How To Find Your Bridal Style

If you’re recently engaged and just starting your wedding-planning journey, you may feel a bit, well, overwhelmed. (If not, we’re very impressed. Tell us your secrets!) It’s likely that at the top of your very long (and growing) to-do list, you have something related to choosing a season, theme, and overall aesthetic, AKA the “vibe check” of your entire celebration. Perfect! You’re off on the right foot… Bridal style is your expression, your personality, and your love story. It’s every pretty detail that makes your wedding totally unique to you, and we have just the inspiration to get you started. Dive into top categories for finding your bridal style below!

What Is A Bridal Style?

A bridal style is just what it sounds like: a bride’s chic, stunning, and unique aesthetic and fashion choices for her wedding day. This includes a lot of different planning elements, from material things like her dress, accessories, decor, and venue, to more thematic choices around traditions, ceremony details, activities, and guest experience. 

The bridal style should reflect the bride’s personality, taste, and the overall vibe that she wants for her special day. This is curated delicately, with plenty of attention to detail and intentional style choices. Sound intimidating? That’s why we’re here to walk you through how to find your bridal aesthetic and bring it to life for your best day ever. Let’s dive right in!

What Are The Different Styles Of Brides?

PC: Christopher Ian

There are a lot of different styles that brides can choose from when selecting an aesthetic for their wedding. Some brides love a very boho, nature-inspired feel, while others love opulent decor in gilded ballrooms. We’ve seen lots of garden party-themed floral-covered pastel weddings and (trend alert!) courthouse minimony-style elopements. Really, your wedding can be whatever you want it to be!

Of course, there are so many different wedding aesthetics to choose from and only one wedding day, so we get how easy it can be to lose sight of your initial vision. One great thing that we recommend our brides do to help nail down and visualize their bridal style is using Pinterest. You can save your favorite ideas from a few aesthetics to different boards, sit with them for a while, and decide which is your favorite. Then, keep pinning more ideas to it! It’s a great way to nail down your vision for your wedding day, refer back to it when making style decisions, and communicate your vision to others who are helping you in a super easy way to understand.

You can also take our style quiz! This has lots of pictures to help brides get a sense of their bridal style, and serves up your personalized pick of dresses that fit your vision at the end of the questions — a total win-win!

How To Choose A Wedding Dress Style

Finding Your Bridal Style: Timeline

PC: Eliot Kim | EM Photography

When musing over your wedding dress style, start with a timeline. Knowing what to expect when is key to smart planning that still honors your unique bridal style — how to shop, what to budget, and when to place a gown order to make sure delivery goes off without a hitch. Can’t do standard delivery? Need to secure something quickly without sacrificing style? Say hello to our Quick Ship options to make gown delivery a breeze!

Bridal Aesthetic

PC: Kevin Zarycki

Next, consider different themes and categories of bridalwear. What feels authentic or exciting for your vision?

• Nature-inspired
• Bold and sexy
• Modern minimalist
• Soft and feminine
• Vintage vibes
• Intimate elopement

Looking for more bridal styles to choose from? Your options are virtually limitless! Check out this article from Brides.com with even more inspo!

Venue Vibe

PC: J&A Wedding Photography

A gorgeous venue is often the first major purchase of wedding planning… It’s the thing you need to work for virtually any other variable, including season, guest count, budget, and (yes), your bridal style. There’s no denying it: You want your venue to match your overall vibe. Here are some venues that go with the bridal aesthetics we discussed earlier. Below are a few venue ideas to get you started. Dive into our rundown of wedding venues based on your favorite new gown to see what else inspires!  

• Nature-Inspired Venues
  • Garden party
  • Mountains
  • Secret garden mansion grounds

• Bold And Sexy Venues
  • Elegant indoor venue
  • Sophisticated winery
  • Sophisticated speakeasy

• Modern Minimalist Venues
  • Fancy hotel
  • Urban cityscape
  • Upscale bar

• Soft And Feminine Venues
  • Classic chapel
  • Opulent ballroom
  • Rustic floral fairytale

• Vintage Vibes Venues
  • Retro farm
  • Disco theme
  • Western charm

• Intimate Elopement Venues
  • Seaside ceremony
  • Rooftop destination wedding
  • City hall

Price Range

PC: Kerri Jo Photo | Samantha Dunford

Your next step: budgeting for your bridal style. While your budget shouldn’t compromise your authentic expression, it’s helpful to research which bridal collections speak to your vision and personality, which (quite often) correlate with what you feel comfortable spending. What’s the starting line? Dive into our three designer lines to see what beckons! 

Maggie Sottero: Price Range $1300-$3300

What’s a Maggie bride? The Maggie Sottero bride values authenticity above all. They look for a gown that is gorgeous yet classic, effortless yet intentional. These stunning brides want a gown that perfectly fits who they are because they know that life is too short to be anything but happy. They want a gown that brings to life the wedding day that they’ve dreamed of since they were a little girl. A gown that fits their unique personality and vision for their wedding… that makes them feel like the truest version of themselves.

With various styles, silhouettes, and fabrics to choose from and the ability to personalize the gown, Maggie Brides will find a dress that is true to who they are while enjoying Maggie Sottero’s signature look. We speak, of course, about Maggie’s touch of effortless sophistication and passionate romance that ignites flashes of stolen moments. Whether a bride selects a chic fit-and-flare, dramatic ball gown, or shimmery sheath, each Maggie Sottero gown is designed for a romantic and timeless aesthetic. 

Sottero and Midgley: Price Range $1700-$4300

What makes a Midgley collection? These are luxury gowns designed with unmatched styling for a one-of-a-kind statement. The Sottero and Midgley bride, therefore, is a glamorous it-girl with a natural taste for high fashion, looking for the ultimate one-of-a-kind statement gown that will rise to meet her fearless essence. 

The Midgley Bride doesn’t follow trends, she sets them. She is the moment, and she’s ready to turn heads and drop jaws. Midgley brides look for elevated styles that create a luxe red carpet feel with dramatic details and opulent fabrics. They want to incorporate cutting-edge fashion into their wedding day for an impact as unforgettable as they are.

The refined luxury of the Sottero and Midgley collections might seem unattainable, but we can’t bear to deny it-girls of all budgets their right to shine. (Nor can we deny the world the chance to witness your fashion-forward bridal look!) So, in the name of all things glamor and fashion, Sottero and Midgley is our “affordable couture” offering, with one-of-a-kind customizations to ensure the style is as unique as the bride who wears it.

Rebecca Ingram: Price Range $1000-$1800

The Rebecca Ingram Bride is drawn to the simple pleasures in life. She’s flirty, sexy, fun, and maybe even a little bit retro. She knows who she is and what she wants and has a zest for life that makes her the center of any social circle. She’ll be too busy dancing the night away with her partner and making memories with the people she loves to be worrying about keeping a $5,000 dress pristine. 

Don’t get us wrong, no one is more deserving of a stunning gown than big-hearted Rebecca brides! Labels and price tags just might not be their priority. They find their dreams come true in a Rebecca Ingram wedding dress, the perfect balance of style and affordability.

Silhouettes for Bridal Style

PC: Hannah Morgan | Kelly Keene

Next to consider: silhouettes that make you feel like the best version of yourself. Each bridal silhouette has its pros and cons, and we’re willing to bet there’s one or two that are perfect for your bridal vision. When shopping, this is what to keep in mind:

• A regal ballgown is a dramatic and ultra-romantic choice. It’s universally flattering, as it creates a beautiful and structured look for a variety of heights, body shapes, and themes. (See more in our princess wedding dresses gallery!)
• A classic A-line is a beautiful balance of formality and simplicity. It’s a no-fuss silhouette that looks incredible in photos but doesn’t overpower your frame or get in the way of an all-night dance party. 
• A sensual fit-and-flare is all about the curve-hugging lines. We love this silhouette for a glamorous red carpet vibe.
• A mesmerizing mermaid is similar to a fit-and-flare, a sexy, ultra-feminine silhouette that’s designed to show off your curves and play up your favorite features. 
• A simple sheath is dreamy, comfortable, and effortlessly stylish for a variety of low-key elopements, outdoor settings, boho venues, and more. 

Fabric

PC: Lyssa June Photography | Chris Herder

The fabric of your wedding dress determines a lot about the overall vibe (and often the price!), so consider that when choosing among:

• More sparkle, please!
• Lovely layers of lace
• Clean and simple minimalism (like these simple wedding dresses here!)
• A luxe material to set you apart
• Lower-impact materials to love Mother Earth

Psst! Are you a lace lover? Take a look at these fab lace wedding dresses for cool-weather weddings!

Finding Your Bridal Style: Necklines

PC: Luke Dicola | Lightcraft Entertainment

Looking for surprising details to elevate your bridal style? Your choice of neckline can make a gown feel more sultry, romantic, modern, or classic. Which necklines flatter? What’s the best way to style? Consider how to accessorize based on your wedding dress for all the pretty details for your neckline:

• A structured scoop is a timeless and feminine design, and so versatile for your silhouette, venue, and season. 
• An oh-so-polished high neck is regal, formal, and beautifully tailored. 
• A totally trendy square neckline (see these square neckline dresses for more inspo) is a top-notch choice for more modern silhouettes. 
• A stunning sweetheart neckline is romantic and sultry, perfect for vintage wedding gowns and red-carpet silhouettes. 
• A Vogue-worthy V-neck is stunning, chic, and perfect for your favorite silhouette. 

Accessories

PC: The Rennies | Morgan Renee Photography

Accessories can totally transform your bridal style with added volume, layers, sleeve options, veils, and more. Dive into our accessories blog and consider options from our latest collections:

• Add an overskirt for a 2-in-1 look
• Layer with beautiful bridal jackets and capes
• Turn up the regal drama with detachable trains
• Make an ethereal veil moment
• Play up delicate detachable sleeves
• Go minimalist with no accessories, just the perfect dress!

Love all the ways to curate your meant-to-be bridal style? The final missing piece is a perfect pinboard to take to your bridal appointment! Take a look at our Pinterest for beautiful inspo and designs:

More Blogs Like This:

Your Wedding Venue Based On Your Favorite Fall 2024 Gown

How To Accessorize Based On Your Wedding Dress

How to Find Maggie Sottero Wedding Dresses Near You