10 ALTERNATIVE BRIDAL LOOKS (NOT WHITE DRESSES!)
Yes getting married is about the two of you and declaring your love and all that, but surely one of the most fun parts of the process is choosing what you’re going to wear! Planning your wedding outfit is one of the most fun things to do but can be daunting too. Feel like a standard white dress is going to smother your personality, or you want to try and do something that will surprise people?! I was definitely in that camp but I didn’t GO FOR IT as much as I would now! Scroll to the bottom to see what I ended up wearing on my own wedding day. There was a costume change…
Here are my top ten ways to create an alternative bridal look that hasn’t been seen a thousand times before. Bin the white dress and let’s look at options suited to rule-breaking women everywhere!
Paint it black (or pink or any other colour)
Wearing white wedding dresses started with trend-setting Queen Victoria, when she wore a white dress to marry Prince Albert. Apparently she chose white to show off all the British Lace used in her dress. Wealthier women chose to follow her lead, which then spread down to all levels of society. All’s I’m saying is if you don’t want to follow a trend set in 1840 - don’t feel you have to!
Inspo via RocknRoll Bride. This dress was found my the bride on ASOS
I can imagine Villanelle from Killing Eve getting married in this showstopper from Millia London
2.Jumpsuits
I LOVE bridal jumpsuits. I just think they’re so cool, classy and timeless. Plus they’re a LOT easier to dance in then something with miles of fabric at the back, soaking up all those spilled cocktails on the dancefloor…Here are some with gorgeous silhouettes that will still make you feel like a million bucks on your wedding day.
Another Viktor & Rolf, this time a tuxedo pantsuit sold by Browns Brides
Tom Maticevski jumpsuit. Not sure what colour the drapey bit would end up 😂 I hope she’s got a wrist loop or similar! Love the shape of the tailoring here.
3.Mini dresses
As demonstrated when Lily Allen got married in 2020 , wedding mini-dresses are a viable, gorgeous alternative to a big white dress and look incredible (especially if you’ve got semi-decent pins!)
LARA Sequinned minidress by Rixo - brill for the budget conscious
Echoes of the 80’s from Viktor & Rolf Tuxedo jacket dress at Browns Brides
4. Modern bridal veils
To veil or not to veil? That is the question.
‘Bridal Veils seem to have the deepest roots into the pagan pre-Christian societies of northern Europe where they were thought to ward off evil spirits. Later they evolved into a symbol of a potential brides chastity and modesty whilst also signalling purity to the husband.' Via Britten weddings
Mmm interesting…maybe we don’t need to ward off spirits or signal purity (lol), but veils have become another place to subvert the norm and inject your personality, as seen with these numbers below:
Crown and Glory does some incredible modern twists on veils, including embroidered and appliqued words
Just in love with all of Awon Golding’s stuff! Etoile veil £275
5. Bridal headpieces
What I love about alternative bridal fashion is that it can be quite ‘out there’ - in a good way. It’s the sweet spot between occasion, party, theatre, celebration and I encourage every bride who is planning their wedding to take up as much space as you feel comfortable with. Wanna go low key and wear a plain white slip? Great. But want to wear a massive f**k off star on your head? Excellent!
Brilliantly bold headgear and bridal headpieces by Awon Golding
Bronze Halo crown by Saint Beth Official. Check out a SHOOT we did together!
6.Suits
There is something so brilliantly subversive and strong about a bridal suit. To me, wearing a suit is a powerful and bold choice and I’d highly recommend for any kick-ass bride. Go all-white if you’re worried about it not being ‘wedding-y’ enough, and think about that middle layer under your suit jacket. Could it be sequinned, a boned corset style top (hello 90’s) or a shimmery metallic vest style number? Loads of exciting options.
Via Brides.com
Amazing caped suit at a total steal for £462 on Etsy!
Nicely 80’s power suit vibes - via Refinery29.com
7. Separates
Slightly different from suits, in that this bunch contain skirts too. Think bridal tops, skirts, trousers that can be mixed and matched. A wedding top and trousers can look identical to a jumpsuit (see bottom example) but has the added bonus of not needing to get naked when you go to the loo!
This option is brilliant for a relaxed, casual bride and those who want to get more wear out of their wedding day outfit. You could easily pair the separates with other coloured items to get years more use.
E&W couture do some beautiful separates (tops, skirts and trousers)
High fashion/couture version of the separates trend by Danielle Frankel Studio. Love the gold tones.
Separates by Story of My Dress at Brides Do Good
Kelly Top & Trousers by Halfpenny London (available on Net-a-Porter)
8. Vintage & pre-loved
For an eco-friendly way to buy a bridal outfit, you could definitely consider buying a pre-loved or vintage dress. There are lots of companies who can tailor a dress from any decade to suit your body shape and you could even re-use another family members dress for an added sentimental element. Check out A Lover’s Thread (UK).
A Lover’s Thread supply vintage dresses which they can tailor to fit and add personal embellishments. This is a 1940’s dress for £425
Brides Made Modern sell dresses between £75 and £750 including pre-loved vintage outfits
9. Bold textures
As a non-traditional wedding stylist I’m naturally drawn to materials and textures that sparkle and glitter in sunlight or disco lights. Consider sequins, embellishments and beads to add a huge wow factor to your non-traditional wedding outfit, especially if you’re an ‘all about the party’ bride.
Jumpsuit from the delightful Rosa & Bloom
Epic sequinned 2 piece by Bowden Dryden
Bowden Dryden again, with a gorgeous shimmering silver dress
10. Accessories and styling
Bringing originality to your bridal outfit can be achieved with really simple touches like unusual colourful jackets, shoes and hair accessories. If you’ve got your heart set on a white wedding dress (if only to make your family sob when you walk down the aisle) then here are some ideas of how to rock it up a bit.
Fab feature on Bridal Musings with more festival bride fashion styling ideas. Love this velvet jacket and biker boots combo.
Sarah Baily jacket
Wedding boots? Yes please. Via Junebug Weddings.
A few more UK SUPPLIERS TO CHECK OUT
ps. what i went for on my wedding day (2019)
I DID have a dress on for most of the day (styled with a gold jacket and platforms) but my mum also MADE me a wedding jumpsuit which I changed into after dinner and a couple of Espresso Martinis! I still can’t believe she pulled it off! We had numerous fittings in the months leading up to the day whenever I was back up North. I knew I wanted a halterneck style and wide legs so we developed this shape together, with the help of some bedsheets and a lot of pins.
To be honest I wish I’d just gone for it and worn it all day, I definitely would if I was getting married in 2021. I think you have to accept your fashion choices are right for the moment, and that particular year, bridal fashion is always going to change. I’m happy to try out the latest fashions as a wedding guest now, my favourite current outfit is a gold and zebra suit…
Images from our wedding (2019) by Neil Jackson Photographic