If you're tying the knot next spring, you must already be in the heat of preparations - fittings, orders, tasting sessions. Pre-wedding pressure can sneak into even the seemingly least impactful activities connected with the wedding preparations, even for the most vigilant brides. Fun is rarely the first word that comes to a bride-to-be's mind when you mention pre-wedding time.

That's why every little joy in that period counts and you should gather it with full heart just like a bee on a honey spree. One of the little treats we offer our brides are professional consultations where you can share your vision, beauty, bubbliness, joy and pick up great tips, inspiration, unique dress-accessory combinations and have a relaxing and fun chat that will brush a bit of the pre-wed tension off your shoulders. Another fun thing to do at Bella Brilla is to customise your item - whether is it jewellery, accessory or luxury lingerie - you can play with decorations, materials aand... colours!

More brides these days are tempted to play with colours at their wedding - whether it is breaking away from the traditional all-white dress, picking vibrant décor hues or displaying a pop of colour here and there (just like that you can add to our accessories!).

Blending mellow, sophisticated styles with daring details and pops of colour is an on-going trend, as both tradition and unexpectedness are attractive and dear to the modern bride. As the Pantone Color Institute revealed the hottest colours for Spring 2016 last month, we wanted to prepare a special feature for our brides-to-be who are just getting ready for their 2016 wedding day.

Victorian era still presents a major source of inspiration for top wedding designers and you can see that by the numerous romantic elements creeping into 2016 spring designs. Whether it is fluffy collars, flare sleeves, pearl-stranded sleeves, ball gown skirts, it is all opulent and old-world. Thank goodness it's usually given a fresh sexy take for the modern bride - thigh-high slits, illusion necklines, plunging necklines, whatever works. We picked a sassy number by Zuhair Murad, called Paola, featuring a sensual embroidered neckline, a tight sash and a Victorian-style ball gown skirt. Sexy doesn't miss here - the illusion neckline continues into a florally embellished sheer back.

To give a gentle finish to this beautiful and demanding gown, add the gorgeous Adora Bridal Bracelet (£80.00) exclusive to Bella Brilla. Intricately woven Swarovski pearls and crystals engulf beautiful Swarovski Rhinestone elements to give your wrist just the right amount of sparkle!

Sometimes one single design element works all the magic! Bateau necklines are stepping up even more strongly into the game next season - you can see them at Oscar de la Renta, Amsale, Lela Rose, Maggie Sottero, to name only a few. It is a classic design, which adds sophistication to any dress and is very suitable for a highly formal wedding affair - chapel, cathedral, any church wedding. Colmar by Anne Barge is a comfortable bateau neckline model, where the floor-length, high neckline and long sleeves are balanced out by a body-fitting silhouette with thigh-centred ruching and a bared back.

The pain of poverty, of being orphaned, of ambition outstripping my abilities. So are the diminished expectations of life. While I can dream big for my career, confident that I can and will make it for the sheer force of my talent and ambition, I’ve given up on my dream of love. Just the taste I had was too much. Another hurt to toss on the pile, another of life’s maby cruel jokes played upon those who dare to believe in more than what’s been handed to them.

I’ve made it this far without experiencing love, what does it matter now? Now that the youth and innocence with which I would have regarded it has dissipated. I have nothing left to give. My desperation for love has been a waste of time and emotion, a constant distraction that leaves me drained of the energy I should be expending on improving my lot and station in life. Because there is no love for me. Not in this city. Not as a gay man of color. Not as a temperamental artist. I have too much going against me that somehow overshadows all that I have going for me.

It’s all so very complicated. And I’m not wired for it. Sure, I may have wanted or needed love at one point, but the pursuit of love has only brought me misery and bred in me contempt for my fellow gay man. The animosity with which we regard each other stems from rejection. We are hurt and in turn hurt others, perpetuating a cycle of discord, leaving love a dim light flickering in the darkness of our collective existence.

My expectations are unrealistic, my feelings too easily hurt and my dislike of people too often verges on plain hatred. One date in and I’m already planning out futures together. Love makes me weak. And life has kicked me around enough where I can’t allow myself to be weak, to be taken advantage of. So perhaps I’m not loveable, in that way.

I have a handful of friends that love and mean the world to me. But that’s not enough. Art is fueled by love and I’m in the middle of the painful process of killing that love inside of me. And should my art suffer, it needs only to feed on the incessant pain within.