Hushed silence, soft music playing, and the shuffling of feet and turning of heads all lead up to one of the most anticipated moments of a wedding: seeing the bride. A bride’s dress is a main topic of conversation at weddings. It is captured in thousands of pictures, making it a very important part of the wedding day. Although dresses have been an important part of weddings for decades, bridal dress trends have evolved over time.

White wedding dresses have been the traditional choice since Queen Victoria’s wedding in 1840. Following the Industrial Revolution, due to the rise and accessibility of department stores, brides could select a new dress to be married in instead of using a dress already owned. Though the color white continued to gain popularity, some frontier brides preferred darker dresses that could be worn again. The style of wedding dresses in the late 1800s was plain and closely resembled dresses women wore in daily life. In the decade to come, dresses became more elaborate. This changed during World War II where simpler dresses were favored. In the 1920s Coco Chanel greatly influenced wedding dress styles; her designs cemented white as the color of choice for most brides. Following the war, wedding dress designs began to get more elaborate once again and the Victorian era became the inspiration for popular dress designs. Weddings, and wedding dresses, began to take on more of a fairy tale feel.

Since the 1950s, wedding dresses have become more about reflecting a bride’s preferences. Brides wear every style from sleek lace to floaty chiffon to tight silk. In past decades strapless dresses have been an especially popular choice for brides and off- the-shoulder is another popular neckline style. Illusion necklines are a recent trend, transforming strapless or off-the-shoulder looks into something more elegant and sophisticated.White continues to be the dominant color choice for dresses, though many brides opt for a splash of color and wear a colored sash or belt. Cream or ivory dresses are also very popular, and blush pink is emerging as a modern color favorite. Current designers favor two-tiered skirts which are very flattering on brides as they disguise wide hips. Following the Royal Wedding, lace sleeves have become a popular wedding dress trend.

As new wedding dress trends continue to emerge, brides have lots of options to choose from. The overarching trend is for a bride to choose a dress that showcase her individuality, allowing guests to see her personality. The diversity of current trends helps to ensure that no matter the style, figure, or price range of a bride she will be able to find a dress that helps to make her wedding day beautiful.