you walk into that vineyard reception. It's giving ~extremely well-dressed side character~ — because we all know the main characters are the nearlyweds, ofc. Price: $278 (available in sizes 0–12, 14–24, and four colors) A fitted knit dress for a beach wedding where the dress code is unofficially 'effortless but stunning.' She's stretchy, she's strappy, and she looks just as good barefoot in the sand as she does on the hotel patio with a coconut cocktail in hand. It's lowkey giving White Lotus, but just the fancy tropical resort part, not the murder part. Price: $178 (available in sizes XS–XL and three patterns) A buttercup yellow satin dress to wear when your ex is also attending the wedding and you need them to feel just a little bit haunted (okay, a lot). Yes, we are absolutely here to celebrate another couple's love but... it doesn't hurt to look good for the occasion, amirite?! Price: $298 (available in sizes 0–12, 14–24, and petites) A silk halter-neck gown that very well could have been the inspiration behind the song Can't Take My Eyes Off You (a wedding playlist staple). Honestly, all this beauty needs is a tiny bag to hold exactly one lipstick and a granola bar. Price: $328 (available in sizes XS–XL and six colors/patterns) A chic yet casual off-shoulder LBD so you can easily go from city hall ceremony to rooftop bar reception. It's made from a stretchy knit material that would be comfy enough for an entire day of partying and snacking — *and* you can totally wear this for other occasions. Price: $198 (available in sizes XS–XL and five colors) A classic fit-and-flare dress for that one wedding where the ceremony's in a field, the reception's in a barn, and there's a high chance of both line dancing and craft cocktails. It's surprisingly elegant for something you can comfortably sit cross-legged in on a hay bale. Price: $248 (available in sizes 0–12, 14–22, petites, and seven colors) A cowl-neck gown to wear when you secretly hope you'll catch the bouquet and someone's number. With an open back and liquidy silk that looks good in candlelight or a Polaroid flash, this dress is soft, spicy, and seriously photogenic. Price: $398 (available in sizes 0–12 and six colors/designs) A 100% silk floral column dress that'll feel oh-so luxe against your body and can last you for years and years with proper care (the timeless design also lends it longevity). It's destined to become a wedding season staple because it's wayyy too pretty to just wear once or twice. Price: $298 (available in sizes 0–12, 14–24, and four colors) A romantic dark floral number with lace detailing if your goal is to look like a soft-focus oil painting come to life. And who knows, maybe the wedding you're at has a sketch artist. And maybe it also takes place at a historic mansion, complete with a string quartet playing classical pop music à la Bridgerton. Price: $278 (available in sizes 0–12, 14–24, petites, and six colors/patterns) A floral off-shoulder mesh dress for trendy yet casual nuptials with fairy lights, food truck catering, and someone's golden retriever as the ring bearer (d'awww). Fingers crossed there's also a photo booth because you'll definitely want to remember this outfit. 😍 Price: $178 (available in sizes XS–XL and three patterns) A pistachio-green frock to prove simple doesn't mean boring — it just means it's versatile enough to look completely different with different shoes, accessories, and hair. Updo + floral statement earrings + straw bag + espadrilles = garden reception. Blowout + thick bangle + strappy sandals = cocktail mixer. And the list goes on! Price: $248 (available in sizes 0–12 and four colors/patterns) A strapless silk dress with a matching scarf that'll flutter behind you dramatically as you dash around helping the bride with the seating chart, because you're a Capricorn and you deliver. And thanks to the no-fuss silhouette, this dress will keep you comfy from ceremony to cake. Price: $348 (available in sizes XS–XL, 1X–3X, and eight colors) A short and sweet strapless satin dress so you can channel your inner Sabrina Carpenter on the dance floor. Just be ready for all the other guests to swarm you with questions about where you got your dress. (And it kind of reminds me of the iconic green bubble dress from Gossip Girl... IYKYK.) Price: $278 (available in sizes 0–12) A mermaid dress for a wedding that calls for ambiguous "semi-formal" attire — it's not quite black-tie but a simple sundress also won't do. This one is sleek, lightweight, and drama-free (unless you count the pleated flare hemline). Price: $298 (available in sizes 0–12, 14–24, petites, and eight colors/patterns) A picnic-inspired dress to attend a backyard wedding where there's a cornhole tournament, homemade sangria, and at least one toddler in a bow tie. The slightly relaxed fit means you can hug the happy couple, twirl in the grass, and go absolutely wild at the grazing tables. Did someone say charcuterie? Because I'm there. Price: $188 (available in sizes 0–12 and four patterns) A retro halter-neck dress that's somehow both cottagecore and red-carpet ready for a summer wedding in Provence. Am I envisioning you running through fields of lavender and living my dream? Yes, I am actually. Price: $278 (available in sizes 0–12 and six colors/patterns) A scallop-edge dress so you'll slay in selfies and stay cool in 86-degree heat — thanks to the flowy skirt and back cutout detail. And the dark floral pattern means it could work just as well for a fall/winter situation if you throw on a blazer or shawl. Love, love, love! Price: $248 (available in sizes 0–12 and four colors/patterns) A scoop-neck polka-dot number with ruffles made for spinning around to ABBA's Dancing Queen, possibly with an Aperol spritz in hand. Cheers to when the wedding playlist, open bar, and your outfit are all S-tier. Price: $348 (available in sizes 0–12 and four colors) A wrap-style dress with a dramatic side slit that looks incredibly glamorous but feels as comfy as a robe. The billowy style is ideal for your chef friend's wedding where you *know* the food will be delish and you simply won't allow restrictive clothing to get between you and the dessert tower. Price: $348 (available in sizes XS–XL and two patterns) A deep-V floor-length gown that won't need any accessorizing because it's a statement in itself. No need to stress for days about which shoes or bag will work with your dress — even the most basic items will look elevated when paired with this stunner. Price: $398 (available in sizes 0–12, petites, and five colors) When you find the perfect wedding-guest dress: Some reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Irish Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish couples' favourite first dance song confirmed and it may surprise you
Loved-up Irish couples' favourite first dance song for weddings is Kodaline's The One, it's been revealed. A study by spoke with 12 wedding bands and asked what the top three tune newlyweds request are. Kodaline's The One received 16 per cent of the total vote, The Cranberries' Dreams got 11 per cent, while the third spot went to Frankie Valli's Can't Take My Eyes Off You. Kate Hyde, founder of revealed: "Every wedding is unique to the couple, but there are some first dance songs that are so perfect they reappear time and time again. "It's easy to see why these three songs are the most popular, too, and from the feedback we received, it was great to hear many couples like to get their guests involved in their first dance song." Bands also revealed couples are choosing shorter songs which kick in quicker, as some don't like to be the centre of attention for too long. They also revealed there's been a rise in couples hiring content creators in order to make their special day "go viral".
The Independent
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
James Arthur: ‘I've never had to kiss arse – I got here on merit'
I don't know if you're going to be strong enough to deal with the monster that the industry can be,' The X Factor mentor Nicole Scherzinger told her 24-year-old charge James Arthur in 2012. It did seem unlikely. Throughout that ninth series, Arthur was the saddest man you've ever seen. He didn't want to go back to the bedsit he couldn't afford, he just wanted to perform raspy but technically pristine pop-rock versions of anything from Frankie Valli's 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' to LMFAO's 'Sexy and I Know It' to live and televised audiences. Even when he won the show, and was piled on by his fellow contestants to joyfully celebrate with him, only the tiniest of smiles escaped. But the morose, shy singer did have the strength to endure more than Scherzinger and viewers expected – specifically the many controversies in which he embroiled himself. When I meet the 37-year-old at a hotel restaurant in Soho, he approaches in a trucker hat and huge jacket that cocoon and enlarge him, making him seem taller than his 6ft 3in. Once he's seated, Arthur's cornflower blue doll's eyes rarely make comfortable contact with mine. 'I'm a very, very sensitive person I think. But I was tough. I am tough. I'm resilient, I think is the word for me,' the 'Say You Won't Let Go' singer tells me. Arthur gravitated towards Pisces as a name for his new tortured emo-rap-meets-pop-rock album because he relates to the astrological sign, he says. He felt it explained him; just as when he received his ADHD diagnosis a few years ago. He's 'caught between reality and fantasy' (very Piscean), he notes, although also 'a fighter, ready to scrap' (not very Piscean at all, in fact). 'I'm a bit of a loner or sort of an independent thinker,' he adds, in his broad North East accent. It probably comes from 'abandonment issues. I've always felt that way. It's just that I have quite extreme feelings.' Arthur's life growing up on the North Yorkshire coast was fragmented. After his parents separated, Arthur was 'bats*** poor', living in a two-bedroom house shared with his mother and two siblings. His mother's new partner – whom she met when Arthur was nine – got a job offer in Bahrain, so they all moved there. 'Working-class Redcar is a lot different to the Middle East,' he stresses. ' I got ripped at school. People were like, 'Oh, you're moving to the desert and you're going to be friends with camels.'' It turned out to be a revelatory and nurturing experience. The class sizes were small at his expat school and he benefited from the extra attention. When his mother got divorced after a couple of years and Arthur and his family had to return to the UK, he felt alienated from his peers, possessed of a different worldview. 'I'd lived in a place where it was predominantly white people, and they were all pretty chavvy. Whenever I saw any form of racism that really affected me. I had Black friends or brown friends and I'd been around a lot of Muslim people. In the North East, the attitudes towards those people was really bad. And so I ended up getting in a few scraps because of that.' He describes the school he returned to in the UK as rough. His family was poor again. It felt like 'coming back down to earth with a thud'. Though his Middle Eastern adventure was beneficial, he thinks it was a catalyst for everything difficult that came afterwards, so many of his problems in life, even his striving for fame, 'because maybe I got a taste of what a better life could be like'. He tells me this as a fancy oat latte in a glass beaker inside a silver goblet is presented to him by a waitress. He hesitates over how to drink it, nudging at it self-consciously, like Paddington Bear might. Then he offers me the biscuit that comes with it, because he's on a diet. 'I'm overweight, yeah… BMI is not where it should be,' he mutters, as he drops two sugar cubes into his coffee, stirs, then adds, '…he says, while putting two sugars in his coffee.' We both laugh. Shortly after returning to the UK, his mother had a nervous breakdown. Arthur couldn't settle amid that chaos and ended up going into foster care. It was terrifying, he says, though it provided stability through a daily routine and being forced to go to school, after he had frequently played truant. 'It was mostly badly behaved boys who were in there and they would come and go and it was that kind of prison mentality where you've got to prove how tough you are.' He took as much in his stride as he could. 'Something happens to your self-worth or self-esteem when you think, 'Oh, my own parents don't want me.' And then you feel like you have to prove yourself.' That is what drove him to pursue success, he laughs bitterly. It's why he pressed the self-destruct button once he got the validation, too, because he realised the validation was empty. By the time he applied for The X Factor, he was living in that bedsit, unable to pay for it. He'd had a few possible ins for a music career, namely Richard Rashman, who managed pop-rock bands like The Vamps and Busted, apparently telling him he could be the 'next big thing'. What held him back, Arthur says, was money: he couldn't make music videos or pay for proper producers. ' X Factor is or was for people like me – that's the only chance you've got. I truly felt like there was no other way I was gonna get in unless I was, by some miracle, spotted at an open-mic night in Saltburn-by-the-Sea.' As long as he can remember, he's been able to do vocal acrobatics; he could mimic any trilling or warbling vocal lines he heard a singer do. An obsession with working on his craft was born from a desperation to get his parents' approval. 'Particularly my mum, because she was always quite unpredictable. I didn't know whether she was going to hate me one day or love me the next. So I was like, 'Right, if I can do this then…'' he trails off, presumably before he can say she'd love him. She could be 'over the top with her praise for me', he says. 'She'd be like 'You are the best in the f***ing world, you're a prodigy' and all that. I suppose that's where people's delusions start. Even if I wasn't good to begin with, my mum's encouragement, and my desperation for her not to be mad at me, was why I grafted at it.' That approval-seeking morphed into anxiety when he was on X Factor. His dad was a rock fan, shaping Arthur's aspirations to sing with raw grit like Kurt Cobain (a fellow Piscean) and the energetic range of The Who's Roger Daltrey (also Pisces). Once on the show, he quickly realised that his participation in a pop music singing competition was not really that rock'n'roll. He challenged the show's producers to give him heavier songs, constantly paranoid that he was blowing his shot at being a 'credible rock star'. Halfway through the show, he realised he might have a chance of winning and his determination kicked in, at first from fear of being branded a loser. He thought, 'I'll forever just be a guy that just failed on the X Factor.' Why should he be embarrassed of being on X Factor, he thinks now. 'I don't think it's actually possible to win a show like that and to expect that doors aren't going to be closed for you, because there is a snobbery attached to it,' he says. 'People's views are that it's a shortcut – actually, when you look at the music industry, it's not people who went on X Factor, it's people who come from rich families or nepotism or whatever. The whole landscape, 90 per cent of it, it's 'Oh, I heard her dad owns McVitie's,' or 'he knows f***ing this [person].' Working-class people aren't doing so well in the landscape of things. I used to feel ashamed of it but I've managed to avoid being manipulated or controlled by those things.' What does he mean? 'I've never had to lick arse, basically. I got here on merit; I got here by going through the Squid Game of music. That's how I see it.' It didn't take long after he'd won the show to run into problems of his own making, from criticising his promotion team online, to calling other male X Factor winners 'puppets'. This escalated in late 2013 when he used a homophobic slur in a diss track aimed at Mickey Worthless, a Croydon battle rapper, and compared him to the Taliban. LGBT celebrities like Matt Lucas and campaigners such as Frankie Boyle responded with indignation, as did the wider queer community. Arthur apologised at the time and left Twitter but the backlash continued. iTunes had to offer refunds for his album due to so many complaints from customers. By the next mini-controversy (another rap battle lyric) Arthur was dropped from Simon Cowell's label, Syco. Arthur is apologetic about this, 12 years later, and says he was just showing off, trying to live up to the rock star image he so desperately wanted to embody. 'I'd grown up with Eminem and thinking that that was OK; it wasn't. And so I've paid the price for it,' he says of the homophobic slur in particular. 'It's really sad for me to see that there's still people today that I made feel alienated or [who] maybe think I'm homophobic. It's heartbreaking. I think maybe that's why some doors have been closed for me for sure.' He believes that some people's unwillingness to forgive may come from the same classism that judged X Factor contestants. 'I thought, maybe 10 years on, that I might get invited on The Graham Norton Show, for example,' he says. 'I know there's probably gay people in positions of power that might be like, 'No, he's an awful t***.'' He thinks he's done enough to deserve his opportunities. He's the fourth biggest male singer-songwriter in the UK, he says (later when I email his team to ask where this metric is coming from they aren't able to get an answer). 'I don't feel I get treated that way. I'm a pretty level-headed person, quite a humble person I think. But I've got to the point where I feel ignored.' This feeling of having been abandoned by an industry that was supposed to love him was cemented by his commercial success last year, when he had a No 1 album and played Wembley and The O2 in the same week. Why doesn't the entertainment business and media respect those accomplishments, he wonders, suggesting that it could be down to that troubled early period. Our conversation drifts to Liam Payne, the One Direction star and X Factor alumnus who died last year in tragic drug-fuelled circumstances. 'When I first came off X-Factor, he heard that I was struggling and he requested to meet me because he had similar problems when he first came off the show,' Arthur remembers. 'He was really kind to me and anytime I've seen him over the years, he's always been quite concerned with my wellbeing.' Becoming a father to two-year-old Emily is what has transformed him into a more stable person. 'All you have to worry about is making sure that she doesn't end up with [abandonment issues],' he says. Would he have another child? 'I'm so obsessed with my daughter that I don't know if I could love anything else more. Maybe when she's not a baby, I might get that itch to bring up a baby again. But I don't know. I would never want her to feel like there's anything more important…' Many of these complicated feelings are communicated on Pisces, his deep crooning now autotuned and reticent, as he purposefully refuses to give Middle England the full soaring James Arthur vocals they know and love. 'You left your antidepressants on the dresser/ It's a freezing cold reminder of all of the pressure,' he bemoans on 'Cruel', a song clearly inspired by The 1975. Then he warns on muted Eighties-inspired rock jam 'ADHD': 'I'm a walking red flag.' It's not his usual pop – there's even a Nickelback interpolation – but it's reflective of the type of music he actually loves to listen to, he explains. 'I think that it's really credible and tasteful and all the things that I would be impressed with as a music fan,' he says, and pointedly adds, 'And that I would think deserves flowers.' Whenever I think about Pisces as an astrological sign, I remember that their fate is either to be the victim who seeks salvation, or to be the one doing the saving, often through their artistic creations. As our interview peters out because he's off to spend time with his daughter, I wonder if he has read about that, and relates to either destiny.
