Ah ... the glitz! The glamour! The gorgeousness of Fran?ois-Henri Pinault whisking wife Salma Hayek off to Venice last month for a celebrity-studded second wedding. From the Balenciaga dress to the crystal-studded bouquet, it was a fairytale affair. But, while Pinault is a luxury mogul, apparently he's not the only one splashing out on a wedding in spite of the downturn.

“Bridal sales have increased this year by more than 50 per cent,” says Lars von Bennigsen, chief executive of Temperley London, for whom wedding dresses make up 20 per cent of the brand's sales.

Alex Bolen, chief executive of Oscar de la Renta, tells a similar story. “Our sales in bridal are up 50 per cent over last year,” Bolen says. “2007 was our first full year in the bridal business, and we are on plan to end 2009 at more than double our 2007 profits.”