Scroll To See More Images
If your Instagram feed turned into a bridal page the second the calendar hit May 1, you’re not alone. The prime time of wedding season is upon us and that includes proposals, bachelorettes and of course, the big day. If you fall into one of those wedding categories or just love all things bridal, consider the next few months your opportunity to admire (and silently judge) every wedding trend, choice and dress that you see IRL or online. Weddings are kind of like individual Met Galas—whether you’re attending, participating or just watching from afar it’s fun to have an opinion! Approach the subject with expertise by getting familiar with all of the new wedding trends for 2024. If you’re planning a 2024 wedding, now is the time to understand what themes and trends are on the horizon.
Weddings are, of course, a highly personal event which means that nobody is required or even encouraged to follow trends. These new wedding trends for 2024 simply exist to provide additional inspiration for the wedding day and wardrobe. That being said, the wedding dress trends for 2024 deserve your attention. They are playful, daring, and even a little bit dramatic.
If there’s anyone that’s ahead of bridal trends it’s Hope LaVine, a Los Angeles-based bridal stylist and influencer with over 360k followers across socials. LaVine exclusively covers bridal trends and tries on and reviews new collections herself for an honest first-person perspective. She just returned from bridal fashion week in Barcelona and New York City where she was one of the first to see the designer bridal collections for spring/summer ’24.
According to LaVine, the biggest and most innovative trend to hit the bridal scene in 2024 will be wedding dress separates. And if you’re a 2024 bride, this may work in your favor.
“Social media has told brides that they need to change out of their wedding dress and have a second look or reception outfit. One dress or ‘look’ is no longer enough these days,” LaVine explains. “The bridal designer’s fix for this is offering separates. Gloves, neck scarfs, detachable sleeves, hooded veils, and even transformative dresses. These separates are giving brides their two bridal looks, all within one dress.”
Galia Lahav; Spotlight Launchmetrics.
“Galia Lahav is a great example of this.” LaVine continues. ” They have multiple jackets that can be worn with lace long-sleeve jackets, and overskirts and they even have a mermaid wedding dress that becomes a mini dress (pictured above)”.
Versatility is becoming a top priority for brides, especially when a wedding budget comes into play. Another way brides are incorporating multiple looks into their wedding wardrobe is by repurposing older family members’ dresses and accessories. The search for “Repurposing mom’s wedding dress” has over 38.8 million views on TikTok with dozens of viral videos showcasing the process and transformation of vintage pieces.
Courtesy of @lovellfayebridal.
This viral TikTok video has amassed over 240k likes and documents the process of repurposing a wedding dress from 1988 into a short rehearsal dinner dress with a more modern feel. There are plenty of other videos on the app showing different versions of the same process so it is a great place to look for inspiration if you’re considering doing the same.
If you don’t have a perfect ’80s hand-me-down ready to repurpose, don’t fret! Plenty of designers are incorporating vintage designs into their new collections. The style Hope LaVine is most excited about? Drop waist.
Ines Di Santo; Spotlight Launchmetrics.
“It’s so interesting seeing the trends cycle back around. Drop waist was very early 2000s, think classic Vera Wang – Victoria Beckham wedding dress. But bridal design trends often mirror fashion trends. With everyone’s resurgence in their obsessions with corsets, it’s no surprise that brides are wanting that snatched look in their wedding dress as well.” LaVine says.
In addition to drop-waist dresses you can expect to see the revival of elegant princess-style gowns, the emergence of capes down the aisle, and the evolution of accessories with a shortened veil in 2024. The good news is that plenty of the trends for 2024 can be incorporated with any wedding aesthetic, so you won’t have to revolve your entire look around one to be able to participate.
Keep reading for the five biggest wedding dress and bridal accessory trends for 2024. Before you know it, these will be on your IG feed too.
Elie Saab, Liz Martinez, Monique Lhuillier; Spotlight Launchmetrics.
Fairytale Princess Gowns
While sleek and modern trend-driven wedding dress silhouettes have been having a moment over the last couple of years, the princess gown has slowly but surely been regaining its power. This dress silhouette capitalizes on the drama and grandeur associated with fairytale romance. The focal point of a princess dress is the large skirt that juts out at the waistline. Beyond this distinguishing feature, there’s plenty of room to customize the style to fit your happily ever after. Monique Lhuillier, for example, featured a dress with a multi-layer tiered skirt and a lace bodice with high-neck and long sleeves in the most recent collection. The dress is reminiscent of old royalty while the skirt detailing makes it more modern. Designer Liz Martinez took a different approach with a simple silhouette but used textured fabric to add dimension to the look.
Eva Lendel, Elie Saab, Lorena Formoso; Spotlight Launchmetrics.
Dramatic Capes
You don’t need an entire outfit change to make a statement at your wedding. Capes have made a dramatic entrance on the bridal scene. Whether it’s tulle, lace or silk, a cape will elevate your entire bridal look. As presented by Elie Saab, a cape (especially one with a hood) is also a cool alternative to a veil. It will add movement to your look when you walk down the aisle or through cocktail hour and will also look great in photos. One of the best parts about a cape is that they work over a variety of dress silhouettes—if you already have your dress picked out, try a cape over it for good measure.
Badgley Mischka, Chiara Boni, Ines de Santo; Spotlight Launchmetrics.
Flower Appliqués
The flower appliqué or rosette trend is a main character in fashion right now. On any piece of clothing, whether it be a swimsuit, skirt or as demonstrated here, a wedding dress, you can find bold flowers added for extra detail. This is by far the most general trend-driven bridal trend for 2024 but one could argue it’s easily the most natural fit. Choosing a dress with flower detailing can help tie together the overall aesthetic of your wedding. If you’re envisioning a garden party, flower appliqués will obviously fit right in. On the contrary, if you have a very minimalist aesthetic or dress, a large rose, like the one seen at Badgley Mischka, or a cluster of flowers on your shoulder, as shown by Ines de Santo, can add dimension to your look.
Monique Lhuillier, Markarian; Spotlight Launchmetrics.
Short Veils
Short wedding dresses, specifically for a reception look, are an increasingly common choice for brides—and right along with it we have the emergence of the short veil. The short veil silhouette is both elegant and modern which also makes it a popular choice for the untraditional bride. Unlike a classic long veil, a short veil acts as more of a hair accessory rather than a part of the dress silhouette which is why it’s most usually worn with a shorter or fitted dress style. If you’re planning on changing for the reception or taking a romantic trip to city hall, a short veil is the way to go.
Sareh Nouri, Oscar de la Renta, Anne Barge; Spotlight Launchmetrics.
Something (Or Everything) Blue
The tradition of wearing something blue is far from being a trend but having the color incorporated as a main feature in a bridal look definitely is. Brides are embracing the shade and wearing it to compliment classic white bridal pieces. Sareh Nouri’s latest bridal collection does an excellent job of showing how blue can be paired with wedding dresses by adding oversized blue bows, printed fabric or embellished gloves. Oscar de la Renta also has a gorgeous blue lace gown that would work as a wedding dress. The difference between this trend and previous iterations of “something blue” is that these blue pieces are a part of the primary ceremony look and not just used as a subsequent reception accessory.
Courtesy of Blue Nile, Gabriel & Co, Noémie, Brilliant Earth, Jared, Adobe. Design: Sasha Purdy/STYLECASTER.
