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The rise of alternative bridal attire

Roksanda dress at MatchesFashion
Roksanda dress at MatchesFashion

‘No white, no ivory, nothing that says “virgin” – I have a child,’ was Miranda’s brief to a hapless sales assistant when searching for a wedding outfit in the Sex and the City television series back in 2004.

Had Miranda been shopping in 2023, she would have found the process far more rewarding. It’s never been a better time for brides to buck the established formula in favour of a more individual look. Consider the new Alternative Bride section at Liberty, where your ‘something blue’ could be a Vampire’s Wife dress, and your veil traded for a peacock-print headband. The offering at Browns includes slinky midi dresses by cult label Khaite and feather-trimmed Taller Marmo kaftans; at Net-a-Porter there are Emilia Wickstead jumpsuits and Alessandra Rich co-ords.

Miranda from Sex and the City would have had a much easier time being an alternative bride in 2023 - Shutterstock
Miranda from Sex and the City would have had a much easier time being an alternative bride in 2023 - Shutterstock

As a bride-to-be myself, it’s taken immense willpower not to cave into the temptation to get a different look for each course of the wedding dinner. We have the pandemic to thank, not for igniting this trend, but for taking it mainstream. Scaled-down ceremonies were the only option, and we needed scaled-down bridalwear to suit.

The benefit was that smaller weddings offer a far greater opportunity to bend the ‘rules’. Take Lily Allen, who wore 
a Dior minidress bought just hours before her 2020 Vegas elopement, or Monégasque royal Charlotte Casiraghi, who wore a dove-grey Saint Laurent minidress for her civil ceremony. Up there in the alternative bridal hall of fame are Elizabeth Taylor, who wed Richard Burton in sunshine yellow in 1964, and Bianca Jagger, who in 1971 married Mick in an Yves Saint Laurent skirt suit – minus the blouse.

Bianca Jagger married Mick in 1971 in an Yves Saint Laurent skirt suit – minus the blouse - Getty
Bianca Jagger married Mick in 1971 in an Yves Saint Laurent skirt suit – minus the blouse - Getty
Elizabeth Taylor wed Richard Burton in sunshine yellow in 1964 - Getty
Elizabeth Taylor wed Richard Burton in sunshine yellow in 1964 - Getty

According to bridal designer Kate Halfpenny, whose focus on separates means that brides can add or remove elements to transform their look through the day: ‘Brides are being more authentic in their style. Instead of being swayed by traditional looks, they’re being true to themselves and wearing whatever makes them feel amazing.’

Crucially in a cost-of-living crisis, a wedding look no longer has to be obscenely expensive. Rixo, Whistles, Reiss and LK Bennett make bridalwear more accessible than it used to be. Whatever your budget and taste, the options have never been more stylish. All you need to do is find The One – and say ‘I do’.

Ace the alternative look

Editor: Sophie Tobin

alternative bridal style
alternative bridal style

From left: Detachable feather pj set, £395, Sleeper; Feather trim silk dress, £1,345, Taller Marmo at Browns; Blazer, £299 and trousers, £299, Whistles

alternative bridal style
alternative bridal style

From left: Pearl embellished sandals, £1,495, Jimmy Choo at FarFetch; Pearl and cubic zirconia earrings, £335, Completedworks at The Fall Bride; ‘Just Married’ jumper, £350, Shrimps at Liberty

alternative bridal style
alternative bridal style

From left: Asymmetric dress, £485, Aje; Jumpsuit, £1,170, Harmur; Dress, £2,495 and silk organza puff top, £1,350, Halfpenny; Maxi dress with cape, £428, Reiss

Get inspired

Rixo
Rixo
The Own Studio
The Own Studio
Brigitte Bardot - Getty
Brigitte Bardot - Getty
Hai
Hai
Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall
Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall
Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall pose for photographers after their wedding ceremony at St Bride's Church on March 5, 2016 in London, England - Getty
Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall pose for photographers after their wedding ceremony at St Bride's Church on March 5, 2016 in London, England - Getty
Loeffler Randall
Loeffler Randall
 Gwen Stefani with her father Dennis Stefani during the wedding ceremony of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale held on September 14, 2002 at St Paul's Cathedral in Covent Garden in London
Gwen Stefani with her father Dennis Stefani during the wedding ceremony of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale held on September 14, 2002 at St Paul's Cathedral in Covent Garden in London
Britney Spears during 2003 MTV Video Music Awards - Show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, United States - Getty
Britney Spears during 2003 MTV Video Music Awards - Show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, United States - Getty
P.S. Bridal Rental
P.S. Bridal Rental
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee in Cancun, 1995 - Getty
Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee in Cancun, 1995 - Getty
E.Stott
E.Stott
Roksanda at MatchesFashion
Roksanda at MatchesFashion
Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, 1989 - Getty
Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, 1989 - Getty
Molly Goddard
Molly Goddard

Which look is your favourite? What do you think of alternative bridal attire? Join the discussion in the comments below.

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