German brides want romance and a party proof dress

DUESSELDORF, Germany, Feb 14, (Reuters Life!) - Wedding dress designers in Germany see romantic draping and Hollywood glamour as the top trends this season, with lace, silk and ballroom-style gowns rated as the favorites.

But several brides-to be at one of the country's biggest wedding fairs in Duesseldorf wanted above all to find a dress that flattered their figure and would be easy to dance and party in without too much hassle.

Pastel pink and purple, pale green and striking red dresses were dotted among a majority of ivory and off-white gowns, while crystals, bows and flowers added to the romantic styles which festooned the TrauDich! fair this month.

"Romantic is the look this season, like a modern-day Cinderella," said Gabriele Reiss, designer with Honeymoon fashion house in Duesseldorf.

"Pearls, silk and glitter give the dresses a very ballroom-like impression," Reiss said.

Like in many Western countries, the fairy tale romance may be on the wane in Germany, if the marriage rate is anything to go by. But the penchant for romantic dresses rather than plainer styles contrasts with a more than 20 percent fall in marriages in Germany over the past 20 years.

Designers said romantic trends were fueled by dresses worn at the celebrity and royal weddings which regularly appear in gossip magazines across Europe and as women search for a similar style to their favorite stars.

But bride-to-be Cynthia Lemon said she did not care what the celebrities were wearing and had more practical considerations for choosing her dress.

"I want something that accentuates my figure, and I want to be able to move around without having to fiddle with the dress," said Lemon from Aachen in western Germany.

The 24-year-old financial consultant was trying on dresses for the first time ahead of marrying her Swedish boyfriend.

Like many other foreigners in Germany, he is having to climb a mountain of paperwork to comply with German marriage laws.

"He has to sort out a lot of documents. It takes months and we can't even set a date until the paperwork is ready."

But once he gets over that hurdle, he will also be able to join in the excitement of choosing a fitting suit. Designers said men's outfits were also getting a bit more flair.

"Before, men would buy a suit with a mind for using it again for work. But now we are seeing more frills and shiny suits, which wouldn't really work in the office," said Edgar Wagner, director of Cecile fashion center.

Service manager Rene Vieten, 29, who is getting married in July, said he was looking for something exciting.

"I want to go for cream or brown, I'm looking for something special" said Vieten. His friend Matthias Haeuser, 24, agreed that traditional black suits were "out".

LOVE STRUCK

On the catwalk, designers went some way to allay practical concerns about this season's trend toward frills and pomp, by getting models disco-dancing in the glamorous dresses and suits to prove they were also versatile.

But romance was still in the air, convincing one love-struck man to get on the catwalk and propose to his partner with tears in his eyes in front of a packed hall.

Like in many European countries, the rate of marriage is falling in Germany. In 2005, 388,451 couples were married, compared to 496,175 in 1985, according to official data.

People are also tending to get married for the first time at an older age. The average age of first marriage in Germany has risen to 29.6 for women and 32.6 for men in 2005 compared to 24.1 for women and 26.6 for men in 1985.

Many people are choosing to marry later or not at all despite an old tradition in some parts of Germany that unmarried men who reach 30 are taken to the town hall on their birthday, where they have to sweep stairs until a virgin kisses them.

They are also missing out on a lot of fun festivities.

Among the most well known is the Polterabend, an informal party held before the wedding where plates and dishes are smashed up. The broken pieces are thought to bring good luck to the couple, who have to clean up the mess.

But a bride's age does not necessarily change her wedding dress wishes. Sezer Demirtas, from Turkish bridalwear firm Husniye Moda, which had particularly sparkly dresses on show, reckons that all women have one secret wish in common.

"It does not matter what the age or the country, women are all the same. Whether 20 or 60, they all want to be a princess for a day".