45 Stunning Nontraditional Wedding Dresses
Welcome to Weddings Week at the Cut, where instead of overloading you with the traditional stuff that comes along with getting married, we think outside the box.
Ever since Queen Victoria decided to marry Prince Albert in a lacy, white wedding gown in 1840, Western brides have traditionally opted to wear the same color for their nuptials. But historically, dresses spanned the rainbow and were usually chosen because they were the finest piece of clothing that a woman typically owned. In Eastern cultures, colors like red, gold, and fuchsia symbolized good luck, while white was worn for funerals, so brides chose those vivid hues to ensure a prosperous union. Now it’s taken for granted that one will wear something in the ivory, ecru, or Champagne family down the aisle — but not every woman dreams of showing up on her big day dressed that way, especially if it’s her second time around.
Rather than buying a frothy, lacy creation, why not take the opportunity to purchase a stunning gown that will be the center of everyone’s attention? Erdem’s floral column, with its delicate lace collar and cap sleeves, would be stunning for a garden ceremony. For brides who need to wear red but prefer not to don a cheongsam or ao dai, Giambattista Valli’s high-necked, draped gown is a modern nod to traditional silhouettes. And should you want to wear some white, Naeem Khan’s bi-color gown or Marchesa’s embroidered mid-length dress is the perfect balance between color and customs. Be it red, blue, yellow, or pink, click ahead to see 45 memorable ways to say “I do.”
