4 Alternative brides on why they chose their non-traditional dresses

Whether its for a civil ceremony at home or a glamorous wedding abroad, alternative dresses are 2023's biggest bridal trend.

Many brands understand that modern brides may want a contemporary outfit, therefore the range of pieces outside of conventional dresses is endless. “I think unconventional wedding looks are becoming more popular like two pieces and vintage gowns, but also sleek, minimal designs that speak for themselves,” Sharon Sever, head designer of Israeli couture house Galia Lahav previously told Hello! Fashion.

MORE: 11 dresses that are perfect for the 'cool-girl' bride

“The new generations of brides want to be different - they want to start new trends and stand out. I also think accessories such as gloves, tights, capes are going to be big this year. And let’s not forget colour - more and more brides are daring to not stick to a traditional white gown. Whether it’s prints, veils or the entire gown - colour is definitely something to look out for.”

Despite the surge in popularity for alternative dresses this year, some of the spouses below were way ahead of the curve. We got all the details from four beautiful brides about their bridal fashion designers, how they chose the dress and their spectacular wedding days.

Mary Charteris - Pam Hogg

Can you summarise your wedding day?

It was at my father’s house In the Cotswolds on the 1st September 2012. The house is Jacobean with original details and as a result didn’t need much decor. We had beautiful flower displays by Scarlet and Violet in the house and church that really brought it all together.

Head to toe: can we have the outfit details?

My dress was Pam Hogg, headdress was vintage and shoes by Nicholas Kirkwood. For the party I changed into a white lace Pam Hogg catsuit.

How did you decide on your outfit?

I went to Paris Fashion Week and saw Pam Hogg’s show. It was the first show of hers I had ever been to and I knew straight away we needed to put our minds together to make something weird and wonderful.

Did you always want a non-traditional dress?

I had never pictured my wedding dress. I wasn’t someone who had even pictured their wedding growing up. It was very serendipitous that I went to Pam’s fashion show so soon after I got engaged as I was completely clueless as to what I would wear until that moment. Suddenly I was able to visualise myself getting married and what it would look like. From Then on I knew it wasn’t going to be traditional.

How did your wedding outfit reflect you?

I feel the dress reflects me because it’s traditional in some ways, like the colour and the materials, but also completely untraditional in other ways. That’s kind of how I live my life to an extent; especially when it comes to how I dress. I don’t like the idea of being boring and blending in. My dress was a bit like marmite but I would rather you hated it than you didn’t take a second to notice it.

Zeena Shah - Ashish

Can you summarise your wedding day?

The theme was JOY! After having to postpone and reschedule our wedding date multiple times due to Covid, we were so excited to finally have our day. It had to reflect how we felt and my love for colour. We kept things simple as the year before we'd had our ‘big fat Indian wedding’ and this was the delayed civil wedding, so we were a bit more relaxed and got married at Hackney Town Hall where we both walk past most days.

The ceremony was followed by the wedding breakfast at the Marksman pub, one of our favourite places where we'd had many dates, so it felt fitting. Plus the food is delicious and we are massive foodies. You can't go wrong with oysters and champagne!

We hired the whole pub and hosted our friends and family and ended with a big party. It was so much fun!

Head to toe: can we have the outfit details?

Dress: Ashish, Shoes: Christian Louboutin, Earrings: Simone Rocha, Bag: Shrimps, Necklaces: one is my Mangal Sutra (Indian bridal necklace) from the Indian wedding (part one) and my name necklace a gift from my Ba that I always wear, Birdcage veil: Jennifer Behr and I switched to a Shrimps headband later in the day.

How did you decide on your outfit?

I'd seen the dress on the runway the year before and had been keeping an eye out for it for my original wedding date, but it wouldn't be out in time, so I had originally been thinking about wearing a pink Balmain skirt suit. The Balmain suit sold out whilst I was umming and ahhing, and I'd completely forgotten about the Ashish dress until it came to rebooking our civil ceremony, and whilst scouring the internet for London Fashion Week inspiration I stumbled across it online: there was one dress left in my size! It was meant to be, I felt like the dress found me.

Did you always want a non-traditional dress?

I never imagined myself getting married or being the bride type, so for me it was about wearing something that reflected my personality, who I am and my energy for the day (which is how I dress anyway). Life is too short not to wear what brings you joy.

How did your wedding outfit reflect you?

If you follow me over on Instagram you will already know I am a colour lover. Dopamine dressing has become my everyday habit and I love encouraging my followers to wear more colour and find confidence in their style. Nothing screams joy more than rainbow sequins and a whole lotta tulle!

Rosie Boydell-Wiles - Vivienne Westwood

Can you summarise your wedding day?

We ended up having two celebrations; in 2022 we had an intimate ceremony in Kensington followed by a private dinner at a member’s club in Mayfair with our family. It was the most beautiful, perfect day imaginable. Then, in 2023 we had a big party in a Hackney warehouse with a hog roast and disco for our friends. The decor of both events was reflective of our style and personalities. We wanted to avoid unnecessary waste and expense, so we opted for a dry hire space and did everything ourselves.

It was a real team effort and labour of love, which saw our closest friends band together to help with setting up the space, the photography and production. Even though it wasn’t originally intended to be this way, I’m now really glad that the two events were separate, as it meant we had a really intimate and meaningful day for the ceremony, before letting our hair down with our friends later.

Head to toe: can we have the outfit details?

My dress was a couture Vivienne Westwood gown, modelled on an archive red carpet design and then it was remade for me in ivory with silver Swarovski crystals. The design is now part of the Made to Order 2023 collection, called the Galaxy dress, so I’ll soon be styling other brides to get married in it!

I then had a friend of mine make a checked-shirt train, which was modelled on the checked shirts my father wore - and I still wear to this day. A heart patch of his actual shirt was cut out and sewn into the pocket of mine, so that a part of him was with me as I walked down the aisle. I chopped about a metre off the shirt for the party so that it wouldn’t get in the way when dancing.

I decided against a veil on the morning of the wedding so that it wouldn’t distract from the dress and shirt. My jewellery was exactly what I wear every day, with a couple of my layered chains removed for a more polished look. Then, for the party in 2023 I swapped out my chains for two crystal Vivienne Westwood chokers, to give it more of an elevated evening wear look.

My shoes were £30 from Stradivariusvia Asos; I searched high and low for a comfortable silver platform heel that I could wear all day and night and these turned out to be the best around. I wore them for both events as I didn’t want to have the dress hemmed again and they had worked so well the first time around. (Side note: Hello! Fashion's beauty contributor Yasmin Salmon did Rosie's make-up on the day.)

How did you decide on your outfit?

Luckily I do this as a job so I knew all the tricks of the trade. Even still, I had to remind myself of the advice I give my clients; be yourself, not what you think a ‘bride’ should be or look like. I knew that Joe would love whatever I wore, so I trusted my instinct and opted for whatever felt the most ‘me’.

I tried on every dress in the Vivienne Westwood Made to Order collection but none of them felt like mine, I think because I’d helped so many other brides to get married in those designs that I wanted something that felt unique to me for my big day. I knew I wanted the classic Westwood corset and draped skirt in the heavy silk satin and the rest clicked into place when I tried an archive crystal panel strapless gown on; I had found my perfect dress.

I also knew that the dress didn’t need to do everything; I just wanted it to feel timeless with a bit of an edge, and wanted it to not be too much of a bold statement on its own, so that the way I styled it wouldn’t detract from or compete with the dress design.

Did you always want a non-traditional dress?

I didn’t set out to be non-traditional or edgy and I wasn’t wanting to make a statement either, I just wanted my look to be memorable and very ‘me’.  I wanted something that was clearly a wedding dress, but I wanted to style it in a way that felt a little grungy and more suited to my personal style, which is where the shirt came in. The dress was striking enough to hold its own, but then I loved how it took on a different form when paired with the shirt, my hair and my jewellery.

Vivienne Westwood wedding dresses always perfectly toe the line between timeless and contemporary; always memorable, never trend led, beautifully unique. Her designs personify how I wanted to feel on my wedding day and there was never any doubt that I would get married in VW, even before I worked there.

How did your wedding outfit reflect you?

I love mixing something feminine/glam with grungy/punky elements in my everyday outfits and I wanted to feel totally myself on my wedding day, so my bridal outfit needed to have this mix of styles too.  I never wear anything trend-led, I only buy and wear stuff that feels like me and will always feel like me, regardless of how fashions may change over time. I often throw on a shirt (usually one of my dad’s) over my evening outfits to tone them down so my wedding look was essentially an elevated, bridal version of this.

I’m so glad I stuck to my guns and went with something very ‘me’ because I know I’ll never regret staying true to myself and my personal style. I’m also incredibly lucky that I got to wear the dress twice and I’m now having it turned into a corset and skirt (which will be dyed) so that I can continue to wear and love it for years to come.

READ: How to find your personal wedding dress style according to Galia Lahav’s Sharon Sever

Elle Mcpherson-Yoon - Emilia Wickstead

Can you summarise your wedding day?

My husband Angus and I were married in the Scottish highlands in October 2020. The ceremony was held at Crathie Kirk, where our florist Coo Hill Studio created a breathtaking autumnal floral arch, and we celebrated afterwards with a reception at The Fife Arms in a nod to my studies in Art History. We enjoyed a tasting menu and wine pairings with twenty of our closest friends and family and capped the evening off with a whisky tasting and fireworks.

Head to toe: can we have the outfit details?

Reception dress: Emilia Wickstead Cruz Dress, Ceremony dress: Viktor and Rolf, Veil: Canadian brand Noon on the Moon, Shoes: Both Aquazzura, Bag: Olympia Le Tan

How did you decide on your outfit?

I found my reception dress online and loved the oversized bow on an otherwise classic silhouette. Black is my favourite colour for evening wear.

Did you always want a non-traditional dress?

I always wanted to stay true to myself when choosing a dress.

How did your wedding outfit reflect you?

I think the younger me would have loved it, and the older me will look back on it fondly.