Weddings have traditionally followed a set formula: vows, champagne, and dancing. However, one crucial element of the big day is undergoing a dramatic transformation: the wedding dress. Gone are the days of the standard white gown, with brides increasingly opting for bold, unique alternatives that reflect their individuality. The rise of the anti-traditional wedding dress is evident in the growing trend for non-white gowns, with Pinterest searches for “unique wedding dresses” up by 240%, and dresses in blush pink and black seeing increases of 60% and 50%, respectively.
Ashish Gupta’s Dazzling Bridal Debut
In a move that signals a shift towards the unconventional, renowned fashion designer Ashish Gupta—whose sequined pieces are adored by stars like Beyoncé and Rihanna—launched his first bridal collection this week. Stepping away from the traditional white gown, Gupta’s designs include a sheer trapeze dress adorned with delicate hand-embroidered organza flowers in yellow and lilac, evocative of the blooms in Martha Stewart’s famous garden. Additionally, he features a halterneck mini-dress covered in multicoloured glass bead fringing, inspired by the Hindu festival of Holi. Even the veil is reimagined with Gupta’s “confetti” version, a shimmering design that incorporates multicoloured sequins and beads.
Gupta’s ideal bridal customer is non-traditional, someone who embraces fun, irreverence, and a love for sparkle and colour. As he puts it, “It’s less fairytale, but more magic.” For Gupta, the modern bride is someone who doesn’t adhere to the rigid rules of tradition and is eager to infuse their personality into their wedding day.
David’s Bridal Embraces the Trend
Wedding retailer David’s Bridal is also catching on to the demand for bold wedding attire. This week, the company unveiled a collaboration with Marchesa, the New York womenswear brand co-founded by Georgina Chapman. Following her divorce from disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Chapman has been working to reposition her brand as a red-carpet staple, and her collection for David’s Bridal reflects this new direction. Featuring over 40 dresses, the collection spans a spectrum of colours, from vibrant limes and hot crimsons to softer shades of grey and charcoal. One particular piece—a tulle gown embellished with black petal embroidery, worn by Chapman herself at this year’s Golden Globes—is available for brides seeking something truly unique.
David’s Bridal CEO, Kelly Cook, noted that the collection was inspired by a growing trend of brides looking for something distinctive. “They’re wearing cowboy boots with couture,” she remarked, referencing the increasing popularity of non-traditional fashion choices for brides.
A Shift Toward Distinctive Styles
The push for distinctive, non-traditional bridal styles is also evident at Halfpenny London, where founder Kate Halfpenny has seen a shift towards more personalised looks. Over the past 20 years, Halfpenny has dressed brides in a variety of colours, with blush tones emerging as a favourite. In some cases, brides have opted for black-and-white separates, reflecting the desire for a more individualistic approach to wedding fashion.
British designer Molly Goddard’s work also reflects this evolution. Harriet Hall, features director of Cosmopolitan UK, married in 2020 wearing a hot pink tulle dress by Goddard, a choice she has never regretted. In an article for British Vogue, Hall described the vibrant pink dress as “a showstopper” that rejected the traditional connotations of white gowns. “It was a dress so in-your-face that it rejected any suggestion of virginal purity or wifely subservience,” she wrote. Goddard’s recent collection includes a range of colourful millefeuille-esque dresses, offering a striking alternative for any bride seeking something unconventional.
History of the Wedding Dress: Breaking Tradition
While it may seem like a modern phenomenon, the rise of anti-traditional wedding dresses isn’t as new as it appears. A recent discussion on TikTok about the historical accuracy of wedding dresses in Wuthering Heights—set in the Georgian era—highlighted that white wedding dresses were not the norm until 1840, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert. Before that, red, pink, blue, and black wedding dresses were common choices. Elizabeth Taylor wore a canary yellow dress for her 1964 wedding, and in 1997, Sarah Jessica Parker married in a black dress. In cultures like India and China, red has long been the traditional wedding colour.
For Gupta, even a white dress doesn’t need to take itself too seriously. He offers a mini slip dress encrusted with sequins, a departure from the stiff, serious gowns of the past. “I don’t think one has to follow the rulebook anymore,” he says. “It’s more important to be fabulous and have fun on your big day.”
The New Era of Bridal Fashion
As more brides embrace individuality, the wedding dress is no longer confined to tradition. From colourful, sequinned designs to daring black gowns and separates, the wedding dress has become an expression of the bride’s personality and style. Whether embracing bold hues or reinterpreting classic elements with a modern twist, today’s bride is rewriting the rules and celebrating her wedding in a way that feels authentic to her.
In a world where tradition meets innovation, brides are creating magic—one dazzling dress at a time.
