What Brides Are Looking for Today
It’s a well-known truth in the wedding industry: Every bride is different. While past generations may have embraced cookie-cutter templates and designs, today’s soon-to-be newlyweds are opting for unique ensembles that feel personal to them—and their individual style.
“Every bride wants to feel like they’re wearing a one-of-a-kind dress,” says Terry Hall, the senior director of global flagships at Galia Lahav. “Even if a dress is not couture or not as customizable as certain dresses are, they want to do something to it that they feel like they’ve made it their own.” From incorporating fabric pieces from generations past to opting for a gown in a bold hue, today’s brides want a look that feels representative of themselves, their story, and their sense of style. “It’s not your day to be someone else,” Hall says. “It’s your day to be the ultimate version of you.”
This push for uniqueness has manifested in a few key trends, he adds, including an increased focus on personalization, an obsession with fashion-forward designs, and an emphasis on intricate detailing. Below, Hall breaks down each of these—and explains why they’re so important to the brides of today.
Sentimental Vintage Touches
While not every soon-to-be newlywed seeks out a vintage gown, many brides are interested in incorporating elements from their mother’s or grandmother’s wedding dress into their own ensemble. That may come in the form of an appliqué, a bit of a lace—or even a piece of thread. It’s an option Hall is proud to offer brides at Galia Lahav. “We’re able to tweak any dress in our collection to meet the bride’s specifications,” he says. While those customizations need to align with the design aesthetic and structural integrity of the dress, he’s committed to ensuring that a bride’s vision can come to life on her wedding day.
For example, Hall recently worked with a bride whose grandmother was not able to attend her nuptials. However, the bride had a few pieces of material from her grandmother’s own wedding gown. They were ultimately able to incorporate these sentimental fabrics into the bride’s dress, ensuring that her grandmother would still be a part of her big day—even if she couldn’t be physically present. “That’s what it’s all about,” Hall says. “It’s about the lifetime memory, the sentiment, the emotion behind it, and being able to capture those feelings in a dress.”
A Stand-Out Fashion Moment
For today’s brides, style is everything. “It’s not just about wearing a wedding dress,” Hall says. “It’s about having their fashion moment.” In just a few years, social media has transformed much of the wedding-dress shopping experience. By the time a bride enters a showroom, she likely has seen hundreds—if not, thousands—of gowns online. This wasn’t necessarily the case for previous generations, who often had fewer options when it came time to select their dress.
This online exposure has made today’s brides more detail-oriented than previous generations, Hall says. “Brides are much more meticulous,” he adds. “They’re much more fashion-conscious.” That may translate to them selecting a bold silhouette, a dramatic neckline, or even a colored dress. “Every bride wants to feel like they’re wearing something different,” he says. “They want to be the first one to wear a particular type of look.”
Intricate Detailing
Regardless of whether a bride wants a voluminous gown with a full skirt or a sleek two-piece set, they’re also focused on the smaller details of their ensemble—from the stitching on the neckline to the texture of the bodice. “The corsetry is everything,” Hall notes.
In the age of social media, the bodice and the neckline are two of the most important features of the dress, he says, adding that they play a crucial role in the framing of the bride’s facial features. “If you have the right neckline and the right bodice, it’s going to bring the eye up to the face,” he adds. “That’s what’s supposed to be captured—that moment, that feeling of emotion and excitement in your face.”
Written by Ellen O'Brien