11th January 2024
Balletcore is one of those trends which initially felt faddy, but swiftly became a new kind of wardrobe staple. Ballet style feels like a reimagined way to engage with neutrals that has an undeniably enduring quality. Whether you have been a ballerina all of your life, or simply enjoy the aesthetic, planning a balletcore wedding can be so exciting. Ballet is, of course, long associated with romance. The art form originated during the Italian Renaissance, but swiftly became a globally influential mainstay in the world of dance. Cultures across the world have their own schools of ballet. These combine those cultures with traditional ballet, meaning that you have so much rich cultural history to draw upon for your inspiration, no matter your background.
Balletcore is a name for the trend of fashion inspired by ballet and ballerinas. People honour this trend by wearing ballet style clothing and accessories, choosing a muted pink and neutral colour palette, and leaning into whimsical elements like ribbons and fairy tale nods.
This style can draw inspiration from all corners of the ballet world. From performance to practice clothes, ballet style is distinctive. Most recognisable is the famous tutu, which is the traditional performance dress of ballerinas. Tutus are comprised of a tightly fitting bodice, usually with a sweetheart neckline, thin straps, and a tulle skirt. Tutu skirts vary in length. You will see ballerinas sporting anything from short, stiff, stuck out styles to romantic, long and flowing skirts. However, other aspects of ballerina style such as the wrap cardigans, leotards, and slip skirts that are regularly worn in practice are also key to this aesthetic.
Accessories are important here too: You can’t do balletcore without the eponymous ballet flats. But it goes further than that. Hair buns, bows, ribbons, and even leg warmers find their place in this cosy and feminine aesthetic.
Ballet is an all encompassing art form. It combines dance, with music, with costume, with performance. This give you so many points of inspiration to draw from for your wedding, and all of them need little translation to make them wedding appropriate. Ballet is all about spectacle, but it’s not garish.
Sorry but it’s the law. Well, not exactly. There are so many ballet inspired shoes on the market, and thanks to the delicate colour palette, any of them can fit perfectly into your wedding aesthetic. You can choose a classic flat, or be tempted by the pointe shoe inspired high heels filling your feeds. From the likes of Miu Miu, Simone Rocha, Ego Shoes and Dolls Kill, brands are embracing balletcore. There are even pink satin balletcore trainers on the market now! The main requirements for a balletcore wedding shoe is a rounded or slight squared toe, a satin or silk finish, and plenty of ribbon to tie at your ankles.
If pink isn’t your colour, then you can still be very traditional with your ballet inspiration. The Red Shoes is a famous traditional ballet based on a fairy tale, in which the protagonist wears red ballet shoes. Ballet history and stories is a really fun research rabbit hole to fall down, and I would highly recommend it.
There was a point when tulle was considered passé, but thank goodness those days are over. There are few fabrics more comfortable to wear and dance in than airy, lightweight tulle, which is why it was a popular fabric for wedding gowns to begin with. Practicality aside, there is nothing more romantic than a full tulle skirt. The airy fabric makes the bride appear as if she is floating. My own grandmother actually was married in a vintage tea-length ballet dress. Devastatingly this was lost years ago, but the wedding photos remain some of the most beautiful and ethereal I have ever seen.
If layers and fullness is not for you, then you can nod to ballet style in other ways. Plenty of ballet costumes are heavily feathered, for example. I would love to see some balletcore weddings with a feathered bridal gown as a nod to famous ballets like Swan Lake and Firebird. (A feathered headband is actually a fantastic and balletic substitute for a veil too). Some dancers wear incredibly form fitting, skin toned costumes which move with them. Ballet dancers in training often sport wrap cardigans with long, floating, single layered sheer skirts. Honestly, take an evening to explore images of ballerinas from different eras and you will find a plethora of style inspo which goes way further than pastel pink and satin.
Behind the scenes, ballet is all about discipline, tradition, and skill. But to the audience, ballet is a frivolous night at the theatre. For your balletcore wedding, it’s definitely the frivolous theatre vibes that will make it a night to remember for your guests. Take inspiration from Nutcracker trips at Christmas as a child:
Choose a beautiful venue with grand appeal and room for dancing, such as a ballroom or even a theatre. Spotlight, and theatrical lighting will bring your venue to life. You can also nod to your ballet theme by choosing delicate florals in a classic pink, peach and neutral colour palette. Trim your invitations with lace, and have plenty of beautiful stationary at your venue to bring home the theme. Hiring real dancers to entertain your guests would be the icing on top of the cake, if budget allows.
As with any wedding theme, there are almost endless possibilities to choose from. May I humbly suggest that you don’t forget about ballet music when you are scoring your big day. There are so many heart-wrenchingly beautiful pieces of music from classical ballets which are worthy of any wedding ceremony. You can allow this music to stretch into cocktail hour too, which would create a really elegant feel.
Dainty, floaty desserts are also a lovely touch for a ballet theme. If you want to choose an alternative for a wedding cake, the pavlova is a wonderful option. This dessert comprised of meringue, whipped cream and fruit was invented in Australia and named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Some less literal options would be things like a croquembouche, or a stack of macarons which seem to evoke the aesthetic of ballet perfectly.
Balletcore is a delightful trend, which can fit really nicely into a traditional wedding aesthetic. Would you choose a ballet themed wedding?
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