Who What Wear dialed up its roster of in-the-know wedding experts to get a closer look at the top bridal trends and predictions for what cool weddings will look like in 2024—from fashion to design and planning. Many fashion insiders cited the emergence of experimental silhouettes such as drop-waist dresses, editorial veils, the resurgence of more traditional elegant dresses, and floral appliqués. The influences of archival fashion were also a point of focus, with references to recent weddings including the much buzzed-about nuptials of Alexandra Cooper. The bride worked with stylist Mimi Cuttrell to source three vintage looks for her wedding weekend, including a S/S 2011 Donna Karan dress for the rehearsal dinner, a S/S 2003 Alexander McQueen dress for the after-party, and a S/S 1995 Versace corset top for the after-after party.
New or archival, all of this points to a larger theme of personalization and individuality within the wedding space. In short? More and more brides are staying true to their style. “The biggest trend is to look like yourself on your wedding day and carry that through all your wedding weekend wardrobe,” explains Vogue editor Lilah Ramzi. This extends beyond fashion and into the décor elements as well. Bash Please Founders Sunna Yassin and Mollie Jones—the wedding planners behind Cooper’s wedding—emphasized a shift they are seeing with weddings that are veering away from tradition for tradition’s sake and are more focused on authenticity. “The cool weddings of 2024 will balance personalization with simplicity,” the duo shares, “it’s all about creating a meaningful day that feels bespoke yet unfussy, allowing the couple's genuine style and story to shine through.” Ahead, get a closer look at where wedding style is headed in 2024 and the biggest bridal trends to know from leading experts.
For brides entering planning mode, the wedding-day look is likely a starting point that shapes the rest of the aesthetics and decor decisions. To take a closer look at the key silhouettes and trends taking over in 2024, we consulted with experts and asked them to share which styles are most in demand among cool brides and which trends cool designers are betting big on. Despite an extensive list of fashion trends, only a few made the cut.
Often, wedding trends reflect what we see in the regular fashion space, and that is the case when it comes to drop waists—a style that emerged last year but has absolutely exploded in the wedding arena. “Drop waists are still very in,” shares Alexandra Macon, Vogue editor and Founder of Over The Moon. “Monique Lhuillier, Cinq, Dana Harel, and Elie Saab presented fresh drop-waisted dresses for spring 2025, so it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Alex Cooper’s Danielle Frankel custom drop-waist dress has fueled the trend even more so.”
“We are also seeing a continuation of the floral appliqué moment,” Macon shares, “like the daisies that emerged in Honor’s spring 2025 collection and Francesca Miranda’s Andromeda dress.” Emerging designers are experimenting with traditional florals in the form of three-dimensional embroidery, which are injecting new life into the classic wedding motif. Christy Baird, the founder of Los Angeles bridal boutique Loho Bride, agrees. “Rosettes have been making a huge return in street style, so it’s no surprise they're appearing in bridal fashion too,” Baird emphasizes. “These floral embellishments can be seen as neckties or even incorporated into the design of the dress, either in small repetitions or as oversize waist details.”
A new wave of archival fashion has struck the best-dressed insiders and is touching every area of the industry, including weddings. “Vintage has a chokehold on fashion right now—we see it on the red carpet of Cannes and down the aisle of a wedding,” Ramzi says. “A vintage dress that doesn’t smack of a bygone era (i.e., an ’80s dress that isn’t too ’80s) is a surefire way to ensure your wedding-day look stands the test of time.”
In large part, this comes back to the rise in brides maintaining their personal style for the wedding day. Alexis Novak of Tab Vintage emphasizes this point. “Brides are really using vintage for their wedding to showcase their sustainability consciousness and their own unique style and creativity. The traditional wedding looks seem to be fading out as we as a society are evolving and accepting that what we have been taught traditionally may not suit who we are,” Novak says. “When selecting what to wear to your wedding, what I love about vintage is you are not limited to just this season to choose from—you get to pick from decades of options. This gives the wearer more flexibility and creativity to select something that is more authentic and unique.”
Getting into specifics, Lily Kaizer of Happy Isles pinpoints the top-requested styles and designers. “Brides are seeking feminine, gauzy texture and accents like bows and stringy embellishment," Kaizer shares. "To service this craving, we have been sourcing from designers like Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, and Blumarine. For a more streamlined and always sought-after approach, we're seeing an uptick in requests for silky Ralph Lauren, Elie Saab, and Valentino from the '00s through the '10s.”
Another piece of this is the eco-conscious element. “I think the impact of vintage fashion will continue to increase as brides become more and more environmentally conscious and as couples increasingly involve stylists for all aspects of the wedding weekend,” Macon shares. With these points in mind, it makes sense that archival fashion is on the rise, as it’s at the intersection of personalization and sustainability that is shaping modern weddings.
Another space heavily steeped in vintage? Suiting. While many vintage requests are for bridal gowns, suiting is becoming increasingly popular as couples plan civil ceremonies. “Vintage down-the-aisle designer requests include Ralph Lauren, Valentino, Versace, and Chanel,” Kaizer shares. Coordinating tweed skirt suits continue to take top billing, but we are also seeing more brides opt for newer iterations. Tailored minidresses are a fun option in the category as well in non-white colors including shades of soft pink.
What is old is certainly new again. This is a theme we are seeing in 2024, as a whole, with the return of classic elegance. This theme is also impacting wedding style. “Directly post-pandemic, we saw a rise in the minimalist bride,” Ramzi shares. “I spoke to several brides who had picked out a dress prior to 2020 (maybe it had voluminous, romantic sleeves, or an A-line skirt) who, by the time they actually got married, opted for something far more simple—slip dresses, columnar gowns, and less fussy looks that promise timelessness. I think this shift still remains but brides are continuing to think outside the box.” In 2024, the simplest and most classic of wedding-day looks are being presented with sentimental pieces such as editorial accessories or family jewelry that make them personal to the bride and set them apart.
Accessories are one area where we are seeing a lot of newness. According to Macon, elements of Old Hollywood are making a comeback in ways that are a low investment and easy to achieve. “We are seeing a lot of neck scarves that drape behind strapless dresses, which harkens back to a Grace Kelly kind of elegance,” Macon shares. “Convertible toppers like those shown by Amsale and Galia Lahav for spring 2025 are also having a moment and are a wonderful way for a bride to transition from ceremony to reception with ease.”
Veils are wedding accessories that are being pushed forward in an editorial fashion. “We’re thrilled about Vivienne Westwood's gloves with attached hoods, offering an avant-garde twist on a traditional piece. Inspired by Erin Wasson’s wedding look, this trend is perfect for today’s brides seeking something unique,” Baird mentions of the latest veils to hit the market. “In Loho’s latest editorial shoot, we featured an epic layered veil from Simone Rocha, adorned with pearls and bows. It made the whole look!”
As an alternative to classically elegant wedding dresses, bows are another area that might appeal to a more traditional bride. Currently, we are seeing bows integrated into bridal looks in more directional ways, in addition to more timeless iterations. “For brides who gravitate toward classic with a twist, the spring 2025 shows saw many new takes on bows, from Amsale to Lein,” Macon shares.
Wiederhoeft is another hot designer in the bridal world experimenting with new takes on bows, including pieces with black bows as seen in its S/S 2025 collection. The rise of bows is a trend we have also been tracking in the ready-to-wear space, including Prada’s F/W 24 collection, which marks a new wave of cool-girl bow fashion.
More and more, it’s no longer just about the wedding dress for many brides, who are shopping for looks to wear throughout a weekend of festivities. “Brides are increasingly looking for three distinct outfits for their wedding weekend: one for the rehearsal dinner, another for the ceremony, and a final look for the reception,” Baird shares about the latest bridal requests at Loho.
“For the reception, brides feel empowered to wear more experimental looks that they don’t feel fit the vision of their official ceremony,” Baird emphasizes. That level of experimentation includes on-the-rise designers in the wedding space such as Richard Quinn and Wiederhoeft; looks straight from the runways including standout designs like a slinky-like wraparound gown from Pieter Mulier at Alaïa; and one-of-a-kind custom designs.
Lace has always been a wedding wardrobe staple, often in the form of a Chantilly lace veil or more traditional iteration. For 2024, lace is taking on new applications. Danielle Frankel has beautiful satin suiting designed with lace finishings at the end of sleeves and pant hems, as well as lace gloves to accessorize. Archival lace looks from designers including John Galliano for Dior and Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga are also proving to be wildly popular, especially in the see-through “naked” variety.
Coordinating sets are especially popular for wedding-day looks. While we have traditionally seen classic skirt suits win out, brides are getting more experimental in this area as well. Danielle Frankel’s sheer, beaded camisole and maxi skirt have already been spotted at multiple weddings this season; micro-skirts are gaining more momentum; and alternative sets such as Tove’s draped mock-neck top and midi skirt are primed for a stylish wedding.
One overarching trend on the rise at weddings this year? Minidresses. “In minidresses, we are seeing more structured silhouettes, many with floral appliqués,” Macon shares. We can trace the rising trend to the runways, where designers have reinvented micro dresses in their recent collections. Pierpaolo Piccioli brought intricate, sculpted florals to spring/summer 2024 Valentino while Tory Burch introduced delicate, gauzy draping in its current season collection. Each version is an elevated take on a minidress that translates seamlessly to a wedding party look.
An emphasis on personal style is also taking hold of non-bridal fashion for bridesmaids and guests. Experts reported on a shift in attire that is less cookie-cutter fashion, and more tailored to each person attending the wedding (of course, within the realms of the dress code on the invitation). “Brides seem to be opting for less exact copy-paste matches for their bridesmaids and going more with a color story, allowing their bridesmaids to select the dresses that suit them best,” Novak shares.
In years past, matching bridesmaid dresses were the standard, but that has been changing, and quickly at that. “One of the standout trends for bridesmaids is having each one wear a different color and style, yet still maintaining a cohesive look for the bridal party,” Baird shares. “This allows individual styles to shine while creating a harmonious aesthetic and letting individual style stand out.”
Macon agrees on this point. “Mix-and-match bridesmaids dresses continue to be a stand-out trend and one that your bridal party will thank you for!” She expands on more specifics, including the key colors to keep in mind. “We are seeing more green color palettes and all-white looks emerge for bridesmaids in 2024 as well, and pastel shades continue to be tried and true.”
In many ways, wedding-guest style has less specific trends. Instead, it is more about turning to a roster of designers that you would find in the closets of the best-dressed fashion insiders. “Wedding guests are turning to designers like Christopher Esber, Brandon Maxwell, Markarian, Khaite, Toni Maticevski, Rachel Gilbert, Anna October, and Rosetta Getty,” Baird explains. “There are so many good designers for wedding guests on the market right now.” As long as guests are adhering to the dress code, weddings are often an opportunity for guests to invest in special occasionwear that can last long beyond one wedding weekend.
The big trends in the design and planning sphere are directly connected to what is happening in bridal fashion. “The weddings of 2024 will be defined by a blend of authenticity and understated elegance,” Yassin and Jones share. "The cool weddings of 2024 will balance personalization with simplicity. Integrating sustainability, embracing the local culture and environment of the wedding location, and creating an inclusive and enjoyable experience for guests will define the most memorable and trend-setting weddings.” In many ways, the scale of weddings is becoming more dialed back. And even if the sky is your limit in terms of a budget, there is a bigger focus on personal details and weddings that truly reflect the couple.
While larger-than-life weddings are becoming more scaled down, that doesn’t mean that that opulence has exited the events. Instead, it is just becoming more focused on sumptuous minimalism. “We are seeing a strong inclination towards minimal design and décor, but tasteful and timeless, with details that are hyper-curated and thoughtfully executed,” Yassin and Jones share of the growing trend in wedding planning and décor. In terms of table settings, the planning team specifically recommends embracing minimalism with a focus on quality with elements such as handcrafted tableware and bespoke linens.
Ramzi also made some predictions about specific dècor trends that in-the-know brides will include at their weddings. “I think we’ll see more sculptural silver décor and simplistic calla lilies arrangements over romantic ranunculi-filled florals,” Ramzi says. “In short, dreamy, meadowy wedding décor seems to be on its way out and it’s being replaced with sumptuously simplistic decor.”
Personal elements are again winning for weddings for 2024, and there are some specific ways experts see them playing out. “Design-wise, what’s old is new,” according to Yassin and Jones. “Incorporating personalized details that reflect the couple's personalities and love story, custom monograms and family heirlooms to handwritten notes or poems placed at each guest's seat.”
And it turns out that these personal details—yes, even the most simple gestures—are also among the most impressive and the most memorable for event planning. Attending and reporting on parties and events is a big part of Ramzi’s job as a Vogue editor, and despite all of the big-budget décor, it’s the small details that stand out. “Of all the moneys-no-object events I’m lucky enough to attend as the parties editor of Vogue, the details that stand out are always the most personal,” the editor shares. “I’ve attended weddings at which the bride and groom have left a handwritten note for their guest at their place setting, expressing their gratitude for their guests, and couples who have included a ‘Facebook’ of their wedding attendees with fun facts so that guests could get to know each other. It’s these thoughtful details that really have the biggest impact.”
Just as sustainability has entered the wedding industry in a bigger way in the archival fashion space, it is also making an impact on design and décor. “Eco-friendly and sustainable practices such as using local and seasonal florals and opting for venues prioritizing environmental responsibility are on the rise,” Yassin and Jones share. That can often mean opting to work with local artisans and talent or even opting to integrate pieces from the couple’s registry such as table settings.
“Ultimately, 2024 weddings are defined by personalization and sustainability. Couples are crafting their big day as a reflection of their unique love story, ensuring every detail is meaningful,” Ramzi shares. Her predictions on what’s to come? “Expect to see more elopements, intimate micro-weddings, and celebrations that are as considerate of the environment as they are spectacular. It's a year where love is not just in the air, but also in every thoughtful detail.”
