Bridal lingerie used to be the stuff of nightmares - corsets you couldn't breathe in, pretty panties waived in place of stomach controlling knickers and of course the obligatory (and tacky) frilly garter.

Thankfully, bridal fashion has moved on since then and while some women might opt for flesh coloured spanx as their wedding underwear, there are so many other pretty, delicate, structurally interesting items of bridal lingerie to choose from.

So, whether you're looking for something strapless, backless, boned, non-underwired or otherwise, there's no reason to assume you can't curate a wedding underwear look that's just as pretty as the wedding dress.

For those who are clueless about where to start, here is a handy starter pack, outlining brands you should definitely check out:

For Love And Lemons

I have a personal obsession with this brand, which is actually unfortunate as a bigger busted woman, because their designs tend not to cater for the fuller breast.

But everything they do is just so damn beautiful...

And I'm not just talking about the bridal lingerie either - they pump out endlessly stunning creation after stunning creation.

That being said, they do a really great line in white and cream lace delicacies, which would be perfect underneath any sort of bohemian floaty wedding dress.

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It can be slightly tricky to get hold of For Love And Lemons items in the UK. If you want to check out their main site, which does ship internationally, for a price, then click here.

Otherwise, you'll need to check out which FLAL items are sold by licensed international stockists, such as ASOS, Revolve, Farfetch and Free People.

Agent Provocateur

If you want to go down the sexy-but-classy wedding underwear route, you definitely have to look at Agent Provocateur, who do some of the most incredibly constructed, work-of-art intimates.

Again, not exactly designed for the cup that overfloweth, or for anyone on a super tight budget, but still, this about as alluring as it gets for something that's supposed to be virginal (although, it's 2017, why would we want to look virginal?!).

You can shop the Agent Provocateur bridal collection here.

La Perla

An easy go-to for bridal lingerie, with options for boned and structured pieces of underwear, right through to the floaty, non-underwired kind.

They also do a truly beautiful selection of dressing gowns for the morning of your wedding.

You can shop lingerie here and you can also check out some of their bride-appropriate robes here.

ASOS Bridal

If you're a little more strapped for cash than the average La Perla and Agent Provocateur shopper, you might be well advised to start at ASOS. With ASOS launching such a wide range of different franchises under the brand's general umbrella, they've got an amazing selection of different price points to choose from.

I love the appliqué detail of the Joelle collection, but I'm aware that it's an acquired taste and would possibly take a particular sort of dress to hide it under.

You can browse the full bridal range stocked at ASOS here.

Pour Moi

Pour Moi has actually been a revelation for me. It's the lingerie offering that I feel like I've been waiting my whole adult life for.

That might be an oversell, but it is a genuinely brilliant brand for women in the bigger bust category because it does not, as many brands do, sacrifice delicacy, intricacy and fabrics when moving up in cup-size.

It's also totally affordable. Seriously. There are bras on their site for £22. Check out Pour Moi here.

Oysho

Delicate lacy items, sort of in the vein of For Love And Lemons or some of the La Perla items, but at a much more accessible price point.

Oysho do lots of things, but I would advise that their speciality and real appeal lies in their bodies or onesies, often which have frontless or backless options, which is great if you have a particularly unusually shaped wedding dress.

If you ask me, they don't have enough of these bodies in white or pale colours yet, but hopefully they are coming.

Check out Oysho's offering here.

Coco De Mer

With a specialty in bondage and latexwear and with Pamela Anderson as a regular ambassador, Coco De Mer is definitely one of the raunchier options. But if luxe, playful seduction is what you're after, it's a great shout.

Check out their lingerie selection here.

Mimi Holiday

If you want really beautiful, intricately constructed lingerie options, often designed to a theme, then you really need to check out Mimi Holiday.

Not necessarily the most comfortable choice, but sometimes one has to suffer for art, right?

Happily, the brand regularly stocks pretty bras for a fuller bust, with plenty of Es and F cups to be found.

You can peruse Mimi Holiday here.

& Other Stories

If your budget is not enormous and neither is your chest, it might be worth giving & Other Stories a glance. They do a good line in delicate lacey bralettes, plus a lot of their offering is without underwire, which many women prefer.

Shop & Other Stories lingerie here.

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Natasha Bird
Former Digital Executive Editor

Natasha Bird is the Former Executive Editor (Digital) of ELLE.