Being 24, I am in the season of life where it seems that everyone I know is either engaged or married and I’m seeing a constant stream of wedding pictures splashed across every social media site. I’m inundated with women in white dresses everywhere I look. I’ve also been in a relationship for close to 7 years now, so it’s easy to see why I sometimes veer off into dreaming about what dress I would like to wear to my own wedding someday.
As I spoke about in a previous article, I used to work at a bridal-centric tech company, so I felt overwhelmed by photos of traditional wedding dresses day in and day out, making me averse to the prospect of wearing one to my own nuptials. As an alternative, I would rather don a fun, white dress from one of my favorite designers. After all, if I’m spending so much on one dress anyways, it might as well be from a brand I’ve always dreamed of wearing.
Check out my dream wedding dresses below along with a few of my favorite bridal-esque looks from each:
Alexander McQueen
Alexander McQueen is one of my all time favorite designers and even though the brand isn’t what it used to be since his death, it still has a dreamy, otherworldly quality that makes each piece look like a work of art. Becoming a McQueen bride would be a dream come true and would make my big day all the more special.
Cecilie Bahnsen
I just recently discovered Cecilie Bahnsen and continue to fall in love with her collections each season. Her playful, gauzy creations are a delight to the eye and would flounce so beautifully as you walk down the aisle. What better time to wear something whimsical than on your wedding day? Also, the cropped length of most of her dresses is unconventional while being the perfect way to show off your shoes, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Molly Goddard
Okay, okay, so I know two of the dresses I included here aren’t white and while more and more people are choosing to eschew the white tradition, I still want to partake. The thing I love about Molly Goddard’s designs is the absolutely ridiculous amount of tulle she uses for each dress. You wouldn’t usually get to wear that much tulle in an everyday situation, which is why I think it’s the perfect alternative to a traditional wedding dress. I also absolutely love the white dress I’ve included so much that I have fruitlessly searched for someone selling it online countless times, so if you have the hookup, please let me know!
Ryan Lo
Oh, to live in the world of Ryan Lo would be a literal fantasy! I’ve been following Lo since before they started posting his collections on Vogue and have been in awe of his fantastical creations each and every season. Everything looks so delicate, feminine and soft, the perfect combination of traits to make a wholly memorable wedding ensemble. I would wear any of the dresses I included to my wedding in a heartbeat, and will definitely consider Lo as a strong contender when I start seriously searching for my dream dress.
Vivetta
While Vivetta doesn’t really make too many dresses that could be considered bridal-esque, I still wanted to include her on this list because each and every one of her collections is so damn fun. Every season, there’s a new quirky, whimsical twist on classic pieces that never fails to captivate me, and I’m sure would captivate others as you walk down the aisle.
I don’t judge others who choose to wear traditional dresses on their wedding days. It’s your day, so you should wear whatever makes you happiest! What are some of your dream bridal designers or styles of dress?
7 Comments
I love all of these!
Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated
I am feeling the same when it comes to seeing peers getting married. There are friends with their second child and I am here wondering how behind I am lol. I LOVe these designer wedding dresses!!! Part of me wants something nice that won’t break my bank at that time. I love that these dresses are different than the traditional dresses. Thanks for sharing!
Nancy ♥ exquisitely.me
These are all such fun and beautiful dresses! I had a much smaller budget with my wedding dress so I went the traditional route – I really liked the one I chose and I managed to get it on crazy sale too!
Hope you are having a great weekend! We have a lot of rain which is very welcome, but we have still been able to get out and about 🙂
Ah yes I feel your pain, I worked at a bridal magazine for five years. I too am kind of an out of the box kind of gal and would wear something a bit off the beaten track. Thanks for sharing all these lesser known designers and I for one am so glad that wedding dresses are not just strapless anymore. Ugh not a fan of strapless and this dominated the wedding industry through out the ninties and 2000s.
Allie of
http://www.allienyc.com
thanks for reading! the dresses get sooooo repetitive, but there are great alternative available!
I’ve always been partial to Carolina Herrera because that’s where my own dress came from :-). But I love these McQ designs too!
District of Chic
I love Carolina Herrera dresses! So romantic 🙂