In April, the top bridal designers in the world came to New York City to debut their newest collections. WeddingChannel.com had a front-row seat. Here’s a peek at what we saw.

Trumpet stylesThe classic cut has a slim silhouette that hugs your curves and then flares out slightly at mid-thigh. Almost every designer has their own take, but our favorites were from Oscar de la Renta, Ines Di Santo and Simone Carvalli.

Belts

These couture sashes show up in all kinds of widths and are primarily embellished with rhinestones, crystals and pearls. And they weren’t just on fancy ball gowns — we even saw them on more laid-back short styles, like from Vineyard Collection.

Ruffles

Ruffles were everywhere — from the predictable places, such as at the waist or hemline, to the more interesting spots, like on necklines. Badgley Mischka Bride showed soft, romantic ones, but other designers, like Romona Keveza Couture, went for a bold and structured variety.

Above-the-knee dresses

Shorter wedding gowns are becoming increasingly popular. Nicknamed “reception dresses,” many brides are trading their heavier ceremony gowns for a lighter alternative. Amsale’s Little White Dress collection set the bar for this trend, but now it’s showing up in even more places; Alfred Angelo, for example, offers shorter skirts that are also budget-friendly.

Dramatic backs

At first glance, some of the designers’ gowns seemed simple and understated — that is, until the models turned around and revealed the special attention and detail that went into the backs. Two we loved: the plunging backs in designer Beth Ellis’ collection and the funky racerbacks in Douglas Hannant’s newest designs.

Bows

Bows in fabrics like English net and silk popped up at the Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera and Jim Hjelm shows.

Bubble hemlines

This fluid hem blouses out and then tucks under itself at the hemline, creating puffy layers of fabric. There were dresses with single bubbles from Reverie by Melissa Sweet and Anna Maier/Ulla-Maija, and even double bubbles from Jim Hjelm.